Instead, they were large, stupid, hairy, long-nosed, horned, and creepy bug-eyed creatures.īut, if Totoro is a troll, at least in the eyes of a child, what else could it be? Maybe the child didn't know better, so she called it a 'troll' when it was something else. One day, though, I found out that the name 'Totoro' comes from when Mei mispronounces the word トロール (tororu), the Japanese word for 'troll.' It seems so clear watching the movie now, but as a kid I didn't realize this because the Totoro is so cute! Of course, I was shocked and thought, 'TROLL?' My image for trolls wasn't cute at all. These cuddly creatures seem to be called many names varying from 'a giant furry thing' to 'a rabbit like spirit.' They are so cute and one of my favorite characters in all Ghibli films. They look like a mixture of several animals: fukuro 梟（ふくろ） (owls), neko 猫（ねこ） (cats), and tanuki 狸（たぬき） (raccoon dogs). Just to be sure, I'd like to explain that Totoro is not a Japanese traditional character but rather a creation of Hayao Miyazaki. They become friends with the Totoros and have magical adventures. Then, they discover magical creatures called Totoros inhabiting the nearby forest. They move into a house in the countryside with their father to be closer to their mother, who is sick and hospitalized. The story is about two young girls, Satsuki and her little sister, Mei.

Before we get into that, though, let's take a look at its fun, friendly plot! Many of you guys probably know of it already, but let me introduce it to you anyways. One of my favorite Ghibli films, 隣（となり）のトトロ (Tonari no Totoro / My Neighbor Totoro), has a deep and dark secret. Ready for some ghost stories? C'mere, gather around my camp fire to stay awhile and listen… 'My Neighbor Totoro' So now you know that I love Ghibli films just as much as you guys, but here's my question: How many of you have ever been scared of Studio Ghibli? How many of you have heard of Totoro's urban legend and / or Ghibli's Curse? Regardless of whether or not you know about them (or believe in them), I personally have literally shuddered and trembled because of them. The animation and musical scores are always beautiful, not to mention the stories themselves! Characters like Totoro, the Little Dust Bunnies, and Kiki have always stuck with me, even to this day. Who loves Studio Ghibli? They're the studio that brought the world films like 'Princess Mononoke,' 'My Neighbor Totoro,' and 'Spirited Away.' I would guess that quite a few of you cried out ' ME!' to your smartphones and computers in answer to this question. FYI: WaniKani, our system for learning kanji and Japanese vocabulary in record time, is currently 33% off.

My neighbor totoro characters