Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro)

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Alternative Titles

English: My Neighbor Totoro

Synonyms: My Neighbour Totoro

Japanese: となりのトトロ

Information

Type: Movie

Episodes: 1

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Apr 16, 1988

Producers: Studio Fantasia

Licensors: Walt Disney Studios, GKIDS

Studios: Studio Ghibli

Source: Original

Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural

Duration: 1 hr. 26 min.

Rating: G - All Ages

Statistics

Score: 8.37¹ (scored by 370,675 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #176²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #119

Members: 590,770

Favorites: 5,798

8.37

Ranked #176Popularity #119Members 590,770

MovieStudio Ghibli

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Episodes: /1

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Trailer English sub version

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Synopsis

In 1950s Japan, Tatsuo Kusakabe relocates himself and his two daughters, Satsuki and Mei, to the countryside to be closer to their mother, who is hospitalized due to long-term illness. As the girls grow acquainted with rural life, Mei encounters a small, bunny-like creature in the yard one day. Chasing it into the forest, she finds "Totoro"—a giant, mystical forest spirit whom she soon befriends. Before long, Satsuki too meets Totoro, and the two girls suddenly find their lives filled with magical adventures in nature and fantastical creatures of the woods.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

In 1988, Tonari no Totoro won the Best Film and Ofuji Noburo awards in the Mainichi Film Awards, the Special Award in the 31st Blue Ribbon Awards, the Grand Prix in the Animage Anime Awards, and the Best Film and Reader's Choice Award: Best Japanese Film awards in the Kinema Junpo Awards.

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Related Anime

Spin-off:

Mei to Koneko Bus

More characters
Characters & Voice Actors

Totoro

Main

Takagi, Hitoshi
Japanese

Kusakabe, Mei

Main

Sakamoto, Chika
Japanese

Kusakabe, Satsuki

Main

Hidaka, Noriko
Japanese

Nekobasu

Supporting

Takagi, Hitoshi
Japanese

Makkuro-Kurosuke

Supporting

Kusakabe, Tatsuo

Supporting

Itoi, Shigesato
Japanese

Oogaki, Kanta

Supporting

Amagasa, Toshiyuki
Japanese

Kanta's Grandmother

Supporting

Kitabayashi, Tanie
Japanese

Kusakabe, Yasuko

Supporting

Shimamoto, Sumi
Japanese

More staff
Staff

Miyazaki, Hayao

Director, Script, Storyboard

Hisaishi, Joe

Music

Kanada, Yoshinori

Original Character Design, Key Animation

Oga, Kazuo

Art Director

Edit Opening Theme

"Sanpo (さんぽ; Stroll)" by Azumi Inoue

Edit Ending Theme

"Tonari no Totoro (となりのトトロ; My Neighbor Totoro)" by Azumi Inoue

More reviewsReviews

May 19, 2016

1 of 1 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 5

ItIsIDio (All reviews)

250 people found this review helpful

Before the "what the fuck is wrong with you, a 5 on a ghibli movie, kill yourself" settles in, I want to assure you that the movie did everything that it set out to be outstandingly and if I was from that target audience, I would probably consider it nothing short of a masterpiece. I usually prefer to criticize a show for what it tried to be but failed while presenting every factor I deemed important about the movie and why eventually it was only an average experience for me. In this case, I don't have a lot to criticize on what the movie actually tried to do because it was succesful in what it did. So all I can present is what factored into my experience only a 5 with what the movie has had done and has not done.

Starting with the movie's strong suits, the artistic side of it is outstanding. While the obligatory "for its time, it looks incredible" compliment must be said, I'll do one more and say that for our time, I wish people would pay as much attention to detail in animation as was done in Tonari no Totoro and would look at least half as good. The animation has plenty of small details throw in that makes each frame look lively and realistic. As an example there will be some scenes with children crying. Have you ever seen someone cry in an anime? I will assume that most of the time, depending on what you watch of course, crying doesn't rise any red flags. However, watching a child cry in this made me realize something. Most people don't even put any effort into the way they display someone crying and see it as something simple and easy to portray. However, in Totoro, when the child started crying I could see the range of emotions she went through and react realistically, the same way any child of that age would. All down to the point of starting to cry silently because she was upset then up to the outburst of emotion, screaming and bawling as soon as she was given attention again the way children do when they are given attention in these situations. It may seem a ridiculous thing to pick out the level of detail for animation, but that's what I found most impressive. The range of emotions displayed in a few frames was done as right as anyone could ever do them and I can't imagine someone outdoing this kid.

Ok, now the movie so far was 10/10 children cry real. Anyway, up next I'm gonna talk about, more of the art, and rather, its significance in this movie. You see there's a point to the art actually being this well animated and that is that its goal is to be as captivating as anything can be. Yeah, sure, anything has to be captivating, but in this situation, you have to keep in mind, the audience was intended to be children. Children are impressionable. And I assure this was artstyle was very impressive if it still is today back then. But the reason it also has to be captivating it is because it's trying to display the innocence of children, which is the artistic goal of the movie. Which it does. Quite well. To the point where everyone praises it. So I praised it on that front enough. But I have to add, since its audience seemed to have been children, it has build an impressive world with imaginative designs in a realistic looking manner. To the point where adults can watch it to feel like a kid again and children can watch it to be amazed by the movie's world.

But here's where my praise stops and my gripes with the movie starts... well... you see... I was bored. Yes, despite the amazingly looking visuals that occasionally made me so impressed I forgot all about how bored I was for a short while and despite being 100% on board with what the movie has displayed, I still was bored. Why? Because it is mostly comprised of the children fucking around and showing off how well designed everything is, as well as put focus on what they're trying to display in the movie. The movie piles on a lot and a lot of scenes together for artistic value and to continuously display how innocent a child is. I get it. So what?

What do you mean "so what?", that's the point of the movie?

Yes, and why would I watch something solely meant to display that. Quite frankly, there's a lot of things intended for kids that are sweet, innocent and whatnot and have a point in their story, even if simple and meant for children to understand and teach them good values. However this movie spends an hour on children and then realizes something needs to happen as for the story to have some sort of tension by the point where you'd have ingrained the target audience into your brain and know everything's gonna be alright. The story is a tool to display art, rather than to display a engaging narrative.

Yeah, but the story's goal was to show off the children's innocence. It's only your fault if you can't appreciate that.

Yeah, finally something that we can agree. Frankly if you enjoy a movie that is artistic and the theme that I've described in the review, it will be outstanding. But do you enjoy stories? Do you enjoy it when you learn something? Do you enjoy it when you see someone have some sort of struggle and have some type of conflict? Do you enjoy it when something you watch tries to drive home a point or multiple points? Are you entertaining by these things? Because they are absent here. As a child or enough of a childlike mentality, you could admire and yonder or feel nostalgic over how your own childhood was due to the movie, but, if that's not what you're looking for... You're likely to get bored... just like me. Unless you're watching it for the amazing visuals. In which case, congratulations again.

Most often times when something succeeds in what it sets out to be it is often free of criticism because there is no point to it because it's already succeeded. But just because it succeeded in something doesn't mean it will succeed in entertaining you. If narrative is something you really want in the movie, a series of connected events that do drive a point across, this is not something you should watch. If you value the artistic side of a show more than anything, this is a masterpiece that you should not miss, this movie is for you.

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Sep 23, 2013

1 of 1 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

TheCriticsClub (All reviews)

180 people found this review helpful

Childhood is a blossoming period of learning and developing one's own idiosyncrasies. It has always been a sedate stage in which little youngsters define themselves through their senseless antics—ones that appear innocent but are of an elusive nature, and are merely an inadvertent expression of the capricious phase that is childhood. However, since kids are so full of youthful tendencies, very few directors have managed to portray the rascals in a sincere and realistic manner. But among those select few is an irreplaceable Ghibli film which has become a sensation both within its native community and the western world—and that film is Hayao Miyazaki's My read more

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Sep 11, 2008

1 of 1 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

Kenkei (All reviews)

164 people found this review helpful

I remember Totoro was my favorite anime. I'd pop it in the VCR player (yes, old school, I know) and watching it with my little brother when I was a little girl. Somewhere around 14 years later, it's still my favorite movie, and probably always will be.

Totoro's story is incredible: it captures the imagination of two girls with very different personalities. Satsuki, the older, responsible girl who takes care of household responsibilities while her mother is sick, and little Mei, a veritable firecracker who's curiosity knows no limits. What made this movie so incredible was how well it captured the imagination of kids their age. read more

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Jul 3, 2007

1 of 1 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

jet2r0cks (All reviews)

43 people found this review helpful

Another win for Miyazaki!

The story was just unique. I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it – and originality is always a good thing. It had me watching closely the whole time. It’s a story for kids and kids at heart alike.

It was like watching a Dr. Seuss story come to life, except it has a Miyazaki spice to it. Another good thing about it is that it’s easy to understand, but not so easy that it’s dumb.

The characters were all very likable. I like adorable Mei, and her doting older sister Satsuki. I also love how their father is so child like – he’s read more

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