My Neighbor Totoro

NZ release: 16 April 1988

Suitable for General Audiences Rated on: 16 April 1988

My Neighbour Totoro

What’s it about?

A father and his two daughters move into an old house. The girls soon find out the house is surrounded by spirits.

The facts

  • Directed by Hayao Miyazaki (Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away)
  • Japanese language or English dub
  • Runtime: 86 minutes
  • Animated film by Studio Ghibli (The Wind Rises, Ponyo, Princess Mononoke)
  • Starring voice acting by Cheryl Chase and Pat Carroll.

Why did it get this rating?

This film was cross-rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body. You can find out more about cross-rating here.

Content that may disturb

A young girl goes missing, we see the desperation of various characters trying to find her. This can be distressing for some viewers.

The film features mythical creatures. For example, a ‘cat bus’ with many legs and a cat head at the front. There are also large creatures that growl loudly and enormous mouths. However, these creatures are friendly. This can be disturbing at first for younger viewers who are new to the Studio Ghibli genre.

Further information

Recent featured decisions

10 September 2026

Violence, cruelty, offensive language, and sex scenes

An aspiring writer is hired as a ghostwriter for a bestselling author. As disturbing family secrets are uncovered, fiction and reality become harder to separate.

Read more

25 September 2026

Offensive language and violence

A thriller about the making of a real-life killer: Ted Kaczynski. He transformed from a Harvard prodigy into the infamous Unabomber, who carried out a nationwide bombing campaign in the US from 1978 to 1995, killing three people and injuring 23.

Read more