Matt Schley
April 27, 2021 
Wow, if you ever noticed this, you’ve got a much sharper eye than I.
A new post on blog Spoon & Tamago has made me aware for the first time that the girl on that iconic My Neighbor Totoro isn’t actually in the movie! That’s right, she is neither Satsuki nor Mei, the two young protagonists of the film.
What’s the deal? Apparently, Totoro was originally a picture book with just one girl protagonist, but when it was slated to become a movie, Miyazaki split her into sisters. But when it came to designing the poster, he just couldn’t leave behind that iconic picture book cover.
Why change a great thing?
You can learn more about the story over at S&T.
Speaking of Totoro posters, the original is iconic, but this one designed for the film’s official release in China is pretty darn good too.
Oh, and if you’re one of the few humans on the planet who hasn’t seen Totoro, here’s a description of the film from GKIDS to get you started:
Follow the adventures of Satsuki and her four-year-old sister Mei as they discover their new neighbor is a mysterious forest spirit named Totoro who can only be seen by the eyes of a child. As Totoro introduces the girls to his extraordinary friends, they embark on the journey of a lifetime.
Source: Spoon & Tamago
