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Thread: Totoro & The Sayama Incident : Is "My Neighbour Totoro" Really About Child Murder & Suicide?

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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    Totoro & The Sayama Incident : Is "My Neighbour Totoro" Really About Child Murder & Suicide?

    I wasn't sure where to put this, but it didn't seem right not to include it somewhere on MDS. My youngest daughter has collected toys with a weird & morbid twist since she was very small. She's loved Totoro just as long & the older she's grown, the more we've joked about how her innocent little totoro's must feel out of place amongst her Krypt Kiddies, Living Dead Dolls & Vampets. That was until I was searching something for MDS & happened across an article about Totoro's dark secret. We found out her "innocent" little furballs fit perfectly in any dark toy collection, & might even be the darkest toy of all - all the others are mostly based on fantasy (LDD's excepted). There are many explanations out there so I've copied one of the better (if not best) ones

    MDS VISITORS WARNING - DO NOT READ ON IF YOU WILL BE UPSET TO LEARN OF TOTORO'S DARK SECRETS - this movie is extremely popular in many countries & quite a few people have had extreme reactions to the "Death God/Murder Theory". If you don't want the movie to change forever, stop reading now. Whether you believe the theory or not, once you read it, you will not be able watch the movie the same way ever again - that is a promise.

    (I'll post some factual stuff on the Sayama incident after the Totoro posts)


    Totoro Conspiracy Theories -

    From - http://www.tofugu.com/2013/08/15/con...theory-totoro/
    by Mami, a Japanese native living in Canada

    How many of you have ever been scared of Studio Ghibli? How many of you have heard of Totoro?s urban legend and / or Ghibli?s Curse? Regardless of whether or not you know about them (or believe in them), I personally have literally shuddered and trembled because of them. Ready for some ghost stories? C?mere, gather around my camp fire to stay awhile and listen? ?

    One of my favorite Ghibli films, 隣のトトロ (Tonari no Totoro / My Neighbor Totoro), has a deep and dark secret. Before we get into that, though, let?s take a look at its fun, friendly plot! Many of you guys probably know of it already, but let me introduce it to you anyways. The story is about two young girls, Satsuki and her little sister, Mei. They move into a house in the countryside with their father to be closer to their mother, who is sick and hospitalized. Then, they discover magical creatures called Totoros inhabiting the nearby forest. They become friends with the Totoros and have magical adventures.



    Just to be sure, I?d like to explain that Totoro is not a Japanese traditional character but rather a creation of Hayao Miyazaki. They look like a mixture of several animals: 梟 (fukuro / owls), 猫 (neko / cats), and 狸 (tanuki / raccoon dogs). They are so cute and one of my favorite characters in all Ghibli films. These cuddly creatures seem to be called many names varying from ?a giant furry thing? to ?a rabbit like spirit.?

    One day, though, I found out that the name ?Totoro? comes from when Mei mispronounces the word トロール (tororu), the Japanese word for ?troll.? It seems so clear watching the movie now, but as a kid I didn?t realize this because the Totoro is so cute! Of course, I was shocked and thought, ?TROLL???? My image for trolls wasn?t cute at all. Instead, they were large, stupid, hairy, long-nosed, horned, and creepy bug-eyed creatures.

    But, if Totoro is a troll, at least in the eyes of a child, what else could it be? Maybe the child didn?t know better, so she called it a ?troll? when it was something else. But what else? Some people out there think that the Totoros are 死神 (shinigami), aka ?Gods Of Death.? Considering how often Hayao Miyazaki puts hidden meanings into his Ghibli films, I think it is possible. If you keep reading, you?ll see why other people think this, too.


    The Sayama Incident

    It has been said that My Neighbor Totoro is actually based on a famous murder case called ?The Sayama Incident.? This case occurred on May 1, 1963 in Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, when a man kidnapped, raped, and killed a 16-year-old high school girl. Although a suspect was arrested and imprisoned for 31 years, he claimed that he was arrested, wrongfully convicted, and the police failed to catch the real murderer when they had the chance. He also claimed official discrimination against Japan?s 部落民 (burakumin), a social minority in Japanese society. He was paroled and released from prison in 1994, but he still remains guilty and continues to seek a fair trial for the chance to clear his name.

    Let?s get back to the connection between the Sayama incident and My Neighbor Totoro, though. Why do people think that this film is related to the Sayama Incident? Why do they think that Totoro represents the God of Death? Here are a few theories:

    The Month Of May

    The first clue for this conspiracy theory is that both of the sisters? names related to ?May,? the month that the Sayama incident occurred in. The older sister?s name ?Satsuki? means ?May? in Japanese and the younger sister?s name ?Mei? is pronounced just like the English word ?May.? Sayama City

    The model of the house from the film is located in 狭山丘陵 (Sayama Kyuryo), which means ?Sayama Hills,? and the movie?s location was inspired by Tokorozawa-city, which is next to Sayama City where the incident took place. This all explains why it?s called ?My Neighbor,? right? But, the town in the film is in Sayama. Here?s the first clue:



    On the box behind the old lady it says ?Sayama Tea.? Hmm, suspicious, but not damning. Here?s another clue:



    The hospital in the film, 七国病院 (shichikoku byouin) had a real-life counterpart in Sayama, called the 八国病院 (hachikoku byouin). Only one number apart. Coincidence? Probably not. This hospital was supposedly located in the same place as portrayed movie.

    Suicide

    The girl who was killed in Sayama had an older sister who loved her little sister so much that she committed suicide after her death. It?s said that the older sister was seeing big raccoon or cat-like ghosts before she killed herself, due to so much stress. The Totoros could have been inspired by this. It could be interpreted that Satsuki did the same in the film, though we?ll talk about that in just a second.

    Soot Sprites (Susuwatari)



    Early in the film the girls see these things, which apparently in Japanese folklore mean you?re about to die. Not a good sign. They also appear later, when Satsuki tries to join her sister in death (whoops, spoilers, okeep reading).

    Seeing The Totoros

    If you can see the Totoros (aka the God of Death), it means that you?re either dead or almost dead. Kanta, the old lady?s grandson couldn?t see the Totoros even though he was a kid (supposedly kids can see the magic things, though in this case he couldn?t). Yet, the two girls could see them. Remember when Mei goes missing and her slipper is found in the pond? Supposedly Mei actually drowned here. Ruh roh. Actually, though, the slipper is not hers (if you compare slipper pics). So, could this be a representation of something? Or, does it debunk all of these conspiracies? I?m sure you?ll have an opinion on the matter.

    Knocking On Death?s Door

    So, in this theory, Mei is dead. Satsuki goes to look for her, and opens death?s door, going inside. She?s so wrought with grief that she joins her sister in death, which emulates the girl?s suicide in the Sayama Incident. Remember the susuwatari? They come back during this sequence. Death is not far away? she?s running right into it!

    cont'd
    Last edited by blighted star; 09-17-2013 at 05:18 PM.

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    When she?s crossed over to the other side, the Totoro then helps Satsuki to find her sister in dead-land, and then they later go visit their mother. Strangely, nobody notices they were there except for their mother, who is dying. ?I felt Satsuki and Mei just laughed near the tree,? the mother said.


    ****(my edit - to make this clearer - the characters on the destination sign on the cat bus are said to literally translate as "grave road" - I can't confirm because I don' know Japanese)****

    This suggests they came to say goodbye before heading off to heaven in their Cat Bus. Speaking of cat buses? Neko Bus

    Some people think the Neko (Cat) Bus is a 1-way trip to heaven (or maybe hell). While I don?t know about this, one of the stops on the Neko Bus is ?grave road,? so that sounds pretty must like dead people ride it to me.


    ***(Bus sign reads "Grave Road" ^^^)***

    Shadows

    In the ending scene, Mei and Satsuki don?t have shadows. Only dead people don?t have shadows (for some unknown reason).

    There is a lot more of this, but this set of gifs summarizes most of the points. Gifs make everything more understandable, right? Prepare for your childhood to be torn straight from your hearts.







    This conspiracy theory has been around for a long time, actually. It got really heated on the internet, and then finally Ghibli had to make an official statement. In 2007, they did just that, denying that the urban legend was true.

    ?No need to be alarmed. There is absolutely no truth or configuration that Totoros are the Gods of Death or that Mei is dead in My neighbor Totoro.? ?said Studio Ghibli

    Still, when I was reading this everything made sense and it caused me to shudder and tremble when I thought about it. Who thought a children?s movie could have such scary undertones! So, who?s telling the truth? It seems like there?s a lot here that makes sense. But, people will read into just about anything too much from time to time. Were you convinced either way? Or do you think it?s just a silly story that someone made up. I think that Miyazaki likes to put hidden meanings in his films so? who knows.
    & she's right, there's lots, lots more but it's not going to be of interest unless you've seen the movie or think Totoro's are cute so I'll post links for anyone interested in reading all the freaky little clues & links & you can watch Totoro again guaranteed to see an almost unrecognisable story - everything changes because you can't unread this stuff.
    Last edited by blighted star; 09-17-2013 at 06:13 AM.

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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    Senior Member ImBatman!'s Avatar
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    Holy shit this is my kids favorite movie!!!!

    Think this one is dark watch Princess Moninoke or Howls Moving Castle.
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    Senior Member DaddyO's Avatar
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    CONSIPIRACY !!!! Reminds me of all the 'perverted' things that happened with Disney back in the day.

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    Nakata Yoshie 16 yrs - the Sayama Incident


    (trying to find a pic of Nakata she seems to be largely forgotten when this case is discussed - unless it's in relation to Totoro she & her sister are barely mentioned)


    From - http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/yosha..._timeline.html

    The Sayama case (Sayama jiken) involves the murder of Nakata Yoshie in Irumagawa, a neighborhood in the city of Sayama (Saitama-shi) in Saitama prefecture (Saitama-ken). Nakata had graduated from middle school, thus completing her compulsory education, in March 1963. In April she began attending the Irumagawa campus of Kawagoe High School.

    The Irumagawa campus was for part-time students in alternative programs. It had a four-year general program in the evening and a two-year home-economics program in the daytime. The daytime program was regarded as a "finishing school" for girls preparing for marriage. Completing its course of study qualified one as a graduate of a vocational school, not a high school.

    Nakata was one of 17 first-year students in the home-economics program. She had attended classes for only 18 days when she disappeared on 1 May 1963, her 16th birthday.

    1963 May 1 Daughter missing

    Nakata Sakuei, a farmer, began to worry about his fourth daughter, Yoshie, when she hadn't returned home from school by six in the evening, though it was her birthday. Around 6:50 her older brother, Kenji, went out looking for her in a car, driving along the roads she took to school, and around the closet station. Not finding her, he came home and ate dinner.

    Ransom note

    Around 7:40, Kenji happened to notice a white envelope slipped into a niche along the side of a glass door. Both the front and back of the envelope were addressed to his father, Sakuei. Inside was a handwritten note demanding that, if he valued his child's life, he was to bring 200,000 yen to the entrance of Sanoya by midnight the following day. The note was to become the most controversial item of evidence. [Buraku 1971-7:8]

    May 3

    Payoff fails


    Sanoya was a small store which fronted a road along a number of cultivated fields. Behind and around it were many trees and bushes, and at night the whole area was very dark. Sayama police, with the cooperation of Masuda Hideo, who headed the local crime prevention association, arranged 200,000 yen in bills made with newsprint. Tomie, Yoshie's older sister, agreed to parade in front of the store at the appointed hour to draw out the culprit who had written the note.

    About 10 minutes after midnight a man called out from the shadows around a telephone pole some ten to twenty meters down the road. He and Yoshie exchanged words for about ten minutes. Perhaps because he sensed she was not alone, though, he announced he would not take the money -- and vanished through the net of some forty police who had been positioned to apprehend him. [Buraku 1971-7:9]

    May 4

    Body found

    NSFW link - (not very graphic by MDS standards - it's b&w & her face is partially covered, but a warning just to be safe)

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...a_incident.JPG

    About 45 Saitama police and 70 Sayama firemen were mobilized to search the fields and hills of the Irumagawa area. Yoshie's body was found around 10:30 in a fresh grave along a farm road. She'd been buried in a hole about 1.66 meters long by 80 centimeters wide and deep. Her hands and legs had been tied covered her eyes. Her skirt was up, and her drawers were down around her knees. Her legs were straight and extended. A round stone weighing some 4.65 kilograms, the size of human head, was to the right her head, and a thin cotten draw string was around her neck. [Buraku 1971-7:9-10]

    May 4 Task force investigates

    Saitama Prefectural Police quickly assembled a task force of some 165 personnel to investigate a case that immediately attracted nationwide attention. Not only was it sensational, but it represented another recent example of police mishandling of a kidnapping.

    Yoshie's murder came barely one month after the abduction of a 4-year-old boy, Murakoshi Yoshinobu, in Tokyo on 31 March. The culprit had gotten away with a 500,000 yen ransom payment, and public opinion was highly critical of the failure of the police to apprehend him. The boy's body was not found until Obara Tamotsu, who had been a suspect but seemed to have an alibi, was arrested in July 1965. Obara was convicted and sentenced to death in December 1967, and was executed on 23 December 1971. [Buraku 1971-7:10, and other sources]

    Autopsy results

    An autopsy determined that Yoshie had died of aphyxiation by strangulation, and there was evidence of "violent sexual intercourse" while she was alive. Blood-type-B semen was found in her vagina. From the contents of her stomach and intestines, and from her last meal, it was estimated she had been dead for over three hours. [Buraku 1971-7:10]

    Full-on investigation

    Police attempted to trace the origin of every item found in the shallow grave. The victim's possessions, the tenegui used to bind her hands hands, the towel used to cover her eyes, the cotton cord around her neck. Fingerprints on the ransom note and envelope. Footprints in the field. Nothing was not examined. Police canvassed the neighborhoods and firemen combed the hills.

    May 6 Suicide of possible suspect

    Right in the middle of all this commotion, Okutomi Genji, formerly a farmhand for the Nakata family, killed himslef. He was one of a number of suspects because he had type-B blood and his handwriting was similar to that on the note. But police had not yet thoroughly investigated him. There were rumors in the neighborhood that Okutomi, Yoshie, and Yoshie's older sister Tomie (who also later killed herself) had been involved in a triangular relationship. [Buraku 1971-7:10-11]

    Pig farm shovel found

    May 11 17:20

    About 17:20 in the afternoon of 11 May a shovel was found about 124 meters to the west-northwest of the place where Yoshie's body was discovered. The shovel was traced to a pigsty belonging to Ishida Kazuyoshi. At this point the investigation shifted to people having connections with the Ishida Pig Farm. Twenty some suspects surfaced, among them Ishikwawa Kazuo, who was then 24. [Buraku 1971-7:11]

    May 23 Ishikawa arrested

    Ishikawa Kazuo arrested by Saitama Prefectural Police in connection with another case involving theft and violence.

    Ishikawa confesses

    Jun 23

    Ishikawa Kazuo confesses to Yoshie's rape and murder.

    Sep 4 Urawa District Court trial begins

    Urawa District Court holds first hearing in Ishikawa's trial. Ishikawa admits to all charges.

    1964 Mar 11 Ishikawa sentenced to death

    Urawa District Court sentences Ishiwawa to death.

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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ImBatman! View Post
    Holy shit this is my kids favorite movie!!!!

    Think this one is dark watch Princess Moninoke or Howls Moving Castle.
    Lol, yeah, they're all pretty freaky, try "Grave of the Fireflies" for deliberately dark, it originally ran with Totoro in theatres - Totoro was supposed to cheer people up after Fireflies which must be just about the darkest cartoon of it's time. I can't bear to watch it. Kiki's Delivery Service is next on our list. All the Ghibli movies are hard to find down here. I have to get on Ebay Japan to get our movies & plushies!

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    Senior Member ImBatman!'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blighted star View Post
    Lol, yeah, they're all pretty freaky, try "Grave of the Fireflies" for deliberately dark, it originally ran with Totoro in theatres - Totoro was supposed to cheer people up after Fireflies which must be just about the darkest cartoon of it's time. I can't bear to watch it. Kiki's Delivery Service is next on our list. All the Ghibli movies are hard to find down here. I have to get on Ebay Japan to get our movies & plushies!

    Love them all!!!
    There is a Studio Ghibli Museum in Japan...that is where my kid wants to go for her 16th bday.
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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    Kazuo Ishikawa's half-century struggle against a wrongful murder conviction and Japan's backward legal system


    In 1963, Kazuo Ishikawa was convicted of the murder of a high school girl in Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture. A member of the Buraku, Japan?s historical untouchable caste, Ishikawa grew up poor and uneducated, and the police built the case against him by taking advantage of his naivety, by capitalizing on social prejudices, and by manipulating an already unfair legal system to their advantage. Now 74, he is still fighting to clear his name and to make sure others have access to a fair trial.

    The Case On May 1, 1963, a female high school student disappeared on her way home from school. That evening, a ransom note was delivered to her home, but soon after a botched attempt to deliver the money allowed a possible culprit to escape, her body turned up in a nearby field, the girl having been raped and murdered. After a team of 40 police investigators failed to make an arrest, public pressure was mounting.

    The police decided to investigate a local Buraku area on the off-chance the criminal was there. The burakumin as they are sometimes called in Japanese are not an ethnic minority, but a social one. In the feudal era, people who were cast out from society or engaged in professions considered unclean, like undertakers or tanners, lived in separate villages or ghettos. Even in modern times, they are negatively stereotyped as especially criminal and lazy.

    The police picked up Ishikawa on an unrelated charge, as well as a few other youths from the Buraku district. Ishikawa was released on bail, but then they decided to go after him for the murder and took him into custody again.



    The Substitute Prison System and Forced Confessions

    Ishikawa was held in police detention for a total of 47 days, with access to his lawyer limited to five minutes at a time and subjected to 16-17 hour interrogation sessions.

    This treatment is actually permissible under Japanese law. Detainees can be held under the direct police management for up to 23 days before formal charges are laid. After a warrant is issued, the police can hold a person for 72 hours without laying charges. If they deem that is not sufficient, they can apply for two 10-day extensions. However, if the person faces multiple charges, the charges can be dealt with separately and the process repeated over and over.

    Keeping a suspect in direct custody makes things much easier on the police. In comparison with the rules governing a state detention center run by the Ministry of Justice, in police detention lawyers cannot be present in an interrogation, nor can it be videotaped or tape-recorded. There is no legal limit on the length of the interrogation sessions, nor is there a law stipulating that matters raised during interrogation have to be related to the charges. The ?confessions? are not actually written or dictated by the detainee but composed by the police and simply signed by the detainee.

    During this time, the suspect is not legally guaranteed access to a lawyer, except in cases involving the death penalty?a provision that wouldn?t have helped Ishikawa anyway, as it was enacted in 2006.

    While he was in custody, the police intimidated Ishikawa, threatening to arrest and prosecute his brother, the sole breadwinner in the family at that time, if he did not confess to the crime. They also misleadingly assured him that if he did confess, he could plea out to 10 years instead of getting the death penalty. Eventually, broken down by the long interrogations sessions and thinking he was protecting his family, Ishikawa agreed to confess.

    ?Things didn?t turn out the way the police had told me,? Ishikawa says. ?I was sentenced to death, and my brother lost his job anyway, because people refused to employ someone related to a confessed murderer. My younger sister was harassed out of school. Those years in prison were really tough for me.?


    Much more at link -

    http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/06/1...er-conviction/

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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    Also for any enviromentalist Totoro fans, check out the "Save Totoro Forest Project"



    http://totoroforestproject.org/


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    Senior Member ImBatman!'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blighted star View Post
    Also for any enviromentalist Totoro fans, check out the "Save Totoro Forest Project"



    http://totoroforestproject.org/


    Princess Moninoke is a total environmentalist film....scary too
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    I loved Kiki's delivery service! But I've never seen the others. Off to google!

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    Senior Member ImBatman!'s Avatar
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    Marl for mT.
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    Senior Member animosity's Avatar
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    goddamned grave of the fireflies. i put that on once in the video store i worked at and was drenched from tears in no time. worst work decision ever.

    i don't know about the whole sisters thing in totoro, but i can believe that maybe the creatures are death omens and that everyone dies. the whole 'mei' may thing seems a stretch as does any connection to the sisters.

    don't the dad and the old lady see the dust bunnies too?
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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    I think the grandmother knows about them, or she says she saw them as a little girl? I don't think the Dad does, I think he goes through the house proving there's nothing there. I'll get the girls to put it on after dinner & check.

    I don't care whether it's true or not, it just makes it more interesting knowing some people think it is.

    The "grave road" sign on the catbus has me wondering a little though, "hospital road" or just about anything else would've worked just as well for the scene, so it seems an odd choice for a happy, whimsical kiddie movie - unless the characters have an alternate meaning like some English words.

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    Senior Member animosity's Avatar
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    grave have different definitions in english...

    1. Requiring serious thought; momentous: a grave decision in a time of crisis.
    2. Fraught with danger or harm: a grave wound.
    3. Dignified and somber in conduct or character: a grave procession. See Synonyms at serious.
    4. Somber or dark in hue.

    i don't know if that's the case with the characters.
    Quote Originally Posted by songbirdsong View Post
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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by animosity View Post
    grave have different definitions in english...

    1. Requiring serious thought; momentous: a grave decision in a time of crisis.
    2. Fraught with danger or harm: a grave wound.
    3. Dignified and somber in conduct or character: a grave procession. See Synonyms at serious.
    4. Somber or dark in hue.

    i don't know if that's the case with the characters.


    Oh derrrr, of course!! That's such a good point! "Serious/Sombre Road" would make perfect sense & would be far more likely with this writer. I might ask on a Ghibli fanpage & see if it has the same meanings. It'll be so obvious to anyone who speaks Japanese that they may not think to explain the alternative explanations (especially if it ruins the whole "death god" theory".

    The fan reaction amuses me. It's either "Noooo, are you happy now? Are you? YOU RUINED MY LIFE!!!" or "Cool!!" Some of the site-owners who published the theories in detail were inundated with hate mail - hence the "Before You Read On" warnings.

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    Senior Member animosity's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blighted star View Post
    Oh derrrr, of course!! That's such a good point! "Serious/Sombre Road" would make perfect sense & would be far more likely with this writer. I might ask on a Ghibli fanpage & see if it has the same meanings. It'll be so obvious to anyone who speaks Japanese that they may not think to explain the alternative explanations (especially if it ruins the whole "death god" theory".

    The fan reaction amuses me. It's either "Noooo, are you happy now? Are you? YOU RUINED MY LIFE!!!" or "Cool!!" Some of the site-owners who published the theories in detail were inundated with hate mail - hence the "Before You Read On" warnings.
    i'm on the cool side, i guess. i may not buy into all the conspiracy theories, but i like listening to them!
    Quote Originally Posted by songbirdsong View Post
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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    My daughter was definitely on the cool side. She's still in the "toys have feelings" stage so she worried her other toys might scare the totoro's. Not any more.

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    Senior Member zeebee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blighted star View Post
    Lol, yeah, they're all pretty freaky, try "Grave of the Fireflies" for deliberately dark, it originally ran with Totoro in theatres - Totoro was supposed to cheer people up after Fireflies which must be just about the darkest cartoon of it's time. I can't bear to watch it. Kiki's Delivery Service is next on our list. All the Ghibli movies are hard to find down here. I have to get on Ebay Japan to get our movies & plushies!
    I was going to say that Grave of the Fireflies is much darker, but I see you guys got there already!

    I love Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki films. I always assumed the Totoros were a form of wood spirits, like Kodama. People read all kinds of things into works of art that aren't there. I once read The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan where she describes an incident where a student sent her his/her research paper on one of her books in which he/she took the book apart and analyzed it. Amy Tan said it was a really interesting paper and made all these insightful points and correlations. But - none of them were true, or at least not intentional on Amy Tan's part.
    "...Jeffrey Dahmer... actually confessed and accepted his punishment. Had real remorse for the sick things he did. It's pretty bad when Jeffrey Dahmer is a better person than you are." ~Justice11 (re: Jodi Arias)

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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by zeebee View Post
    I was going to say that Grave of the Fireflies is much darker, but I see you guys got there already!

    I love Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki films. I always assumed the Totoros were a form of wood spirits, like Kodama. People read all kinds of things into works of art that aren't there. I once read The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan where she describes an incident where a student sent her his/her research paper on one of her books in which he/she took the book apart and analyzed it. Amy Tan said it was a really interesting paper and made all these insightful points and correlations. But - none of them were true, or at least not intentional on Amy Tan's part.

    So true. I used to drive my English teachers mad telling them their interpretations were based on what they thought the book meant based on their life experience & not necessarily what the author really meant - especially in the case of 19th century novels.

    I was always in trouble for class derailment in English, but the debates were fun.

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    Senior Member zeebee's Avatar
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    I lucked out with my English teacher in High School. Nothing was ever "wrong" if we gave a thoughtful answer.

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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by zeebee View Post
    I lucked out with my English teacher in High School. Nothing was ever "wrong" if we gave a thoughtful answer.
    Lucky you. Mine collapsed on the floor gasping & clutching his chest at one of my answers. He called it dramatic. I called it embarassing.


    (for him)

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    Okay, this conversation is a little old but...

    I thought you might all be interested in reading an in depth analysis of the real genesis of Totoro. http://opus.fm/elsewhere/my-neighbor...o-was-murdered

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