She does household chores on behalf of her overworked father, and has a curious and ecstatic demeanor.
She's dependable and cares deeply for her sister Mei. She is friendly and easy to get along with. Miyazaki originally planned for her to be 10-year-old fourth grader, but was changed to a 12-year-old sixth grader. She wears a pale yellow sleeveless dress. In the end credits, Mei and Satsuki's mother returns home, and the sisters play with other children, with Totoro and his friends as unseen observers.Ĭharacters Satsuki Kusakabe (草壁サツキ, Kusakabe Satsuki) Noriko Hidaka (Japanese) The eldest daughter of the Kusakabe family. When the Catbus departs, it disappears from the girls' sight. They secretly leave the ear of corn on the windowsill, where it is discovered by the parents, and return home on the Catbus. The girls perch in a tree outside of the hospital, overhearing a conversation between their parents and discovering that she has been kept in hospital by a minor cold and is otherwise doing well. Having rescued her, the Catbus then whisks her and Satsuki over the countryside to see their mother in the hospital. Delighted to be of assistance, he summons the Catbus, which carries her to where the lost Mei sits. Eventually, Satsuki returns in desperation to the camphor tree and pleads for Totoro's help. Mei's disappearance prompts Satsuki and the neighbors to search for her. With the help of Totoro and the Catbus, Satsuki finds her missing sister.
Mei and Satsuki's father and mother discuss their children's misadventures In 2002, a sequel for the film, Mei and the Kittenbus, was released exclusively for the Ghibli Museum. In 2018, Akemi Miyazaki, Hayao's wife, published The Place Where Totoro Was Born, featuring her illustrations highlighting the forests in Sayama Hills. In 2008, a fundraising exhibition, which featured over 200 internationally acclaimed artists, was held and their works were later compiled in a book. The film's success help spurred conservation efforts in Sayama Hills in Saitama Prefecture called Totoro Forest Project, led by the Totoro no Furusato Foundation. The Art of My Neighbor Totoro was subsequently published by Tokuma. The film has grossed over $41 million at the worldwide box office as of September 2019, in addition to generating approximately $277 million from home video sales and $1.142 billion from licensed merchandise sales, adding up to approximately $1.46 billion in total lifetime revenue. The film and its titular character, Totoro, have become cultural icons. It also received the Special Award at the Blue Ribbon Awards in the same year. It won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize and the Mainichi Film Award and Kinema Junpo Award for Best Film in 1988. My Neighbor Totoro received critical acclaim and has amassed a worldwide cult following in the years after its release. It stars the voice actors Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, and Hitoshi Takagi.
The film, which is set Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture, tells the story of a professor's two young daughters ( Satsuki and Mei) and their interactions with friendly wood spirits in post-war rural Japan. It premiered alongside Grave of the Fireflies as a double-feature on April 16, 1988. ¥588 million My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ, Tonari no Totoro) is an animated film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, produced by Toru Hara and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten.