The girls discover that a planned visit by Yasuko has to be postponed because of a setback in her treatment. Mei does not take this well and argues with Satsuki, leaving for the hospital to bring fresh corn to Yasuko. Her disappearance prompts Satsuki and the neighbors to search for her. In desperation, Satsuki returns to the camphor tree and pleads for Totoro's help. He delightfully summons the Catbus, which carries her to where the lost Mei sits, and the sisters emotionally reunite. The bus then takes them to the hospital. The girls overhear a conversation between their parents and learn that she has been kept in hospital by a minor cold but is otherwise doing well. They secretly leave the ear of corn on the windowsill, where their parents discover it, and return home. Eventually, Yasuko returns home, and the sisters play with other children while Totoro and his friends watch them from afar.
Oga's conscientious approach to My Neighbor Totoro was a style that the International Herald Tribune recognized as "[updating] the traditional Japanese animist sense of a natural world that is fully, spiritually alive". The newspaper described the final product:
!!TOP!! Mei And The Kittenbus Full Versionl
Later that night, the Kittenbus takes Mei for a ride. Along the way, they spot the catbus, the kittenbus' father, which is filled with spirits like Totoro. Another catbus pulls up beside them, and soon a variety of cat vehicles appear, such as a cat-train, all filled with Totoro-like spirits. The Catbuses drop their passengers off, and the Kittenbus drops Mei off with them. The spirits move apart to reveal Totoro, who is very happy to see her. 2ff7e9595c