Totoro Movie Night

At Mary Ellen's house last weekend there was a watering can that looked (to me) like a rabbit - cotton ball tail, long pointy ears sticking up. I was told, however, that it was Totoro. I noted that I had only seen a couple of pictures of Totoro and always thought he was more cat-like than rabbit-like. This prompted Mary Ellen to declare last night as Totoro Movie Night!

It was a small group; Mary Ellen, Michael, Jim, Vivian, Margaret, Mary, Kai and I. And Louie. During most of "My Neighbor Totoro" Louie slept on the recliner next to Michael. However, when Mei first meets Totoro he is asleep and snoring. Louie was instantly awake and quietly growling, he jumped off the recliner to find the intruder. Finding no one, he returned to his sleeping place. Good boy, Louie!

Mei meeting Totoro

We decided the food theme was Japanese, so we started with gyoza, yakitori, and grilled asparagus. Afterwards we had several types of sushi and a brownie cake with fruit topping.


Amelia was unable to be there. But she left instructions that I was to wear her Totoro outfit during the movie. There is a slight height between us, so there was an excess of Totoro! I would be the small Totoro of the movie...


After watching the movie, I think Totoro has the body shape and feet of an owl, the head and tail of a cat, claws of a bear, and human lips and teeth. Totoro also appears to play a type of ocarina. Totoro makes noises but doesn't really speak.

The Nekobasu (Catbus) in the movie reminded me of a tardigrade. Later I discovered that there is a creature named after Totoro because it reminded the German scientists that discovered it of the Nekobasu when it moves. Eoperipatus totoro, aka velvet worm, is about 2&1/2 inches long and is seldom seen because it lives in the soil and under logs and rocks.

We were originally going to watch Princess Mononoke after eating. But it was so late we decided we needed to have another Studio Ghibli Movie Night instead! Date to be determined.

Happy Birthday to Clancy!