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Viral Challenge Has People Redrawing Studio Ghibli Characters In Their Own Style, And Here’s 35 Of The Most Impressive Recreations
Studio Ghibli was founded 34 years ago and since then it has cemented itself as one of the best animation film studios in the business. Princess Mononoke (1997), My Neighbor Totoro (1998), Spirited Away (2001), and other movies it produced became instant classics, winning numerous awards and, most importantly, touching hearts all over the world.
As a thank you for everything the studio has done, Twitter user Kadeart challenged the Internet to redraw its famous characters in their own style. And people delivered. They've been sharing their fanart under the hashtag #GhibliRedraw, and some of them are so good, even the studio's icon Hayao Miyazaki would probably approve them.
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#1
fro_st puppy 5 years ago
wow i love this so much. very talented artist. so different yet similar
George Chesterson 5 years ago
Ha! Love it. So delightful I actually laughed out loud when I saw it.
One of the reasons why these characters are so compelling is depth. As Roger Ebert put it, many directors pitch their movies at 10-year-olds and claim they are for the "whole family" while Miyazaki makes a movie that adults found fascinating at the Berlin, Telluride, and Toronto festivals and claims it is for 10-year-olds. Of course, Miyazaki isn't the only one who's responsible for Studio Ghibli characters, but this explanation perfectly describes the filmmakers' approach.
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#2
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 5 years ago
I remember that Spirited Away was one my the first Studio Ghibli movies that I saw as a teenager (back when Japanese animation/anime was seen as "geeky" and fringe), and I have been in love with Miyazaki's movies, characters, and animation ever since.
'Complexity' applies to Ghibli movie narratives as well. You can watch its movie over and over again and still not fully get it. And the fact that studio representatives give very few articles or agree to so little articles only adds to the mystery surrounding it. There's even a thing called "The Curse of Ghibli", a theory amongst Japanese financial traders, implying that Studio Ghibli is somehow hexed and can damage the stock and currency markets. Apparently, whenever a Ghibli movie airs in the country, bad things happen. They say some traders and investors pay attention to TV schedules for this reason.
Whatever the case might be, we may never really know everything about our beloved Ghibli characters. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
#3
fro_st puppy 5 years ago
oh i love this movie! its an amazing picture well done. Baron and Haru!
#4
#5
Eglė Bukauskaitė 5 years ago
Pretty sure the redrawn version's eyes is either X-Ray or is looking straight to parallel universe
William McCarthy 5 years ago
that is very good, but imagine you put that poster above your bed on the ceiling so it was the first thing you saw every morning. i would scream every morning.
#6
Lisa loves cats 5 years ago
Aww she’s cute everybody is saying that she’s being “sexified” but to me it just looks like a cutie
Daria B 5 years ago (edited)
Sexualised? This? Oh, dear goodness, now we'll have to walk around covering our faces because someone might find it inviting? I mean, we do wear face masks because of the virus, but still... (btw, did you know that the whole bathhouse thing in the film is filled with anti-pedophillia symbolism? There's articles and interviews about it, feel free to search it.)
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JessG 5 years ago
The first one is the original movie, and, it's not a 'he'
Load More Replies... Remy 5 years ago
"sexifying" isn't a word; the word you're looking for is "sexualizing". However, just simply adding some slightly more mature and feminine characteristics doesn't 'sexualize' a character - seems kind of creepy to think otherwise.
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#8
#9
Up All Night 5 years ago
She's pretty in both pictures so I suppose you refer to the book?
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Nicole Tomme 5 years ago
Wow either O'Pug is jealous, making a bad joke or just looking for something to Grumble about. Because that comment is not true. This is beautiful work.
Load More Replies... #10
💥 Bakugou, Katsuki 💥 5 years ago
Haha omg this is the best one!!! The style is almost exactly the same!! Haha go Bleach!!
#11
#12
Up All Night 5 years ago
At least now she has a nose which lets her breathe normally.
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Jaden Stockmans 3 years ago
You’ve commented something negative on every picture lol sorry they couldn’t please you hun maybe we’ll get it right for ya next time ;)
Load More Replies... #14
D. Pitbull 5 years ago
Yup. now... I am SERIOUSLY hungry ... omg... I want to eat the monitor... I can... almost taste.. the chashu... - no, seriously... I am going to go make some ramen now... damnit.
Jill 5 years ago
Apparently there is a saying in the animation community in Japan, "No rice, no life." It means if you dont have food and eating in animation, it doesnt come off as believable. But then again, Japanese culture is all about food!
Load More Replies... #15
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 5 years ago
Gorgeous- I love the level of detail and the colours in this piece.
Nicole Tomme 5 years ago
Dramatic hand on forehead perfectly underlines the drama that is Howl.
#16
D. Pitbull 5 years ago
YAS!!! I love these guys. I have no idea what they are - giant chick-duck-yellow... I have a plushie of them. So vibrant 'n' shiny in the redraw :D
#17
Nicole Tomme 5 years ago
Reminds me of classic Disney style from the early days (aka Snow White).
#18
#19
#20
#21
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 5 years ago
Adorable- it reminds me off a traditional woodblock print or an illustration from a children's book.
#22
Andrea Jones 5 years ago
Chihiro is supposed to be a little girl. I feel that the warmth of childhood in this one is lost because the artist focused on turning this character attractive.
Tim Fischer 5 years ago
Get what you mean, but how is this "sexualising"?
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#23
Robert Bailey 5 years ago
Did anyone else spend the middle part of this movie hoping she'd get better. And then it the back of your mind knowing it's a true story, and hoping was futile.
#24
Esca Sav 5 years ago
... I... I kind of want to see an adaptation of these movies in this style...
Meyer Weinstock 5 years ago
That style of eyes in anime using indicate that the person is being mischievous.
#25
SirPatTheCat 5 years ago
Omg is that a traditional watercolor?! It's so clean even though that looks like rough or hot press?! I'm very impressed (I usually work with markers or digital and have just started trying out watercolor; am not very good at brush control)
#27
#28
Maddie Downard 4 years ago
I like the art and everything and I know the BLM thing is going around but if he was originally black already and someone had remade him into a white character...it would get a lot of hate.
Nicole Tomme 5 years ago
Interesting take! And love the earring glow. If they still had blue or green eyes that glowed a bit to match it would be that much more of a striking image with the lighting contrast. But this is still very nice. My eye just wants to zero in on that earring, though.
#31
Path of Totality 5 years ago
I would love to have seen a little more of the artists' own interpretation of the characters and scene, but that's just my preference and it's amazing as is!
Felipe StillChill 5 years ago
Grumble please go do something else you are insulting beautiful art
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#33
Esca Sav 5 years ago
I don't know about you guys, but it looks like Sasuke forgot what show he was in
Lisa loves cats 5 years ago
That’s because the first one (not the original) is a refrance to The anime my hero acadamia
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#39
southpaw 5 years ago
i feel like this is common. ppl ask for pity drawing when they know they're good
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#43
#65
Add New Image
What do you think ?
elia 84631 5 years ago
These illustrations make me watch all the movies. They are so great and pleasing
Jill 5 years ago
This just reminds me that we need more Ghibli movies! I would love to see some of them redrawn as well like some of these.
Daria B 5 years ago (edited)
Aya to Majo was announced for this winter. It will be 3D, however. I like 3d too, it's just a bit different from usual expectations from us audiences. But let's consider Ghibli also has an actual video game (Ni no Kuni), so I choose to be optimistic about it. After all, Ghibli never really disappointed me.
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Miklós Nagy 5 years ago
How long before it's become the same political trollfest as the Sailor Moon challenge did?
Demi Zwaan 5 years ago
Ok, it started to get confusing half way through, as it seems they start posting redraws first and originals second? That's not the proper order and if you don't know what this is from, like me, you don't know which one is the original... It's always 'old' - 'new'.
Pusheen 4 years ago
It's not upgrading, people are just redrawing stuff in their own style. Chill out.
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Aunt Messy 5 years ago
Aside from abrogating copyright, what makes this arrogant idiot think that he can rewrite characters on some of the most effective and iconic animation that's ever been written? ...///... A large part of the point of the simplicity of the animation style IS simplicity. It's allowing the characters to tell their story WITHOUT embellishment.
Up All Night 5 years ago
Jesus f*****g Christ, did you just say ban all the fanart because of copyright?! Every anime has fans and tons of fanart. Guess what, people aren't always copying the style like slaves, they like to draw in their own unique style. Also I don't think Miyazaki would be flattered by you calling his characters' look "simplified".
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elia 84631 5 years ago
These illustrations make me watch all the movies. They are so great and pleasing
Jill 5 years ago
This just reminds me that we need more Ghibli movies! I would love to see some of them redrawn as well like some of these.
Daria B 5 years ago (edited)
Aya to Majo was announced for this winter. It will be 3D, however. I like 3d too, it's just a bit different from usual expectations from us audiences. But let's consider Ghibli also has an actual video game (Ni no Kuni), so I choose to be optimistic about it. After all, Ghibli never really disappointed me.
Load More Replies... Miklós Nagy 5 years ago
How long before it's become the same political trollfest as the Sailor Moon challenge did?
Demi Zwaan 5 years ago
Ok, it started to get confusing half way through, as it seems they start posting redraws first and originals second? That's not the proper order and if you don't know what this is from, like me, you don't know which one is the original... It's always 'old' - 'new'.
Pusheen 4 years ago
It's not upgrading, people are just redrawing stuff in their own style. Chill out.
Load More Replies... Aunt Messy 5 years ago
Aside from abrogating copyright, what makes this arrogant idiot think that he can rewrite characters on some of the most effective and iconic animation that's ever been written? ...///... A large part of the point of the simplicity of the animation style IS simplicity. It's allowing the characters to tell their story WITHOUT embellishment.
Up All Night 5 years ago
Jesus f*****g Christ, did you just say ban all the fanart because of copyright?! Every anime has fans and tons of fanart. Guess what, people aren't always copying the style like slaves, they like to draw in their own unique style. Also I don't think Miyazaki would be flattered by you calling his characters' look "simplified".
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