Studio Ghibliis known for creating phenomenal works of animation, and they’re almost as well known for the fact that they don’t make sequels to even their most successful films. Ghibli did, however, make a sequel toMy Neighbor Totoro, but it’s so difficult to watch that it’s no surprise that few fans know of it.
Studio Ghibli has put out many classic anime films, fromPrincess Mononoketotheir latest hit,The Boy and the Heron. While many of these movies would’ve been fertile ground for a sequel, the studio is always trying to create something new, and as such don’t really do sequels. Hayao Miyazaki, the founder of Ghibli, has considered sequels before, but always ends up deciding against it. However, that only applies to the studio’s feature-length productions. Ghibli has, in fact, made a sequel toMy Neighbor Totoro, but it takes the form of a short film rather than a feature.
Ghibli’s Secret Totoro Sequel Explained
The Short Sequel Can Only Be Seen in Two Theaters
My Neighbor Totorois perhaps the most iconic Ghibli film, to the point where Totoro serves as the studio’s mascot. It’s a peaceful and charmingly bucolic look at life through the eyes of two children. Originally released in 1988,Totorowas Ghibli’s big break, making the studio a household name in Japan. As they would go on to create one of the greatest catalogs of films in anime history, it only seemed appropriate to create a Ghibli-themed museum. One of the attractions at the Ghibli museum is a screening room known as the Saturn Theater, where Ghibli shorts are shown.
Miyazaki decided to create shorts exclusively for the museum, which opened in 2001.One of these shorts, released in 2002, is entitledMei and the Kittenbus, and is a canonical sequel toMy Neighbor Totoroset 2 months after the conclusion of the film.The short follows Mei, one of the main characters ofTotoro, as she goes on a brief adventure with the “Kittenbus,” a young version of the Catbus seen in the original film. Mei bonds with the Kittenbus, which takes her on a wild trip that introduces various other cat-vehicles, and also features a cameo from Totoro himself.
The film is only 13 minutes long, but it marks a delightful return to the world ofTotoro. Despite how much time had passed, the original Japanese voice actors returned to reprise their roles, including Hitoshi Takagi, the voice of Totoro, in what was very likely his last role. The film is only shown at the Saturn Theater in the Ghibli Museum and Cinema Orion at Ghibli Park, making it exceptionally difficult for Western fans to enjoy. While a few still images circulate online, the overwhelming majority of Ghibli fans have no idea that this sequel even exists.
Why Ghibli and Miyazaki Made a Sequel to Totoro
The Film Was Designed to Be Exclusive
According to Miyazaki,Mei and the Kittenbuswas created “specially for children.“Even over a decade after its release,Totorowas still iconic among Japan’s children, so a short follow-up just for the kids seemed like the perfect idea for an exclusive film for the museum, which shows a total of 12 exclusive shorts that can only be seen there. The story is very light and fun, and the visuals appear to be as excellent as any Studio Ghibli feature, at least based on the stills available. Of all the exclusive shorts, this one is the only one to be a direct sequel.
Despite it having been over 20 years since the short was created, it has never been available on home video, and isn’t particularly well known, even in Japan, with one poll suggesting 88% of respondents were unaware of its existence. The idea of seeing such an exclusive and long-awaited sequel is certainly a driving force for fans to pay the Ghibli Museum or Ghibli Park a visit, as there’s no telling if it will ever be available in another form.
Miyazaki Has Considered a Proper Sequel to Totoro Since
Miyazaki Nearly Made a Totoro Sequel as His Final Film
It was recently revealed that, during the early planning stages forThe Boy and the Heron, Miyazaki considered several possibilities for what his (then) final film would be, andone idea explicitly mentioned in the bookThe Art of the Boy and the Heronis tocreate a sequel toMy Neighbor Totoro. The book provides no further detail than that, since it’s primarily aboutThe Boy and the Heron, so it’s unknown just how far along anyTotoro-related ideas may have made it before settling onThe Boy and the Heron. As Miyazaki has since announced another film, it’s always possible that it will beTotoro’s true sequel.
It’s certainly interesting to think of what aTotorosequel might be like. The original film is so firmly anchored to a child’s perspective that it may be fascinating to explore the world ofTotoroagain with adult eyes, following grown versions of Mei and Satsuki as they re-encounter Totoro. If that child’s perspective is to be maintained, then perhaps the film could instead follow Mei and/or Satsuki’s children as they meet Totoro for the first time, embarking on an adventure of their own. One thing’s for sure, though, and that’s that Miyazaki will only make a sequel if he has a good idea.
Whether a true feature-length sequel toMy Neighbor Totorois ever created or not, the film will remain the only Ghibli movie to have ever had a sequel, thanks toMei and the Kittenbus. Perhaps someday the short will become more available, and fans in the West (and even in Japan, it seems) will have the chance to see it for themselves for the first time. Until then, though,Totorodiehards will have to make the pilgrimage to the Ghibli Museum or Ghibli Park if they want to give it a watch, and get just one more taste ofStudio Ghibli’s fantastical world.
