My Neighbor Totoro was released by Studio Ghibli in 1988, and it was written and directed by legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. The film depicts the friendship between two sisters and a forest spirit called Totoro. It’s famous for its beautiful animation, wonderful soundtrack and themes of environmentalism and the joys of a slower way of life. This collection brings some of your favorite characters, such as Catbus, sister Satsuki and Mei and of course Totoro himself for some coloring fun. Fans of the film will also learn a few interesting facts that they may not have known before!
25 Free Totoro Coloring Pages To Print And Color
1. Catbus In The Forest Coloring PDF
While the most recognizable character from My Neighbor Totoro is Totoro himself, the Catbus is almost equally iconic. This living vehicle is used by Totoro and the girls at a few points in the film, and its design has captured the imaginations of millions of fans. The film’s director, Hayao Miyazaki, has cited Lewis Carrol as one of his inspirations, and Catbus has a few similarities to the Cheshire Cat from Alice In Wonderland.
2. Catbus With Glowing Eyes
3. Chu Totoro And Chibi Totoro
Many people think of Totoro as just one character, but they are actually a race of forest dwellers that come in many shapes and sizes. Here, we can see the larger Chu Totoro, who most people are familiar with, with a smaller white Chibi Totoro. The Totoros are dwindling in numbers because of human expansion. This highlights a common theme of the importance of environmentalism, which is explored in many Studio Ghibli movies.
4. Catbus Flying With Mei, Satsuke, And Totoro
5. Satsuki And Mei Sitting On Totoro
At first, only little Mei is able to see Totoro, but he eventually reveals himself to Satsuki as well. There are a few similarities between the film to director Hayao Miyazaki’s childhood. His mother had a similar illness to the mother in the film, and the story was very personal for him.
6. Satsuki And Mei Walking Beside Totoro
Satsuki, Mei, and Chu Totoro are off for an adventure in this charming scene! When making his films, Hayao Miyazaki doesn’t plan the stories out in detail beforehand. Because of this, for a lot of pre-production, there was only going to be one sister. The filmmakers decided to add a second sister to help add suspense later in the film.
7. Totoro And The Girls Playing In The Forest
8. Totoro And The Girls On A Branch
9. Totoro And The Children Flying In The Sky
10. Totoro Playing An Ocarina
11. Totoro Hiding Behind The Trees
12. Totoro Holding An Umbrella
The image of Totoro standing under an umbrella is an iconic one from the film. He initially only has a leaf to protect himself from the rain until Satsuki gives him the umbrella. Her kindness inspires Totoro, and he offers her a gift in return. It’s one of many examples in the film that represent a simpler, bygone era of people being decent to one another.
13. Totoro Looking Up At The Sky
14. Totoro Dancing On A Tree Branch
15. Totoro Riding The Catbus Coloring Sheet
Totoro is using the magical Catbus to travel quickly to help his friends. The origin of Totoro’s name in the Japanese version of the film is a bit different from the English one. In Japanese, his name is a mispronunciation by Mei of the Japanese word for troll. This didn’t work in English, so the line had to be altered.
16. Totoro Sleeping On The Ground
17. Totoro With A Mushroom
18. Totoro With Butterflies
19. Totoro Summoning The Wind
20. Totoro Waiting At The Bus Stop
21. Totoro Napping With Smaller Totoros
22. Totoro In A Peaceful Forest
23. Totoro With A Dripping Leaf Umbrella
24. Totoro With Plants Growing Around Him
25. Totoro With Soot Sprites Coloring Page
Totoro is posing with some of the famous soot sprites from the film, and you can do some interesting things with how you color this one! Totoro’s influence has been immense since the film’s release. Not only is Totoro the mascot for Studio Ghibli, but he has also featured in small cameos in a few Pixar films.
After You Color Your Totoro Pages
Color the pages with a muted watercolor style in order to replicate the style of the movie. Add in characters from other Ghibli films like Chihiro from Spirited Away or Kiki from Kiki’s delivery service. Make a reference to Totoro’s appearances in Pixar films by drawing characters from some of your favorites in the background. Buy some fake fur and get an adult to help you cut it out to stick over the Catbus in order to add some texture.
My Neighbor Totoro is a beloved film that will charm people young and old for decades to come! I hope that this charming collection helped you to relive your favorite moments from the movie. When coloring it, I encourage you to embrace the Studio Ghibli spirit by letting your creativity take over as you create. You can share some of your completed pages on your social media accounts when you’re ready to show off your art.
