A stunning piece of Studio Ghibli fan art depicts a beautiful moment in Chihiro's journey in Spirited Away.
Artist Jenny Li, known online as Dewpearl Art, uploaded the gorgeous image on Reddit. It sees Chihiro and her companions walking along the submerged railroad tracks, her shoes clenched in her hands to keep them from getting wet, as the setting sun fills a twilight sky with soft colors.
According to Li, they "painted with a semi-soft textured brush, and the water has three components!" First, they did the pebbles and tracks, making them appear darker and more distinct in the foreground of the image. Next, they completed the reflection of the sky and Chihiro by flipping them vertically and adding a motion blur effect. Finally, Li added the water ripples, keeping in mind that "each ripple has a light side (facing the sun) and a dark side (facing us)."
Li's Reddit account is absolutely bursting with other instances of equally stunning Studio Ghibli fan art from classics like My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo and Kiki's Delivery Service. A notable example of the artist's talent is a breathtaking recreation of the scene in Princess Mononoke where San takes Ashitake to be healed by the Forest Spirit.
Hayao Miyazaki Leaves Retirement (Again)
Fans aren't the only ones producing new Studio Ghibli content; several official projects are on the way. Notably, iconic filmmaker Hayao Mizayaki has (once again) left retirement to create a new movie -- an anime adaptation of Yoshino Genzaburo's 1937 novel, How Do You Live? It was reported in 2020 that the animation has over halfway finished, but an official debut date has not been announced yet.
Moreover, Ghibli Park, a new theme park that celebrates the studio's enduring legacy, will open its doors in Nagakute, Aichi, Japan on Nov. 1. The park will feature attractions based on beloved films like Howl's Moving Castle, From Up On Poppy Hill and of course, Spirited Away. Miyazaki himself directed a short trailer, hyping Ghibli Park's fast-approaching opening.
Aichi Prefecture locals are taking advantage of the popularity of Studio Ghibli and the excitement for Ghibli Park. An izakaya chain called Donan Norin Suisanbu began selling recreations of famous foods from several entries in the studio's film catalog on Oct. 11. The menu includes the Siberia cake from both The Wind Rises and Spirited Away.
Many movies by Studio Ghibli, including Spirited Away, are available to rent on Amazon Prime Video thanks to a deal with GKIDS.
Source: Reddit