FEATURE FILM

My Neighbor Totoro

8.1/10
TMDB9,231 votes
1988Original: Japanese86 min

Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.

Genres: Fantasy, Animation, Family
Cast: Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Hitoshi Takagi, Shigesato Itoi, Sumi Shimamoto

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THE STORY & THE PEOPLE

About My Neighbor Totoro

He's your friendly neighbourhood forest spirit!

My Neighbor Totoro (1988) is a film in the fantasy, animation, family genres. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The cast includes Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Hitoshi Takagi, Shigesato Itoi.

Released
1988-04-16
Original language
Japanese
Runtime
86 minutes
Status
Released
Production countries
Japan
Production companies
Studio Ghibli, Tokuma Shoten
Writers
Hayao Miyazaki

My Neighbor Totoro cast & characters

Audience reviews

8.1/10 from 9,231 TMDB votes. Ratings and reviews are supplied by TMDB. Reviews are attributed to their original authors.

sykobanana

TMDB member review

"Childhood" in a movie. This is just perfection - a perfect way to while away time and reconnect with your youth. Everything is outstanding in this film, but especially the way it can emote your sense of wonder and imagination. I wish I could have watched this as a child, I would have wanted to find Totoro and the Catbus, roar like Totoro, or sleep on his belly. Oh well...I will just have to imagine…

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"Childhood" in a movie. This is just perfection - a perfect way to while away time and reconnect with your youth. Everything is outstanding in this film, but especially the way it can emote your sense of wonder and imagination. I wish I could have watched this as a child, I would have wanted to find Totoro and the Catbus, roar like Totoro, or sleep on his belly. Oh well...I will just have to imagine it. Its interesting to note this was released with Grave of the Fireflies, another Ghibli masterpiece, which I have summed up as being about innocence lost. This movie is innocence maintained.

20thCentury

TMDB member review

(SPOILER ALERT) I was delighted to see this subtle/multi-layered tale unfold, which seemed to play well to both a childhood audience, keen on likable characters/compelling imagination, and adults with a deeper appreciation for the symbolic backstory. Like most of Miyazaki's films, there was an enormous focus on the power of the natural world. Whenever man perverts the natural world, the natural world seems to…

Read moreShow less
(SPOILER ALERT) I was delighted to see this subtle/multi-layered tale unfold, which seemed to play well to both a childhood audience, keen on likable characters/compelling imagination, and adults with a deeper appreciation for the symbolic backstory. Like most of Miyazaki's films, there was an enormous focus on the power of the natural world. Whenever man perverts the natural world, the natural world seems to pushback. It appears as though the seldom seen Mother in the story is sick due to some mental/physical disconnect that she has likely had with the natural world. Through the unique power of children to tap into their imagination, especially children living outside the city and amongst nature, Miyazaki demonstrates the unique gift that children have to re-establish the lost bond between unhealthy adults and the healing power of the natural world. I was thoroughly impressed with how delicately Miyazaki established this bond between the two children, their imagination, and the natural world. Totoro, the lovable silent giant, is a great and unexpected metaphor for the healing power of the natural world and childhood imagination :)

r96sk

TMDB member review

Aggressively cute. 'My Neighbor Totoro' holds an extremely hearty story, one told via impeccably beautiful animation. Noriko Hidaka and Chika Sakamoto standout as Satsuki and Mei, the relationship between those two characters is so sweet. They do get a bit shouty in parts which ever so slightly irritates, but that's definitely one to file under 'nit-picking'. A simple movie, one which displays the imagination…

Read moreShow less
Aggressively cute. 'My Neighbor Totoro' holds an extremely hearty story, one told via impeccably beautiful animation. Noriko Hidaka and Chika Sakamoto standout as Satsuki and Mei, the relationship between those two characters is so sweet. They do get a bit shouty in parts which ever so slightly irritates, but that's definitely one to file under 'nit-picking'. A simple movie, one which displays the imagination of children perfectly. Big fan of the Catbus. 🐱

Questions about My Neighbor Totoro

What is My Neighbor Totoro about?

Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.

Who stars in My Neighbor Totoro?

Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Hitoshi Takagi, Shigesato Itoi, Sumi Shimamoto, Tanie Kitabayashi. See the cast cards above for character names.

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