"My Neighbor Totoro" was released by Studio Ghibli as a double feature with Isao Takahata's "Grave of the Fireflies" in August 1988. There are two theories for this: one was that "Totoro" would not be successful. Another theory is that "Grave of the Fireflies" was believed to be too depressing for audiences by itself, and thus needed a lighter animation to accompany it. The late Yoshifumi Kondo provided character designs for both movies.