10 More Great Fantasy & Slice of Life Programs To Watch!
My Neighbor Totoro is a fun anime from Studio Ghibli. It’s about two girls named Satsuki and Mei embarking on a fun adventure with a forest spirit named Totoro. Their short journey is full of creativity and wholesomeness. Many adored this film for its imaginative creatures and simple premise. While it doesn’t have the most complex story, this anime offers enough charm to keep anyone entertained.
Fear not if you’re having trouble finding anime similar to My Neighbor Totoro! We’ve discovered 10 alternate shows/anime that’ll give you a similar experience as My Neighbor Totoro.
Additionally, for each anime we’ve reviewed, we’ve included a link that allows you to view our full thoughts about the series to see if it’s worth your time.
So without further ado, we present 10 TV shows/anime that should whet your appetite when you’ve finished streaming My Neighbor Totoro!
Mirai
Similarities – Slice of Life & Fantasy
Mirai is a great family-friendly anime with a focus on sibling relationships like My Neighbor Totoro. This anime centers around an only child named Kun. After his new baby sister arrives, Kun isn’t living his best life since his parents aren’t giving him as much attention anymore. To help him cope with his situation, Kun embarks on a time-themed adventure.
He’ll meet past, present, and future versions of his family that’ll help him understand what it means to be an older brother. Like Satsuki and Mei, Kun is a toddler who’ll embark on a whimsical adventure that’ll him cope with realistic scenarios. He’ll learn important life lessons from folks from the past and future concerning empathy and love.
Both anime will make viewers feel like they’re looking at everything from a child’s perspective. They rely on rich colors, whimsical imagery, and a sense of curiosity to immerse viewers in their child protagonist’s world.
Poco’s Udon World
Similarities – Fantasy & Themes
What would happen if you attended a restaurant and discovered a supernatural toddler living inside it? Would you call someone or take it home with you? Poco’s Udon World’s protagonist Souta chooses the latter, leading to an anime that focuses on the relationship between himself and this otherworldly toddler. From the premise alone, you can see how this anime relates to My Neighbor Totoro.
Both anime have their protagonists encounter a magical being who’ll help them discover magical worlds they’d never thought existed. Poco’s Udon World also emphasizes the significance of connecting with one’s natural environment. In it, Souta learns to appreciate the beauty of his world as he takes Poco on various adventures across the countryside.
As for Satsuki and Mei, they’ll connect with many creatures from Totoro to the Catbus in a way that is innocent and enchanting. Together, these anime show how interacting with nature can benefit people’s livelihood in a meaningful way. In addition to delving into Souta’s background with his absentee parents, Poco’s Udon World is a great anime to watch if you adore My Neighbor Totoro.
The Secret World of Arrietty
Similarities – Creative Setting & Themes
If you’re in need of another anime that’ll get your creative juices flowing, The Secret World of Arrietty will do the trick. This anime follows Arietty, a minuscule humanoid who takes refuge in a home’s walls. She wants to embark on a quest and learn more about humans. Like My Neighbor Totoro, this anime features another pair of young protagonists exploring a fantastical setting.
Both anime convey innocence and wonder that is relatable to folks of all age ranges. You’ll adore seeing Arietty and her human companion forge a deep connection with their environment. This location is filled with all types of life that’ll make you feel like you’re exploring the child’s mind. Although the characters from both anime have hardships that dampen the mood, they maintain their sense of wonder and joy, which will remind viewers that life can be beautiful and magical.
A Letter to Momo
Similarities – Characters, Fantasy, Themes
Losing someone close to you can be a difficult hurdle to overcome. This is why most people tend to flock toward activities or companions they know who can brighten their life. A Letter To Momo is about a girl named Momo. She lost her father and flees to a remote island with her mother while carrying an unfinished letter from him.
After finding a weird picture book about youkai, Momo meets a trio of them who plan to make her life better and weirder. Like Satsuki and Mei, Momo’s journey with these creatures is pure and touching. You’ll see her struggle to adapt to the new land’s ways and to move on from her father’s demise. Thankfully, this anime dishes out some lighthearted material to lighten the mood.
Furthermore, both anime feature female protagonists who deal with grief, loss, and healing. For Momo, she must grapple with her father’s death and the pain that she’ll never see him again. As for Satsuki and Mei, they struggle with the uncertainty and fear of their mother’s illness. While both anime can be moving, they include an essence of fear that shouldn’t be written off.
Wolf Children
Similarities – Characters & Story
Wolf Children is an essential anime for everyone who considers themselves a fan of the medium. This anime highlights the pain that stems from single-parenthood and how difficult it can be to adapt to a new environment. In it, we follow Hana, a woman who falls in love with a werewolf named Ookami. They have two kids and live a fruitful life. This comes crashing down when Ookami perishes.
Frightened by his demise, Hana flees to the countryside with their kids in hopes of living a better and safer life. Both anime feature young children forming a deep connection with nature. Hana’s children Ame and Yuki receive their father’s werewolf genes and must learn to find comfort in a natural environment that’s unfamiliar to them.
Similarly, Satsuki and Mei form a close bond with Totoro and the other forest creatures. Both anime have a strong focus on family and evoke a sense of warmth and nostalgia based on how they’re animated. Give this anime a watch if you’re looking for something that can be comforting, heartbreaking, and invigorating.
Okko’s Inn
Similarities – Characters & Fantasy
Okko’s Inn is a comedic supernatural slice-of-life anime that will please many My Neighbor Totoro fans. In it, we follow Okko, who is currently grieving the loss of her parents and lives with her grandmother at her traditional hot springs inn. She meets a ghost who asks her to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps and inherit the inn.
Like Satsuki and Mei, Okko deals with internal issues that will be solved through her interactions with supernatural entities. While Satsuki and Mei worry for their mother’s health, Okko must live with the fact that her parents aren’t physically with her anymore. Both anime explores how children cope with loss and show how their experiences in unfamiliar, natural areas will benefit them. In addition to having compelling creature designs and emotional moments, Okko’s Inn delivers a delightful viewing experience.
Only Yesterday
Similarities – Themes
Only Yesterday may not have a huge following like My Neighbor Totoro, but it delivers a story, cast, and beautiful world that shouldn’t go unwatched. It’s about a Taeko, a woman who travels to the countryside to help her family with harvesting problems. There, Taeko will learn the differences between urban and rural culture and establish better bonds with family and friends.
Like My Neighbor Totoro, Only Yesterday celebrates the beauty of nature and the peace the emulates from the Japanese countryside. With its grassy terrains and beautiful skies, the anime emphasizes the importance of preserving the environment. Both anime feature wonderful female protagonists who meet new people and learn life lessons during their stay in the countryside.
This leads Taeko to have emotional encounters with her area’s inhabitants and to embrace the joys of being outdoors. From picking fruits to helping others during stressful times, you’ll admire the harmony oozing from this anime. Give this anime a shot if you’re looking for something pleasant and memorable to watch.
Spirited Away
Similarities – Fantasy, Characters, Adventure
The Boy and The Beast
Similarities – Themes & Characters
The Boy and The Beast is a great anime with aspiring themes. Like My Neighbor Totoro, this anime focuses on young children who struggle with their emotions and search for their rightful place in the world. Like Satsuki and Mei, The Boy and The Beast protagonist Ren is grieving with issues relating to his mother. Unfortunately, his mother passed away unlike Satsuki and Mei.
Nevertheless, this anime deals with similar themes of imagination and fantasy. Ren finds himself in a world of beast men, where he meets his master, Kumatetsu. His relationship with Kumatetsu is incredible and fun to follow like Satsuki and Mei’s journey with Totoro. However, Kumatetsu and Ren have a strong father-and-son dynamic that might resonate with folks more.
Regardless, both anime emphasize how family is not limited to traditional blood ties, and that true family is formed through love, care, and support. If you want an anime with more action-packed elements, check out The Boy and The Beast.
A Whisker Away
Similarities – Characters & Themes
A Whisker Away revolves around Miyo, who wants to win the attention and affection of her classmate Kento. To accomplish her goal, she transforms into a cat and begins spending more time with him. Like My Neighbor Totoro, this anime portrays the emotional connection between humans and supernatural creatures.
Viewers will adore seeing Miyo learn about Kento’s life while being a feline and watch her grow to become a better person. At the same time, this anime offers insight into the importance of strong family relationships. In A Whisker Away, Miyo struggles to connect with her overly invested stepmother, leading her to seek solace as a cat with Kento.
In My Neighbor Totoro, Satsuki and Mei must cope with their mother’s illness. The anime highlights why it’s valuable to emotionally support others. Both anime convey a sense of childlike wonder, letting the audience view the world through the eyes of young and imaginative protagonists. These anime will help you celebrate the simple joys of the world around you.
You can read our thoughts on A Whisker Away in our review here!
So there we have it, our 10 anime/TV show alternatives to watch when you’ve caught up with My Neighbor Totoro!
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!