My Neighbour Totoro

Yesterday, my dad went down to the video store and brought back 3 Studio Ghibli films, because he is OBSESSED with the Cat King (yet another good movie), and one of the films he brought back was My Neighbour Totoro! Which is a movie I have been HUNGERING to see! Aha!

Well, we got our din dins (which was Indian.. mmm) and sat down in front of the TV and watched it. It's about these two girls who move into this house, and one day after the older girl goes to school (she's in the yellow top and the orange skirt, her name is Satsuki) the littler girl (in the hat and holding the fishing rod, her name is Mei) goes exploring and she sees this little ghostly figure, (the animal sitting on Totoro's head) and this other one (the blue one, bigger than the white one) who lead her to this huge camphor tree that is just near their house. She falls into this hollow and onto this huge animal.

When she tickles his nose (he's sleeping) he roars, and the roars sound a little like To.. to.. ro! So she dubs him Totoro after this character in one of her storybooks. They only see Totoro every now and then, and you can only see him when he wants you to. Eventually Satsuki sees him, even thought the father (the mother is in hospital) and Satsuki are sceptical. They are waiting at the bus stop, and Totoro suddenly appears and calls for this bus, which turns out to be a cat! There's a picture of the catbus around here somewhere, if you would be as kind to look.

There it is! It has mice for headlights, and you can go anywhere you want. Its eyes shine the path like headlights. What happend in the story is, they get a telegram from the hospital where their mother is, but they are worried about her since the message wants their father to contact them. Mei gets worried, and runs off to see her at the hospital, but it is a 3-hour run even for a grown man and she gets lost. Satsuki goes looking for her, but then a little while later, they find a pink sandal in the pond. It turns out not to be Mei's, and she finds Totoro's path and he summons the catbus and takes her to Mei. They get to the hospital though, and their mother is only sick, but fine. Mei gives her the corn that she's picked on the windowsill, and on it is carved "To Mummy. Love Mei" It's a beautiful film and story.


~ Pia out