Studio Ghibli Facts

Studio Ghibli Facts - Fact Forty Seven

Fact Forty Seven:

There is a long-standing urban legend in Japan that the cute and fluffy giant Totoro is actually a shinigami or “death god”, only visible to children who are close to death or have already died. Many suggest that during the movie when her sandal is found in the lake, Mei has actually drowned and that Satsuki knowingly denies that it belongs to her sister, instead going off in search of Totoro and accidentally stepping into the land of the dead herself. Finally, the only reason Satsuki and Mei’s presence was noticed by their mother at the end of the story, the po-faced pundits maintain, is because she too is close to death and will not recover from her illness. Studio Ghibli has repeatedly denied these claims and last year asked once and for all for everyone to lighten up and just enjoy the film for what it is, but still the rumours persist.

(This just makes the fim really sad, okay?)