Yes, even as a beginner, as long as you rewatch it. Totoro suits this level because two young sisters do much of the talking, in short, clear sentences about things you can see on screen.
- Level
- Beginner
- Format
- Film
- Year
- 1988
- Length
- about 86 min
Why it works for learners
Ghibli gives you a rare advantage here: the picture nearly always explains the words. The girls name what they find in a new house and the fields around it, so you pick up everyday nouns for home, weather, plants and family. Children speak in simple forms, with plenty of exclaiming and calling out to each other. At 86 minutes and with a gentle plot, it is short enough to watch several times without tiring of it.
What makes it hard
Little Mei shouts and mispronounces like the small child she is, so not every word is clean. Older villagers sound more rural and harder to catch, and the casual forms differ from the polite Japanese taught in textbooks.
How to use it
Watch once for pleasure, then split it into three parts and rewatch one per sitting. Listen for how the sisters call to each other and their father. Repeat short lines aloud, and save one or two new words from each scene.
More for Japanese learners: our Japanese guides.
Keep it where you'll see it
Save My Neighbor Totoro and log every episode or chapter toward your Japanese hours. Free for one language.
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