My Neighbor Totoro

My Neighbor Totoro (Japanese: となりのトトロ, Hepburn: Tonari no Totoro) is a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten. The film stars voice actors Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, and Hitoshi Takagi, and tells the story of a professor’s young daughters Satsuki and Mei, and their interactions with friendly wood spirits in postwar rural Japan.

The film explores themes such as animism, Shinto symbology, environmentalism and the joys of rural living; it received worldwide critical acclaim and has amassed a global cult following. My Neighbor Totoro has grossed over $41 million worldwide at the box office as of September 2019; the film also grossed significantly more from home video sales and merchandise.