DVD Corner

The Art Of My Neighbor Totoro Book Review

“The Art of My Neighbor Totoro” is a must own book for Hayao Miyazaki fans.

When it comes to the world of animated films, there is no question that director Hayao Miyazaki ranks as one of the all-time legends in the field. For decades now, he has worked on some of the most beloved, creative, and beautifully animated works. While award winning films like “Spirited Away” and “Princess Mononoke” may have been bigger Miyazaki hits, there is one film that has continued to find an audience even after all these years. That movie? “My Neighbor Totoro.” If you’ve never seen the film, you should correct this oversight now (it’s available on Blu-ray from Disney). If you have seen the film and treasure it like so many, you might want to check out Viz Media’s recent book titled “The Art of My Neighbor Totoro.”

To say this 176 page hardcover coffee table book is stuffed with all sorts of goodies is an understatement. Not only does the book contain background art, detailed maps, character designs, hand drawn concept art, character sketches, Miyazaki notes (and an introduction), and cel art, but you also essentially get the entire film told to you through storyboards and color film stills. Having seen the film several times, it was fascinating to just watch the film unfold from a visual stand point with each page. It really makes you admire the amount of work and imagination that went into every frame and it’s also very intriguing to see the development of the film.

As if that weren’t enough, readers also get two chapters of material. One whole chapter is devoted to such subjects as animation techniques, special effects, and superimpositions. Via commentary by director’s assistant Tetsuya Endo, you get to learn about such topics as the creation of the infamous Soot Sprites.

In the second chapter, which the book ends, there is an in-depth totoro production report (complete with staff and studio photographs) written by film critic Masaaki Nomura. In this chapter, Nomura interviews Hayao Miyazaki, producer Toru Hara, color design artist Michiyo Yasuda their jobs, art director Kazuo Oga, supervising animator Yoshiharu Sato, production assistant Hirokazu Kihara, color design assistant Nobuko Mizuta, music director Joe Hisaishi, and members of the original voice acting cast. Discussions range from “Grave of the Fireflies,” the running time of ‘Totoro,’ careers, crew members experiences in working with Miyazaki, various Studio Ghibli productions, and various aspects of the production.

Overall Thoughts: Between the unique layout and the behind-the-scenes information about the production, “The Art of My Neighbor Totoro” is absolutely worth devoting time to (especially if you are a Miyazaki fan).

Note: Additional Viz Media “The Art of…” books are available for other Miyazaki films such as “Ponyo,” “Spirited Away,” “Porco Rosso,” “Howl’s Moving Castle,” and “Kiki’s Delivery Service.” “The Art of the Wind Rises” and “The Art of Princess Mononoke” are scheduled for release in 2014.

December 4, 2013 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Book review | Hayao Miyazaki, The Art of Miyazaki, The Art Of My Neighbor Totoro Book Review, Totoro, Viz Media