The theme around the Information
Store display this week is Manga and Anime! There are a wide range of books
about how to draw in a manga style, the history of manga and loads of manga
books and films. Among them is the critically acclaimed anime film My Neighbour Totoro made by Hayao
Miyazaki in 1988. A common theme amongst anime films by Miyazaki is the
fantastical and his films often involve strange, mysterious creatures of myth.
Totoro is no exception to this, he has the ears of a rabbit, staring eyes and a
great round body which resembles that of a penguin.
The story is simply that a father and his two young daughters
Satsuki and Mei move to a new house to be closer to their mother who is
recovering from a long illness in hospital. One day, while playing the garden,
Mei sees two ears sticking up from the grass, she follows them to a large
mystical creature who identifies himself as Totoro, living in the hollow of a
camphor tree. She falls asleep on Totoro and when she wakes up again he has
gone. She tries to explain her discovery
to her father and sister, and to comfort young Mei, her father tells her he is
the ‘Keeper of the Forest’ and will make himself known to her when he is ready.
As Mei and Satsuki wait for their fathers bus one stormy night, they become worried when it doesn't arrive. Totoro appears to both of the
girls with only a leaf sheltering him from the rain. Satsuki, seeing him for
the first time, offers him her umbrella. In return, he gives the girls a bundle
of nuts and seeds and disappears on a bus shaped like a cat – I told you
Miyazaki was good at creating fantastical creatures! Shortly after the cat bus
slinks away, their fathers bus arrives.
The girls plant the seeds and Totoro and his companions appear
to be doing a ceremonial dance around them, the seeds start to sprout. A few
days later, a planned visit to their mother in hospital gets cancelled, angry
and upset, Mei walks to hospital herself to bring her mother some fresh corn.
Satsuki, thinking Mei has disappeared runs to the camphor tree and pleads with
Totoro to help her find her sister who takes her on the cat bus to Mei who is
sitting on a bench. The two return home and learn that their mother is fine and
will be coming home to them soon. The film ends as the two girls, Totoro and
his two companions play in the garden.
The animation of My Neighbour Totoro is what brings this
innocent and simple story to life as the mystical creatures are filled with
life and the film swirls in beautiful colours, emotions and images that make it
all the more fantastical. It’s a beautiful masterpiece which addresses the
innocence and grace of childhood perfectly, igniting a flame in the coldest
hearts and whisking you away for 83 minutes of pure escapism.
I have found, however, that anime is not to everyone’s
taste. It’s a very different type of animation that us Westerners are used to, the
drawings and expression are very unique, the use of colour and emotion is
important and very defining to its style. To put it simply, it’s a million
miles away from Disney and Pixar animation!
Highly praised by critics and audiences world wide, My
Neighbour Totoro is the perfect introduction to anime, and the reigning king of
anime Hayao Miyazaki. Keep an eye out for other Studio Ghibli films like Kiki's Delivery Service, Castle in the Sky, Howls Moving Castle
and The Cat Returns – all of which are
available to borrow! For free!
Further
Reading in the Information Store
MANGA: Learn to Draw by Jeannie Lee - BOOK ZONE - 741.2 LEE
The Rough Guide to Manga by Jason Jadao - BOOK ZONE - 741.5 JAD
Manga Mania: VILLAINS by Christopher Hart - BOOK ZONE - 741.5 HAR
