A sweet and beguiling 1988 Studio Ghibli anime which has just been released on Blu-ray, My Neighbor Totoro is set in the 1950s, in a lush and overgrown rural village in the Kanto region of Japan.
Intent on a new life in the countryside, Professor Tatsuo Kusakabe has moved his family into a traditional but ramshackle house in order to be closer to his wife, who is recovering from tuberculosis in a nearby hospital. Tatsuo and his two little girls, Satsuki and Mei soon discover that they share their home with some strange inhabitants; their neighbours are even stranger, particularly the lovable guardian of the forest, a giant troll-like creature, Totoro. Given their doubts about their mother’s recovery, Satsuki and Mei allow themselves to become engrossed in the mystery of the trolls, who provide the girls with both adventure and comfort in uncertain times.
This new Blu-ray release of Hayao Miyazaki’s acclaimed film will delight both existing fans and anyone interested in illustration and animation. Viewers now have the option of seeing the animators’ storyboard in the right hand corner of the screen throughout the film, allowing one to see how scenes were developed, step by step.
Additional extras provide a great deal of information about the making of the movie, though not in fine detail. Also included is a short film detailing the traditional lifestyle of rural Japan, including the old domestic technology used in the Kusakabes’ house; though onerous, it is worth watching at least once to give more context to the main feature. The option to watch the movie entirely in Japanese with English subtitles is also included; the English-language cast features the voice talents of Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, Lea Salonga and others.
The American voiceovers suit each character well, and the animation capturing the characters’ expressions is subtle and often hilarious, employing a gentle and simple humour. Totoro himself provides enough gorgeous and daft expressions to make anyone giggle.
With beautifully painted and detailed scenery, My Neighbor Totoro is certainly worth owning on Blu-ray, in order to appreciate the fine detail in the painted flora and skies. But what really makes the film so beautiful is the simplicity of the characters lives; Miyazaki has perfected his intention to portray the ‘nobility of the innocent’ in a place and time with little to no access to technology. It’s refreshing to watch an anime with such an emphasis, compared to many other films of its type, which are often set in a bleak dystopia and dripping with graphic violence.
A sweet tale for the whole family to enjoy.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
My Neighbour Totoro
Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Japan, 1988, 86 mins
Blu-ray released through Madman Entertainment
Rated G
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