Twentythree

From Nausicaä to Earwig and the Witch, this collection celebrates all but one of Ghibli’s major feature films. 

Part of what makes a Studio Ghibli film so memorable is the cast of characters you meet along the way, with each one bringing an individual charm to the storyline.

While these characters stand out in our memories long after the credits roll on the film, there’s now a way to make them stand out on our desks too, thanks to a massive new wooden clip collection from specialty Ghibli retail chain Donguri Kyowakoku.

Called “25 Works Wooden Clip“, the range showcases 25 Studio Ghibli works, all beautifully rendered in wood. With circular designs printed on natural material, the colours have a wonderfully muted look, reminiscent of the hand-drawn animation style that appears in the vast majority of Ghibli movies.

▼ While the stands act as miniature movie displays, they also have a functional aspect to them.

▼ Squeeze the base of the clip…

▼ …and you’ll open the top, allowing you to slot papers, cards and photos in the opening.

▼ The clips can be used to hold everything from personal notes and postcards through to cherished mementos.

▼ On the back, each clip has the name of the movie printed on it, to remind you of the origin of the design.

With a number of interesting details that combine Western and Japanese elements, like the use of katakana script instead of the usual hiragana in film titles, these clips stand out as unique items in the Ghibli merchandise world. There’s a lot to cover here, so let’s take a look at the clips in order of the release date of the movie they honour.

▼ Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

At the centre of this design is Nausicaä, with her fox-squirrel companion Teto on her shoulder and images of the Ohmu circling her. The Worm-Flute she uses to calm the Ohmu is depicted beneath the Japanese title, which is written with a combination of kanji and katakana characters (“風ノ谷ノナウシカ”) in the traditional right-to-left reading direction.

▼ Castle in the Sky (1986)

The first meeting between main characters Sheeta and Pazu is beautifully captured in this clip, which shows Pazu catching Sheeta as she falls from the sky.

▼ Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

This clip pulls at the heartstrings while reminding us to cherish the simple joys in life, as siblings Seita and Setsuko gaze at fireflies, surrounded by imagery from the wartime film. Both the Japanese title, written with kanji and katakana characters as “火垂ルノ墓”, and the year of release (“一九八八”) are arranged in the traditional right-to-left reading direction.

▼ My Neighbour Totoro (1988)

Titular character Totoro flashes us a happy grin here, joined by a Soot Sprite, a White Totoro and other forest creatures in the design. The Japanese title, written in katakana as “トナリノトトロ” and printed in the traditional right-to-left reading style, tips its hat, quite literally, to young character Mei, with her straw hat placed on the final character.

▼ Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

Young witch Kiki and her loyal black cat, Jiji, are here to remind us to bravely take on new adventures, with nods to her home and bakery in the design.

▼ Only Yesterday (1991)

This clip captures the film’s journey through childhood nostalgia by depicting Taeko alongside her younger self, with the Japanese title written right-to-left in katakana (“オモヒデポロポロ”).

▼ Porco Rosso (1992)

This clip stars ace pilot Porco Rosso, happily in his element in the cockpit of his beloved plane.

▼ The Ocean Waves (1993)

This design depicts main character Rikako, the Tokyo transfer student whose quiet and independent nature leads her to become misunderstood by her classmates.

▼ Pom Poko (1994)

This clip shines a light on the mischievous shape-shifting tanuki as they fight to protect their woodland home, with the film’s Japanese title printed right-to-left in kanji and katakana “平成狸合戦ポンポコ”, and Japanese numerals “一九九四” indicating the year of release.

▼ Whisper of the Heart (1995)

Go for a bike ride with aspiring writer Shizuku Tsukishima and violin maker Seiji Amasawa in this whimsical, romantic design.

▼ Princess Mononoke (1997)

San brings her indomitable spirit to this clip, offering encouragement when we need it most, alongside wolf Moro and a couple of Kodama. The film’s Japanese title is written with kanji and katakana characters (“モノノケ姫”) , in the traditional right-to-left style.

▼ My Neighbours the Yamadas (1999)

The happy Yamada family warms our hearts with their smiles on this design, which features the film’s Japanese title, in kanji and katakana characters (“ホーホケキョ ノ山田クン”), printed right-to-left.

▼ Spirited Away (2001)

This clip is like an invitation to the bathhouse from the film, with mystical customers appearing to march towards their baths. No Face watches on with Haru in the background as a cheeky Soot Sprite reaches for a candy on the title, which is written right-to-left, in kanji and katakana (“千ト千尋ノ角ま千ノ千尋の神隠シ”). The final letter “シ” (on the left) is cleverly constructed with a couple of bath tags.

▼ The Cat Returns (2002)

Haru and the Baron are the stars of this clip, with feline Muta appearing near the title, and motifs from the film adding extra visual interest to the design.

▼ The Ghiblies Episode 2 (2002)

Not a lot of Ghibli fans know about this comedy short, but it’s something you should definitely put on your radar as it features the quirky staff of Studio Ghibli, with a humorous look at their everyday lives and personalities.

▼ Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

Howl is central to this design, which cleverly adds Calcifer into the title, taking the place of “O” in “Howl’s”.

▼ Tales from Earthsea (2006)

This clip features Prince Arren, with a majestic dragon that highlights the fantasy world of Earthsea.

▼ Ponyo (2008)

Magical goldfish Ponyo is front and centre in this design, surrounded by her lookalike siblings in their undersea world.

▼ Arrietty (2010)

This clip features tiny Borrower Arrietty, wearing her signature red hair clip and surrounded by leaves, flowers and berries that remind us of her tiny home.

▼ From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)

Step back in time to 1963 Yokohama with high school student Umi Matsuzaki, known as “the girl who raises flags” because she raises signal flags every morning and lowers them every night.

▼ The Wind Rises (2013)

This design pays tribute to aeronautical engineer Jiro Horikoshi and his dream of building beautiful aircraft.

▼ The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)

Princess Kaguya takes the spotlight in the design, which replicates the beautiful illustrative style of the movie, and adds the year of its release in Japanese numerals (二〇一三).

▼ When Marnie Was There (2014)

Titular character Marnie stares into the distance on this clip, evoking the mysterious feel of the movie with a nighttime design.

▼ The Red Turtle (2016)

This is the only clip that doesn’t use the film’s English or Japanese title, instead using the French title, “La Tortue Rouge“, with the red turtle looming behind the unnamed castaway.

▼ Earwig and the Witch (2020)

This design features Earwig (or Aya as she’s known to Japanese audiences), with her familiar, a black cat called Thomas, and a couple of little demons.

Well, that certainly was a walk down memory lane! Though some of the more popular Ghibli films are fresh in our memories, there were some clips there that had us recalling films we’d long forgotten, and others that still tend to fly under the radar.

One notable movie missing from the lineup, however, is The Boy and the Heron, meaning the collection covers all but one of Studio Ghibli’s major film releases. If you’re a glass-half-full kind of person, though, the range does include every major film prior to The Boy and the Heron’s 2023 release, and even includes Nausicaä, which, despite being a Hayao Miyazaki film, technically predates the official founding of the studio.

With 25 clips to choose from, it’ll be hard to whittle down our favourites, especially as each clip comes with a design that plays out like a short movie clip in the mind. Priced at 715 yen (US$4.85) each, they can be purchased at Donguri Kyowakoku stores and online (links below) while stocks last.

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Featured image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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