30 years ago My Neighbor Totoro didn’t wow audiences, but over a short period of time it beame a favorite animated film from Studio Ghibli. The movie’s American voice cast includes Dakota and Elle Fanning who play the two sisters Satsuki and Mei. Other voice cast includes Tim Daly, Pat Carroll, and Lea Salonga.
This is a heartening story of two little girls whose mother is in the hospital. They move from the city to the country with their father while waiting for their mother to get better and return to them. They soon discover a forest spirit that can only be seen by children. Totoro is a big but gentle fellow and comes to the assistance of the girls in their time of need.
While the heart of the story is a bit sad in that the mother is quite ill, the wondrous times the girls have with Totoro is enchanting. The ending is fine so no need to worry about any tears among viewers in your house.
My Neighbor Totoro is the first film from Hayao Miyazaki to be set in Japan. He wanted to take advantage of the Japanese landscape and incorporated it into the film. One of the bonus features in this anniversary edition is a journey to the countryside outside of Tokyo. The areas that are reflected in the film are explored and viewers get to see this part of the country that tourists rarely see or even know about.
Another bonus is a full-length storyboard feature of the film. While this feature might not be exciting to many viewers, it does serve to show how the storyboards were used to create the animated version of this delightful movie.
There is also a look at the voice cast and a little peek behind the scenes as they discuss their roles. It’s fun to see the Fanning sisters (very young at the time) working together to create onscreen sisters.
This anniversary edition also includes a CD disc of the soundtrack from the film. Plus there is a paperback book about the film and the story. It is filled with colorful images from the movie.
My Neighbor Totoro is a whimsical, entertaining, and enchanting story. With fun and delightful characters (look for the cat bus) and a sweet story, this will delight the entire family. And Totoro himself has become the mascot for Studio Ghibli.
My Neighbor Totoro is rated G.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County.
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