My Neighbor Totoro - Watch Online

My Neighbor Totoro, made by Studio Ghibli, is one of the most loved anime movies of all time. It follows sisters Satsuki and Mei, who move with their father into a countryside cottage so that their mother can receive treatment in the hospital.

When they discover that the cottage is inhabited by strange and delightful creatures, including a gigantic but gentle forest spirit called Totoro, Satsuki and Mei soon make friends with them. Together, they embark on magical adventures that have long captivated kids of all ages.

Story

When two sisters move with their father to a bucolic Japanese locale to be near their sick mother, they find themselves in the company of a veritable cornucopia of weird and wonderful creatures. One of the more impressive is a giant forest spirit with the best name in the business. Aside from a few hiccups, Satsuki and Mei eke out a satisfying and happy ending in this animated marvel.

This deceptively simple tale is a joy to watch for adults as well as kids of all ages. Click the "Watch on Netflix" button below to see if My Neighbor Totoro is streaming in your neck of the woods. Streaming plans start at $9.99/month. The most affordable subscription plan is $29.99/month for a year. You can also get unlimited access to HBO, the big screen, and other perks.

Characters

In My Neighbor Totoro, two girls and their father move to a small, old house in rural Japan, near the hospital where their mother is recovering from a long illness. When they arrive, they discover the house is inhabited by little dark, dust-like spirits known as susuwatari.

These creatures help the girls get acquainted with the house and its inhabitants and give them joy and excitement. The spirits also play a part in the story when they stoke the fire to warm the house and provide the girls with a sweet treat called Kompeito.

The animators of My Neighbor Totoro spent a lot of time making the creatures real, with expressions that convey joy, fear and other emotions. These were important to Miyazaki, who wanted his film to feel wholesome and non-confrontational to children.

This is a theme that was central to all of his works and one that was especially relevant for this film. The film explores many themes, including animism and Shinto symbology, but the most notable is the connection between humans and nature.

Through their interactions with the forest spirits, Mei and Satsuki develop a strong sense of connection to nature and gain spiritual comfort. The characters make active gestures of acknowledgment to the natural environment, such as bowing before a giant camphor tree and planting seeds.

These acts of gratitude are a reminder of the importance of preserving nature, and the film also explores the idea that people have a profound dependence on nature. As a result, this is a particularly powerful film for children to watch. It also gives viewers the opportunity to learn more about a part of Japanese culture that is otherwise often overlooked.

Animation

A film that's a must-see for kids and adults alike, My Neighbor Totoro was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli. The acclaimed story follows sisters Satsuki and Mei as they move into an old country house with their father to wait for their mother to recover from a serious illness.

It's an enchanting movie, full of magical forest spirits and curious creatures. It also explores the power of imagination and sisterhood, all in a story that's a beautiful introduction to Japanese anime.

One of the things that's so great about this movie is how it focuses on kids' emotions. As you watch it, it's easy to see the director's love of childhood through his realistic animation.

But Miyazaki doesn't gloss over the more frightening aspects of childhood. The girls are afraid of their mother's death, they think a goat is a monster, and even Totoro--a huge, cuddly creature with an inscrutable expression--can be scary, as Satsuki tells us.

What's more, the animation in My Neighbor Totoro is a perfect example of the technique known as "pillow shots." Ebert described them best by saying that they "depart from the literal reality to convey the emotional reality." In other words, they're not trying to make us think we're watching a realistic film, but instead trying to capture the ethereal quality of a fantasy.

In addition to these pillow shots, there's a lot of other subtle animation in this movie, too. In addition to the obvious tricks like mouths that expand or vanish, characters' hair seems to float and ripple as they express their emotions.

Other animation in My Neighbor Totoro includes soot sprites, a creative and original idea from Ghibli. These black, scaly, wandering elements appear throughout the movie and are used again in Spirited Away, which was released just over 20 years later.