Studio Ghibli, for those who are not familiar, is essentially the Pixar of Japan- it is an animation studio that is known for its consistent originality and outstanding quality. In celebration of Netflix UK adding the whole Studio Ghibli catalogue of films to their service (which definitely calls for celebration), I thought I'd write about one of my favourite Ghibli scenes ever, from 1988's My Neighbor Totoro.
My Neighbor Totoro follows the story of two young sisters, Mei and Satsuki, who move to a new house with their father. Their mother is sick in the hospital, but that doesn't stop the young girls from finding the magic in everything around them, leading them to become friends with Totoro, a giant and mysterious forest spirit.
My favourite scene from the film comes when Mei and Satsuki are waiting patiently in the rain for their father to return from work on the bus. They want to give him an umbrella so that he does not get soaked in the downpour of rain. As they are waiting, Totoro suddenly joins them in the wait, albeit for quite a different bus.
Studio Ghibli films, particularly those directed by Hayao Miyazaki, have endured and are beloved for so many reasons. One reason is the 'Miyazaki heroine'. What do I mean by that?This type of character is described perfectly by Dan Slott, a comic book writer who drew inspiration from Miyazaki's female protagonists to create a new heroine in his run on Marvel's Silver Surfer (a brilliant comic book series, by the way!). Here's what he had to say:
"When we talked about the character and what we wanted from [the character], our shorthand was ‘Miyazaki heroine'. The moment you say that you get the whole ethos. A Miyazaki heroine doesn’t care about beating the bad guy, they care about solving the problem. They’d much rather, at the end of the story, turn the bad guy into a friend. They’re courageous, they’re adventuresome, they never give up, there’s a whole feeling."
Miyazaki himself has some really powerful words to say about feminism and the nature of his protagonists. What's special with My Neighbor Totoro in particular is the bond between the two sisters, and their infectious enthusiasm for everything around them. Which brings me onto the second reason why I find Studio Ghibli movies to be so memorable- their ability to find beauty in the mundane. As whimsical as movies like My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle are, it's the small moments that make their respective worlds feel so real and beautiful. (There's a whole compilation of the beauty of food in Ghibli movies on Youtube, for example). In the scene above, Totoro and the two girls are simply standing outside in the rain. No drama, no excitement as such. Just a simplicity and confidence in its characters to carry the scene.
Some of my favourite scenes in movies, particularly in animation, feel like short movies all on their own. Jack-Jack vs the raccoon in Incredibles 2, the forbidden friendship scene in How to Train Your Dragon or the beginning of Wall E. My Neighbor Totoro is light on plot already, but the segment in the rain exists in a little bubble comparative to the main story, and feels instantly iconic.
Where American animations these days can feel tired because of annoying characters, reliance on gimmicks and stale jokes, My Neighbor Totoro, a movie from 1988, feels timeless and effortlessly imaginative because of its ability to find the magic in the little things in life, like the sound of rain falling on an umbrella.
Thanks for reading the 10th in my series of 'Best Movie Scenes'. I genuinely can't wait to re-watch my favourite Ghibli films once they drop on Netflix, as well as catch up on the ones that I have missed. Hayao Miyazaki is one of the best directors ever, his films are so beautiful and unique, and though he is now retired from film-making, I'm glad more people get to discover his works.
I do not own any of the videos or images used in this video.