Sumi Shimamoto

The clarity of Sumi Shimamoto’s voice is useful for more than sounding reassuring. She can bring force to it, as her title performance in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) demonstrates, without losing the directness that makes her easy to listen to. We value that expressiveness in the smaller parts as well. In My Neighbor Totoro (1988), she voices Yasuko Kusakabe in a fantasy that gives most of its attention to children.

Her work with Hayao Miyazaki began with Lady Clarisse in The Castle of Cagliostro (1979), the breakthrough that led to Nausicaä. The early heroines established her reputation, but television gave her another substantial part: Kyoko Otonashi in Maison Ikkoku (1986), adapted from Rumiko Takahashi. The later work includes mothers, supporting parts and narration, all sensible uses for a voice that communicates feeling so readily. Miyazaki remains the useful guide through those changes, having cast her in four features.

Totoro makes good use of her suitability for maternal roles, though its adults can seem too agreeable. We were moved by the seriousness Miyazaki gives the children’s discoveries, allowing them time and attention instead of rushing on to the next incident. Shimamoto’s warmth fits that patience, and the film is funny enough to keep its gentleness from becoming a chore. Still, we sometimes want the grown-ups to be less accommodating; the casting cannot fix everything in the writing.

Princess Mononoke (1997) gives her Toki, another supporting role for Miyazaki, in a much more crowded story. We admire the film’s willingness to treat its human combatants sympathetically, which makes the destruction harder to dismiss as adventure. The creatures and the force of the action are reasons enough to persevere with the busy storytelling. For an introduction to Shimamoto, we would start with Totoro; save Mononoke for an evening without interruptions.