My Neighbor Totoro

SDCC 2017: Basking In The Soft, Fluffy Company Of Beefy And Co.

by Natalie KipperAugust 6, 2017

Surrounded by plushes of his own design, Menh Voong of Beefy and Co. was living the dream (well, mine at least) at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. The tables at the fore-front of his booth were lined with stuffed critters while apparel bearing his art hung against the back.

The exclusive item for SDCC was Shiny Charipoo, a reimagining of Pokémon‘s Shiny Charizard, limited to 100 pieces. The plush is part of Menh’s Pokepoos line, which includes Charipoo, a traditional Charizard, and Pikapoo, a Pikachu.

One of the more unique features in Beefy and Co. plushes is that they all have extra features, like posable or light-up parts. Take Dragonpoo, for example. Not only are his little purple whiskers bendable but you can pose his serpentine body any way you wish, thanks to a inner skeleton (he is still super-huggable, though).

And a great example of light-up accents can be found in the eyes of the newly-released Catbuspoo (based on My Neighbor Totoro‘s Catbus). Not only do its eyes light up but its head swivels. Catbuspoo is part of the Pop Plush line, joined by Totopoo and Bmaxpoo (think Baymax of Big Hero 6).

Beyond items for purchase, prototypes of future plushes were also on display. One I am particularly excited about is NoNopoo, based on Nohface from Spirited Away. His tongue can be stuffed in his stomach, if you desire, and his expression can be altered by switching around his mouth.

Phoebepoo here is based on a phoenix. It is also a prototype. The photo doesn’t do its bold colors justice.

There were are also two plushes based on Sesame Street‘s Elmo and Cookie Monster (this one can be seen in the header image).

The final prototype was Bulbapoo, based on – you guessed it – Bulbasaur. Not only does the bulb on its back open, which by itself is impressive, but it also has posable vines hidden inside! I can’t get over how ingenious this plush is.

You can find more Beefy and Co. goodness at the official website. And many amazing plushes (some of which from past cons!) can be purchased at the online store.

Geekscape Toys: BeeFy and Co.’s Totopoo ‘Smile’ Edition To Debut At WonderCon!

by Natalie KipperMarch 2, 2016

WonderCon is set to take place in Los Angeles this month and many of us are still wondering what we should expect to spend our remaining money on. BeeFy & Co. (and its creator, Menh Voong) over at the exhibit hall’s booth #1331 delivered some of that news today! WonderCon will mark the release of the plush Totopoo – “Smile” Edition. For those unfamiliar, BeeFy & Co. is a brand that spans toys (both plush and vinyl as well as other mediums), fashion, and art prints. The majority of the plushes are from the “Adventures of Ryupoo” Collection, featuring stylized stuffed critters, some of which come with accessories.

The “Smile” Edition of Totopoo, modeled after My Neighbor Totoro, has a wide grin across his face. Like the other plushes, Totopoo stands 10 inches tall and will cost $25. He comes with a large fabric leaf embedded with a magnet so it can stick to his articulated head. Note that while this variant will debut at WonderCon, it is not exclusive to the event.

If you prefer your Totopoo to be the stoic type, a regular (not grinning) edition will be released at the Chicago Comic And Entertainment Expo (a.k.a. C2E2) and Silicon Valley Comic Con.

Are you heading to WonderCon? Let us know in the comments!

Before There Was Princess Mononoke There Was… Princess Mononoke?

by JonathanOctober 22, 2014

If you’ve been a Geekscape reader/listener/follower for at least a month then you no doubt know about my endless love for all things Studio Ghibli. It started in the mid-90s while I was a high school student. I would attend Friday night Anime Club screenings at the University of Texas, where I discovered my love for movies like Laputa: Castle in the Sky and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Plus, I thought it was cool to be hanging out with college students years before I went on to college (where I shamefully would never attend a single Anime Club screening or meeting at my own alma mater).

In 1997, Studio Ghibli released Princess Mononoke, one of their most successful films of all time. It followed a wild, forest spirit of a princess as she rode a giant wolf and engaged the human forces that encroached on the natural world and upset the forest gods. It stands as one of Studio Ghibli’s greatest accomplishments and if you’re going to start exploring their library (what’s been keeping you?!?), Princess Mononoke is a great place to start. I’ve loved the film since I first saw it on the big screen.

Which is why it’s amazing to learn that the Princess Mononoke that I know and love is not the original version… by a wide shot. Just take a look at this:

In 1980, 17 years before the film’s release, Hayao Miyazaki envisioned a much different story for Princess Mononoke, and now it’s being detailed in a book from Viz Media entitled Princess Mononoke: The First Story. The book sounds about as epic as the movie too. According to the press release:

The oversized (11¾ x 11¾ inch) hardcover release is published under the Studio Ghibli Library imprint and carries an MSRP of $34.99 U.S. / $39.99 CAN. The beautifully illustrated storybook features Hayao Miyazaki’s original watercolor artwork, which complements his thoughtfully written fable about man’s need to maintain ecological balance with nature that became the origin for the 1997 feature film. An afterward written by Miyazaki lends further context and insights to the Mononoke story and its deep and lasting impact upon the director.

This is the original Princess Mononoke story, created by Hayao Miyazaki in 1980 while he was first conceptualizing the landmark animated film that would be released to universal acclaim seventeen years later. As an initial version of the tale, it offers a new and significantly different perspective from the final version presented in the film. After a long, exhausting war, a samurai lost in a forest encounters a giant wildcat – a mononoke. The beast saves his life, but at the price of his daughter’s hand in marriage…

“Princess Mononoke was a historic release for Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli and propelled the animation auteur to an entirely new level of international fame,” says Masumi Washington, Senior Editorial Director. “But few know of THE FIRST STORY, the imaginative fable that was the genesis for his groundbreaking film. This premium storybook fittingly presents it for the very first time in English and prominently displays his expressive watercolor characters and landscapes. We look forward to readers discovering Princess Mononoke in a whole new way in this unique release!”

Um, a giant wildcat?!? Just look at that picture! He’s riding a unicycle with strings attached to mice pulling him and a princess on his back. This is like getting a completely different story! And seeing as Hayao Miyazaki has officially retired (again!), it’s worth picking up this book just to get yet another story from this living legend!

I’m excited to receive my copy. Viz does a great job with their Studio Ghibli line of releases. The editions that they put out for My Neighbor Totoro are incredibly well done, with really handsome presentations and a print and binding quality deserving of Studio Ghibli’s level of excellence. But this one might just top all that. A giant wildcat riding a unicycle being pulled by mice on string.

Princess Mononoke: The First Story is currently available so go out and pick up your copy or visit www.VIZ.com for more info!

Geekscape Review: ‘My Neighbor Totoro: A Novel’

by Kari LaneOctober 31, 2013

Often books are made into movies and sometimes the reverse happens. It is a way to relive the film and maybe see it in a new light. Hayao Miyazaki’s beloved film, My Neighbor Totoro (which turns 25 this year!), has received this treatment and is now available as a hardcover book! This book also includes original watercolor illustrations by Miyazaki which are beautiful and finally all together in one book for the first time. As you read the book, Miyazaki’s watercolor illustrations make the pages come to life.

The book was written by Japanese children’s book author Tsugiko Kubo. I watched My Neighbor Totoro many years ago and thoroughly enjoyed reliving the film through Kubo’s words. The book is pretty easy to read though there are some big words for the young adult reader. The pacing flows well and I enjoyed reading about how Satsuki (the main character) really felt and thought; the way only a book can tell you. In a time where books are moving to the digital medium, it is nice to hold this book in your hands and turn the pages. It is compact in size with a lovely cover.

My Neighbor TOTORO: The Novel is about two young girls, Satsuki (age eleven) and her younger sister Mei (age four), who move to the countryside from Tokyo with their father in order to be closer to their mother, who is in a special hospital. The house they move into is a bit rundown but that only makes the girls more determined to make it a comfortable home. However, they are not alone in their new place. There are soot sprites and other magical creatures that live there but quickly disappear from sight with the new tenants. Near their home is a magnificent giant Laurel tree that is home to the forest spirit Totoro who mysteriously leads the girls on some magical adventures.

The story is charming and the book focuses on family and friendship and people helping each other out. If you have already seen the film, you will enjoy approaching the story from a new perspective, or may want to get it to share with someone who has yet to experience the wonder of My Neighbor Totoro. If you are not familiar with this story at all, you should check out what made it a classic!

My Neighbor TOTORO: The Novel is available for $17.99.

Also to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary, VIZ Media’s Studio Ghibli Library will debut an updated edition of the MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO Picture Book available for $19.99!