The Characters of My Neighbor Totoro

So let's take a look at the character's of Studio Ghibli's "My Neighbor Totoro." There are a plethora of loveable characters in this movie, but let me start with Totoro himself.

 

Totoro is a spirit of the forest who dwells in a very large camphor tree on the Kusukabe's  new property. He is the largest totoro that lives there and is very...loud. Totoro is an easily loveable character that grows on you from the very beginning with his eyes closed in sleep. He snores and only wakes up when Mei starts to tickle his nose. But soon he goes right back to sleep.

Totoro is a fun character because of his goofy personality. He'll always have a big grin on his face when he wants to do something or he's ready to do something, otherwise he'll have a very curious expression as he figures out what he's doing or how things work (like the rain drops hitting an umbrella). He also helps to create the wind over the grass and helps trees to grow.

Totoro may be a semi-quiet (he roars) character, but he's also one of the most loveable characters in any Studio Ghibli film. I love the fact that he helps nature grows and flourish and that he'll be seen by people he wants to be seen by. It's great that not everyone can see him because otherwise it wouldn't be as great of a movie as it is; it wouldn't be able to strike up the imagination like it does.

Next up: Satsuki

 

Satsuki Kasukabe is a young girl (probably around 10-13 years old) who is very mature for her age. She thinks she has to be because her mom is sick in the hospital and she is the older sister. She knows how to cook and clean, but she's also full of a lot of energy. Even at the very beginning you see her doing cartwheels and running around the house at a fast pace.

One thing that's very noticeable is how much she cares for her sister. Like all sisters, they fight, but she does everything she can to try to find Mei. And even though she doesn't believe in Totoro at first, he decides to reveal himself to her and she can't help but look amazed. She even goes to Totoro for help when Mei gets lost. She grows immensely as a young lady, and you also get to see how she's been having her emotions well up for a long time. She tries to be strong, but she's still a young girl worried for her mom.

Next: Mei

 

Mei Kusukabe is a small girl, probably no older than 4 years old, who loves to do exactly what her big sister does. At the beginning of the movie she's like Satsuki's shadow, following her around and doing exactly as she does. Mei is an adorable character who is the first to see the small white totoro, the blue totoro, and then meet Totoro himself.

Like all little girls, she can also be a cry baby when someone does something she doesn't like. She especially gets upset with Satsuki when she tells Mei to stop acting like such a baby. In fact, she runs away to go visit her mom in the hospital, but ends up getting lost. Though the two have their differences, they do have one thing in common: Totoro.

Next: Catbus

 

Now there isn't much to know or say about the Catbus other than this is probably the most easily recognizable and unique character in the movie. Catbus has 12 legs (6 pairs), two mice for red lights at the top, yellow eyes that glow like headlights, and a big, bushy tail. But what makes him so awesome? Just the fact that he's a CatBUS. The door to the bus open with a funny sound and the interior is all fur. Must be comfy. Though he isn't really a main character, I wanted to give him some honorable mention. 

Even though Granny, the girls' father, and a few others are secondary characters, I won't be mentioning them here in much detail. Yes, they all have their own important roles to play, but the movie was definitely more about Totoro, Satsuki, and Mei. I feel as though the characters, and the voices behind them, truly act their age and show a development as Totoro makes more of an appearance in their lives. Whether or not he'll appear in their lives all the time is another question all together, but that's for a different time.