The Truth Behind "My Neighbor Totoro"

[Blue J Neko]

Do you really want to know? I swear it would change your whole perspective of EVERYTHING. So if you don't want your beautiful view on the cute happy story to be crushed, dont read on. Serriously.

[Blue J Neko]

As a child, I loved totoro. I'm crazy about it and it wad among my favorite. As an artist, Hayao Miyazaki was my hero. I've watched all of his animation, and they were all fantastic stories on heroes, love, and cute stuff. My art project was to paint his type of art on a stool, which was easy enough for me because i've always loved his works and therefore, I doodle them and do fanarts. But after I recieved the project, my friend told me the truth about totoro, and that changed everything. Don't get me wrong, I still love totoro, but its kinda dark.. I give you the choice to read on or not. Can something so innocent have this whole other interpretation?

Last chance to turn back.
Before I start, I must say that all the following information Really comes from HERE. I just read the article and found it really disturbing, and what better to post it in the fractured fairy tales OTL

-edit-
I'm just relaying back what a friend told me, and what I saw on that website

[Blue J Neko]

I'll try to make this brief. Totoro is a story about murder and death. Funny something so cute and cuddly would be related to death. Actually, Totoro is a Shinigami-- a death god. And it is said when you see him, or those black dust balls, it means death is close.
Hayao Miyazaki's "My Neighbor Totoro" seems to parallel very well with the 'Sayama Indecent' that occurred in japan 1963. There was a girl that was kidnapped, raped, then murdered, and her sister found her body. This traumatized her and when the police started to interogate her, all she could say was "I saw a Tanuki (raccoon like thing) and a cat monster"

How is this related to Miyazaki's version of Totoro? Well for starters, they both took place in the same area, Sayama. The girl who was captured and murdered was called mei, which is also the same name as the main character Mei and satsuki ( Satsuki also can be called mei). Mei got lost, and satsuki went to find her. She found her, and they rode the cat bus. Miyazaki's story is basically the story of the Sayama incident minus the gruesome parts.

[Xiam]

Oh look, someone trying to find a deeper meaning to the point of ridiculousness.

Totoro is not a shinigami. He's a spirit of the forest. In particular, that big freaking tree they found him in. So basically, he's a kodama.

If there's any hidden meaning behind it all, it's about the importance of nature. Totoro, being a nature spirit, is shown as a friendly and helpful creature. The girls plant seeds for later trees to grow - they even assisted him in getting them to sprout. They greet the tree in which he lives with respect. The entire village is treated with a kind of nostalgic charm, as they live close to nature and away from all the bustling city.

Furthermore, the film is about the innocence of childhood. None of the adults can see any of the strange things occurring, but the two young girls can - though if I'm not mistaken, it's suggested that after the incident, they never see any of them again. They grew up, I guess. He's like an imaginary friend. You're in a place you're unfamiliar with, you don't know anybody but your sister, so what do you do with your time? You make your own friends, and the two of you go on adventures. And they're fun for a while, but eventually you grow out of them, find real friends, and move on. You may never forget your imaginary friends, but you just like what can happen with real friends, you just kinda drift away.

EDIT: It took me a bit to weed through the panicky gullible masses, but I found someone who agrees with me.

Someone else too.

And even Yahoo Answers takes the time out of their crackpot bullshit answers to give some rational enlightenment!

[The Fanfiction Nymph]

Thank you Xiam. <3

[DanieBarton03]

Xiam

If there's any hidden meaning behind it all, it's about the importance of nature...

A common theme in Miyazaki's films.

Quote:

Furthermore, the film is about the innocence of childhood. None of the adults can see any of the strange things occurring, but the two young girls can - though if I'm not mistaken, it's suggested that after the incident, they never see any of them again. They grew up, I guess. He's like an imaginary friend. You're in a place you're unfamiliar with, you don't know anybody but your sister, so what do you do with your time? You make your own friends, and the two of you go on adventures. And they're fun for a while, but eventually you grow out of them, find real friends, and move on. You may never forget your imaginary friends, but you just like what can happen with real friends, you just kinda drift away.

It's Narnia! eek

[Xiam]

DanieBarton03

Xiam

If there's any hidden meaning behind it all, it's about the importance of nature...

A common theme in Miyazaki's films.

Quote:

Furthermore, the film is about the innocence of childhood. None of the adults can see any of the strange things occurring, but the two young girls can - though if I'm not mistaken, it's suggested that after the incident, they never see any of them again. They grew up, I guess. He's like an imaginary friend. You're in a place you're unfamiliar with, you don't know anybody but your sister, so what do you do with your time? You make your own friends, and the two of you go on adventures. And they're fun for a while, but eventually you grow out of them, find real friends, and move on. You may never forget your imaginary friends, but you just like what can happen with real friends, you just kinda drift away.

It's Narnia! eek

LOL!
The importance of nature seems a common theme in many Ghibli films other than his, too - Pom Poko, for instance, is all about the tanukis dealing with the loss of their home due to urban development.

[Blue J Neko]

Xiam

Oh look, someone trying to find a deeper meaning to the point of ridiculousness.

Totoro is not a shinigami. He's a spirit of the forest. In particular, that big freaking tree they found him in. So basically, he's a kodama.

If there's any hidden meaning behind it all, it's about the importance of nature. Totoro, being a nature spirit, is shown as a friendly and helpful creature. The girls plant seeds for later trees to grow - they even assisted him in getting them to sprout. They greet the tree in which he lives with respect. The entire village is treated with a kind of nostalgic charm, as they live close to nature and away from all the bustling city.

Furthermore, the film is about the innocence of childhood. None of the adults can see any of the strange things occurring, but the two young girls can - though if I'm not mistaken, it's suggested that after the incident, they never see any of them again. They grew up, I guess. He's like an imaginary friend. You're in a place you're unfamiliar with, you don't know anybody but your sister, so what do you do with your time? You make your own friends, and the two of you go on adventures. And they're fun for a while, but eventually you grow out of them, find real friends, and move on. You may never forget your imaginary friends, but you just like what can happen with real friends, you just kinda drift away.

EDIT: It took me a bit to weed through the panicky gullible masses, but I found someone who agrees with me.

Someone else too.

And even Yahoo Answers takes the time out of their crackpot bullshit answers to give some rational enlightenment!

Lol thankgod. Now i might be able to see Totoro the same again =u= Honestly, I just relayed back what my friend told me, and when I saw that the internet also agreed, it just got me interested. haha

[Xiam]

Blue J Neko

Xiam

Oh look, someone trying to find a deeper meaning to the point of ridiculousness.

Totoro is not a shinigami. He's a spirit of the forest. In particular, that big freaking tree they found him in. So basically, he's a kodama.

If there's any hidden meaning behind it all, it's about the importance of nature. Totoro, being a nature spirit, is shown as a friendly and helpful creature. The girls plant seeds for later trees to grow - they even assisted him in getting them to sprout. They greet the tree in which he lives with respect. The entire village is treated with a kind of nostalgic charm, as they live close to nature and away from all the bustling city.

Furthermore, the film is about the innocence of childhood. None of the adults can see any of the strange things occurring, but the two young girls can - though if I'm not mistaken, it's suggested that after the incident, they never see any of them again. They grew up, I guess. He's like an imaginary friend. You're in a place you're unfamiliar with, you don't know anybody but your sister, so what do you do with your time? You make your own friends, and the two of you go on adventures. And they're fun for a while, but eventually you grow out of them, find real friends, and move on. You may never forget your imaginary friends, but you just like what can happen with real friends, you just kinda drift away.

EDIT: It took me a bit to weed through the panicky gullible masses, but I found someone who agrees with me.

Someone else too.

And even Yahoo Answers takes the time out of their crackpot bullshit answers to give some rational enlightenment!

Lol thankgod. Now i might be able to see Totoro the same again =u= Honestly, I just relayed back what my friend told me, and when I saw that the internet also agreed, it just got me interested. haha

Don't worry about it. Most Ghibli movies are pretty straightforward, there's not that many ********. You want that stuff, watch some of Satoshi Kon's work. xd

EDIT: Although, there is something with Kiki's Delivery Service. In the original Japanese at least, it's suggested that like I mentioned with the girls never seeing Totoro again, Jiji actually stops talking to her entirely, becoming an ordinary cat, as a sign that Kiki's essentially grown up, and no longer needs him for moral support. So it can be pretty deep, just not "A GIRL DIED AND NOW WE'RE MAKING A MOVIE WITH DA VINCI CODE TYPE SYMBOLISM, LOOK AT THE SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGNS!"

[iiPurpleAndBlackMonster]

COol.

[cuddlebrat]

Yeah I'm pretty sure the Totoro stuff is crap but Spirited Away is about child prostitution. So don't be disappointed OP.

[Blue J Neko]

DanieBarton03

Xiam

If there's any hidden meaning behind it all, it's about the importance of nature...

A common theme in Miyazaki's films.

So is things that fly, and they are mostly anti modern technology

[DanieBarton03]

Xiam

DanieBarton03

Xiam

If there's any hidden meaning behind it all, it's about the importance of nature...

A common theme in Miyazaki's films.

Quote:

Furthermore, the film is about the innocence of childhood. None of the adults can see any of the strange things occurring, but the two young girls can - though if I'm not mistaken, it's suggested that after the incident, they never see any of them again. They grew up, I guess. He's like an imaginary friend. You're in a place you're unfamiliar with, you don't know anybody but your sister, so what do you do with your time? You make your own friends, and the two of you go on adventures. And they're fun for a while, but eventually you grow out of them, find real friends, and move on. You may never forget your imaginary friends, but you just like what can happen with real friends, you just kinda drift away.

It's Narnia! eek

LOL!
The importance of nature seems a common theme in many Ghibli films other than his, too - Pom Poko, for instance, is all about the tanukis dealing with the loss of their home due to urban development.

I really should sit down and watch more Ghibli.

Blue J Neko

DanieBarton03

Xiam

If there's any hidden meaning behind it all, it's about the importance of nature...

A common theme in Miyazaki's films.

So is things that fly, and they are mostly anti modern technology

3nodding And he mentions that in many interview. He also likes strong female child characters.