Ghibli Park will host screenings of the short film sequel to My Neighbor Totoro this November.
According to details on the official Ghibli Park website, Mei and the Little Kitten, along with nine other short works from the Ghibli Museum’s exclusive film collection, will be shown at the park. entertainment through 2023. Scheduled this November, Mei and the Catbus Kitten revolves around Mei’s friendship with “Konekobus,” the child of the older Catbus spirit she met in My Neighbor Totoro. To pay tribute to her predecessor, the short film introduces Mei’s exciting first trip with her new companion. Since this 14-minute film was never shown outside of Japan, it was never subtitled or dubbed into any other language. Screenings at Ghibli Park will feature the original Japanese song, along with additional screenings with subtitles for hearing-impaired viewers.
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, My Neighbor Totoro is one of Studio Ghibli’s most beloved family films, with Totoro himself an internationally recognized animation icon. The film revolves around two young sisters named Satsuki and Mei, who begin a new life in rural Japan after their mother falls ill. Soon after moving in, they encounter elusive soot creatures living in the attic of their new home. Afterwards, Satsuki and Mei share strange encounters with other spirits, including the titular Totoro and his four-legged companion, Catbus. The film was first released in North America in July 1990.
Ghibli Park celebrates its furry mascot with a variety of exhibits. When it opens in November 2022, one of the first areas to be made available to the public is “Dondoko Forest”. This area recreates Satsuki and Mei’s house, a Japanese-Western style house located in the middle of a spacious forest. Visitors to the “Grand Warehouse” area of the Park can also see a redesigned patchwork Catbus model, featuring an alternate color scheme and large button eyes (while retaining the cat’s signature grin ).
In addition to Mei and Baby Catbus, two other highlights in the collection of films coming to the Ghibli Park theme park are Leaven and the Egg Princess and The Day We Caught Stars. Scheduled to air throughout October, the prequel follows the adventures of the “Egg Princess,” who is taken by an evil witch named Baba Yaga as a servant. One night, Princess Egg befriended “Mr. Dough”, an enchanted batch of yeast created to carry out the witch’s orders. Together, the two plan to escape from their evil captor. The Day We Caught Stars is about a boy who enters a mysterious shop and buys a small sprout; the tree then grew into a miniature planet right before his eyes. This film will be shown at the museum throughout December.
Studio Ghibli’s movie library, including My Neighbor Totoro, is now available to stream on Max.
Source: Ghibli Park official website
