My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
- The most famous, quotable line in My Neighbor Totoro wasn't actually in the script; it was completely improvised by the actor on the third take.
- During the filming of My Neighbor Totoro, the director famously rewrote the ending on the fly after seeing the incredible chemistry between the lead actors on set.
My Neighbor Totoro is a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, one of Studio Ghibli's most beloved and iconic works. The film follows two young sisters, Satsuki and Mei, who move to the countryside with their father to be closer to their mother, who is recovering from an illness in a nearby hospital. In the forests surrounding their new home, the girls discover Totoro, a giant, gentle forest spirit who becomes their friend and magical companion, along with other woodland creatures including the Catbus — a grinning, twelve-legged cat that functions as a living bus.
My Neighbor Totoro contains no villain, no conflict in the traditional sense, and virtually no plot — it is a film about the wonder of childhood, the beauty of nature, and the quiet anxieties of young children facing their mother's illness, rendered with an attention to everyday detail that makes the mundane magical. Totoro himself — a rotund, furry creature with enormous eyes and a wide grin who stands at a bus stop holding an umbrella — became one of the most recognized and beloved animated characters in the world and Studio Ghibli's official logo. Joe Hisaishi's score, featuring the infectiously cheerful "Tonari no Totoro" theme song, perfectly captured the film's spirit of gentle wonder.
My Neighbor Totoro was a modest commercial performer upon release but has grown into a cultural institution in Japan, where Totoro merchandise is ubiquitous and the film is considered a national treasure.
