Studio Ghibli: A Retrospective, Part Five - My Neighbour Totoro

I love this film. No, no wait. Not even that will do. I adore this film. My Neighbour Totoro is quite simply one of the best children's films of all time. Everything, from the tone to the animation to the story (what there is of it that is) is simply perfect. Totoro shows off what a mature filmmaker Miyazaki was slowly becoming - its light plot gives way to a beautiful tone and perfectly balanced moments all the way through out. 

Following from the traumatic Grave of the Fireflies, Totoro is the complete flip-side - a delicate and magical portrayal of childhood and that innocent time when the world seems like it is impossibly large and that anything is possible. Satsuki and Mei are young sisters and are moving to the country with their father to be nearer to their mother, who is bound to the hospital with a mysterious illness. The pair soon discover that their new home is inhabited and surrounded by magical creatures such as the soot sprites and the guardian of the forest, Totoro. The two soon get to used to their surroundings and go through all the highs and lows childhood can offer. 

This is the first Miyazaki film where the setting is quite clearly Japan. As I have mentioned in the Nausicaa article, the anime industry shied away from representing their own native country on screen, to the point where many animators were surprised when Miyazaki wanted to use local frames of reference for his films. So with both Grave and Totoro, Ghibli bravely showed two contrasting representations of Japan - one in its scrouched and destroyed state and another in the post-war period in all its natural beauty. Weirdly enough, them being released as a double-bill almost makes sense, in a disturbed kind of way. One is about the pure magic of childhood and the other is when all these chances for happiness and magic are robbed away. 

I have heard some mixed reaction to Totoro in recent years, mostly in regards to how .. plotless it is. And yeah, I can see that. If you want a meaty plot, Totoro is probably not the Ghibli film for you, though I think most can agree on the various other merits of the film. I normally do prefer a good plot but honestly the development of the simplistic story ... just works for me. It really works for me. I don't mind a lightly plotted film as long as there is a central core to latch onto, which Totoro definitely has. At the start of production, Miyazaki intended for there to be only one main character. In fact, much of the early Japanese promotional material still retains just the one little girl. The brilliant move was the decision to split them into an older and younger sister. What the film loses in the plot department it more than makes up for in the central relationship between Satsuki and Mei. I love the early scenes as Satsuki and Mei begin to explore their new home and meeting the slightly odd "Grandma" of the neighbourhood. Satsuki is trying out everything - exploring everywhere, questioning everything and loving every moment. This is clearly an intelligent girl, with a wide-eyed love of the world who perhaps has never ventured into the countryside before. Then there's Mei, following Satsuki around and imitating all her actions with a clear love and affection for her older sister, just as real life younger siblings do. So the scene, at its most basic level, is just "Satsuki and Mei exploring her new home" but Miyazaki uses the opportunity to tell us something about their personalities and relationship with each other. 

Totoro is filled with wonderful little moments. I love the scene where they try to scare away the soot sprites. 

Let's talk about Satsuki and Mei's dad briefly. He is clearly kind and loving but also a little hapless. He's obviously having to bear a lot on his shoulders, having changed house, raising two young daughters and supporting his wife in the hospital. It unfortunately falls to Satsuki to take a little more responsibility than a child her age would expect to take. The film never really judges the dad for it, more that this is the way things are at the moment. There's a small scene I love involving the dad. With Satsuki off to school and Mei playing in the garden, Dad sets to work. At first he seems ok but then his glooms over, clearly frustrated at the task he is completing. However, off to the side, Mei is placing flowers on his desk. She exclaims "you be the flower shop, Daddy" and she runs off to play some more. He picks up one of the flowers, smells it and is comforted that all the hard work he is going through is for his kids. It's a lovely moment that adds layers to his character. 

The early moments of the film in which they get used to their new surroundings and make their first bicycle bound visit to the hospital really show off all the technical aspects of the film. Miyazaki brought on a new art director on Totoro, in one Kazuo Oga. Miyazaki challenged Oga to represent the natural world as a believable one but also one where magic can co-exist. This became a defining aspect of Ghibli's art design, by contrasting realistic and rich background against highly animated fantastical characters, a style that would remain in place up until 2008's Ponyo. Totoro was Ghibli's best looking film yet which, coupled with the wonderful Joe Hisashi score, creates a real sense of warm and comfort to the whole piece.

The opening scenes really do establish a warm and familiar feeling as we get to know the family

The opening scenes eventually culminate in Mei meeting two mini Totoro creatures who, through a quick chase, leads her to fall down a hole in the middle of the forest and discover the big guy himself. Totoro is possibly Miyazaki's most iconic creation, with his visage gracing the opening of every Ghibli film. The character is arguably more popular and recognisable in Japan than Mickey Mouse. And it's easy to see why this character became so popular. With his big grin, fluffy design and ever so slightly imposing nature, the film utilises Totoro just enough as not to make him tiresome. He never loses his impact and this is still the case on re-watches. This is probably why he has lived on so long in peoples' hearts and minds; there's something mysterious, and completely loveable, about him. Mei forms an instant bond and smalls asleep on top of him. She awakens in the middle of the forest, with Satsuki and Dad searching for her (which is a great set-up for the ending of the film, which I'll get to).

Mei discovers the brilliant guardian of the forest, Totoro. 

The order in which Totoro appears to the girls is also really important, with eldest Satsuki being last. Which makes sense - Satsuki is older and maybe isn't as willing to believe in the magic of the world as much as wide-eyed Mei does. A flash rainstorm breaks out across the area, as Satsuki has the idea of bringing their father's umbrella to him at the bus stop after he gets back from his commute from work (he's forgotten it...). As the pair stand at the stop, Mei falls asleep leaving just Satsuki in the rain. Then, suddenly out of nowhere, appears Totoro. This is yet another brilliant scene and one of the most famous in the whole film. That image of Totoro, with his umbrella, staring off into the distance and Satsuki looking the same, is quite possibly one of the most famous of the whole Ghibli oeuvre. Satsuki breaks the ice eventually by striking up a conversation and soon discovers that Totoro loves the sound of rain drops falling onto his umbrella. The whole scene has this strange atmosphere where you're not quite sure where it's going to go, which is especially helped by the score. Eventually, Totoro loves the sound so much he leaps into the air, as the impact causes a deluge of rain drops to land on them. Deciding he's had enough, Totoro hitches a ride in the wonderfully bizarre Cat Bus, another brilliant piece of design work. It's a cat .... but it's also a bus ... that's also a wonderful piece of surreal fantasy design that has arguably become as famous as the big furry guy himself. As Totoro rides off into the distance, the sisters (including the newly awoken Mei) look as baffled as the audience!

Quite possibly the film's most famous scene

The first appearance of the wonderfully bizarre Cat Bus

Both these scenes culminate with the sequence where Totoro and his critters help to make Satsuki and Mei's garden grow, using the seeds they obtained as a gift on their last adventure at the bus stop. With the odd and weirdly comforting soundtrack, and the moonlight illuminating the creatures as they work, Satsuki and Mei take part in the ceremony and eventually, through the power of magic, the seedlings begin to sprout before producing a massive tree in front of them that dominates over their house. Presumably pleased by their work, Totoro takes Satsuki and Mei on a magical air-borne tour across the countryside. This scene is beyond iconic - it's one of the most joyful scenes ever committed to film, with Hisaishi's brilliant score kicking in as they begin to take flight. I love Satsuki's slight hesitation at first but it doesn't take her long to get involved in the magical flight. It's another example of how Miyazaki uses actions to communicate the personalities of the girls without having to spell it out. As mentioned before, Satsuki is slightly more mature and is growing up fast - her hesitation makes sense. Mei, meanwhile, in thr full throes of childhood, is just straight up for it. It's a quick moment but it's a subtle story-telling trick that doesn't betray the simple nature of the story. I also love how the scene highlights whether or not any of this real. When the pair wake up the next morning, a giant tree is not there to welcome them, of course, but a few of their seedlings have sprouted. Whether Totoro is real or not doesn't matter too much - it's the fact that he's real to the kids is what's important. 

One of the most iconic scenes in animation?

The conclusion of the film is pitch perfect. In keeping with the film's small and intimate story line, the sisters are very upset, as their mother seems to have taken a turn for the worse. Even the up-until-now strong Satsuki breaks down to Grandma and has a big argument with Mei. Both are really upset with each other and sore from their arguments. So, Mei takes it on herself, seeing her older sister upset, to bring a gift to her mother (a knob of corn they picked with Grandma). However, being only 5, she gets lost on the way. This is actually a common thing for Mei - she's used to playing on her own and going into the forest, often without supervision. Her getting lost actually happens a couple of times in the film, just not with the same dramatic weight. Satsuki and the rest of the village now have to desperately find Mei. And that's the big finale. No Big Bad to defeat or McGuffin to find. Just a sibling trying to find their other sibling. And it's just brilliantly executed. I love the shot of Satsuki running through the rice-paddies as the sun sets and Hisaishi's mournful score begins to swell. When all hope seems lost, Satsuki turns to the only person who can help her - and by person, I mean Totoro of course. He summons the Cat Bus from earlier in the film, as Satsuki goes on a magical ride across the countryside. Cleverly, the Cat Bus is not visible to the adults, as all they see is the wind flying by. Of course, the two are reunited in a lovely scene that begins to see the film out. 

This scene just gets me every time

From one iconic scene to another, Totoro summons the Cat Bus to help Satsuki locate Mei

My Neighbour Totoro might not be to everyone's taste, which I can understand, but for this writer the film is simply perfect. Everything from the art design to the music to the beautifully-told small-scale story, Totoro has rightly earned its place as an all-time classic. The ending of the film just leaves me with an overwhelmingly warm glow and makes me feel good, in particular as we see images of the family reuniting with the mother coming home and life continuing, all while the recognisable Japanese vocals sing in pure elation "To-toro, to-to-ro". The now iconic title song is etched into the brains of all anime fans or anyone who has has seen this film. It's a wonderful film that celebrates the little joys in life. Childhood is such a fleeting moment and it isn't long before the realities of the "real world" begin to seep in. Totoro captures this tiny, wonderful moment with grace and expertise. 

So here are my quick thoughts on the dub. I haven't seen the original one, produced in the early 90s, so I'm focusing on the Disney produced one. For the most part, it's a good dub that retains the childlike spirit of the Japanese version. The masterstroke here was casting real life sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning as Satsuki and Mei respectively. They have a natural chemistry which helps to sell audience on their connection. They're both good performances and, while I feel the Japanese actors have a bit more range, the directors of the dub and the Fanning siblings clearly understood what worked so well about the original material. 

Miyazaki would continue in the vein of "lightly plotted" with his next film albeit replacing the sister relationship with a central coming-of-age character study that plays almost like the next step in his mini "growing up" series. This is, of course, Kiki's Delivery Service.