Viz Media has announced plans to celebrate the 25th anniversary of legendary director and artist Hayao Miyazaki's film My Neighbor Totoro with two new releases under its Studio Ghibli imprint.

 

Arriving on October 1st, the landmark 1988 film reaches new audiences with My Neighbor Totoro: A Novel as well as a new edition of the My Neighbor Totoro picture book.  Written by Tsugiko Kubo, the novel adaptation is a hardcover edition with original watercolor illustrations by Miyazaki. It retails for $17.99.

 

A companion to the film, the My Neighbor Totoro picture book is updated from the original 2005 edition.  This edition features artwork taken directly from the movie, a new cover design, and scene-by-scene illustrations and character dialogue.  It is rated A for All Ages and will retail for $19.99.

 

Both My Neighbor Totoro: A Novel and the My Neighbor Totoro picture book correspond with the planned release of an upcoming anniversary Blu-ray edition of the 1988 film this fall.

 

Previously, Viz had published an English-language edition of the four-volume My Neighbor Totoro manga in 2004 and 2005, licensed from the original produced in Japan in 1988. 

 

The news of these forthcoming Miyazaki titles follows closely on Viz's announcement of manga box set collections (see "'One Piece' and 'Complete Bakuman' Box Sets"). 

 

--Nathan Wilson