“My Neighbor Totoro(Official Studio Ghibli Website)” is a 1988 animated feature film directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
In this article, we’ll take a look back at the characters and voice actors of “My Neighbor Totoro,” exploring their individual charms and their roles in the story. So, what kind of characters were in “My Neighbor Totoro”?
Please be aware that the following text contains spoilers, so please proceed with caution.
*This article is an English translation of the original Japanese article, “【となりのトトロ】登場人物＆声優情報一覧とキャラクター考察そして人物相関図“
Let an AI walk you through the highlights of this post in a simple, conversational style.
- “My Neighbor Totoro” Main Characters & Voice Actors List
- Character Profiles and Analysis
- Satsuki | Voice Actor: Dakota Fanning
- Mei | Voice Actor: Elle Fanning
- Dad | Voice Actor: Tim Daly
- Mom | Voice Actor: Lea Salonga
- Totoro (O-Totoro) | Voice Actor: Frank Welker
- Catbus | Voice Actor: Frank Welker
- Kanta | Voice Actor: Paul Butcher
- Granny | Voice Actor: Pat Carroll
- Other Characters and Voice Actor Information
“My Neighbor Totoro” Main Characters & Voice Actors List
| Name | Age | Voice Actor (2005 Disney Dub) |
|---|---|---|
Satsuki Kusakabe |
12 | Dakota Fanning |
Mei Kusakabe |
4 | Elle Fanning |
Tatsuo Kusakabe (Dad) |
32 | Tim Daly |
Yasuko Kusakabe (Mom) |
29 | Lea Salonga |
Totoro |
1302 (initial concept) | Frank Welker |
Catbus |
? | Frank Welker |
Kanta |
? (Satsuki’s classmate) | Paul Butcher |
Granny |
? | Pat Carroll |
Character Profiles and Analysis
Satsuki | Voice Actor: Dakota Fanning
Satsuki’s Profile
Her full name is Satsuki Kusakabe. She is 12 years old.
With her mother hospitalized and her father being somewhat unreliable, Satsuki is the miracle eldest daughter who barely holds the Kusakabe household together. She expertly handles basic chores, and in the initial concept, she was only 10 years old.
She may seem overly mature, but when producer Toshio Suzuki pointed this out, director Hayao Miyazaki reportedly said, “Kids like this exist. I was one of them” (as described in Toshio Suzuki’s book “Shigoto Douraku Shinpan – Studio Ghibli no Genba” or “The Pleasure of Work, New Edition: The Ghibli Set”). Miyazaki’s own mother was also ill, and he himself handled household chores as a child.
Originally, They Weren’t Sisters
“My Neighbor Totoro” was scheduled for a double feature with “Grave of the Fireflies,” and was initially planned to be 60 minutes long. As the runtime for “Grave of the Fireflies,” also planned for 60 minutes, kept getting longer, Miyazaki’s strategy to compete was to split the originally single female protagonist into two: Mei and Satsuki.
While one might think competing was unnecessary, Miyazaki’s stubbornness resulted in “Totoro” having a runtime of 86 minutes, just two minutes shorter than “Grave of the Fireflies” at 88 minutes. He apparently told producer Suzuki, “If it’s even two minutes shorter, they have to praise it, right?” but the producer himself didn’t seem to understand what he meant. This is detailed by Suzuki in “Ghibli Textbook 3: My Neighbor Totoro(ジブリの教科書3:となりのトトロ, in Japanese)”.
The reason for making them sisters is quite mysterious, but I feel that the resulting character, “Satsuki,” wonderfully carries Miyazaki’s feelings. I have summarized my thoughts on this in the following article:
Mei | Voice Actor: Elle Fanning
Mei’s Profile
Her full name is Mei Kusakabe. She is 4 years old.
She disappears twice during the story and is luckily found both times, making her a very fortunate child.
She is generally depicted as a lively girl, but like Satsuki, she lives while hiding the loneliness of her mother not being around.
Furthermore, to put it harshly, she is the most “useless” member of the Kusakabe family in their mother’s absence. Her attempt to deliver corn to her mother, whose temporary return home was postponed, might have been because she was vaguely aware of this situation.
What if They Weren’t Split into Satsuki and Mei?
As mentioned in Satsuki’s section, in the initial concept, there was only one girl in “My Neighbor Totoro,” who was later split into two personalities, Satsuki and Mei.
What would it have been like if there had been only one girl as originally planned?
Her age would likely have been around 10, somewhere between the two, and she probably would have handled chores just like Satsuki. Otherwise, the father would be handling chores properly, and a certain kind of frustration wouldn’t build up inside her. Only the loneliness of her mother’s absence would exist, and her dependence on her father would be greater. Thus, the story wouldn’t unfold.
Most importantly, there would be no reason for her to meet Totoro.
The main reason Mei was able to meet Totoro was “loneliness.” Even though her father is at home, he is absorbed in his research, and Mei is somehow forced to play alone. It is in this lonely situation that Totoro appears to her, and Mei, who should have been hugged by her father, gets hugged by Totoro (well, she’s more just lying on top of him).
Therefore, even if they weren’t split into Satsuki and Mei, the girl would need to be lonely in some way to have a reason to meet Totoro. In other words, the father needs to be a character who is so absorbed in his research that he forgets the chores he’s supposed to do and lets his daughter play alone on his days off.
So, how would the ending play out?
The situation of getting lost while trying to deliver corn to her mother might not change, but the development leading up to that action would certainly be different. In the actual film,
- Mei bursts into tears when her mother’s temporary return is postponed.
- After some time, thinking of her mother, Satsuki starts crying.
- Seeing Satsuki like this, Mei decides to take action.
The final disappearance incident occurs in these three stages. However, if it were a single girl, she would likely skip the second step and run off almost impulsively.
What we would see there is “the loneliness of a mother’s absence.”
However, in “My Neighbor Totoro,” while the loneliness of her mother’s absence is a reason for Mei’s actions, it also seems to include the impulse to “save Satsuki.”
Seeing her sister, who had been so strong and never once shown weakness, in tears, Mei must have wanted to do something for Satsuki with her own power.
The fact that this action was to “have her mother eat the corn and get better” is a testament to Mei’s youth, but compared to the case of a single girl, Mei’s inner world becomes more complex.
Ultimately, by having the sisters Satsuki and Mei, “My Neighbor Totoro” gained depth and became a wonderful masterpiece. It’s truly amazing that Isao Takahata was the one who caused this.
Dad | Voice Actor: Tim Daly
Dad’s Profile
His full name is Tatsuo Kusakabe. He is 32 years old. He is an archaeology researcher and a part-time lecturer at a university.
With his wife hospitalized, you’d expect a father who juggles housework and childcare… but that wasn’t the case. His top priority was advancing his research, and for that, he even left the housework he was supposed to do to Satsuki (it sounds terrible when you write it down).
As a child, I didn’t mind this, but as I’ve gotten older, I can’t help but think, “Just try a little harder.” I wonder if Tatsuo Kusakabe is now seen as the epitome of evil.
Room for Sympathy
However, now that I’m older, I feel it’s one-sided to simply dismiss Tatsuo’s choices.
First of all, the main source of income for that family would be Tatsuo’s job, and it’s very important for his career to progress through recognition of his research.
Furthermore, research is something you have to be “absorbed” in, so can’t we overlook his somewhat absent-minded parts? Regarding the “morning he forgot his share of the chores” depicted in the film, Tatsuo must have had a crucial work session the night before.
Still, I think Tatsuo is responsible for Mei’s first disappearance, but the root cause of the disappearance was not so much Tatsuo’s carelessness as the crisis situation that the family was facing.
Perhaps it’s not good to blame Tatsuo too much.
Mom | Voice Actor: Lea Salonga
Mom’s Profile
Her full name is Yasuko Kusakabe. Her age is not specified, but she is hospitalized due to illness.
Although her screen time is short, she is loved by her entire family, and in her few appearances, her kindness is deeply moving.
What happened to her illness is a major point of concern, but in the background of the end credits, it’s shown that she has fully recovered and is sleeping in a futon with Mei and Satsuki (thank goodness).
Speaking of the end credits, it’s impressive to see Mei has grown a little, and Satsuki has become slightly more child-like.
Mei has also grown throughout the main story, becoming a little bit of an “older sister” and able to care for someone smaller than herself. And Satsuki, thanks to her mother’s return, is able to act her age again.
The background scenes in the end credits are really great, aren’t they?
Mom Combing Satsuki’s Hair.
One of the most memorable scenes in “My Neighbor Totoro” is “Mom combing Satsuki’s hair.”
The scene where she combs the hair of Mei and Satsuki, who are overjoyed to see their mother after a long time, is incredibly heartwarming. The fact that she starts with Satsuki instead of Mei shows the mother’s consideration and is a very touching detail.
However… I believe that in this scene, the mother tells a certain lie. It’s a lie that can be interpreted as beautiful, or, depending on how you take it, a bit difficult to bear.
I have summarized this matter in the following article:
I think how one feels about the lie the mother told is up to each individual, but I am convinced that she did indeed lie.
Totoro (O-Totoro) | Voice Actor: Frank Welker
Totoro’s Profile
A creature that has lived in this world since ancient times.
Although it possesses supernatural powers like making plants grow and flying through the sky on a spinning top, it is a living creature (it’s easy to understand if you think of the tanuki in “Pom Poko”).
At least in the initial concept, he was 1302 years old and his name was Miminzuku (cf “The Art of My Neighbor Totoro”). The setting is the early Showa 30s (1950s), so he would have been born in the Asuka period. In Japanese history, this was the era from Empress Saimei to Emperor Tenji, when Japan (or rather, the Yamato government) suffered a major defeat in the Battle of Baekgang.
In the film, he was discovered during Mei’s first disappearance. Although the cause of Mei’s disappearance was the other two Totoro clan members, perhaps it’s that meeting Totoro prevented it from becoming a major incident.
At least during the second disappearance, he was a superhero who called the Catbus and brilliantly contributed to finding Mei. However, for Totoro, with his long sense of time, it might have been just a whim.
Kodama and Totoro
If Totoro is 1302 years old, he would have already existed during the time of “Princess Mononoke,” which is set in the Muromachi period, and there would have been many other Totoros besides the one that appeared in “My Neighbor Totoro.”
Unfortunately, no Totoro-like individuals appear in “Princess Mononoke.”
Director Miyazaki also seemed to be slightly concerned about this, and he mentioned it in the production documentary “How Princess Mononoke Was Born(「もののけ姫はこうして生まれた。」、in Japanese).”
In the end, there was a proposal from an animator to suggest that the Kodama that appears after the end credits of “Princess Mononoke” later became Totoro, and it was decided with a “Let’s go with that!”
This seems to contradict Totoro’s age, but if you think of it as the childhood form of the Totoro species, it might be consistent.
Catbus | Voice Actor: Frank Welker
Catbus’s Profile
In “My Neighbor Totoro,” the Catbus showed a presence even greater than Totoro’s. Since I was a child, it seemed like a sad existence that was just there to be ridden by Totoro, but the Catbus being bus-shaped is a coincidence; it is fundamentally a bakeneko (monster cat).
The Catbus that appears in the film has testicles, so we can see it is a male and that it is a being that reproduces sexually.
Currently, there is a short film called “Mei and the Kittenbus” that can only be seen at the “Ghibli Museum,” in which many Catbuses appear. It seems they are not just carrying Totoro around from morning to night, but also have their own family life.
Kanta | Voice Actor: Paul Butcher
Kanta’s Profile
His full name is Kanta Ōgaki. He is Satsuki’s classmate.
He is the boy etched into our memory with the line, “Your house is haaauuunted!” but he must have fallen in love at first sight the moment he saw Satsuki while helping with farm work. His actions were quite obvious. Any boy can understand the psychology of hiding in the back of the house when Satsuki came to return the umbrella.
Such Kanta was a useless boy other than lending Satsuki a broken umbrella, but his desperation after Mei went missing is noteworthy.
The Kusakabe family were newcomers to that village, but everyone desperately searched for Mei. Kanta, though a child, was probably doing his best to do what he could. The sight of Kanta appearing before Satsuki, skillfully riding a bike he couldn’t normally ride, seemed to be a symbol of the desperation of everyone in that community.
Granny | Voice Actor: Pat Carroll
Granny’s Profile
She is Kanta’s grandmother and was the caretaker of the house that Satsuki and Mei moved into.
She is such a kind grandmother, she must have instilled in children across the country the mistaken belief that “grandmothers are unconditionally kind to children.”
Towards the end of the story, the sight of Granny shouting “Mei-chaaan!” as seen from the Catbus was so heart-wrenching. One reason Granny was so desperate was that she was with them when Mei went missing.
She must have felt an immense sense of responsibility, but at that time she had to take care of Satsuki, so there was nothing she could do.
However, the nerve of Tatsuo, who can nonchalantly make someone else’s grandmother take care of his children. I don’t know when he first met the grandmother, but I wonder if her presence was one of the reasons he decided to move.
Tatsuo is a man who will use whatever he can to maintain his own situation. What a psycho.
Other Characters and Voice Actor Information
Kanta’s Mother | Voice Actor: Kath Soucie
Appears briefly when Satsuki and Mei go to Kanta’s house to return the umbrella he lent them.
School Teacher (Reiko Moriyama) | Voice Actor: Tress MacNeille
Satsuki’s homeroom teacher. A character who charmed us with the great decision to allow Mei, who came to school because she was lonely, to attend class with Satsuki. She’s a good teacher, isn’t she?
Michiko (Micchan) | Voice Actor: Ashley Rose
Satsuki’s classmate and friend. Her presence showed us that “Satsuki is doing well at school,” which gave us a sense of relief. The way she calls out “Sa~tsuki-cha~n” to invite her also showed she was a pretty good person.
Man Cutting Grass | Voice Actor: Peter Renaday
A man they spoke to while searching for the missing Mei. I didn’t realize until I looked it up, but the voice actor was Peter Renaday. I didn’t notice at all.
Main House Granny | Voice Actor: Russi Taylor
The person who let Satsuki use the phone after she received the telegram from Shichikokuyama Hospital. She appeared only for a moment, but she was a very elegant, or should I say, poised and atmospheric character.
Man Driving the Farm Vehicle | Voice Actor: David Midthunder
One of the couple who appeared before Satsuki as she was searching for the missing Mei. He appeared for a moment, but he was a very unlikable man. Stop giving your girlfriend a ride.
Woman on the Farm Vehicle | Voice Actor: Lara Cody
One of the couple who appeared before Satsuki as she was searching for the missing Mei. She seemed like a very nice woman, but… hey, are you really sure about that guy? He’s definitely going to cheat on you.
Postman | Voice Actor: Robert Clotworthy
The person who delivered the telegram that caused Mei’s disappearance. He was just doing his job correctly, but did he know that the telegram would trigger a major incident involving the entire village?
Also, for some reason, I remember the line “Kusakabe-sa~n, a telegram for you~.” Is it because it contains the information “Kusakabe”? It’s very strange.
Bus Conductor | Voice Actor: Tress MacNeille
The bus conductor who faked out Satsuki and Mei at the bus stop while they were waiting for their father.
I think that scene is clever because the fake-out strongly emphasizes the “loneliness of waiting.” When you’re waiting for someone, you get your hopes up for even the smallest things, right?
Chu-Totoro, Chibi-Totoro
Two members of the Totoro clan who appeared in “My Neighbor Totoro.” In the initial concept, the blue Chu-Totoro was 679 years old, and the white Chibi-Totoro was 109 years old.
Ultimately, they were the cause of Mei’s first disappearance, and they were “beings that are visible to children and lead them into a little bit of danger.” In a way, they might have been the scariest beings.
Soot Sprites (Makkuro Kurosuke)
Soot-like “somethings” that lived in the house the Kusakabe family moved into.
While Totoro and the Catbus are proper living creatures with mysterious powers, these guys are truly mysterious beings. They could be said to be the most mysterious existence that appeared in “My Neighbor Totoro.” Seriously, what are those things?
The images used in this article are from “Studio Ghibli Works Still Images“.
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