Tonari no Totoro (1988) is a children's animated film. Two young girls, Satsuki (Noriko Hidaka) and her younger sister Mei (Chika Sakamoto), move to a new house in the country with their father, Professor Kusakabe (Shigesato Itoi), in order to be closer to the hospital where their sick mother is staying. At first, they dislike their new home, but gradually they get used to it and become friends with their new neighbours. The house and the surrounding woods are also inhabited by various magical creatures, the largest of which, Totoro, is the keeper of the forest. Totoro takes Satsuki and Mei on a variety of adventures through his magical world, while at the same time helping them to cope with the real-life stress of their mother's illness.