My Neighbor Totoro: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ - Tonari no Totoro ) is a 1988 Japanese animated movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli.

Characters

• Satsuki Kusakabe - An 11 year old girl.
• Mei Kusakabe - Satsuki's 4 year old sister.
• Totoro - A large, friendly forest spirit.

==Plot==

The movie is a slow-moving yet fascinating portrayal of Japanese rural life. A university professor and his two daughters move into an old house near a forest, while his wife recovers from tuberculosis in a nearby hospital. His daughters discover "soot sprites" (or makurukurusuke), which lead them to find some forest spirits that Mei names Totoro. Not everyone can see the spirits of the forest, only the pure of heart. Four-year-old Mei is enchanted with them and determined to find the king of the forest. When she later gets lost while trying to bring an ear of healthy corn to her mother at the hospital, her older sister Satsuki runs everywhere searching for her, finally seeking Totoro's help. He is delighted to be of assistance, and with his help Mei is quickly found.

The movie features the "Cat Bus", a grinning feline bus summoned by Totoro which whisks Mei and Satsuki over the countryside to see their mother in hospital. When the cat bus finally leaves them its body fades into the evening shadows, leaving only its broad grin. This has lead many people to compare it with Lewis Carroll's Cheshire cat.

• The name Totoro is Mei's mispronunciation of troll, which she saw in a story book and decided was the same kind of creature.
• The large Totoro has become a mascot for Studio Ghibli, gracing the studio's logo at the start of their films.
• My Neighbor Totoro was released as a double feature with Grave of the Fireflies, because it was considered that My Neighbor Totoro would not be successful.
• The Cat Bus originates from the Japanese belief that if a cat grows old enough it gains magical shape-changing powers and is called a "bake neko". The Cat Bus is a bake neko that saw a bus and decided to become one.
• Satsuki and Mei's mother's implied suffering from spinal tuberculosis is somewhat autobiographical, as Hayao Miyazaki's mother suffered from the same illness.

Direction, Original Story & Screenplay: Miyazaki Hayao
Music: Joe Hisaishi
Production: Studio Ghibli
Executive Producer: Yasuyoshi Tokuma
Producer: Toru Hara