In English, the cover came with a warning of the “mature themes” within the movie.
Yesterday I shared with you the facts behind the theory that, rather than an adorable forest spirit, Totoro is actually a harbinger of death. While I’m not sure how much I believe in the theories that connect Totoro with the Sayama Incident, this next theory is undeniable, and will definitely make you cry.
Many people who love Totoro have fond memories of watching the movie while they were children. I was late to the game, only having seen it for the first time two years ago, but it is still a movie I keep somewhere safe and cuddly, filed under “movies I can watch without necessarily thinking about the sad things in the world”. As it turns out, that is a misfile.
My Neighbor Totoro was originally distributed along with the film Grave of the Fireflies— a much darker movie based on Akiyuki Nosaka’s short story about a boy and his sister in WWII Kobe, Japan. The story is semi-autobiographical; Nosaka lost his sister due to malnutrition around the same time that the story and movie are set.
That context, along with the macabre title of the film, should be enough for tip anyone off to what’s coming: Grave is not a happy movie. In fact, Grave of the Fireflies is so sad and dark that distributors believed the only way to keep people in the theatre was the promise of a happy film afterwards. That happy film, of course, was Totoro. At least that’s one theory.
I wouldn’t stick around for this, either.
Director Isao Takahata has said that when the movies were in theatres, they were not always presented in the order they were intended–which presented a problem as viewers who had just been treated to Totoro would not want to stick around for the heavy themes and disturbing animation of Grave. If Grave went first, however, people would stay put and let King Totoro cheer them right up.
Another interesting connection between Grave and Totoro is the fact that the former was distributed in schools in Japan, in order to teach students about WWII and the effects it had on the Japanese people. The film was still packaged with Totoro, which may have something to do with the latter’s current cult-status in Japan and around the world.
In case your morbid curiosity has been piqued, Grave of the Fireflies is available in its full form (English dubbed–if you find Japanese subbed, please let me know) on youtube here, or you can buy it on DVD at Amazon.com.
Don’t forget to check out Two New Ways to Watch Totoro (You Won’t Like Either One), when I will share with you the saddest origin story you ever did hear. (Hint: It has to do with two sisters and a dark murder.)
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You don’t need to be “morbidly curious” to enjoy Grave of the Fireflies. It is a sad movie but it is also an extremely good movie on its own merits (one of the only anime movies Ebert includes on his “must watch” list). Don’t be scared to watch it either. The message is important to everyone.
You are totally right, Koala. There are plenty of ways to watch “Grave”, and I should have mentioned that bit about Ebert. I also found it interesting that Takahata does not think that the film functions only on an anti-war level, but that the story is really about the siblings and how their struggles to survive relate to their isolation from society. The movie is definitely an important one that can be viewed through several lenses… and definitely different from Totoro.
It’s funny reading fan theories but with a little research it’s easy to find the true story. I wrote an Art History thesis on Hayao Miyazaki and his effects on Feminism in Japan and the story of Grave / Totoro came up in one of the many interviews I had read. My Neighbor Totoro was created as a light hearted adventure set in Japan during WWII. Miyazaki’s own mother who battled with Potts Disease was the inspiration for the mom in Totoro. She spent a lot of years hospitalized and Miyazaki remembered how much he wanted to spend time with her but could not. Totoro (the creature) was created as way for these girls to forget about the troubles with WWII and their mom and even help them be with her when they were feeling down (hence the end of the film). Isao Takahata was working on Grave at the same time Miyazaki was developing Totoro. When Miyazaki took the film to Toshio Susuki (producer), he felt the film was weak and basically said it would not be released. Isao Takahata finished Grave and also took the movie to the producers. Toshio along with others loved Grave and wanted to push forward. Takahata said he would only allow this movie to be produced if Miyazaki’s Totoro was also given the green light. The producers made a deal to release the two films together feeling Totoro would lighten the blow of Grave and Grave would push Totoro to a higher level of fun. As you can see, they were correct in assuming this as both films did extremely well together and Totoro became the icon it is today with a push from Grave of the Fireflies.
-Paul
Wow, thanks for such an in-depth comment, Paul. This is great!
Grave is a fantastic movie, but I can’t speak too much to it because I started sobbing at about the time the 2nd picture shown happened and didn’t stop for the rest of the movie. I am sure it had great animation, but it was hard to see through my tears. BTW, I am NOT one who usually cries at movies, but I sobbed like a baby through this one.
Thankyou for helping out, wonderful info
Totoro completed and then ruined my life… I thought he was so sweet…I’m a kid and now I have to go through life finding a dark and morbid twist on EVERYTHING now this is so deppresing…
I found a subbed version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44ZpX7lDlDg
I find the theories on Totoro somewhat possible, but I’m going to choose (for now) to label it as a feel good movie. That must have been Miyazaki’s goal anyway, but of course the back story gives much depth to the story which just makes it all the more interesting!
Huhuhu, Grave of the Fireflies is just so sad I had to pause the movie a lot of times so I could regain my composure!
PS
Have you read the theory on Andy’s mom of Toy Story? It is also fantastic!