My Neighbor Totoro

My Neighbor Totoro

Sisters Satsuki and Mei could not be more excited to move to a new home.  The house is huge and supposedly haunted.  There’s a kind old woman who lives nearby with her shy grandson.  And there’s a ginormous tree behind their house.  They say it’s home to the many spirits of the forest.  One day, Mei wanders off and stumbles upon the home of one of these spirits, the furry giant known as Totoro.  It may be a new town and a lot to get used to.  But with a neighbor like Totoro, life certainly isn’t going to be dull for these two sisters.

All month long we’ve taken a look at some of Hayao Miyazaki’s more recent stories.  To me it seems only fitting we end this little trip with a visit to one of his more famous old classics.  My Neighbor Totoro is probably the most child hearted film Miyazaki has ever done.  It’s a film by a kid at heart for kids of all generations.

The visuals in this film have endured the test of time.  Much like Haro from Mobile Suit Gundam is for Studio Sunrise, Totoro himself is the long time mascot in the Studio Ghibli opening titles.  How could he not be?  He’s a huggable, loveable furball with a reassuring smile you just want to take home with you and somehow fit him inside (I guess plushies will have to do).  Throughout all of his appearances in the film, Totoro seems both wise and lazy and also very curious.  The scene at the bus stop where Satsuki lends him an umbrella is evidence of this: how amazed he is hearing water fall on the covering.  He simply jumps up and down once and makes it rain harder to enjoy the noise.  Totoro has as much childlike wonder in him as his two new friends, Satsuki and Mei.  But we’ve also got appearances from two tinier Totoro.  Plus there’s the still amazing to look at Catbus that I think I want to be real more than Totoro (it’s also my favorite  mode of transportation besides a Gundam and my favorite Anime plushie btw).  And we even get a glimpse at the Soot Sprites, who reappear down the line in Spirited Away. (A connection? Probably not).

Satsuki and Mei are the eyes of the audience.  They are representatives of the key demographic for this film: young, energetic, full of imagination, and willing to believe in the impossible.  Sure this is a fantasy film, still you have to love the genuine bond between these two girls.  Mei being the younger, is a full speed train that’s always on GO SPEED.  She’s tiny, but she wants to be big like Satsuki and always claims to never be afraid of anything.  Case in point, her first scene with Totoro: she doesn’t flip out seeing a big, hairy spirit just sleeping with a mouth big enough to swallow her whole (I think she even leans in close she almost falls in at some point).  Satsuki knows when to be the fun older sister, believing in her sisters flights of fancy.  But she also knows when to let Mei know that reality can bite sometimes.  This comes heavily in the films last act, which also sees the appearance of any real conflict in this film.  My Neighbor Totoro has no real villain or enemy to square off against: no evil witches, no foul demons, no warlords, no enemies.  This is the most peaceful of the Miyazaki filmography and that might be a disappointment to casual viewers.

However, if it’s family entertainment you seek, then look no further than this.  My Neighbor Totoro cemented Hayao Miyazaki as the Anime filmmaker to turn to when it came to making Anime accessible to all ages groups.  The young, the old, the newborn, could watch this film and get some sense of joy and wonder out of it.  The animation is flawless, Joe Hisaishi’s score is just as whimsical as it’s ever been and Totoro himself is still such an amazing character of few words.  If you can forgive the lack of a central conflict until much later in the movie, then you’ll be in for a real treat.  My Neighbor Totoro is one of the best childrens films out there.  If not to introduce them to Anime, show it to your kids for the doors of imagination it can open to a young mind.  This is what Miyazaki does best and why he is the King of Anime feature filmmaking.

9/10

Well, the brings Miyazaki Month to an end.  I hope you’ve enjoyed my look at these films and will look into them as well as some of his other features (Kiki’s Delivery Service, Ponyo, The Wind Rises just to name a few).  Next week we return to the action and a series returns from a nice little winter break for it’s wrap up.  Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn continues next week on the Anime Corner.  See ya then.