Today Roger Ebert added My Neighbor Totoro to his list of The Great Movies. The fact that he thinks so, even though I infer from his remarks that he's only seen the terrible dubbed English version on VHS, is a credit to the film and its creator, Hayao Miyazaki.
Tonari no Totoro has been my favorite film since I first saw it playing in Daichi Soft City when I was checking out videos for the week. I couldn't take my eyes of it. The scene playing was when it Satsuke and Mei get caught in the rain and Kanta-kun lends them the umbrella. I knew immediately what it was because M2 had described the whole film for me. I checked it out. Then I bought it on laserdisc and bought the complete manga screenplay.
Tonari no Totoro is a classic in the way that the Little House on the Prairie books are a classic in America, or the Swallows and Amazons books are a classic in the UK. It is a picture of an idealized time in Japan, in the idealized countryside of Japan. There is not a gram of meanness in the whole movie, but it's not goody-goody or preachy.
The English-language dubbed VHS version of Tonari no Totoro almost did not get released in America because of the scene of the family bath. Miyazaki refused to remove the scene for the American audience and in the end it was released in America with it.
Buena Vista /Disney now owns the rights to release the DVD version of Tonari no Totoro; pre-release orders are being taken on amazon.com. It looks like fans of a Japanese-language track might have the same battle on their hands as we did during the release of Princess Mononoke. But the result was worth it.
Posted by M Sinclair Stevens
December 23, 2001
Comments
It seems that United States's regulation is severe.If it curves, it is about valid in Japan. By the way, whenever he may see the movie of Ghibli, it is wonderful. The favorite man of JIBURI needs to give me mail.
Comment by: helpless age. Posted August 24, 2003 11:16 AM.
Dear Friends, I am writing from the town of Tokorozawa, Japan, which is known to be the home of “My Neighbor TOTORO.” And I am writing to you in connection with the Satsuki and Mei’s house from this movie. The house, where Satsuki and Mei moved in on one beautiful Sunday in May, has been restored meticulously to the movie for Expo 2005, currently being held in Aichi, Japan. The house will most likely be relocated somewhere after the Expo has finished in September this year. We, the citizens of Tokorozawa, are making an attempt to bring this house back to our city, the hometown of TOTORO. Therefore we are currently subscribing a petition, and we need your support. I think many of the worldwide fans of TOTORO would agree that the house should be relocated where it really belongs. We believe that the house will deliver the significant messages to the children and everyone on the Earth in the years to come. The movie is trying to convey the importance of the family ties, keeping a world of fantasy in the eyes of children even after growing up, and paying homage to the wisdom of nature. It would be very much appreciated if you could pass on this message to your “neighbors” and friends to let them know of our cheerful activity. And should you wish to support us, click here (http://www.tokorozawa-jc/events/house/index_e.html) and send your message! Thank you. Tokorozawa Junior Chamber, Inc.
Comment by: Megumi. Posted April 26, 2005 05:10 AM.
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Scene from Tonari no Totoro.
Copyright Hayao Miyazaki.