Parents' Guide to

My Neighbor Totoro

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Beautifully animated fantasy about friendship fit for all.

Movie G 1988 86 minutes
My Neighbor Totoro Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • My Neighbor Totoro Movie: Totoro frolics with the girls
  • My Neighbor Totoro Movie: A girl follows a small spirit in the forest
  • My Neighbor Totoro Movie: Cat-bus, Totoro, the girls, and other spirits bare their teeth and shout

Community Reviews

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age 4+

Based on 175 parent reviews

doctora
doctora Parent of 5-year-old
June 11, 2022
age 4+

An absolute beautiful children's masterpiece

A kid's film where there is no antagonist. Kids being able to express themselves and expend their personalities into a world of nature that accepts them. Totoro is benign in his bigness and does not default into the cutesy Fievel syndrome that was popular in the 1980s. A slow-paced film that takes children's feelings seriously and reveals how much better it is to believe and to love each other and finds beauty in the mundane and in community. My four year old loves it and yells for Totoro at least 4 or 5 times a week.
cacia
cacia Parent of 6-year-old
August 26, 2023
age 4+

perfectly paced and so many great themes

I love having something with great story, full of imagination and magic but not fast paced or crazy. My kids really enjoyed it and it made for a fantastic family movie night. Look forward to showing my class this year.
See all 175 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, it's 1958 Japan, and 4-year-old Mei (voiced by Chika Sakamoto in the original version and Elle Fanning in the English dub) and 10-year-old Satsuki (Noriko Hidaka/Dakota Fanning) move to the countryside with their father where their mother is hospitalized with a long-term illness. As they get settled into their new home, the girls discover there are magical creatures, like dust sprites, that inhabit their house and neighborhood. One day, Mei sees two little rabbit-like creatures and follows them through the forest, where she meets a much larger version of the creature, whom she calls "Totoro." Eventually Satsuki also meets Totoro (Hitoshi Takagi/Frank Welker), who also introduces the girls to a magical soaring cat-bus. Totoro, who is "keeper of the forest," aids Satsuki and her father when Mei decides to walk to the hospital alone to present her mother with a fresh ear of corn.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (175 ):
Kids say (154 ):

For fans of Miyazaki's later work who haven't had the chance to check out his classics, this is a perfect movie to start. My Neighbor Totoro is considered Miyazaki's breakthrough film. Re-released and dubbed in English for a wider audience by Disney, the movie introduced Americans unfamiliar with anime to Miyazaki's signature themes: strong, independent girls as protagonists; whimsical creatures; an imaginative story; and a focus on how families interact with each other and their surrounding environment.

This isn't a spellbinding all-out adventure like Spirited Away or even the gentler journey that is Ponyo, but its leisurely paced story and lushly detailed visuals are part of the charm. Unlike the majority of animated movies, this isn't full of pop-culture or consumerist references that, while funny when handled correctly, can also bog down animated films or zap them of their childlike fantasy. Satsuki and Mei need Totoro to help them through a difficult time in their lives—new home, sick mother—and it's quite lovely to see the sweet little moments that cement their friendship. It's a shame more family movies aren't as simple and beautiful as My Neighbor Totoro.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Mei and Satsuki aren't afraid of Totoro in My Neighbor Totoro. Why do you think they're able to befriend him so easily? How does he help them and their family?

  • How do the characters in My Neighbor Totoro demonstrate courage, curiosity, and compassion? Why are these important character strengths?

  • How do the girls deal with their mother's sickness? Does her hospitalization affect the sisters differently?

  • What is the movie's animation style like? How are the humans depicted? Are the Totoros and the cat-bus scary-looking? What makes it obvious they're gentle?

  • Why do you think this movie is considered an anime classic? How is it different from the majority of Hollywood animated movies?

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