Summary
This winter will bring a very rare chance forStudio Ghiblifans to see an extremely rare movie from the famous studio. One ofStudio Ghibli’s most famous pieces,My Neighbor Totoro, has a very rare sequel titledMei and the Baby Catbuswhich is nearly impossible to view. However, for a limited period this winter, the movie will be screening at the Studio Ghibli theme park in Aichi, Japan.
Mei and the Baby Catbusis an official movie by Studio Ghibli, but it is not usually available for viewing. That is what makes its upcoming screening this winter so exciting and significant,especially for die-hard Ghibli fans. Despite how cold it will be in Aichi during December and January,Mei and the Baby Catbusoffers an incentive to brave the cold and go to the theme park during its less popular months.
My Neighbor TotoroHas a Rare Sequel
Why You Probably Haven’t Watched it Before
If you are wondering why you may have never heard of, let alone watched,Mei and the Baby Catbusbefore, you are not alone. TheTotorosequel is incredibly rare even though it was first released back in 2002, making it over 20 years old now.SoraNews24reports that,
Mei and the Baby Catbushas never been released for online viewing, physical commercial release, or regular theater runs. The only places where it can ever be seen are at the theaters inside Ghibli Park and the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo, but even at those venues it can’t be seen all the time, asMei and the Baby Catbus(also sometimes known as “Mei and the Kittenbus”) is one of a number of Studio Ghibli anime short films that screen for limited periods of time.
That means you’re never going to find the movie for sale, or streaming on Netflix or any other service. The only way to seeMei and the Baby Catbusis to plan to attend one of these special screenings like the one occurring at the Studio Ghibli theme park. The movie is only 14 minutes long, but it was still written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki himself, and thesoundtrack was created by Jo Hisaishi. Both are big names at Studio Ghibli.
Where to SeeMei and the Baby Catbus
Don’t Miss Your Chance
As stated above, the upcoming screening ofMei and the Baby Catbusis an incredibly special and rare chance to see theTotorosequel film. It will benthis winter, specifically in Cinema Orion in the Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse section of the park. That means that guests need to be sure to have a ticket that gives them access to this section of the park, though the movie itself will not require any additional tickets on top of the entrance fee.
Theofficial websitefor the Studio Ghibli theme park describes the plot of the movie as,
“On a very windy day, while Mei was eating caramels, she spotted a whirlwind and started chasing after it. When she finally grabbed hold of it, it turned out to be a Baby Catbus. Mei and the Catbus became friends, and that night, they ventured into the forest.”
Cinema Orion in the theme park regularly rotates between 10 original Studio Ghibli short animated films, all of which previously were only available at the Studio Ghibli Museum in Tokyo. The films each show one at a time, following a special schedule that is released monthly on the theme park’s website.Mei and the Baby Catbuswill be the next film to screen afterTreasure HuntingandThe Day I Bought a Star, both of whichwere also created by Hayao Miyazaki.
Mei and the Baby Catbuswill screen daily at the Studio Ghibli theme park from December 14th, 2024 to January 31st, 2025 in Aichi, Japan.
