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Studio ghibli my neighbor totoro11/19/2022 ![]() Inari, who is depicted as a fox, is the rice god. This is significant as the film is about two children coping with the fears and anxieties of having an ill mother. Jizo, a Buddha like figure often depicted wearing a red bib, is the guardian of travelers and protector of women and children. The most important ones are of Jizo and Inari (Cavallaro 72). Shrines of Shinto and Buddhist figures are depicted throughout the film. A Japanese audience, even if they are not all religious, would recognize and make these connections. The film makes a number of references to Shintoism and Buddhism, two important faiths in Japanese culture. One might speculate if the first dub would have been more successful if a greater emphasis was put into merchandising it.Īnother cultural difference involves the role that religion plays in the film. Totoro dolls can be purchased in the States today, but mainly at stores such as Hot Topic, that focus on animè and fandom, not mainstream toy stores. This proved to be a mistake as Totoro dolls were in a high demand at the time of the dub’s release. As McCarthy states, “Obviously, no sensible company was going to put large amount of money in merchandising a film it thought its audience would find culturally alienating,” (McCarthy 118). Because of this, they did not invest in merchandising the film. While the studios were willing to work with Miyazaki’s demand, they did not anticipate the film doing very well due to their inability to edit certain scenes. Unhappy with the highly edited English dub of his earlier film, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, the film’s director, Hayao Miyazaki, made it clear that there would be no edits made to the film. One proposed edit was completely cutting the bath scene. Not knowing how American audiences would react to these cultural differences, 50th Street Films and Twentieth Century Fox wanted to make some edits to the film. This created some difficulties when the plans were first made to produce an English dub. These customs include bathing together and the children bowing to adults as they greet them. What makes the family different, from an American point of view, are the customs that they partake in. Everyone gets along and there is a clear atmosphere of love and intimacy. The family depicts the typical image of a happy and loving family that one might find in an American film. The first cultural difference is the relationship within the family. ![]() This popularity inequality could be due to the cultural differences that are reflected in the film. Despite its growing success, My Neighbor Totoro is still much more known in Japan than in the United States. The character Totoro has become more recognizable and has even made appearances in the American media in Toy Story 3 and South Park. Animè had become more popular in the States and Ghibli gained credibility after their film Spirited Away won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. This was when the film found its American following. When 50th Street Films and Twentieth Century Fox’s rights to the film expired in 2005, Disney took advantage of the opportunity to make their own dub. In 1996, Studio Ghibli entered into a distribution deal with Walt Disney Studios, granting them the rights to produce the English dubs of most of their films (Kelts 54). It performed well in home video sales (McCarthy 118), but it also received rather negative reviews (Klady). When Americans are looking for a movie to show their children, odds are that My Neighbor Totoro is not the first one to come to mind.Īn English dub was made for the States in 1993, under the distribution of 50th Street Films and Twentieth Century Fox. My Neighbor Totoro does have an American fan base, but is restricted to those who hold a strong interest in animè, animation, and filmmaking. With the significant role that Japanese culture plays in the film, it is debatable if a non-Japanese audience, particularly an American one, would be able to fully connect with it. What makes My Neighbor Totoro so unique is the large role that Japanese culture plays in the film.Īccording to the Internet Movie Database, My Neighbor Totoro has been released in thirty countries, most recently being released in China last December (My Neighbor Totoro: Release Info). The beauty of childhood is a fairly universal theme in the media. The girls do not go on any big adventures, nor do they face evil villains. At their new home, they meet a friendly, cuddly forest spirit named Totoro. The film tells the story of two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, who move to the Japanese countryside with their father while their mother is in the hospital. ![]() The animated film My Neighbor Totoro, made by the internationally acclaimed Studio Ghibli, is a cultural phenomenon in Japan. ![]() Cuddly Creatures and Cultural Barriers: The Struggles in Showing My Neighbor Totoro to an American Audience ![]()
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