On April 16, 1988, Studio Ghibli released My Neighbor Totoro in theaters in Japan. As the beloved animated film celebrates its 36th anniversary, Studio Ghibli is re-releasing a nearly decade-old summer toy.
On Donguri Sora, Studio Ghibli's official store, a bubble making toy set modeled after the psychic furry creatures in My Neighbor Totoro is now available for purchase. The playset includes the bubble-blowing Totoro characters and the fabled friends — a Totoro-shaped plastic dish to pour the bubble liquid on and two small bottles of bubble liquid. Donguri Sora is currently selling the My Neighbor Totoro bubble toy for 1,980 yen (12.80 USD). The official advertisement for the product on YouTube, seen below, dates from 2015.
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My Neighbor Totoro is one of the only Studio Ghibli films to have a sequel
In addition to the nostalgic bubble toy set, Studio Ghibli has previously released many other products based on My Neighbor Totoro. For example, an unforgettable Catbus-shaped grandfather clock costs 12,100 yen ($80). While Catbus appeared in My Neighbor Totoro, the furry vehicle also received a mini-animated film called Mei and the Kittenbus — one of the only anime sequels produced by Studio Ghibli (the film also again the spin-off story Whisper of the Heart, The Cat Returns). Mei and the Kittenbus can only be viewed at the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo or at Ghibli Park in Nagakute, Aichi.
Other Studio Ghibli products include child-sized towels decorated with characters from My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service. Donguri Sora is also selling “360-degree diorama boxes” based on the two movies mentioned above. One diorama shows Totoro and his friends playing around Mei-chan's wet boots in the rain, while the other shows Jiji and one of his kittens lying next to the Kiki's pink delivery bag.
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Studio Ghibli's most recent film, The Boy and the Heron, will soon be streaming on Max. The studio's other animated films, including My Neighbor Totoro, will also continue to be available on Max following Warner Bros.' recently renewed deal. Discovery. The Japanese live stage show Spirited Away is also available on the streaming platform.
My neighbor is Totoro
When two girls move to the countryside to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with magical forest spirits living nearby.
Release date April 16, 1988
Studio Ghibli Studio
Cast Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Shigesato Itoi, Sumi Shimamoto, Tanie Kitabayashi
Running time 86 minutes
Source: Donguri Sora