A brief description
Set
during a postwar time period in Japan, the story involves two young sisters
Satsuke and Mei, approximately ages nine and four, who move into a home
in the country with their father while their mother is in the hospital recovering
from an illness. The children soon discover that there is something strange
and unique about this new home they've moved into, dark tiny creatures that
run away upon entering darkened rooms, and elusive fur-covered creatures
called Totoros, ranging in size from 12 inches to a towering giant that
live in the forest nearby.
My impression
This is the first movie that turned me onto anime. I was in Japan when Totoro came on television. Visiting with my in-laws I found that the animated cartoons my young Japanese niece and nephews like to watch each morning was quite typical with what American kids like to watch in the U.S., simple animated cartoons, geared mostly for young attention spans. Then one evening a somewhat special movie for the kids came on. I had never heard of Miyazaki before, nor did I realize how popular his movies were in Japan. When this movie started, I said to myself, "This is something different." My Neighbor Totoro is a fantasy movie made for kids, but I was captivated by its richness in detail, color, and sound, not your typical Saturday morning kid's stuff. A westerner like you and me might have a special appreciation for seeing how a Japanese family lives in Totoro. When watching Totoro I think the Japanese would take for granted; the custom of removing shoes before entering a house, tatami mat floors, bathing together, and sleeping on the floor as they do in Japan. The story involves the discovery of strange and mystical creatures which only the children can see.
This is the only movie of Miyazaki that is currently distributed in the U.S. in an English version. In a recent agreement between Studio Ghibli and Japan Buena Vista, other works of Miyazaki will be available in the U.S. by mid ‘97.
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