And here's the second half of Studio Ghibli's classic 1988 diptych..
This one's a cult classic that transcended the limits of what anime movies could offer or animation in general for that matter.
Find more Studio Ghibli animated classics reviewed here!
Movie: My Neighbor Totoro
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Release date 1988
Genre Anime fantasy
Country Japan
The first big production from Studio Ghibli after Laputa turned out to be two movies.
The movies were paired around similar themes but radically different in execution and tone. Both from the founders of the animation studio.
An historical realistic tale from Isao Takahata which the producers at Toho feared wouldn't attract much audiences by itself. And the other from Hayao Miyazaki, more of a fantasy fable. Yet both set in the same rural Japan from the post-war era.
My Neighbor Totoro was Hayao Miyazaki's contribution to the project that helped sell the deal with a producer and get Studio Ghibli's next films financed.
The story takes place in the post-war rural Japan of 1958.
Professor Tatsuo Kusukabe went back to the country to live with his two daughters, Satsuki (10) and Mei (4).
Their mother's very sick and currently has to stay in an hospital nearby.
They arrive to their old inhabited house and start cleaning the place.
The place appears almost magical to the little Mei. In fact, the girls discover strange dust spirits living around.
Later on, Mei follows some strange creatures into the forest. At the heart of a large tree, she finds their what appears to be a wood spirit she names "Totoro".
At first skeptical, Satsuki finally meets the Totoros.
At night they dance with Totoro to make the seeds grow faster.
Mei is getting very sad because she misses her mommy.
She goes missing in the end and Satsuki has to go aboard a catbus (nekobus!) to search for her lost sister...
My Neighbor Totoro is sort of a modern fable.
Part-fantasy, part-inspired by Miyazaki's own memories from his childhood.
It's actually partially based on a classic Japanese story "Donguri to Yamaneko" by Kenji Miyazawa.
And add to that a bit of Alice in Wonderland, with some direct shots clearly influenced by the Disney classic.
Totoro appears to also draw some inspiration from another Miyazaki past feature, Panda! Go, Panda!.
The production started right after Nausicaä and Laputa, in parallel to Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies.
A lot of now famed artists from Studio Ghibli where able to start their career by working on this Miyazaki classic.
Such as art director Kazuo Oga who did several if most of the beautiful painted background on this film which have seen become a standard in Miyazaki's productions.
Hayao Miyazaki himself did most of the storyboard and designs for the film. His work as an animator can be seen through the picture.
From the beautiful scenery to the tone set in Saitama where he lives, it is truly a work from his heart.
A lot of experience came from his own childhood while growing in the Japan from after the war. His own mother was sick at a bed during most of his time growing up.
Miyazaki drew some inspiration from his own niece for the girls. The character do come incredible realistically and "alive". From little human gestures, the way they move around and interact...
It's a great fantasy story, anchored in real life.
A world where imagination run free.
The music was signed Joe Hisaishi. Collaborating with Miyazaki once more, as he would do so for many more films afterwards.
Totoro went on winning several prizes and awards, and that all around the globe.
It's important piece that marked culture generations to come, for years. It's an important influential work, with its beautiful poetic imagery and place for dreams to come true.
Released back to back with Takahata's more serious feature Grave of the Fireflies, it originally failed to gather much success at the time. They were forced to split this double feature and have them re-released separately.
Overall, if Grave of the Fireflies is a very realistic dramatic portrayal of this post-war generation, My Neighbor Totoro is the tale that tries to remember the good and forget those demons. A memory to simpler times, the era when people used to live closer to nature.
Imagination is also a very powerful tool. It's a message just as powerful as the bleak reality of Takahata's world. In a way, both features echo each other, several shots appear to reference one another.
It's as brilliant by itself as it came to be known nowadays and can be seen under a completely different light when paired with Isao Takahata's film as originally intended.
It got first a very bad dub in the US (who watch foreign films voiced over anyway??), so for you guys out there, avoid it (thankfully it was discontinued thanks to Disney taking over the distribution for Studio Ghibli), titled "My Friend Totoro".
There was a pseudo mini-sequel/spinoff short following Totoro. Named "Mei and the Kittenbus", it is probably never going to see light outside Japan since it's an exclusive for the Ghibli Museum. Apart from rare occasions, it won't ever be released outside Japan (hey, they have to find some way to draw in some crowd to their museum!) .
My Neighbor Totoro, a great cult classic anyone and everyone should watch at least once. Recommended for both children and adults alike!
I give it:
3 / 3 DonPatchis!
I love this movie and I LOVE the artwork you created to go with the review! Nice job!
ReplyDeleteThank you kindly^^
DeleteIt's a personal fav, so I had to take extra care of the drawings this time around!