The REAL MAGIC of Childhood Imagination (My Neighbor Totoro)
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- Опубликовано: 8 июн 2024
- #anime #writing #psychology
Three analyses of Miyazaki's darkest happiest movie
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And Jonah's website!
www.mishaanpsychotherapy.com/
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Edited by Tori R @pinkerhero
0:00 - Schnee's flawed theory
13:21 - Jonah's theory
26:16 - Jonah's critique of the dad
32:43 - Jessie's theory
51:49 - fantasy & the apple story
54:42 - reconciling both theories 
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Hope to see everyone at the SCHNEE MEETUP at Sakura Con 2024! Friday March 29th in Seattle, WA!! (You don't need a badge to come to the meetup, but also it is a great convention! sakuracon.org/ )
EDIT: Forgot to talk about the catbus. Jessie's basic idea was that the movie is filled specifically with situations that present as potentially bad, but aren't clear one way or the other. Mom is sick, but she's getting better. Dad's not on this bus, but there's another one coming later. Obviously Totoro and the soot sprites. This emphasizes that its a true moment of decision for how the children want to view their situation. It's not bad enough that they SHOULD be optimistic, or SHOULD be pessimistic. And the catbus epitomizes that as well: its specifically designed to be a little bit spooky, with its big eyes and teeth, so we have a moment to decide if we trust it. And it's again only because of the dad's open mindset training that the kids see it as friendly. (The "path to the graveyard" vs "mei" dichotomy is also exactly in that "could be good/could be bad" midpoint.)
It's interesting because I get that magical sense from a lot of Miyazaki's films, like it's ingrained within. I think the power of creativity is something that really speaks to children and why, even in his tonally darker works, children can still be pulled in. I remember watching Mononoke Hime as my first Ghibli film as a child. I remember how harsh it was and I remember loving everyone. I think now I understand the metaphor I felt as a child. Perhaps not the in-detail character depth of each character, but overall what was true for me. That there are all these different people with objectives and feelings, their conflicts and the fighting. But that the world is beautiful and all people love. That these concepts can be at odds, but an open mind can help you bridge that gap.
The thing the catbus made me feel is that there's so much more to the world, like you'd imagine as a child, and in the same way, you don't get to explore it all yet.
But it's there, waiting.
I just wanted to say, I've been watching your video analyses periodically for at least a year now and I enjoy them a lot :) I would love to join the meet-up but I'm not based in the US, however I hope you have lots of fun! Looking forward to future videos (especially with Arcane szn 2 fast approaching!) 💫
I don't like your breakdown of this movie and here is why.
1. First, you did it with a western worldview.
2. Second, spirits in Japan are NOT monsters.
3. Third, spirits in Japan are nor good, nor bad. It depends entire how you treat them and that's why YOU CAN BE LUCKY to see them again. Because they are FRIENDLY neighbors, not enemies to be afraid of.
Kind regards, Miro.
He had the moment to use the meme from Megamind. "There's no Queen of England".
Was *literally* about to comment this, lol! "And there is no queen of England!"
Thank you! Thought I was the only one who immediately flashbacked to this legendary punchline 🤣
Nah, that was definitely on purpose
One thing I failed to notice until watching Totoro with children is simply how scary it is. Not just for them but intentionally: horror genre directorial choices with the Soot Sprites and so on.
It was such a wonderful experience learning to not be afraid of those monsters & instead seeing the magic in it all. Those lessons got me through some very rough times
I love the nondescript copyright friendly Totoro stand-ins. They’re so cute!
this corporate culture of copystriking shit really irks me to hell.
Two things I love about the movie:
1st: These people are so honestly loving to each other. That's something I missed in my childhood and didn't really experience, neither myself nor from seeing other people be like that. My environment was more build around what everybody's duty was and with much rationality.
2nd: We see many movies today that are either like "we save the world" (you could call it modern) and movies like "look how unfair and bad this is" (you could call them postmodern). But this movie isn't like any of that, it's pretty normal people struggling with their pretty normal but very real problems.
Hayao Miyazaki has always scored at that, he knows how to write relatable stories that are loosely based on his and his teams' lives. You'll find a lot of his movies are labelled autobiographical.
Man I desperately wish you were my professor (or at least A professor) because the way you educate and inspire critical thinking is *magical*, and deserves so much greater of a platform than you already have
I second this
I saw it as, “This is what these kids need right now! They need to help their mom feel better! They need a friend when it’s dark!” In the real world, kids wouldn’t have gotten those things. But in a world where kindness and creativity are rewarded, they do get those things! It’s inspiring and makes you feel hopeful.
50:50 "I would say it always came back to, 'But it needs to exist'" - Christian Linke
I think that it's an issue of neighbors. We can be neighbors with the natural and spiritual world.
Totoro is a stranger. We are afraid of strangers and see them as monsters, but if we don't treat them as monsters, but neighbors the world will be magical in that it opens us to new experiences and new ways to understand the world.
If everyone acted neighborly imagine the world we would have. Pure magic.
Your analyses are so remarkably refreshing in a sea of well-intentioned but ultimately shallow storytelling education.
Nearly everybody ends up parroting the same few storytelling fundamentals ("you need X acts!" "characters need to want things!" etc.). These are all very well and good, but that's because these ideas, even the most ancient ones, came from people who didn't get to learn them from others. They had to discover, and that came from studying life and the art of others. Not just accepting, "oh, here are The Way Things Work, go get'em, tiger!"
Humanity has those foundations. Humanity has learnt those foundations. Humanity has applied those foundations (with varying consistency). There are thousands of years of stories that we have to build upon, now.
We need people to actually take the time to learn what's going on. To learn the deeper reasons the stories we love work, without stopping at "THERE'S AN ACT STRUCTURE, LOOK, DID YOU SEE THAT!?"
There's so much more we haven't learned yet since so many people have been focused on sharing the discoveries of yesteryear. Your channel is one of the few on this platform that actually takes the time and effort to innovate, at least outside of newer media like interactive experiences, and to share the lessons in applicable ways. Thank you, schnee, for SEARCHING.
(Sorry for the pretentious wording, I just couldn't think of a better way to express my gratitude. And none of it is to diminish the importance of the folks who teach those age-old lessons, it's just wonderful to see somebody trying so skillfully to find new ones.)
NOOOO this is my fav Miyazaki movie 😢 the title makes me worried
the first 10min will be worrisome... then the last 50 will (hopefully) make you love it even more than before :)
@@schnee1The analysis was really beautiful and made me appreciate the film more :)
Really loved the blending of insights from several different perspectives. Each one added nuance and depth to the analysis and gave me a new appreciation for this movie! 😊
Given that a good chunk of the movie is devoted to giving its audience a near heart attack over whether a little girl is alive or not, I'm not surprised someone would think to make a video looking at its darker elements 😅
Thank you for always trying to dig further into this analysis and even reaching out to others when you find your own interpretation limited! Definitely makes me wnat to go watch Totoro again, I've probably watched it more than 50 times when i was smol
I never knew there was so much corn stock footage in the world
and now you've seen 100% of the corn stock footage in the world, i think i used it all 😅
The cynical first ten minutes really made me feel a lot. I went through a lot of trauma as a kid and my imagination was the only thing I really had, so those initial minutes had some part of my brain on the defensive. Jonah's and Jessie's takes I really liked but they also made me realize that some of the things I imagined as a kid may have actually been protecting me from a reality I wasn't yet ready to deal with, only for a tween to teen me to meet that younger me with resentment rather than compassion, which then caused even more problems. This analysis made me think a lot about my life and how imagination is definitely something that may have saved my life and helped me process things on deeper levels
It's very fascinating that somehow you managed to get three answers that can all be satisfying. Even if someone disagrees with theory #3, Theory #3 is just as valid as theory #1 and #2, everyone gets cake! It also astonished me that you got these other theories from people who have what you lacked i.e. knowledge of children psychology and actual children (Mother of five, holy cow!). You made sure to cover your bases and it's really great to listen all of this.
Hey schnee, do you have any plans to do a video on that brilliant "We lost ourselves. Lost our dream. In the pursuit of great, we failed to do good." quote line from Arcane? I'd LOVE to watch an entire video dedicated to this. In relates so much to both the Arcane plot, Viktors story arc and a lot of stuff in real life.
I remember the day my Mom fainted and went to the hospital. I was a teenager but I remember the fear and helplessness of waiting all night for my Mom to call home. But I was a little older than the kids in Totoro, so I didnt cry, I was worried, but I just sat down and played some video games silently while I waited. And then...nothing happened. My mom came home the next day and she was fine, the doctors gave her some medicine, and she's been better dealing with her blood pressure and iron levels ever since. apparently my Mom had been dealing with blood problems since she was younger so this wasn't actually that unusual. later in life my girlfriend struggles with fainting due to a medical condition, and Im the only person around her sometimes, but I feel comfortable acting and just doing my best in that scary situation. That to me is what Totoro is about. Because what did Totoro and the cat bus actually DO? Took them to see their Mom was okay. He didnt fix her condition with magic, he was just showing the kids that this time their fears turned out okay. That they didnt need to take corn to her, though Mei can still do that if she wants to. As someone who struggles with anxiety and studies health and psychology, what I got from Totoro you don't need to fear growing up. I think about how Mei would insist "Im not afraid" and Satsuki yelled at Mei to grow up. Satsuki understood her Mom was sick and needed to be away, but she feared her Mom would die which is pretty extreme. Mei was so unafraid that she left on her own as a 4 year old, because she didnt have the perspective on her own risk. Their fear caused them to make childish decisions. And I wonder if, years down the line with their Mom healthy, if the girls will even remember it. My older brother apparently went off on his own a lot as a toddler and had the whole neighborhood look for him, and he barely remembers. Children, and anxious people have an intolerance to fear and feel they must always do something to resolve it. And yeah sometimes bad, scary things happen, and we expect that in stories. But at least as often our fears weren't right. A surprising amount of problems resolve themselves and come and go unannounced. Maybe the fear is justified, but nothing came of it. And what is Totoro? He's those childhood fears being proven nothing to worry about-- a friendly monster.
Thanks for sharing those memories! I really love that interpretation that he's childhood fears that nothing comes of, and its about that stage of childhood where you start to grow out of being afraid all the time. Beautiful idea
@@schnee1 Thanks! I'm a big fan of the channel and I was so excited to see you talk about ghibli. The spirited away video got me to watch more of them with a different lens and I loved my neighbor totoro because of it
this is a perfect example of open-mindedness and changing one's opinions for the better with help from others' perspectives - well done with this it's awesome!!
00:07 🎭 The image of May struggling with her mother's illness conveys profound emotions and the limitations children face in coping with tough situations.
01:58 🧸 Miyazaki's "My Neighbor Totoro" explores darker themes beneath its joyful surface, emphasizing the children's emotional struggles and nuance in storytelling.
03:10 🌟 The magic in "My Neighbor Totoro" isn't random; it mirrors the children's emotional needs and provides a sense of agency and comfort.
06:29 💔 Unlike other Miyazaki films, magic in "My Neighbor Totoro" doesn't lead to conflict but offers immediate relief, which challenges traditional interpretations of magic in his works.
08:36 🧙♂ The film's portrayal of magic reflects a longing for a simpler, magical world, contrasting the harsh realities of growing up and facing life's challenges without magical intervention.
10:52 ❌ Initial analysis of the film's themes proved flawed, overlooking nuances and depth in Miyazaki's storytelling, particularly regarding childhood and magic.
13:41 🧠 Consultation with a child psychologist provided a deeper understanding of the film's themes, emphasizing the role of Totoro as a protector figure and the complexities of parental relationships.
16:34 🧓 Totoro and Granny represent non-threatening parental figures, providing emotional support to the children without replacing their mother, thus easing their internal conflicts.
17:30 🔍 Children's development involves transitioning from a state of undifferentiated unity with the mother to recognizing a separate self and external world.
19:12 🧠 Returning to a state of fusion with the mother symbolizes a desire for oneness, while maintaining independence signifies fear of losing individuality.
21:32 🌟 Childhood magic in "My Neighbor Totoro" isn't shielding from pain but aiding growth and empowerment through facing challenges.
22:01 ⚠ May's vulnerable stage of development encountering the outside world while still helpless can lead to a traumatic perception of the world as painful and scary.
23:24 🤔 Ambiguity in the movie's magic promptsquestions about reality versus imagination, reflecting on children's fantastical perceptions.
25:18 🌈 Children's imagination serves as a protective mechanism, allowing them to navigate and cope with the harsh realities of the world.
29:13 🤝 Validating children's feelings and helping them understand emotions is crucial for their emotional development and resilience.
32:37 🏡 Providing a positive frame for children's experiences, even in the face of darkness, can foster resilience and optimism, as seen in the father's role in the movie.
37:24 🌟 Totoro, though initially terrifying, represents a protective and caring force, challenging the notion that scary things are inherently negative.
38:15 🌧 The presence of Totoro during a moment of despair at the bus stop symbolizes that even in the darkest times, there can be unexpected sources of comfort and support.
39:26 💡 Resources, whether emotional or external, become available when approached with openness, positivity, and a willingness to confront challenges.
43:26 🌽 May's idea of using corn to heal her mother highlights the importance of validating children's imaginative ideas and encouraging persistence in pursuit of their beliefs.
46:36 🎈 Children's seemingly "crazy" ideas should be gently explored and encouraged as they often stem from their limited understanding and creativity.
49:35 🌱 May's independent initiative to help her mother marks a significant developmental milestone, demonstrating the power of imagination and creative problem-solving in children.
51:40 🚀 May's journey represents the transition from imaginative play to real-life initiative, emphasizing the importance of nurturing children's creativity and belief in their own vision.
52:08 🍎 Fantasy stories, like the anecdote of the small apple, can serve as metaphors that help children cope with challenges and develop resilience, even if they don't fully grasp the underlying message.
54:15 🌟 The movie emphasizes childhood resilience, teaching children that they have agency and the ability to cope with scary or difficult situations.
54:56 💡 Miyazaki's film explores childhood coping mechanisms, highlighting the importance of confronting fears with warmth, love, and imagination.
56:37 🎭 Conflicting analyses of "My Neighbor Totoro" complement each other, showcasing the depth of Miyazaki's understanding of childhood and storytelling.
57:03 🌱 The climax, while a crisis, is also a moment of triumph, demonstrating how pain and discomfort can be catalysts for growth and development.
57:30 💬 Viewers are invited to share their interpretations of "My Neighbor Totoro," highlighting the rich exploration of themes in the film.
Jeez, you weren't freaking kidding about Jessie being wise! Very interesting perspectives from both Jonah and Jessie. I'm bookmarking this video for if and when I have kids.
Jessie's comments about the use of metaphor really hit the nail on the head when it comes to Miyazaki's storytelling. Miyazaki's stories convey a feeling more often than they even convey a clear plot; you know you have learned or experienced something profound. I can't wait to hear your breakdown of The Boy and the Heron, because that movie seems to be Miyazaki's storytelling at its most masterful when it comes to metaphor/subconscious feeling and the experience of being a child. The scene on the stairs hit me somewhere deep, like that scene you describe with Mei--for the same reason.
I really respect your drive to always get more answers. When I first watched the movie, the way the dad treated the falling-apart beams like a game struck me immediately, because it was so different to how I would handle that, but also it was so fun and beautiful. I loved hearing the combined wisdom of Jessie and Jonah. Great video!!
There may also be a religious component to the dad’s (and presumably the mom’s) attitude towards the kids’ wild tales of strange beings. Miyazaki has never been shy about showing his affinity for Shinto, which I’m guessing would have a very different take on a kid’s imaginary friends or weird stories about little black puffballs with eyes living in the walls. I don’t know anyone who is seriously Shinto personally, but it seems like people who thank a tree for being there might have a different way of thinking about odd or uncanny things kids talk about.
If you're going to analyze the whole movie's plot as an analogy to real world childhood trauma, when the presence of the magical characters is subtracted from the analogy you can only get half of the plot.
A common problem with art essays is when the author can't decide for the subject: if it is the scientific ground of the analogy or the artpiece in it's own terms.
I think it would be good for everybody to dive a little deeper into the inherent differences between each type of discourse: poetical, rethorical, dialectical and logical.
"Never forget your fairy tales" - C.S. Lewis
This movie is such a comfort for me. I watched it for the first time when I was older but it still touched me so much. Being an older sister with the same age gap the relationship between the two girls is so real. The way they lean on each other for comfort is so accurate. Even though Satsuki is trying to be the protector she still needs May and that is felt through the movie.
Also the scene where May goes to school with Satsuki is hilarious to me because that happened to me beat for beat. Shortly after we moved, my sister and I went to the same school but obviously we were in separate classes. We were both homeschooled previously and were barely apart. My 4 year old sister would have break downs and the only way to fix it was to have her sit with me for a bit at lunch or whenever. When I saw that in the movie my jaw DROPPED. Miyazaki gets it 😭
YES cant wait to watch this!!
just wanted to comment now before I get flooded out, schnee I think you would absolutely love Andor the show! Just a recommendation either way keep it up I love your work
Totoro was MY childhood movie growing up - had the dvd as a really young kid and it's one of my earliest memories, watching it over and over and endlessly loving it.
And by far the most magical moment of this movie - and still is one of the most magical moments on media, period - is when "the path of the wind" kicks in as totoro and the kids grow the gigiantic tree.
Always mesmerized me as a kid, filling with me and endless sense of wonder and adventure.
Still does, but it aged even better over time with a touch of nostalgia as well.
It was(is) magic.
14:24 my mind immediately jumped to Boo Radley. A protector, but not a parent, a kind of companion who can be molded to fit the child's fantasies and gives them the attention or stimulation they are lacking because of a missing/absent parent, but without the baggage and control that a parent would also bring.
Oh heyy, noice! I love that you've delved into the Studio Ghibli side of things ☺️ my fave production studio. Also, I not only can't wait for November because of Arcane Season 2 release but also, I'm insanely buzzing and excited for your eventual analysis videos breaking every little bit down 😂
What a great work! It was a pleasure to discover this topic with you. I like different views represented in this video. They gave me a lot to think about
At the very beginning of the video when you described the image, I was listening through my headphones while doing housework. Just your description of the image made me tear up uncontrollably
My take on 'My neighbor Totoro' before watching your analysis:
Every time the magic was introduces, before I experience a build up that seemed to lead to a cliff. Even the joy of the girls when the arrive at the new place seemed taken too far. Mei got that lump of wood falling over her head. They role in a grass field with a gigantic forest behind (where you will normally want to have maybe naigbours to play with instead of the big shadow of a gigantic old tree). The girls seemed to go so hard in turning everything into a positive event that I stood on edge for the bubble to burst and horror start pouring.
And their bubble did burst. The spider-like stuff crauling in the kitchen, Mei getting lost in the forest and finding this giant troll, the desperation in the buss stop. Everytime the story presented the magic as something that supports the characters, the moment before felt like losing my mind, breaking my heart, puncturing my soul - the edge of a deep cliff and no turning back.
The moments of magic were like bridge over the cliff that reality forced on them. And this bridges becomes bigger and bigger. Bigger and wierder creatures show up creating more awe and engaging more with the girls. It's like their internal world expands with what they need. And they seemed to need this reality only they could see in order to merge it with the actual reality and protect themselves from falling in the cliff.
I think that my take is going in the direction you also touched, of the girls developing coping mechanisms to survive the reality as well developing of their identity by expanding their inner world with unique perceptions.
Totoro is not something outside themselves. Totoro is the girls exploring and developing their magic powers. The magic power that makes sense of reality in a way that their need. They needed bridges over their situations and they powerd up through all the movie until those bridges provided more than survival, they provided means to move forward, move toward the real world and into it with curage.
I love your analysis. Thank you!
Im so happy that you are turning to Miyazaki and Ghibli films. There's so much richness to unpack!
I LOVE your decision to go to others for their opinions! It created such a human experience of reacting and interpreting same things differently, through unique life experiences 🖤
Yaaay, more Ghibly analysis! Loved the commentary from the guests ❤
Both Js featured were so well spoken! Love how both analyses complete each other
Loved every second of this triple analysis. Your channel has been such an inspiration to my creativity; and as an aspiring writer, that is something I consider an ultimate kindness. Thank you and keep up the excellent work my friend.
I always love how you do your analyses because you approach these topics with academic humility and openness. It comes through in the care that you put into exploring themes and metaphors and in the spotlight that you give your peers and senpais. In this way, you're setting a good example for others and encouraging people to stay curious and open to many ways of thinking - and that's beautiful!
I have always considered this film as the best of Studio Ghibli, it has always connected to me on too deep a level for me to understand. I watched this with my two sisters who grew up with me in a big old house in the country and I was a child who was often alone or felt alone when people were around and had a ridiculous amount of imaginary creatures, but I have always viewed my childhood as the happiest time of my life, even though it was coloured with a sort of sadness. I honestly have no idea how Miyazaki can so perfectly capture the ESSENCE of how it feels to be a little girl running around in the grass and woods finding tiny worlds that mostly exist inside my perspective and just the joy? comfort? vibes?? of playing out complex ideas with acorns and attic rooms and simple chores making me feel like apart of what was happening around me. The beauty of how children can be totally unaware of a damage they are experiencing in their psyche but work through it in a harmless way is an amazing thing to make the focus of a film. Like what even Miyazaki?? He has never been a sister and yet this movie feels so real about an unnamable aspect of just existing inside of that identity. I think it is a beautiful masterpiece and like all of Miyazaki's films validates such 'inconsequential" parts of our childhoods
Another banger video! How do you do it!?!
just watched this movie for the first time and I can finally check out this video. Great movie, love when channels like you finally convince me to check out something I will almost inevitably enjoy
Schnee is pulling a Mat Pat and making my childhood movies seen sad and dark
(It's really good though, love all of your stuff!)
Oh my goddd I cant wait to fully watch this video !!
Currently still watching it and so far im really invested! Nice video so far!!
Glad I saw the train scene video just before it got taken down. It was a really good one
great vid as always!
This is one of my all-time favorite movies! It's a tie between this & Howl's for favorite Ghibli❤❤❤.
I did get to watch this as a child, & I always saw the climax as triumphant & courageous. And as I've gotten older, the depth & layers that had previously escaped me began to reveal themselves.
I find the movies that stick with me the longest are the ones that still teach me new things at every stage of life, (like every Ghibli movie ever made probably). I think I'll love this one till the very end.
This was an excellent analysis 👏
I say this with all the love in my heart; watching you bring your theories to Jonah feel like watching Zoro fight Mihawk for the first time.
"Just taking the *title* 'My Neighbor Tototro...'" felt like a butterknife moment.
Love you and your videos so much man, I hold nothing but good wishes and respect for you ❤
You made me appreciate and understand this film on a so much deeper level than I had previously. I revisited totoro a few years back and was surprised at how much it simply didn’t resonate with me? My interpretation was definitely aligned with the first interpretation you gave and it just felt unsatisfying (and like you said, unlike Miyazaki). Never a fan of anything like “it was all a dream” or “everyone’s in a coma” type stories. But there is so much nuance and of course there is. Just wanted to say, amazing work as usual and thank you! I’ll have to revisit the film again!
I just want to say that you’re literally my hero. Your analyses are so thoughtful and profound and just extraordinary. After I graduate, I’m going to strive to be just as intelligent as you.
It's so interesting to me how almost all adults treat children as lesser and sometimes as a completely different species entirely. It's insane how much children are disempowered because the adults value logic over their own children's well-being. We'd rather sow the seeds of doubt, inadequacy and self-loathing in our children's minds than dig a little deeper and realise that they have emotional needs just like us and that we should value that over our hard earned logic. We obviously still need to tread carefully because it's also not a great idea to just let kids do whatever they want, but we need to think a little further than just 'well they'll have to learn how the real world works eventually' while simultaneously crushing their spirits only for them to join the ever expanding army of cynical and borderline suicidal adults.
I grew up watching totoro, maybe even from around mei’s age and it’s a joy to be given these theories that explain why I valued it so highly. Jessie’s view of mei’s goal being a triumph, despite it appearing illogical to adults was really beautiful. I think as a kid at mei’s age I also found it it difficult to communicate or be taken seriously, but her agency in the corn scene was always so powerful and admirable. Thank you for another amazing video schnee!
I ain't a novelist or any kind of writer like that, but I write songs and I've always come to your channel to understand writing in some way because I've always thought words are the best part to make, I just wanted to say thank you for making your videos, they've inspired me in a way I don't think any youtube channel ever will☺🤟
I would love to see you do Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth. I feel like it would fit your more cynical outlook on magic with the interesting theme Del Toro uses for depicting monsters. Meanwhile you can fall into the rabbit hole that is magical realism.
I always feel studio ghibli kinda shares similar DNA to magical realism in their work.
And I think that Pan's Labyrinth in particular would be an interesting comparison to my neighbor totoro.
My interpretation and understanding of the movie, after watching it the second time as an adult, is so different from when I watched it as a kid, for sure. As a kid, I just thought that the imaginary characters were really cute and fun. I couldn't really see the struggle and the pain the two siblings were facing until now. Now I see that the girls were forming these imaginary characters to cope with their anxiety and worry. As I think they were experiencing in this particular scene, where they were waiting for their dad at the bus station. Watching them just see the buses pass them by without their dad stepping out of it was really sad. Then, eventually, the imaginary characters appear to ease the anxiety and the loneliness.
This is one of the very few movies that I can watch it again and again and to find little different details every time and at the same time relive my childhood and stir up nostalgia.
I disagree with Jesse's take that the house sucks. It's a playground with a hundred things to explore and it is tied to the spiritual and near the camphor tree
You're right that that's how the kids with their open mindset decide to see it, but it IS literally falling apart and dirty and very barebones and full of monsters. I think most people wouldn't be so happy about moving into a house like that but the audience is swept up in the children's optimism and energy.
Children can see into other dimensions where magic exists. Adults loose it because their vibration changes as they think differently and have more responsibilities. Logically, children use parts of their brains where they can experience true magic.
dude you almost made me cry with the first two minutes of the video
8:35 Totoro is a Kami. Nature is comforting the children. It gives them garden seeds. It’s the wind. It’s cute.
Imaginary friends are being found more and more to be therapeutic.
Although there’s more to the video
I first watched MNT just a month or so ago with my youngest child (11) and we both loved it. Ultimately, I loved the movie because it made children's imaginations credible and valid. The girls conjured Totoro when they needed to, their imaginations got them through hard situations. It brought them joy, it helped them feel less alone. Even without all of the other analysis which has a place, I valued it for that reason.
I'm sad about the train scene video, I really wanted to watch it again. Maybe I'll save up and give it a shot another time! BTW, I absolutely love your analysis of anything and everything. They are always centered around discovering a deeper truth and not about making the story fit into a given theory or world view. I really appreciate that in a world full of -isms.
i uploaded the original version to twitter and patreon (for free, you dont need to subscribe)!
www.patreon.com/posts/endless-depth-of-97627251
twitter.com/JD_Schnee/status/1753014953739702537
I love this film because the child figures act like children. It always feels like characters are too old, or too young, but they feel like children. Sitting in the bath with your siblings and dad is childhood.
Part of the reason why I am watching this right now as opposed to some other time is that I would like something soothing before I sleep and what better for that than a schnee video about a Ghibli movie. And 10 minutes in I have been told that it is not real and runs completely counter to our world. And I do genuinely feel a little distressed and personally attacked, given what I came here for. I am however delighted by the analysis (:
You're brilliant
Ugh your stuff is so good
Please do all the ghibli movies your analysis of them are so interesting 🙏
The Boy and the Heron analysis foreshadowing?
It feels like you could describe this movie as empowering for little kids. And I'm curious how you feel this translates to the popularity of superheroes specifically within adults. It seems like a very powerful and important story for children. And I've gathered the sense that it's something we should grow out of, and to look for new stories. I've heard that when stories are told in the oral tradition it's the storytellers who literally do this for their audience. They tell youth empowering stories, and then later on they pivot to other kinds of stories.
I don't know how many people have seen this quote, but Alan Moore, the creator of Watchmen and who wrote Batman the Killing Joke, has expressed this opinion in specific relation to superhero stories. That they are good stories for young boys, but it's very difficult to do anything else with them. He feels that superhero stories can lead to fascism. I'm very curious to see a Schnee take on this, because I can't really connect all the dots when it comes to the superhero to fascism pipeline, and especially with how that should be applied to my own writing, because whenever I find myself avoiding an empowering framework I find myself really disliking the story.
I'm no writing expert or anything, but to me, the connection is very clear. Superhero stories inherently tell stories about super-powered individuals (literally), tackling obstacles and changing the world, They tackle those obstacles (mostly) alone through violence. Now this is not necessarily unique to comics, but superheroes are set apart from everyone else, they are gifted with the power to control people's fates through singular decisions and the responsibility that entails . (you see this with the hero's journey/chosen ones as well). But I think you can see how that can play into the fascist ideas of benevolent all-powerul leaders who would have a similar duty to superheroes in "protecting" people from these great perceived threats and eliminating them (much like fascism always needs perceived threats, superheroes always need supervillains). Superhero stories are great for individual drama, but they are not profoundly capable of telling stories about communities coming together to affect change, because the power is ultimately in the hands of the superpowered individuals, a power that was thrust upon them, rather than one they cultivated for themselves or gathered from other people's consent. It might be why superhero media is generally so biased towards the status quo, how do you tackle systematic change if you resolve conflict through superpowered duels? This is almost the same thing I feel about a lot of epic fantasy's obsession with nobles. Either you're the chosen one or a noble, or you don't matter.
I don't fully agree with that take, but I think there's decently compelling argument for it.
Shnee i love your content, could you please make a review about "Monodrama" from honkai star rail?
I love your work and i was curious if u are going to look into dune and its politics n all the pretty things in there.
I see totoro in a slightly different light. A protector yes, a monster kinda, but more literally a neighbor, who's a little older, a little fun, has a garden and a van. In each scenario where the magic arises I wonder what would have happened if it was just the kids next door, or the neighbor waiting for his ride. I love the admition that the movie kinda goes for, that things will be scary, disheartening, or seem impossible, but you don't have to be alone, your neighbor is just down the road after all, even if your neighbor is a 9 foot tall fuzzy ogre, or just the slightly menacing but still kind guy with the garden.
I don't see what Totoro and his friends/family did as magical, just as what a kind neighbor would do to help.
good job for 300k subs
lol, binged all of the studio Ghibli movies just to watch these past analysis
hi, i love ur analyses so so much, i would love it if you took a look at blue eye samurai pretty pls
Another hour of schnee content? We're eating good today
"Bae, wake up. Schnee just posted."
My brain read that as "Dark Side of Toronto" and I was curious about what you were doing there.
Awsome video.
I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on princess Kaguya.
Because I watched it recently and was mostly confused and iritated.
Because it seemed just unnecesarily cruel, and I didnt understamd what it was trying to tell me, or maybe to word it better, O did not understand what the topic of the movie was, what is it discussing.
Wait, you do digital art? Or was that someone elses speed paint? That looked really good.
Awww, I would love to be on this meet and greet. But I live in Germany XD damnit.
What? Gibli didn´t like your video about the train scene? I don´t get it. It was great. Anyway Congratulation on your new big number🥳 Your channel will grow even bigger, I´m confident in that.
Hello there!
The girl looks drunk and passed out. Such a profound image to represent adults going through trauma. It’s something we all can relate to. You can replace the little girl with an alcoholic or someone on drugs but her drug of choice is toys.
nice
I think your missing a key component and that is that mom is not just sick, but it is heavily implied by the time period in Japan and her treatment that she has TB, which there really is no cure for. That is why she is in sanatorium and they moved out to the country. TB ravaged Japan until fairly recently and it's a permanent scar on Miyazaki and his works.
Was there a video on the train scene? Cause I swear I watched one but I can't seem to find it on this channel anymore
www.patreon.com/posts/endless-depth-of-97627251
Totoro is just a smart brushtail possum, you can't convince me otherwise
Is the video buffering really poorly for anyone else? I have to repeatedly sit and wait for it to buffer, even at lower resolutions. Other RUclips video are working fine for me.
It was fine with me...
PLEASE WATCH SOUSOU NO FRIEREN! It’s another Arcane!
Wait… I thought we all knew that house sucked?
I remember watching it throughout my childhood and thinking how disgusting it was. Even at the age of 3, I knew that I didn’t want to be in a house that old and dusty
Get that spicy meatball.
(Quite a risky video to make)
Now I've gotta watch My Neighbor Totoro so I can come back to this video in 90 minutes
👍🏻
Jinx❤
only real ones were here when the video was called "the dark side of Totoro"
Is this a film you show to a child who lost their mom?
Yeaaaah
Let's get this video to a lot of views in the first hour so that it gets love from youtube
Algorithm bless this video which i liked even before watching it because it's that good
Seriously, sometimes i end up pissed off because i can't like it again after watching it, fix that youtube
Lots of words lots of engagement, yadda yadda
what do you mean extreme pacifism is basic?
You just in 9 minutes broke the whole magic and you can see only darkness. How am I supposed to watch this movie now the same way as before?
Edit: After watching the rest of the video: ow that's how
sorry! hopefully the last 50min will undo the damage 😬
Yes, watching the rest was definitely worth it, I'm very happy how I can look at this film from different perspectives and how now I see it differently but still in my own way
Thank you for the video!
eaaaah
Let's get this video to a lot of views in the first hour so that it gets love from youtube
Algorithm bless this video which i liked even before watching it because it's that good
Seriously, sometimes i end up pissed off because i can't like it again after watching it, fix that youtube
Lots of words lots of engagement, yadda yadda