My Neighbor Totoro

Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 animated fantasy follows sisters Satsuki and Mei as they move with their father to an old house in rural Japan, closer to the hospital where their mother is recovering. The unfamiliar countryside initially feels full of small mysteries: soot sprites hide in the rooms, paths disappear into tall grass, and enormous trees seem to hold lives of their own. Mei encounters a gentle forest spirit she names Totoro, and Satsuki eventually shares in the secret. Their meetings lead to moments of wonder, including a rainy wait at a bus stop and a ride aboard the Catbus, but the story remains grounded in the children’s worry about their mother and the strains of adapting to a new home. Rather than building toward a conventional battle, the film treats imagination, nature and family care as sources of resilience. Joe Hisaishi’s score and Studio Ghibli’s detailed hand-drawn landscapes give ordinary rural life the same importance as the supernatural.

Where to watch (checked October 7, 2026): GKIDS’ North American page lists Apple TV in subtitled and dubbed versions plus Prime Video rent or buy options. Services, language versions and physical editions differ elsewhere, so check the relevant local distributor or storefront.

Key facts

• Hayao Miyazaki is credited with the original concept, screenplay and direction.
• Joe Hisaishi composed the music, and Azumi Inoue performed the theme song.
• Studio Ghibli lists an approximate runtime of 86 minutes and Toho as the original distributor.
• The film opened in Japan as a double feature with Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies.

Official sources: Studio Ghibli film page; GKIDS availability page.