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SoraNews24
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Beautiful covers make Studio Ghibli vinyl soundtracks and image albums look as good as they sound
Gorgeous artwork graces the jackets of LP releases of the work of Ghibli's greatest composer. Some audiophiles insist that vinyl recordings sound better than digital ones. You can make a pretty strong argument, though, that they sound better too, Because of their size and scratchable material, records need jackets, and those jackets can have beautiful artwork. Serving as stunning examples of that are these vinyl records for the anime films of Studio Ghibli, on offer from specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku. There aren't just rectangular croppings of their respective movie posters or DVD covers, either, but artwork specially chosen for the LP jackets. Pictured above is the soundtrack for Princess Mononoke, which comes on two double-sided records containing 33 songs from Jo Hisaishi, the long-collaborating composer behind all of the Ghibli anime music we'll be looking at today, including Spirited Away. The perspective and sense of scale on the 21-song soundtrack's cover makes the bathhouse of the gods look both unsettling and intriguing, which describes the tone of many of the film's scenes. Ghibli's memorable anime architecture is also on display from a fresh angle in the jacket for the 26-piece Howl's Moving Castle soundtrack. Though Hisaishi has composed the scores for just about all of director Hayao Miyazaki's theatrical anime, he worked only one time with Isao Takahata when the late Ghibli co-founder was in the director's chair, making the 37-piece soundtrack for The Tale of the Princess Kaguya a once-in-an-artistic lifetime collaboration between the two. And last, we come to what was supposed to be Miyazaki's last feature-length anime, The Wind Rises, and its 32-piece soundtrack. All of the above soundtracks are two-record sets, although only the Princess Mononoke one uses both sides of both records, with the others using only one side of their second. Meanwhile, the Kiki's Delivery Service Soundtrack Music Collection is a more modestly sized one-disc, 21-piece selection of music from the only anime produced, directed, and written by Miyazaki. And if you want even more beautiful Ghibli record jacket art, it can be found on the covers for the film's 'image albums.' Image albums are what the Japanese music sphere calls musical compositions inspired by the setting, story, and characters of an animated work, but which aren't heard within the anime itself. In the case of the Kik's Delivery Service image album above, for example, Hisaishi's aim was to recreate the feeling of how Miyazaki described the setting to him, 'A vaguely European town, somewhere near the Mediterranean sea,' in musical form, in much the same way that the beautiful cover artwork of Kiki getting ready to depart her parent's house isn't taken directly from the film. That same philosophy is behind the image albums for Spirited Away , Howl's Moving Castle , and Princess Monoke . Each of the image albums are single-record, with 10 pieces of music and priced at 4,180 yen (US$29), as is the Kiki's Delivery Service Soundtrack Music Collection , while the two record soundtracks are 5,280 yen. Several of them were sold out and unavailable until recently, but they're all restocked and can be ordered through the Donguri Kyowakoku online store here. Source: Donguri Kyowakoku Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Strong female leads in Studio Ghibli you never realized were rewriting the rules
While much attention is given to Ghibli's more visible heroines like San or Kiki, characters like Naoko from The Wind Rises reflect a quieter strength. Naoko's selfless devotion reflects emotional resilience that defies expectations even as she faces illness. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now She is not bold in the traditional sense, but she quietly shapes the world around her. Her love is not passive. It's active in its sacrifice. Umi from From Up on Poppy Hill also reframes strength. Her dedication to her household and community isn't glamorous, but it shows deep courage. Despite being a teenager, she becomes the emotional anchor in her boarding house. Her actions, rooted in care and responsibility, elevate domestic labor and emotional work to a heroic level. Princess Mononoke, morally grey woman challenges gender binaries Lady Eboshi in Princess Mononoke blurs lines between good and evil. Her willingness to destroy the forest seems villainous, yet her protection of marginalized people; lepers and former sex workers; adds depth. She holds both power and compassion. Her leadership is ruthless, but also maternal. She shatters the idea that women in power must be gentle or soft. This complex morality is rarely granted to female characters in animation. Studio Ghibli breaks this trend by allowing women like Eboshi to be contradictory. The result is a portrayal of femininity that doesn't conform to traditional binaries. Instead, it exists across a spectrum of power, care, anger, and purpose. Satsuki and Shizuku, as youthful heroines forced into maturity early Satsuki from My Neighbor Totoro is only a child, yet she takes on responsibilities beyond her years. Her mother's illness and her father's work pull her into a caretaker role. Still, she retains the imagination and joy of childhood. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Ghibli doesn't romanticize her burden, but neither does it strip her of agency. Similarly, Shizuku in Whisper of the Heart deals with insecurity, first love, and the pressure to define herself. Her struggle is internal, but no less significant. She's not saving a world; she's building her own identity. These stories remind audiences that coming-of-age is its own kind of heroism. Haru and Kiki's feminine softness as a form of strength In The Cat Returns, Haru begins as unsure and quiet. But her growth doesn't involve turning into a fighter; it involves gaining self-respect. She leaves behind a fantasy world by realizing she deserves more in her real life. Her arc suggests that strength doesn't always mean resistance; sometimes, it means walking away. Kiki, despite her magical abilities, experiences burnout and self-doubt. Her strength lies not in her magic, but in her recovery. By embracing rest and vulnerability, Kiki proves that softness and uncertainty are valid, even powerful, emotional states. Ghibli rewrites strength in subtle ways The Cat Returns, a 2002 theatrical anime film (Credit: Crunchyroll) Studio Ghibli consistently avoids one-dimensional portrayals of its female leads. These characters redefine what strength looks like. Whether through moral complexity, emotional labor, or quiet self-discovery, they expand the definition of heroine. Their stories don't rely on spectacle; but they rewrite rules all the same. In doing so, they offer new blueprints for femininity in storytelling.
SoraNews24
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Princess Mononoke Ghibli accessory line returns with all-natural dagger pendant and more【Photos】
Ashitaka's gift to San can now be a gift for you. Princess Mononoke is the grittiest Ghibli anime. Even compared to the Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and its post-apocalyptic setting, or to The Wind Rises and its constant looming of the outbreak of World War II, Princess Mononoke's narrative is oppressively dark, and even the film's ending acknowledges that there can likely never be a perfectly happy resolution to its fundamental conflicts. And yet, there's beauty to be found in Princess Mononoke too, both in the bonds characters manage to form in spite of the cruel events taking place around them, and also in the anime's amazing visual designs. Symbolizing both of those is the pendant that Ashitaka gives to San as a symbol of his devotion, which fans can now also wear in the real world. About to be restocked by Studio Ghibli specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku, this necklace differs from the one we took a look at a while back, and is made of all-natural materials. The cord is leather, the bead wood, and the pendant itself is made of sodalite. Sodalite is said to ward off evil, both from external sources and maliciousness born from within stemming from anger or fearfulness. On a less metaphysical level, sodalite also looks really pretty, and since it's a natural stone, each pendant is a unique work of art with its own hue and marbling. If you're looking to further accessorize like Princess Mononoke's female lead, Donguri Kyowakoku has also restocked San's earrings. Once again, the design employs natural materials. Rather than plastic, the discs are made of shell, and the beads are wood (though the fittings are brass). The earrings are available in two versions, one for pierced ears and one that uses ear clips instead. In a deviation from their in-anime appearance, the discs bear a pattern evocative of San's battle mask on one side. Also not necessarily appearing within the anime, but instantly recognizable as inspired by it, is the 'Tataring.' A play on words with tatarigami, as the cursed forest gods are called in the Japanese-language version of Princess Mononoke, the Tataring is a band of the writhing curse energy that Ashitaka becomes infested with which kicks off the chain of events that leads to him meeting San and the inhabitants of Irontown, then becoming entangled in their conflict. The Tataring is, of course, not actually cursed, but the finish on the epoxy resin gives it a gleam that makes it look like it's undulating when viewed from different angles. And finally, if you're looking for someplace to store all of these when you're not wearing them, there's the San Fur Pouch. Don't worry, the designers' penchant for using natural materials didn't extend to them actually skinning a white wolf to make it. The 13-centimeter (5.1-inch) long pouch is covered in polyester imitation fur, though the zipper pulls are natural shell. Anime themed accessories in general, and Ghibli merch in particular, often comes with a bit of premium pricing, but the most expensive item in the bunch is the pendant at 5,940 yen (US$41), with the earrings 2,640 yen, the Tataring 1,980 yen, and the pouch 3,080 yen. Donguri Kyowakoku's restock means that they'll all be available once again through the chain's online store from April 26 at 10 a.m. (pendant here, pierced earrings here, clip earrings here, ring here, and pouch here). Source: Donguri Kyowakoku Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
