Totoro & 5 Best Things In The Movie

Totoro & 5 Best Things In The Movie

Totoro is one of the movies that I keep neatly on the shelf and countless times I've seen it just to admire it. I do not know how many times I want to review it but always missed. No one dismisses if there are many specials from the 1988 film release of the great work of Hayao Miyazaki and his legendary studio, Ghibli . But there are five things that make me favorite of this animation, the subject which also makes Totoro not only as a slick film seen from various aspects but also so much influence in Japan to make the movie lovers momentarily forget Doraemon or Son-Goku .

Elegant Local Honesty

Totoro is a beautiful fantasy movie. Fun, soothing. No striking plot or images of kindness or character crime are presented with sharpness. Everything was aired honestly as a line of Miyazaki's fictional characters. From Tatsuo 's father , Mei and Satsuki .

They are ordinary people, cheerful and symbolize humility without aling-aling moving to a quiet village with rice fields, vegetables and forest. Where local Japanese wisdom is presented intelligently without explaining the details or rituals of persecution for the audience. Everything is endemic. Native , naive and honest in his life and dream, once again without the detail and complexity to confuse the audiences of the child. At least, I think there are five things that become interesting points in this movie. Five things also make it up there as one of the best animations of all time.

Simplicity in a Scale

I'm not going to talk about what an implicit gem she's got. Such a poetry is so intelligent that it immediately makes the reader capture all sentence energy without having to read it over and over again. Tonari no Totoro too. Present without the antagonist and all the characters seem to be worthy of being the protagonist, though there is no visible surplus that stands out or draws from them all. Likewise  Mei and Satsuke are simple bebocah, unencumbered with the play to defeat evil wizards or the mission of saving the world.

This is the simplicity that becomes more value, presented unique on a small rural scale and similarly small cases typical of children's kecerian. We will not encounter the complexity of the ideas presented in Spirited Away or Nausicaa and The Secret World of Arriety . There is only Totoro with his dance-growing trees, or the famous silence scene in May and Satsuki waiting for his father to come at a bus stop in the woods. With frogs that relax under the rain.

Fantasy Independent

The names Miyazaki and Ghibli are separate entities, this is absolute. As long as we keep watching Disney or Pixar, we will continue to be treated with the same formula and pattern of how cartoons should start and end. Or grip the Dungeons & Dragons if the audience also plays the game. This outline becomes an American fantasy convention. But Ghibli has their own world independence, with original color and style.

They do not need the rules of Hans Christian Andersen , nor the magical Japanese magma itself. In Totoro everything looks original. If they want a ghost they create their own ghost description, they want a bus, the audience will get a fifteen-footed cat-shaped bus that slightly reminds us of the cat in Alice in Wonderland .

Calm Color and Visual

Until some time, Miyazaki decided to use watercolor in every movie. Until automatic coloring through the computer takes over. But precisely this simple coloring is the main key to Totoro's cinematography to be calm and soothing and equally beautiful when compared to Howl's Moving Castle or The Secret World of Arriety. Only, we do not find conflicts and social chaos as in both titles. All colors are explained from the perspective, happiness and exploration of a 3-year-old child.

Magical Realism of the Protagonist

Mei and Satsuke do not have to distinguish where dreams, fantasies or the reality of their lives. They are kits in the middle of a field that enjoys the wind blowing from any side. And the audience does not need to sort out which they are trying to understand.

We just need to enjoy the rice fields, rivers and trees as well as how May and Satsuki enjoy a supersonic trip with their Cat Bus. Or hang on to Totoro's stomach as the friendly monsters climb the clouds with their umbrellas and their tops. Is this a Miyazaki trick to bring magical elements into reality in the movie just so the audience gets to study the philosophical films? I do not think so.

Tonari no Totoro is classic since the first day of the film is released and will still be a classic with the increasing age and animation man-made animation. Enjoying it is by paying attention to the kindergarten that requires mystical and imaginary pleasures, and it is futile if for example we are trying to learn every sign drawn by Miyazaki in this film just to prove Totoro has a negative hidden intent. At the end we know this is not Disney.

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Totoro is the God of Death!

Totoro is the God of Death!

Have you ever watched My Neighbor Totoro ? My Neighbor Totoro (Tonari no Totoro) is one of the most favorite family anime movies, from kids to adults, all of whom love the story of two sister girls in a beautiful Japanese countryside with its magical creatures. But according to some, there is a darkness that peeks behind all that cheerfulness. They say, Totoro is not a funny creature. He is the God of Death. Not a few believed that Totoro was the God of Death, so the people who could see Totoro were actually people who were close to death, or indeed dead. In the film - spoiler alert for those who have not watched!

- when May disappears and his sandals are found in the pond, May have actually been drowned and died. When Satsuki was asked about the slipper, he could not tell the truth and he lied if the sandals did not belong to Mei. So, Satsuki went to look for Totoro and as if he managed to open the door to the realm of the dead. With the help of Totoro, Satsuki managed to find his dead brother and finally went together to the hospital to meet their mother. There, the only people who could see the girls were their own mothers, who would soon die. And in the last scene, Satsuki and Mei have no shadow at all!
This theory does not stop there. There is a famous murder case called the 'Incident Sayama' (My Neighbor Totoro movie takes place in Sayama) where two sister women died tragically. One was killed, the other committed suicide because of depression. The story goes that his sister saw the appearance of a black cat before the suicide (Totoro did look like a black cat / rabbit). So, is it true that Totoro was created to be the God of Death?

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biography director Totoro

 short biography director Totoro

Hayao Miyazaki was born in Tokyo, January 5, 1941 is an animated film director and manga from Japan. He is one of the founders of studio animation Studio Ghibli. In the third year of high school, Miyazaki watched Hakujaden, referred to as "Japan's first color animated anime film" and from there he became interested in the animated world. In 1963 he graduated from Gakushuin University with a degree in political science and economics. Miyazaki was appointed chief animator, concept artist, and scene designer for the movie Hols: Prince of the Sun (1968), one of Isao Takahata's important works, which will later become Miyazaki's partner. His films mostly use the character of a girl as the main hero and the theme raised about human relationships with nature or about technology.
Here's the List of 10 Best Movies of Her Work.

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10 Anime Film Works Hayao Miyazaki

10 Anime Film Works Hayao Miyazaki

10. Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)

9. Ponyo (2008)

8. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

7. Porco Rosso (1992)

6. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

5. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

4. Castle in the Sky (1986)

3. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

2. Princess Mononoke (1997)

1. Spirited Away (2001)

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director Totoro

Miyazaki Hayao

Miyazaki Hayao, (born January 5, 1941, Tokyo, Japan), Japanese anime director whose lyrical and allusive works won both critical and popular acclaim.

Miyazaki’s father was the director of Miyazaki Airplane, a manufacturing concern that built parts for Zero fighter planes. The family business instilled in Miyazaki a love of flying that became apparent in virtually all of his work. After having completed studies in economics at Gakushūin University, Tokyo, in 1963, he took a position as an entry-level animator at Tōei Animation, a division of the Tōei studio and Asia’s largest producer of animation. While at Tōei, he met fellow animators Takahata Isao and Ōta Akemi. The former became a lifelong friend, collaborator, and business partner, and the latter, after a one-year courtship, became his wife. Miyazaki moved through the ranks at Tōei, working on such projects as the television series Ōkami shōnen Ken (“Wolf Boy Ken”) and Takahata’s feature directorial debut, Taiyō no ōji: Horusu no daibōken (1968; Little Norse Prince). After leaving Tōei in 1971, Miyazaki, accompanied by Takahata, continued to work for various studios throughout the 1970s. Highlights from this period included the Panda kopanda (Panda! Go Panda!) film shorts and Miyazaki’s first full-length film, Rupan sansei: Kariosutoro no shiro (1979; Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro), an adventure story featuring the gentleman thief Lupin and his compatriots.

Miyazaki’s individual style became more apparent in Kaze no tani no Naushika (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind), a monthly manga (Japanese cartoon) strip he wrote for Animage magazine. The story followed Naushika, a princess and reluctant warrior, on her journey through an ecologically ravaged world. Its success inspired a film of the same name (released in 1984) and encouraged Miyazaki and Takahata to undertake a more permanent partnership arrangement. Together they launched Studio Ghibli in 1985. The following year Miyazaki’s Tenkū no shiro Rapyuta (Castle in the Sky) was released in Japan and Nausicaä was released in the United States as Warriors of the Wind. Although the original film’s impressive aerial sequences remained intact, confusing edits and poor dubbing rendered Warriors of the Wind virtually unwatchable. More than a decade would pass before Miyazaki would consider another Western release.

Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli continued to produce works for the domestic market, however. His Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro) debuted alongside Takahata’s Hotaru no haka (Grave of the Fireflies) in 1988. While both films were well received critically, the financial success of the studio was secured by the phenomenal sale of Totoro merchandise. Miyazaki followed with Majo no takkyūbin (1989; Kiki’s Delivery Service), the story of a young witch’s coming of age, and Kurenai no buta (1992; Porco Rosso), an adventure yarn about a World War I flying ace who has been cursed to have the face of a pig. These successes set the stage for 1997’s Mononoke-hime (Princess Mononoke), a blockbuster that broke Japanese box-office records. The film revisited some of Miyazaki’s recurring themes, such as the conflict between human progress and natural order and the persistence of the spiritual world alongside the mundane. In addition, its depiction of kodama (Japanese tree spirits) as white humanoid creatures with clattering heads provided one of the more enduring images in anime.

Miyazaki’s Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001; Spirited Away) captured the top prize at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival, won best Asian film at the Hong Kong Film Awards, and was named best animated feature at the 2003 Academy Awards. In his native Japan it won best picture at the 2002 Japanese Academy Awards and replaced Titanic as the top-grossing film in Japanese history. In the film, Chihiro, an ordinary if slightly spoiled young girl, wanders away from her parents and enters a realm of gods and magic. There, dubbed with the name Sen, she is forced to make do with her wits in an effort to reclaim her name and return to the human world.

Miyazaki followed the phenomenal success of Spirited Away with Hauru no ugoku shiro (2004; Howl’s Moving Castle), the story of a young girl cursed with the body of an old woman and the quest that leads her to a legendary moving castle; it was nominated for an Academy Award in 2006. In 2005 Disneyunveiled a restored version of Nausicaä on DVD. Featuring both the original Japanese sound track as well as a new professionally recorded English dub, this release marked the first time that the film was commercially available in its original form in the United States. Gake no ue no Ponyo (2008; Ponyo) was targeted to a younger audience than were most Miyazaki films, but nevertheless it was the top Japanese box-office draw of 2008. Miyazaki later cowrote the screenplays for the Studio Ghibli releases Karigurashi no Arietti (2010; The Secret World of Arrietty), which was based on Mary Norton’s children’s book The Borrowers, and Kokurikozaka kara (2011; From Up on Poppy Hill), a coming-of-age tale adapted from a manga series. The latter film was directed by Miyazaki’s son Gorō.

Kaze tachinu (2013; The Wind Rises) was an impressionistic take on the life of engineer Horikoshi Jiro, who designed fighter planes used by the Japanese during World War II. The film was based on Miyazaki’s manga of the same name, and it was nominated for an Academy Award in 2014. Miyazaki declared that Kaze tachinu would be his last feature-length film, and he began work on Kemushi no Boro (Boro the Caterpillar), a short film for the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka. Miyazaki’s retirement appeared to be temporary, however; in 2016 he announced that Kemushi no Boro would be expanded to a feature-length release. The film marked Miyazaki’s first project to be done entirely in computer animation. In 2015 he received an honorary Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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My Neighbor Totoro Animated Movie Will Be Around The Real World Through Ghibli Park Theme Park

 

Studio Ghibli plans to create an amusement park that will spoil his fans. Ghibli Parkis going to use the concept and design similar to the anime film works Hayao Miyazaki, namely My Neighbor Totoro .

For you big fan of anime made by studio Ghibli seems to need to be happy. Because the animation studio located in Koganei, Tokyo , Japan, plans to build an amusement park that is designed based on figures who have appeared in the movie made by Ghibli.

Reporting from Japan Times , Ghibli studio will cooperate with Aichi Prefectural Government to build an amusement park that uses the concept of one of the anime works by Hayao Miyazaki, My Neighbor Totoro which was released in 1988. The plan of Ghibli amusement park will be built inside Moricoro Park, Nagakute also known as Aichi Commemorative Park and completed in 2020.

Later, in the park area of ​​200 hectares of this visitor will be spoiled by a beautiful reserve shown in the anime  My Neighbor Totoro. By carrying the name Ghibli Park , the studio Ghibli hope if this theme park will be a unique tour for those big fans of Ghibli animated film.

The construction of Ghibli Park also paid the Aichi government's promise at the World Expo in 2005. This is inseparable from the positive values ​​that are often given by every Ghibli movie.

"Studio Ghibli's films emphasize the love of Earth and living beings that match the concept of the Expo in 2005. I am delighted to be able to continue this idea to future generations," said governor Hideaki Omura.

In contrast to most amusement parks, Ghibli Park will not present rides such as  roller coasters , rafting, and so forth. In this amusement park, visitors will only enjoy the same atmosphere with the movie My Neighbor Totoro .

My Neighbor Totoro himself tells Satsuki and his sister Mei who recently moved to a house with her father to be close to the hospital where her mother, Yasuko, went to medical treatment. Who would have thought if in the woods near the house, Satsuki and May accidentally met a strange creature called Totoro. From there, began a fantasy adventure with stunning natural scenery.

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The Mystery Behind The Movie Totoro

THE MYSTERY BEHIND THE MOVIE TOTORO

Totoro's animated film turns out to have a mystery that is still a question. After watching the movie Totoro, of course we would think that Totoro is a good tree spirit or mountain spirit and loves children, because only children can meet and see it. This article, may change your opinion about Totoro, but here I do not judge Totoro directly, until now I still fall in love with this film, the film is objectively full of positive things. This paper is not based on my opinion, but is a summary of some articles that discuss about the rumors behind this film. My personal opinion, I can not establish that the rumors are true or false, but if based on the evidence presented,

I will convey some rumors behind this Totoro film. I suggest to those of you who love this movie, if you do not want your views on the film to change, do not continue to read this article.

The rumor says that Totoro is not the Spirit of the tree or the Spirit of the Mountain, but instead Totoro is the god of death. For anyone who can see Totoro or Susuwatari / Mokurokurosuke, then the person will soon die. Whether the rumor is true or not let us peel one by one.

Why Totoro is considered a Shinigami or god of death, because the film is associated with the murder that occurred on May 1, 1963, called 狭 山 事件 " Sayama Jiken " or the incident of Sayama. This happened in Sayama, Saitama prefecture. One day a girl who had just returned from her school was gone, and some time later her body was found on the edge of the forest. The person who first discovered the sister's corpse was her own sister. When he saw the fact that his brother was killed, his brother became traumatized. And when asked what happened, the older brother replied "I met with a very large Tanuki (a kind of raccoon)" and "I also saw a cat monster". Does this answer inspire the characters in the movie Totoro ?.

If only based on this story, may not yet be able to prove that the film is related to the incident of Sayama, on the scene in the movie if we look very carefully, then we will find some facts.

First writing 狭 山茶 " Sayamacha" which means tea from Sayama seen on the box, at the time of Kanta's grandmother and May arrange the goods.

Sayamacha kanji writing with a blue background

posters used by Studio Ghibli in advertising this film, it appears that, instead Satsuki holds the umbrella as it is in the movie. but in May who use Satsuki's dress, of course this becomes a question? what's wrong with Mei? did Mei just come home from school, then wait for the bus?

Tonari no Totor Poster; May look that use umbrella

The names of Satsuki and Mei, the Sayama incident occurred in May, the same as the name of May's adek, while Satsuki also means the month of May with different pronunciations in Japanese.

The hospital where Ms Mei and Satsuki were treated was named 七 国 病院shichikoku byouin , if it meant to be "Seven Country Hospital", whereas in Sayama, Saitama prefecture is a hospital 八 国 病院hachikoku byouin , meaning "Eight State Hospital" .

Kanji for the hospital where Mei's mother and Satsuki were treated

When May disappears, May may have died drowning in the pond. Because the same shoes worn by May are found there. But after scrutiny again, the shoes used by May are different from those found in the pond. But here comes a question, if Mei is dead, and Totoro is the god of death. When Satsuki asks Totoro for help in May, at that very moment Satsuki dies or enters another world, because in this scene, we do not see Satsuki's shadow, this is a question, why the famous studio Ghibli in detail forgets this. at the moment the dirty satsuki feet are clearly described. And also when Satsuki was looking for Mei at a crossroads, at that time Satsuki still had a shadow.

Nekobasu , requested by Totoro to escort Satsuki to where Mei is located, at the top of Nekabasu there is a kanji which is the name of the destination. There is a kanji 墓道, if we use google translate to interpret these words, then the meaning is the way the grave, if in the film is defined "Cemetery-shrine" or sacred burial. What is the task of nekobasu itself ?, is he a means of transportation to another world used by Totoro ?. And also Nekobasu can not be seen by adults in general.

Writing kanji goals from Nekobasu

Both of these adults, can not see Nekobasu

There are still some other things that connect the film with the murder incident in Sayama. The sources are written in Japanese kanji, it is impossible for me to track them down.

I personally think that the film is objectively very good and once again I say, I still fell in love with this movie. The animated film is very nice and imaginative. This paper just wants to convey information about things that may be beyond our expectations. Whatever it is, it's all returned to us about how we judge and see things from our own perspective.

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Review Totoro (Part II)

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (Film Review) 

In order to get close to the hospital where his wife was undergoing treatment, Tatsuo Kusakabe (a scientist) brought her two children (Satsuki and Mei) to live in an old house in the village. During this time, the empty house is always taken care of by a grandmother who has a grandson named Kanta.

The first day of the Kusakabe family entered the house, Satsuki and May were struck by the multitude of small furry black-haired creatures that inhabited the house. Tatsuo calls the creature Makkuro Kurosuke. While Kanta's grandmother called it Milk-atari (sooty fairy). They live in empty old houses, which always cover the houses with soot and dust. According to Kanta's grandmother, the milk would soon leave when the householder always smiled.

While Satsuki's school and Tatsuo are busy with his work, May plays alone in his yard. May find the acorns along the path he passes. That's when Mei sees two little creatures then follows him. The two creatures brought Mei to a big tree. Mei went into the alley full of roots from the giant tree. It was the beginning of May's meeting with Totoro. Great gray haired creature. In fact, Mei fell asleep on her body. When May recounts his encounter with Totoro on Satsuki and Tatsuo, they do not believe it

One day, when it rained, Satsuki took the initiative to pick up Tatsuo who forgot to bring an umbrella. Together in May, Satsuki stood at the bus stop waiting for their father to miss the bus because the train he was driving was late. It was so long waiting, May sleepy and fall asleep on Satsuki's back. At that moment, Totoro came and stood beside Satsuki with a leafy umbrella. May lend his father's umbrella to Totoro. Before separating, Totoro also gave a bamboo leaf wrap that contains the grain, then went up the bus that form a twelve-foot big cat. Satsuki happily and May recounts their encounter with Totoro and the cat bus he boarded. Later, this encounter with Totoro brings Satsuki and Mei into a touching fantasy adventure.

One hot night, Satsuki and Mei awoke. Near the plot of land where they planted grains of Totoro giving, they saw Totoro with two little creatures that may have ever followed. They were dancing around the patch of land. Satsuki and Mei soon join and follow their movements. So, on the plot of the land also grows the smaller shoots that grew longer and one of them into a giant tree. With Totoro, they fly up to the top of the tree and enjoy the night view from there. When awakened, only small shoots that grow in the plot of land. The giant trees they occupied last night were gone.

When Satsuki and Mei were helping Kanta's grandmother picking corn in the garden, telegram came. How surprised were Satsuki and Mei when he learned that the telegram was sent from the hospital. The telegram contents are about delaying their mother's return. They became sad and devastated. Mei is stubborn to walk to hospital. Carrying a corn he had picked from Kanta's grandmother's garden, Mei hoped her mother would be healed. The departure of Mei made Satsuki and his neighbors busy looking for him. However, Mei was not found.

Out of desperation, Satsuki asks for Totoro's help. Did Satsuki find Mei? What's the fate of May and what happened to their mother? Everything will be missed in this movie. ^ _ ^

From the plot, My Neighbor Totoro is lighter and simpler than Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea  . In my opinion, the character of May is similar to Ponyo, always repeating words, stubborn, innocent and innocent (they are different one year, right?). The presence of Kanta's grandmother and grandchild gave color to this film too.

My Neighbor Totoro ( Tonari no Totoro ) is a two-dimensional fantasy film with Studio Ghibli's imaginative characters that are fit for the whole family to watch. The film was produced in 1988, while the story and scenario were worked on by Hayao Miyazaki, the director himself. No matter the childhood has passed from our lives, My Neighbor Totoro remains a fun spectacle for all ages. This film will bring us all to feel again the beauty of childhood. Through this movie is also the name of Hayao Miyazaki as an animated film director and Studio Ghibli increasingly known by lovers and movie lovers around the world.

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These Cute Cats Become Totoro

These Cute Cats Become Totoro

Japan again excited with another unique trend! This time the owners of the cat decorate the cat's back so it resembles the character of one of Studio Ghibli's production film, Totoro.

Totoro is a character in the movie "My Neighbor Totoro" ( と な り の ト ト ロ ). The film was released in 1988. Directed by legend Hayao Miyazaki, My Neighbour Totoro tells of a small family (Satsuki, 10 years old, his sister, May, 4 years and his father who is a professor of Archeology) moved to the city of Torozawa. The reason for their move was to have their residence close to the hospital where their mother was being treated, the hospital in Hachikokuyama town.

Satsuki and Mai then find Totoro in a small forest near their new home. It was at this meeting that their mystical adventure began. Totoro  looks like a mixture of some animals ie 梟(fukuro / owl),猫(neko / cat), and狸(tanuki / raccoon dog).

In the virtual world many theories and materials about Totoro which mentions that Totoro is a mythical creature of the 'God of Death'. This theory had become a hot topic in various social media.

Forget for a moment the mystical impression of Totoro. The owner of this cat uploaded their cat photo to twitter. Wow .. how funny these cats are ya?

How? Do Akiba-kei and Akiba-chan who own a cat want to turn your cat into Totoro? 

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sundries totoro

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Character Animation Totoro

Characters                                 I.            Mei and Satsuki Mei is a 5 year old girl. She has a very curious mind and not afraid of being adventurous. Although Mei is a very happy girl most of the time, there are times when the absence of her mother strikes her. Fortunately, Mei has her older sister Satsuki to whom she looks up to. Mei was the first to see Totoro and when she got lost while trying to go to her mother, it was only because of Totoro and Neko Bus' help that Satsuki was able to find her. Although Satsuki is only a 11 years old girl, she has had to face greater responsibility ever since her mother was indefinitely admitted into the hospital for tuberculosis. She is a very open-minded person and possess the innocence of children as shown by her quick acceptance of Totoro and her ability to see it. Satsuki is a very outgoing and happy person and is able to make friends and adapt quickly to her surroundings. When she first arrived at her new home, Satsuki did not quite hit it off with Kanta right away. However, Satsuki soon learns Kanta is actually a very nice person and they eventually become good friends.                               II.            Mr. Kusakabe is Satsuki and Mei's Father. He loves his daughters very much and often takes part in the girls games and encourage their imaginations. He is a university professor.                             III.            Mrs. Kusakabe is Satsuki and Mei's mother. She is sick with tuberculosis and the reason why the family moved to the rural country side. She was admitted to the local hospital which offerd the best care for the illness and the family decided it would be best for her to recuperate in the countryside where the air is fresh and land healthy with the sun's rays. Having been away from her daughters for such a long time, Mrs. Kusakabe looks forward to the day when she can finally return home and give her daughters their much needed attention.                           IV.            Totoro is the guardian of the forest and can only be seen by children and can appear or disappear as he wishes. He possess special ability such as being able to make plants grow, fly in the sky, and call Neko Bus.                             V.            Neko Bus (The Cat Bus) travels at the speed of light. Being connected to nature, when Neko Bus wants to, the trees will part for him to clear his path. Neko Bus can also run on tree tops, or on phone wires and no one would even be aware of his presence except perhaps sensing a small gust of wind. The reason being is that it posses the power to be invisible.                           VI.            Chu Totoro and Chibi Totoro are Totoro's companions. They are smaller versions of Totoro and are also guardians of the forest.                         VII.            Susa-ataris are little black creatures which live in quiet and dark places. They run and hide at the first sign that there are people present, and fly away to find a new home when they can no longer have the dark and quiet that they like so much.                       VIII.            Kanta ~ Kanta is Satsuki and Mei's neighbour, and is also Satsuki's classmate. When he first met Satsuki, he made fun of Satsuki's house. However, it is revealed that Kanta is just really shy around girls and that he actually likes Satsuki a lot.                            IX.            Granny ~ Granny is Satsuki and Mei's elderly neighbour and Kanta's Grandmother. Granny has lived in the small village all her life and is familiar with all the old folk stories. She is a very kind person and often takes care of Mei while her Dad is at work and Satsuki is at school. Granny was the caretaker of the Kusakabe family's house before they moved in.

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