An Unexpected Romance: Wholesome Anecdotes of Guillermo Del Toro and His Hidden Otaku Side
Guillermo del Toro is known by many as one of the most impactful directors of our time.
Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1964, cinema seemed to have been a part of his life forever. Notably known for films such as The Shape of Water, Pacific Rim, Mimic, and Hellboy, del Toro is known to be a maestro of fiction, horror, and an obsession with bringing to life terrifying monsters.
When thinking about Japanese subcultures, one does not immediately think about how much of a fan del Toro happens to be. In fact, the Mexican director sources plenty of inspiration from anime, manga, and Japanese TV. As serious and as successful as he is, del Toro occasionally finds himself fawning over Japan’s crazy culture - he’s just like us.
One of the popular anecdotes relating to Guillermo del Toro and this side of him is his undying love for Gundam robots. In a promotional Japanese TV episode for his release of Pacific Rim, he’s seen with a huge expression of awe and childlike wonder at a life-sized Gundam installation. Similarly, as a big fan of the Baltan alien monster from the Nippon superhero franchise Ultraman, del Toro goes in for a warm hug when greeted by a mascot of the character.
Just when you think he couldn’t get cuter, he shares a sneak peek of his otaku side again. In 2018, del Toro posted pictures of his collection shelf for everything manga. He has stated multiple times that Junji Ito, Satoshi Kon, and Osamu Tezuka, whom he was deeply influenced as a child, and works like Ghost in the Shell, GANTZ, and he’s even good friends with Hideo Kojima. On the same note, del Toro has previously said that Doraemon is “the greatest kids' series ever created”.
Affectionately known as Totoro on a niche corner of the Internet, a nickname stemming from working with child actress Mana on the set of Pacific Rim, del Toro is undeniably charming in the most wholesome way, and his genius seems to stem from all the right places.
