I get a lot of emails through this website. These are some of the questions I
get asked most often.
Where
can I buy Totoro Toys/Merchandise/etc.?
This is the most popular question I get asked. I've put
together a page with links to on-line stores that often carry Totoro
merchandise. Go to the Shopping Links page >>>
Is
Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro) available
on DVD/VHS?
This is the second most popular question I get asked. The English
dub version is available. I bought my copy from Suncoast,
but most stores that sell videos have copies — including Amazon.com.
I'm not aware of any official Western releases that include the Japanese
track.
What type of
creature is a totoro?
There are three totoros in the movie (O Totoro, Chu
Totoro and Chibi
Totoro) and even though they look different they are all considered
totoros. Although O Totoro looks a cross between a raccoon and an owl,
totoros are not a specific type of animal. They are fictional
creatures
created
by
Hayao
Miyazaki. I have even
seen some sources that say totoros are mythical Japanese critters.
However,
I
do not
see any
supporting
evidence
of
that, other
than the fact the "O Totoro" is translated as "King
of the Forest"
(or something similar) in the English dub of the movie and that "totoro" is
Mei's mispronunciation of "tororu" (troll).
(In the ending credits, you can see the girls' mother reading the story
of the Billy Goats Gruff and there's a creature on the cover that looks
like O Totoro.)
Are
there any sequels to the movie?
No, there are no sequels to the movie nor are there any announced
plans to continue the story. In fact, Miyazaki has mentioned in interviews
that he has no intention to release anything else related to Tonari
no Totoro.
What
are the black critters in the house?
The black pom-poms critters are dust- or soot-sprites. Grandmother
tells the girls that they are "Susuwatari" ("Traveling Soot").
They are what settle in unused places. (You can see another incarnation
of
the
dust-sprites in Spirited Away.)
What
is wrong with the girls' mother?
Although it is never mentioned directly in the movie, she has tuberculosis.
This is mentioned in the graphic novel version of the story. Since the
story is set in the 1950s, TB fits well with the time period.
How
can a cat be a bus?
There's a Japanese legend that says that when cats reach a certain
old age, they can shape-shift into something else. These shape-shifting
cats are called "Baka Neko". This cat apparently decided to become a
bus. As a side note, my favorite song on the Japanese soundtrack I have
is "Baka Neko, Neko Basu" ("Crazy Cat, Cat Bus").
Why
do some of the pictures in the gallery show O Totoro at the bus stop
with a girl that isn't Mei or Satsuki?
Miyazaki's first concept for the movie included just one 6-year
old girl. Those pictures are from the original concept.
Come out, come out, whereever you are! 
