Mei Kusakabe

Mei Kusakabe is one of the two main protagonists (alongside her sister Satsuki Kusakabe) of the 1988 animated Studio Ghibli film, My Neighbor Totoro.

She was voiced by Chika Sakamoto in the original Japanese version, Elle Fanning in the Disney dub, who also portrayed Aurora in the Maleficent film series, Winnie Portley-Rind in The Boxtrolls, and Félicie Milliner in Leap/Ballerina, and Cheryl Chase in the Streamline dub.

Early life[]

Mei Kusakabe, sister of Satsuki Kusakabe and daughter of Tatsuo Kusakabe and Yasuko Kusakabe was born in Tokyo in May 1954.

She is the first to meet Totoro and does so by falling down a hole in a tree root after following smaller Totoros excitedly. Mei isn't the least bit scared of the new creature she has found even when it opens its huge mouth to yawn. Instead she just opens her mouth back.

Mei does have a caring side and decides to go to the hospital with the sweet corn she picked from Granny's garden. However she ends up getting lost on the way and gets very upset.

Mei and the Kittenbus[]

Mei running from her house and she watches to wind but she eat Japanese candy but she is spinning her heads but she was chased by gust she go inside her house and then chasing the kittenbus.

Characteristics[]

Mei Kusakabe is four years old. Of course, as shown by her sister in the Steamline dub, she is four. She has light brown hair and brown eyes. She wears a White blouse with a pink dress and yellow shoes, and carries a yellow bag, and end of the film she wears a light pink dress. Mei also wears a yellow night-dress at night and a sky blue night-dress at night in the sequel.

Personality[]

Mei matches every other little girl in her personality; being bright, sweet, and innocent. Also like other children, she is extremely curious, following the smaller Totoros as soon as she sees them, as well as trying to get the dust creatures to come out of hiding. Upon finding Totoro, she is not the least bit afraid, only laughing happily and answering Totoro's roars and falling asleep on his stomach. She loves playing with her sister and is very eager to explore the house and its surroundings. In the Disney dub, Granny describes her as, "a little ball of energy" as she is racing around the house. She also cares deeply about her family, and becomes sad when she hears her mother still has to stay in the hospital. This emotion causes Mei to start crying, after Satsuki angrily snaps at her for protesting against their mother's homecoming being delayed. At the end of the story, Mei, along with her sister, is overjoyed when her mother returns home.