Satsuki and Mei move with their father to an old house in the country in 1950s Japan, to be near the hospital where their mother is recovering. The house has soot sprites. The camphor tree next door has something larger. Mei follows two small rabbit-like creatures through a tunnel in the undergrowth and falls asleep on the belly of a huge grey animal who tells her his name is Totoro. My Neighbor Totoro has no villain, no danger until the last twenty minutes, and it is the film Studio Ghibli put on its logo.
What Happens With Totoro
Totoro waits at a bus stop in the rain with the girls, holding a leaf over his head, and they lend him an umbrella. The Catbus comes for him, a twelve-legged cat with headlight eyes. The girls plant acorns with Totoro at night and the trees grow in minutes. Then a telegram from the hospital, and Mei, four years old, sets out alone to walk there with an ear of corn, and gets lost. Satsuki asks Totoro for help, and the Catbus finds her.
Why It Is The Ghibli Film To Start With
It was released as a double bill with Grave of the Fireflies, which is the opposite film in every way. Miyazaki based the house on his childhood and the mother’s illness on his own mother’s tuberculosis. The soot sprites came back in Spirited Away. Totoro has been a plush toy for thirty-five years and the Catbus is a ride at the Ghibli Museum. It is 86 minutes.
Watch My Neighbor Totoro On GoMovies
86 minutes in HD, Japanese with subtitles. Press play above. Free, no sign-up.