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- Exposition - Two sisters, 9 year old Satsuki and 4 year old Mei, move from the city to the rural countryside.
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- Exposition - We meet Satsuki and Mei's dad, and find out that their mother is in the hospital.
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- Exposition - Satsuki and Mei meet Granny, the old woman who acts like a caretaker for them, and Kanta, an annoying kid who picks on Satsuki.
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- Rising Action - Satsuki and Mei meet small black puffy things that live in their house. At first, they think it is bugs or mice, but Granny tells them they are soot sprites. Soot sprites are creatures that live in old houses. Only children can see them.
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- Rising Action - Mei finds a hole next to a tree. She goes down the hole because she is curious. In the hole she finds a little garden with a huge and adorable creature sleeping in it. This is Totoro, the spirit/guardian of the forest.
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- Rising Action - After school, Satsuki and Mei wait for their dad at the bus stop. He is supposed to come fairly early, but multiple buses come without him on them. The girls start to get worried. It starts to rain. Mei ends up falling asleep.
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- Rising Action - While Satsuki and Mei are waiting in the rain, Totoro walks up to them. He waits there for a while, then calls on his ride. Mei and Satsuki are surprised to see him get picked up by a huge furry bus with a cat face, legs and a tail.
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- Rising Action - After the CatBus drives off, Satsuki and Mei's dad finally gets back. They go home. There is a huge windstorm outside.
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- Rising Action - he windstorm wakes the girls up. When they look out the window, they see three Totoros. They run outside and plant seeds. Totoro's magic makes the seeds grow into a huge tree.
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- Rising Action - Mei and Satsuki find out that their mom is not doing well and cannot come home from the hospital as planned.
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- Rising Action - Mei and Satsuki have an argument because Mei won't stop saying she wants their mom to come home. Satsuki says she has to stay at the hospital or she might die, but Mei won't listen. Satsuki yells at Mei and tells her to stop being suck a baby.
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- Climax - Mei wants to see her mother and bring her some corn. She runs off trying to find the hospital.
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- Climax - Since Mei is only 4, she doesn't know the way to the hospital. She ends up getting hopelessly lost.
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- Climax - Satsuki realizes that her little sister is gone. She is mad at herself for yelling at her, and thinks it is all her fault. She begins frantically searching while Granny organizes a search party.
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- Climax - The search party finds a sandal in a huge pond that Mei could have eaily drowned in. Kanta goes to inform Satsuki. Satsuki comes to look at the sandal.
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- Falling Action - Satsuki says the sandal isn't Mei's. Although Mei is still missing, the search party is very relieved.
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- Falling Action - Satsuki relizes that the only thing that can truly help her is going to see Totoro. She goes to find him.
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- Falling Action - Satsuki asks Totoro for help. Totoro calls CatBus to take them to Mei.
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- Falling Action - CatBus finds Mei. Both Satsuki and Mei are extremely happy to see each other once again.
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- Resolution - CatBus takes Satsuki and Mei to the hospital. From the trees outside, they see that their mom is going to be OK after all.
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- Resolution - The CatBus takes the girls home and Totoro says goodbye.
