Chihiro, Haku, Kiki, and other beloved characters from Studio Ghibli's iconic films race across the sky in a new piece of stunning fan art.
The painting, which was posted on Reddit by artist Marta Kolinsky and is titled "Ghibli race", shows Howl and Sophie in the lead with Nausicaä and Kiki close behind. Chihiro riding Haku in his dragon form and Porco in his red plane bring up the rear.
The piece has attracted praise and several requests asking if the beautiful painting can be purchased. According to the artist, they are willing to sell prints of "Ghibli race" and their other works, which includes a painting of Ponyo and Granmamare, which was inspired by symbolist painter Gustav Klimt's "Mother and Child," and multiple images of characters and scenery from My Neighbor Totoro.
Studio Ghibli was founded in June 1985 after the success of Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind the year prior. Since then, the studio has produced 22 feature films and has become an icon of the anime industry. Several of its titles are among the highest-grossing anime movies of all time and received nominations from the Academy Awards; in fact, Spirited Away won the Best Animated Feature Oscar in 2003.
While the majority of Studio Ghibli's films have received overwhelmingly positive praise from both critics and fans, the studio's most recent release, Earwig and the Witch, which was its first CG-animated picture, disappointed many, being described as a charming but ultimately mediocre movie. However, Miyazaki himself commended Earwig and the Witch, calling it "really something," and stated that modern audiences could learn a lot from the titular protagonist.
There have been several other recent examples of stunning Studio Ghibli fanmade creations beyond Marta Kolinsky's "Ghibli race." One creative fan built a musical Rube-Goldberg Machine that plays the most recognizable melody from Spirited Away and two others baked a delicate sugar cookie of Castle in the Sky's gentle Laputa robot. On the more horrifying side, artist Zettabeast fused My Neighbor Totoro and Silent Hill to create a nightmarish piece of mash-up fan art.
Studio Ghibli fans have more to be excited about than just creative works of fan art. In 2017, it was announced that Miyazaki was coming out of retirement to direct one last feature film. Titled How Do You Live?, the movie is set to premiere sometime in 2023.
Many Studio Ghibli classics like Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and From Up on Poppy Hill can be streamed on HBO Max.
Source: Reddit