Mei and the Kittenbus
| Mei and the Kittenbus めいとこねこバス | |
|---|---|
| File:Mei and Kittenbus in flight.jpg | |
| Directed by | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Written by | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Starring | Chika Sakamoto Hayao Miyazaki |
| Music by | Joe Hisaishi |
Release date | 2003 Limited release in Ghibli Museum only |
Running time | 13 minutes 43 seconds |
| Language | Japanese |
Mei and the Kittenbus (めいとこねこバス, Mei to Konekobasu) is a short sequel to the 1988 film My Neighbor Totoro from Studio Ghibli. It was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It concentrates on the character of Mei Kusakabe from the original film and her adventures one night with the Kittenbus (offspring of the Catbus from the film) and other cat-oriented vehicles.
Mei and the Kittenbus enjoyed a very limited initial release, only being shown for a short period of time in the Ghibli Museum in Japan. The only showings outside Japan has been to John Lasseter and co. of Pixar in honor of the U.S. release of Spirited Away [1], and once more at a Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation fundraiser a few days later. [2] Chika Sakamoto, who voiced Mei in Totoro, returned to voice Mei in this short. Hayao Miyazaki himself did the voice of the Neko Ba-chan as well as Totoro.
According to the schedule on the Ghibli Museum's website, it is still shown at times in their rotating schedule of animation screenings. [3]
As of 2007, there are no plans to release it in any format for general public viewing.
References
- ^ "Synopsis - Page 1". Lasseter-San, Arigato (Thank You, Mr. Lasseter). Nausicaa.Net. Retrieved 2006-04-29.
- ^ "Synopsis - Page 6". Lasseter-San, Arigato (Thank You, Mr. Lasseter). Nausicaa.Net. Retrieved 2006-05-23.
- ^ "Babelfish automated translation of Ghibli Museum theater schedule as of end of 2006". ghibli-museum.jp. Retrieved 2006-10-06.
