As part of this task, it is required to analyze the classic anime feature film “My Neighbor Totoro”. Filmed in 1988 by famed animator Hayao Miyazaki, this is one of the iconic animated tales produced by Studio Ghibli. This cartoon embodies the main motives of Miyazaki’s work – childhood, the fidelity of friends, the dark side of the personality, and the power of fantasy. Having interpreted this film through a system of five main movements, it will be possible to better understand the director’s intention and the features of the film.
The primary interpretive step is to limit one’s own judgment in order to avoid the realization of internal prejudices. Personally, I am not a big fan of animation and Japanese anime in particular. My experience tells me that anime tends to be extremely difficult to follow due to its twisted plot, full of flashy flashes and over-the-top action, and is generally aimed at hyperactive kids.
Limiting this preliminary judgment by not allowing it to extend to watching Totoro was fundamentally important. This film does not have any of the above features, it is soft and restrained in pacing, and its animation is noble and rich. The plot of the film is not only a children’s fairy tale but also a parable about a fabulous friend, which can also resonate with an adult audience.
The most interesting aspect of the film for me was the unusual relationship that develops between a girl and a creature from a mythical space. The dynamics of their relationships, which determine the narrative of the picture, constitute the emotional core of the film and provide the audience with interest.
Japan is shown in this way as a land of mythical creatures and fairy-tale mysteries, which is the most revealing part of the film. The strangest aspect of the film, however, was the design of the creatures themselves. It is unlikely that in all artistic decisions, Miyazaki obeyed the principle of following Japanese culture. He transforms it by adding a unique element of childish surrealism.
Totoro is a fantastic animal, fluffy and very large, but at the same time, it does not pose a danger to children. The scene where the main character interacts with the sleeping Totoro proves that this creature should be perceived as a protector figure. The girl grabs his huge paw and climbs onto the fluffy chest of the animal, but he is not at all annoyed, like an older relative. Totoro is clumsy but symbolizes majesty and stateliness, it causes adoration and a sense of reliability and security in the characters of the film.
Indeed, Miyazaki shows through the friendship of the main character and Totoro that a person must be connected with culture as with the organic fabric of life. Totoro is a creature from the forest, embodying nature, so his interaction with the girl means a search for kinship between a person and the world around them. The mythical culture of Japan, as follows from observations, is closely connected with nature, which is full of mysterious creatures and spirits.
Buses and lateness are a continuous recurring pattern in the film’s plot. The opposition of the bus as a symbol of mechanistic progress and the Catbus as a manifestation of the authentic and supernatural is one of the main ones of this film. Through the cross-cutting theme of being late for the bus, which organizes conflicts in the plot, the theme of interaction between the real and the fabulous is manifested.
One could ask questions about the additional motivations Totoro wonders why he never talks to the girl, although he understands her. Probably a more detailed analysis would reveal that Totoro is not just a fabulous friend but also the embodiment of a divine totem, a creature that must be treated with sacred awe. The entire mythology embedded in the film requires more detailed consideration, from dark little entities in the exposition to Totoro’s magical assistants and his own figure.