This Remoted Controlled Catbus Is A Must-Have For Studio Ghibli Fans

In the next few years, fans will find themselves able to enter the world of Studio Ghibli with their upcoming amusement park built in the heart of Japan. If you're looking to dive in prior to that, outside of re-watching the films, you may be interested in this remote controlled "Catbus" from the beloved animated feature, My Neighbor Totoro. Now you can share in the lovable, albeit strangely horrifying, creatures of this Miyazaki classic.

The Twitter Account for AnimeNYC broke the news of the release of this remote controlled creature, which can currently be purchased for around $66 USD:

Scare your pets with the radio controlled Catbus https://t.co/yavAc8njIB pic.twitter.com/TTUv7vhUnz

— Anime NYC (@animenyc) June 4, 2019

The "Catbus" is one of the "monsters" found during the runtime for My Neighbor Totoro that resembles a close distinction to that of the Cheshire Cat from Alice In Wonderland. A giant combination of both a cat and a bus, riders that find this creature can hop a ride inside of its "guts" to get to whatever destination they choose.

The remote controlled toy itself comes with a remote that is also fashioned after the movie, with appropriate buttons with that distinctive Studio Ghibli style, on top of Totoro's visage staring back at you as you control the squiggling mass. The toy itself, aside from having eyes that light up, exhibits three distinct sounds directly from the creature's appearance in My Neighbor Totoro: "the sound of the Catbus door opening, the creature's distinct purring, and the whoosh as its destination marker changes."

The toy itself can currently be bought here online, or purchased in-store from Donguri Kyowakoku locations.

My Neighbor Totoro is one of the most iconic entries into the library of Studio Ghibli. Released in 1988, the story follows a family that has moved to a new residence that is closer to their mother, whose illness has her relegated to a hospital. The father and his two daughter, Mei and Satsuki, attempt to make a new life for themselves while making sure that Yasuko is all right.

While living in their new house, the daughters encounter the "Totoro", a number of different magical creatures that live nearby their house in the woods. The pair develop close relationships with these new creatures, hearkening to a more magical take on Calvin and Hobbes for example. When the girl's mother is eventually released from the hospital, the daughters continue their lives and move on from their magical friends, who still watch them from the background.

What do you think of this remote controlled catbus? Will you be adding it to your Studio Ghibli collection? Let us know in the comments or feel free to hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk comics, anime, and all things body horror.