When Hayao Miyazaki's anime My Neighbor Totoro came out in 1988, viewers immediately fell in love with the furry giant with kind eyes. But Totoro is not just a funny character, but a real spirit of the forest, the embodiment of nature and children's imagination.
In fact, his name is Tororo (in Japanese, this word means "troll"), but the little heroine Mei mispronounced it. This is how Totoro was born, a creature that an adult will not see, but a child will.
My Neighbor Totoro: a little magic for every day
According to the plot, Satsuki and Mei move to the countryside while their mother is in the hospital. In the nearby forest, they meet Totoro — a large, silent, but kind spirit. He does not speak, but helps when needed: shows how to grow seeds, calls the cat bus or is simply silently present at the most important moments.
The forest spirit who became a symbol
Totoro is not an ordinary fictional character, but a collective image of Japanese yokai, good spirits of nature. He became the logo of the Ghibli studio and a symbol of an entire era of animation.
He is adored not only by children, but also by adults, because he reminds us of the most important things — peace, care and purity of feelings.
