Understanding Totoro My Neighbor Totoro 1988 Character Analysis

Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro follows two sisters, Sasuko and Mie, as they move into their new home with their dad. This is where they meet Totoro, a fuzzy creature that lives deep within the forest next to their home. Who is Totoro, you may be asking? Well, Totoro is a creature from Mie's storybook and has manifested into the real world. But the question you actually want answering is, is Totoro within the movie real or in the imagination of the two sisters? To answer that, we need to know the story of Sasuke and her younger sibling Mie, as their circumstances reveal what Totoro really represents. Sasuke and Mie are two undeniably close sisters. This is because Sasuke has to take the role as Mie's mother. The real mother is in hospital with an illness and cannot leave until the doctors say so. With that, Sasuke cares for her younger sister as she was her own daughter, from playing with her to caring for her even when she is at school. That is a lot of responsibility for Sasuke at a young age. But she has to stay strong for both of them because when Sasuke breaks, so does Mie. Which actually leads to Mie running away to finding their mother's hospital. But Sasuke stays strong most of the time and holds the responsibilities with a straight back and a smile on her face. Because she knows while her father is working and her mother is in hospital, she has to take control in the household from cleaning to cooking. What she becomes is a representation in the movie about growing up from a young age and taking more responsibility. Because that is what the real world is about. But compared to her sister Mie who embodies childlike innocence, from thinking her corn that she picked can cure her mother to actually seeing Totoro. She has no idea of what the real world is, which is understandable because she is only 4. This means she will happily stay with Sasuke in her class or run away from their nanny because she doesn't have an idea of the consequences. She doesn't realise what running away does to her sister or even the whole village as they all desperately look for her. But it is Mie's innocence and her intentions of wanting to give her sick mother the corn she picked that she becomes a character that wholeheartedly represents a child's pure innocence. And it is that innocence that brings Sasuke from the real world of responsibilities to playing as a kid again with no worries to think about. However, they both have one real world situation they have to deal with and that is they both know what will happen to their mother if she gets even more ill. Because My Neighbor Totoro is about how Sasuke and Mie deal with the situation of their mother being bed stricken at a hospital. That real world entity of death is something they both understand. Sasuke even acknowledges that can be a possibility for a mother. And Mie tried travelling to the hospital to give her some corn to make their mother feel better. That notion of one of your loved ones dying is scary and can have a toll on anyone, from a grown adult to a 4 year old girl. So how do they both cope with this situation with their mother? They both begin to see a creature they call Totoro. Who or what is a Totoro? Well, a Totoro is a creature from one of Mie's books and Mie herself starts seeing these creatures in the garden and eventually follows two of them to the big Totoro. And while waiting for their dad at the bus stop, Sasuke starts to see the creature. This is because Totoro represents the idea of escapism in difficult times. The animal is a big fuzzy creature that comforts the two girls. From being by their side as they wait in the dark for their father at the bus stop to giving the two girls hope that their plants will grow. That comforting nature of Totoro means the girls are always safe and have a positive outlook in life. Which is seen by Totoro and the cat bus helping find Mie as she runs away. Totoro allows the two girls to have a safe place where they can relax and get away from the harsh reality of their mother's situation. And in the eyes of the two girls, this mystic beast becomes real to them. But is it actually real in the movie's world? Or is it just a manifestation created by Sasuke and Mie as a way to deal with their mother's illness? The answer is, it doesn't matter. It is as Hayao Miyazaki states, It makes no difference if Totoro is real in the movie because the representation of Totoro is far more important. Because My Neighbor Totoro isn't hiding any malicious intent with its meaning. The film is about coping with difficult situations and finding that Totoro in our lives to make those tough times a bit easier. My Totoro is making videos. When I'm writing or editing, I forget the outside world and all the problems it inhabits. For you, it could be any other thing. But what it becomes is your Totoro. A safe place. A place where the outside doesn't matter and you can just relax. That is what Totoro represents. And that in itself makes the movie even more comforting. My Neighbor Totoro is about two young sisters dealing with a situation no one wants to be in. And they use the comfort of a creature from Mie's book as a safe haven where they can just be happy. That is the meaning of Totoro. So, what's your Totoro?