---
title: "My Neighbor Totoro"
year: 1988
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/my-neighbor-totoro"
fi1m_id: "my-neighbor-totoro"
imdb_id: "tt0096283"
tmdb_id: 8392
wikidata_id: "Q39571"
fi1m_score: 89
critics_score: 87
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:43.073113+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki · 1h 26m · MPA G · Fantasy, Animation, Family

## Identity

My Neighbor Totoro

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/my-neighbor-totoro
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** my-neighbor-totoro
- **IMDb ID:** tt0096283
- **TMDB ID:** 8392
- **Wikidata ID:** Q39571
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096283/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/8392, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q39571

**Fi1m score: 89** · Critics 87 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* Two noisy sisters and a forest spirit make surprisingly restful company

> Hayao Miyazaki’s small-scale fantasy is funny, patient and unusually attentive to children. The adults can seem too agreeable, but we recommend it warmly to anyone who remembers how seriously children take the things they find.

## Synopsis

Satsuki and Mei Kusakabe move house and begin getting to know their new surroundings. As they explore, the sisters encounter forest spirits and befriend a creature called Totoro. Their encounters draw them into a fantasy shaped by childhood curiosity, family life and the natural world. Hayao Miyazaki writes and directs this animated film, with Noriko Hidaka voicing Satsuki, Chika Sakamoto voicing Mei and Hitoshi Takagi as Totoro. Shigesato Itoi and Sumi Shimamoto voice Tatsuo and Yasuko Kusakabe, with Tanie Kitabayashi as Granny.

## Review

We recommend *My Neighbor Totoro* warmly, with a small reservation about how agreeable its adults can be. Hayao Miyazaki, who writes and directs, follows two sisters as they move house and encounter forest spirits. He gives the new home and the creatures much the same attention, allowing the girls time to become curious about both. It is a patient way to tell a family story, and a rewarding one. The film finds enough to interest us in the sisters’ affection, their boisterousness and the unfamiliar things around them.

Noriko Hidaka voices Satsuki Kusakabe and Chika Sakamoto voices Mei, and the pair make the sisterly bond feel comfortably untidy. The affection does not prevent either child from being noisy. Mei is especially persuasive: the animation gives her curiosity such physical force that she seems incapable of taking a mild interest in anything. We laughed at her boisterousness, which Sakamoto’s voice and the animated performance make difficult to resist. Miyazaki gives her enthusiasm room rather than continually correcting it with an adult’s response.

Hisao Shirai’s photography keeps the simple hand-drawn images clear, so that the children remain easy to read within their pastoral surroundings. The backgrounds invite attention without making the figures look like an interruption, and that matters in a film so interested in childhood curiosity about nature. Totoro’s approachable design also does useful work: the sisters’ wish to befriend him makes immediate sense. There is enough strangeness left in the creature to keep the encounter from feeling entirely cosy. Hitoshi Takagi supplies his voice.

Takeshi Seyama’s editing leaves space around the encounters, letting the sisters’ interest in what they find establish the pace. We have time to look alongside them, and the quiet stretches seldom feel like waiting for the story to resume. Joe Hisaishi’s bright music is a large part of the pleasure, giving the discoveries a lift without insisting that each is momentous. Occasionally its sweetness makes the family scenes feel a little too comfortable. The running time is 86 minutes.

The adults are the weaker company. Miyazaki’s fond view of family life leaves them less individual than the children, and some of the dialogue feels stiff beside Mei’s animation. We would have welcomed a little more awkwardness from the grown-ups; their reassuring presence can make the family seem tidier than it needs to be. That sweetness is the chief caveat for anyone resistant to an affectionate portrait of childhood. The sisters are observed closely enough that the film rarely becomes as sugary as it threatens to.

For a family fantasy, the absence of a villain or a contrived succession of obstacles is a considerable virtue. Miyazaki trusts the children meeting unfamiliar creatures to hold our attention, and their curiosity proves sufficient. There is pleasure in finding a film that does not keep interrupting them to announce what they should learn from the experience. It asks for a little patience from anyone accustomed to a busier sort of animation. Choose it for a family evening when nobody needs another battle to sit through.

*Fi1m score 89, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to My Neighbor Totoro, praising Miyazaki’s gentle treatment of childhood imagination, family affection and the natural world. The praise centres on the sisters’ behaviour, the forest spirits and the quiet, simply told encounters that allow wonder and anxiety to coexist. The hand-drawn design and carefully observed animation attract particular admiration, with several reviews finding emotional depth in a story that needs little plot and no elaborate conflict.

The reservations concern sweetness and technique, though they come from a small minority within a broadly enthusiastic consensus. The New York Times finds the family portrayal idealised and the dialogue stiff, while still enjoying the magical sequences. The Los Angeles Times admires the warmth and direction but describes the animation as jerky and limited. There is a clear disagreement over sentimentality: where the dissent finds sugar, several other reviews explicitly praise Miyazaki for avoiding it.

## Straight answers

**Is My Neighbor Totoro worth watching?**

*My Neighbor Totoro* is worth watching for almost anyone, and we scored it 89. Miyazaki follows two noisy sisters getting to know a new house and the forest spirits around it, with no villain and no hurry, and the patience pays off. Our one reservation is that the adults are too agreeable, which can make the family feel tidier than it needs to be.

**How long is My Neighbor Totoro, and what is it rated?**

*My Neighbor Totoro* runs 1h 26m and is rated G by the MPA in the US. It is a fantasy and animation film.

**Where can I watch My Neighbor Totoro in the US?**

*My Neighbor Totoro* is streaming on HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel and Hulu in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does My Neighbor Totoro compare to Kiki's Delivery Service?**

*My Neighbor Totoro* is the calmer and smaller of the two, and the one we would choose first. Both films give a young heroine room to be curious and make mistakes, but [*Kiki's Delivery Service*](https://film.one/film/kikis-delivery-service) is busier and occasionally tidies its lessons for her, where Totoro trusts the children's discoveries to carry the film. Choose Kiki for humour and a working heroine, Totoro for the quieter evening.

**What should I watch after My Neighbor Totoro?**

After *My Neighbor Totoro*, try [*Kiki's Delivery Service*](https://film.one/film/kikis-delivery-service) (1989, Fi1m 86): Miyazaki gives another young heroine room to make mistakes and find her confidence. Then [*Petite Maman*](https://film.one/film/petite-maman) (2021, Fi1m 88): Childhood play and family sadness meet in a woodland fantasy of similar tenderness; and [*Song of the Sea*](https://film.one/film/song-of-the-sea) (2014, Fi1m 82): Siblings negotiate grief and folklore in an animated landscape worth lingering over.

### Reviews we read (12)

- **Radio Times**, Calum Baker (5/5): A small masterpiece and one of the best films about childhood, using a simple framework of sisters encountering forest spirits to explore weightier ideas with impeccable design, animation and a distinctive soothing tone. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-76mapf/my-neighbour-totoro/)
- **Time Out**, Trevor Johnston (5/5): The film that first brought Miyazaki to international attention is an animated achievement without parallel, delicately capturing mystery, quietness and the anxieties and wonders of childhood without sentimentality. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/my-neighbour-totoro)
- **Empire**, Dan Jolin (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it a tender, gorgeous masterpiece about two young sisters who move house and befriend a cuddly forest spirit and a catbus, smartly double-billed with Grave Of The Fireflies. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/neighbour-totoro-review/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a supernatural masterpiece and Miyazaki’s first among equals, praising its simple hand-drawn design, innocence that grows more beguiling on repeat viewings, and bright musical score. The review highlights the film’s unaffected frankness and the remarkable animated performance of young Mei as standout elements. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/aug/01/my-neighbour-totoro-review-miyazaki-studio-ghibli)
- **Evening Standard** (80/100, inferred): The review highlights the charming children's adventure featuring the magical cat bus and two boisterous sisters who befriend Totoro, describing it as less complex or tense than Spirited Away but still exceptional. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/my-neighbour-totoro-film-review-8630814.html)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Charles Solomon (70/100, inferred): The critic praises the gentle warmth, affectionate sisterly bond, and skillful direction in this charming fantasy, while noting the animation is jerky and limited. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-05-07-ca-32448-story.html)
- **The New York Times**, Stephen Holden (60/100, inferred): The critic finds the film overly sweet and saccharine in its idealized family portrayal and stiff dialogue, but notes that its magical sequences are charming and visually handsome. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/14/movies/review-film-even-a-beast-is-sweet-as-can-be.html)
- **Little White Lies**, Beth Webb: Miyazaki’s gentle giant celebrates childhood imagination and nature in a heartfelt, personal story that has become one of the most beloved animated films despite its modest origins. [Read](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/my-neighbour-totoro-hayao-miyazaki)
- **Sight and Sound**, Nick Bradshaw: The film is a pastoral, pantheist chamber drama with simple storytelling unfolding in delightful sequences that capture childhood wonder at nature, life and imagination. [Read](https://bfi.org.uk/film/659f87a6-000d-59a5-b3ab-536f10de2c39/my-neighbour-totoro)
- **Eye for Film**, Anton Bitel (★★★★★): The critic calls it a true family film that is magical and intimate, praising its beautifully observed details and avoidance of saccharine sentiment while capturing childhood idyll and loss. [Read](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/dvdreview/my-neighbour-totoro-dvd-review-by-anton-bitel)
- **HeyUGuys**, Jon Lyus (5/5): The critic celebrates the film's enduring magic, heart, and imagination, noting its ability to captivate viewers of all ages repeatedly. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/my-neighbour-totoro-blu-ray-review/)
- **Film Stories**, Ryan Lambie: The critic praises the film's purity as Miyazaki's masterpiece, highlighting its simple distillation of childhood wonder and nature without contrived plots or villains. [Read](https://filmstories.co.uk/features/my-neighbour-totoro-the-animated-classics-genius-lies-in-its-simplicity/)

## Details

- **Director:** Hayao Miyazaki
- **Director:** Hayao Miyazaki
- **Screenplay:** Hayao Miyazaki
- **Cinematography:** Hisao Shirai
- **Editor:** Takeshi Seyama
- **Music:** Joe Hisaishi
- **Producer:** Tooru Hara, Toshio Suzuki
- **Cast:** Noriko Hidaka as Satsuki Kusakabe (voice); Chika Sakamoto as Mei Kusakabe (voice); Hitoshi Takagi as Totoro (voice); Shigesato Itoi as Tatsuo Kusakabe (voice); Sumi Shimamoto as Yasuko Kusakabe (voice); Tanie Kitabayashi as Granny (voice); Toshiyuki Amagasa as Kanta Ogaki (voice); Yuko Maruyama as Kanta's Mother (voice)
- **Runtime:** 1h 26m
- **Certificate (MPA):** G
- **Release (the US):** 13 July 1990
- **Genres:** Fantasy, Animation, Family
- **Budget:** $4 million
- **Box office:** $41 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nv94fL_IA8

## Where to watch in the US

- HBO Max: streaming
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd
- Hulu: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $11.99, sd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Blue Ribbon Awards 1988: Blue Ribbon Awards (won)
- Kinema Junpo Award for Best Film of the Year 1988: Kinema Junpo Award for Best Film of the Year (won)
- Mainichi Film Awards 1988: Mainichi Film Awards (won)
- Ōfuji Noburō Award 1988: Ōfuji Noburō Award (won)

## If you liked this

- *Kiki's Delivery Service* (1989), Fi1m 86: Miyazaki gives another young heroine room to make mistakes and find her confidence. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/kikis-delivery-service.md)
- *Petite Maman* (2021), Fi1m 88: Childhood play and family sadness meet in a woodland fantasy of similar tenderness. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/petite-maman.md)
- *The Red Balloon* (1956): A child’s friendship with something impossible, told with patience and little dialogue.
- *Song of the Sea* (2014), Fi1m 82: Siblings negotiate grief and folklore in an animated landscape worth lingering over. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/song-of-the-sea.md)
- *The Spirit of the Beehive* (1973), Fi1m 87: For adults drawn to childhood mystery, with more unease beneath the rural quiet. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-spirit-of-the-beehive.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/my-neighbor-totoro