There has been much conjecture
regarding the hidden truth of Hayao Miyazaki's 1988 anime, My Neighbor Totoro. A cursory search on google lists endless websites
and forums spouting the same cut-and-paste controversies, all of
which stem from the notion that four year old Mei Kusakabe is dead.
Spoiler alert – she's not.
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| Mei's sandals. |
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| Not Mei's sandal. |
But if you are interested in reading
about all the strange, coincidental links between a lovely G rated
film and a 55 year old true story involving the rape and murder of a
teenage girl and the subsequent suicide of her sister, then read this. And more recently, this.
It's human nature to search for deeper
meaning in children's classics, and it's entirely justified to assume
that all art exists on multiple levels - regardless of the artist's
original intent. For instance, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial and
Gremlins; one is clearly about the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ, while the other is an allegory for sexual repression. You
decide which is which.
Still feel an overwhelming desire to
ascribe an adult reality to a beautifully nostalgic children's story
with environmentalist overtones? Then consider this: The fantastical
elements of My Neighbor Totoro can be chalked up to everyday,
run-of-the-mill mental illness.