An amazing new Catbus cosplay creation by a certain TikTok user has drawn fans of Hayao Miyazaki’s beloved film My Neighbor Totoro.
An amazing Catbus cosplay from the beloved animated movie. my neighbor totoro has been revealed in a new TikTok video. Although the character first appeared in 1988, he is still well known among fans of filmmaker and animator Hayao Miyazaki. At 81, Miyazaki continues to create unique animated works, but one of his greatest successes remains my neighbor totoro. In fact, the film’s charming characters are so popular that they have grossed over a billion dollars in official merchandise to date.
Oddly enough, the film’s legacy not only introduced many people to Japanese animation, as well as Miyazaki’s extensive library of work, but also brought real-life attention to the Japanese prefecture where it takes place. Originally founded in 1990, the Totoro no Furusato Foundation was formed by conservation groups in Saitama Prefecture. The particular area that was under threat was the Sayama Hills, which were facing widespread urban development. Because my neighbor totoro is located in the Sayama Hills, efforts to help preserve the forested area increased greatly, and as a result, several museums, a cafe, walking trails, and a Totoro statue were built in the reclaimed area. The project remains just one of the few ways that Miyazaki’s work has inspired fans.
As expected, the Catbus, which appears in my neighbor Totoro, remains one of the most familiar aspects of the film. Over the years since its launch, my neighbor totoro’s Catbus has inspired millions of creative fans around the world, spawning everything from drawings to sculptures and more in honor of the character. The most recent use of the famous character comes in the form of an incredible project that took creator Allison Chase over a year and a half to build. Chase’s real-life Catbus can be seen courtesy of her TikTok video, which shows her transformation from the early days of the project to its completion:
Click here to watch the TikTok video.
The end result is clearly something that impressed many Catbus fans and my neighbor totoro. Having worked on the project from January 2020 to August 2021, Chase’s determination finally paid off, and today his TikTok video has received 1 million likes. That in itself would have to provide a certain degree of satisfaction for the devoted cosplay artist. However, beyond the time spent and overall build quality, another reason this particular Catbus creation is getting so much love probably has to do with the size of it. Being able to hop aboard and disappear on the Catbus (even if it’s not equipped with seats) is a dream come true for many.
Seeing this degree of dedication and creativity remains one of the best things about Miyazaki’s work. Either my neighbor totoro or any of the other films in his extensive catalogue, each work inspires creativity and imagination in his followers. While some may not understand why anyone would go to such lengths to create something like Chase’s Catbus, others see it for what it is: an extension of the fantasy worlds that have brought so much joy to so many.
Source: Allison Chase
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