Studio Ghibli has released 400 free images from… | Little White Lies

Incoming

Studio Ghibli has released 400 free images from its film library

22 Sep 2020

Words by Charles Bramesco

Anime character on train with No-Face from Spirited Away, cat figurine, yellow and purple background.
Anime character on train with No-Face from Spirited Away, cat figurine, yellow and purple background.
From Spirited Away to Ponyo, your screensavers and wallpapers will never be the same again.

We’ve never been shy about our slavish, staff-wide devotion to the works of Studio Ghibli and its associated artists here at Little White Lies HQ, where the Japanese animation giant’s every new announcement is cause for celebration. And so our dear readers can only imagine the triumphant cheers that sounded out upon today’s announcement that the Ghibli vaults have been blown wide open to a grateful public.

Ghibli’s official web site uploaded a post featuring links to download 400 images from eight films across their library of titles. They’ve been historically stingy with access to things of this nature in the past, but the recent availability of their films on streaming channels has heralded a new era of generosity for free use as screensavers, wallpapers, and lock screen backgrounds.

Fans of Spirited Away, Ponyo, Tales from Earthsea, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, When Marnie Was There, The Wind Rises, Arrietty and From Up on Poppy Hill will be pleased to find that each film has 50 high-resolution stills apiece. The images range from sweeping background splashes to character close-ups, with a selection of that range reproduced below.

Underwater scene with colourful jellyfish, coral, and a dome-shaped structure in the foreground against a green and blue background.
Illustration of a woman wearing a pink floral kimono, surrounded by cherry blossom petals.
Lush green forest with two children sitting on a fallen log, surrounded by yellow flowers and sunlight filtering through the trees.
Colourful cartoon image showing two men with exaggerated features and expressions, surrounded by splatters of black and blue.
Colourful town scene with ornate buildings, arched windows, and lanterns. Pedestrians on a winding path. Vibrant, whimsical composition.

And the good news doesn’t stop there – the post on Ghibli’s website states that more image drops like this are still to come, presumably touching on their high-profile films not included here. (Princess Mononoke, Porco Rosso, and Grave of the Fireflies, to name only a few.) Meanwhile, the Ghibli faithful continue to await Goro Miyazaki’s upcoming computer-animated project Earwig and the Witch. This will have to hold us until then.

You might like