Intricately detailed frames let you mix your real life memories with Ghibi’s unforgettable anime settings.
I’ve always though it’s kind of odd when you’re shopping for a photo frame and there’s already a picture of people inside of it. I guess the intent is to help you gauge the overall visual vibe before you commit to making the purchase, but it still feels weird to buy something that comes with a picture of complete strangers included as part of the deal.
The people pictured within these photo frames, though, should be very familiar to fans of the anime films of Studio Ghibli.
Just released by Ghibli specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku, the Totoro Forest photo frame has an illustration of sisters Mei and Satsuki, plus their dad, gazing up reverently at the boughs of the camphor tree near their new countryside home in My Neighbor Totoro. “It’s a fine tree,” the sisters’ father tells them. “I think it must have been standing here since long, long ago…from the times when trees and people got along with each other so well.”
Of course, if you recognize the people inside the frame, you’re definitely going to be happy to see the characters on the frame itself, as there’s a full group of all three Totoros: the big/gray Totoro…
…the medium/blue Totoro…
…and the small/white Totoro, who’s perched on top of the camphor branches that arch over the photo space.
An especially cool touch is how the Tototos’ eyes are positioned to be looking into the frame, so they’ll be looking at you, your friends, and your family once you insert your own photos.
▼ The film’s Japanese title, Tonari no Totoro is written at the bottom of the frame…
▼ …and there are some Soot Sprites hanging out here too!
Kiki’s Delivery Service fans are also getting a special photo frame, this one recreating the home potion workshop that Kiki’s mom plies her trade in.
Inside the frame is a moment from early in the anime, when Kiki’s mom gives her some sage words of advice after the witch-in-training grumbles about the look of the plain black dress she’ll be wearing on her journey.
This time, the Ghibli character on the frame is Kiki’s black cat companion Jiji.
But wait…Jiji isn’t quite looking towards the picture inside the frame.
Instead he’s looking up above, behind the dried flowers and herbs that Kiki’s mom has prepared, because…there’s a mouse at the end of the shelf!
With so many little details to appreciate, these frames would actually make fine decorations even without adding a photo of your own, and being made of resin, metal, and plastic means they should be sturdy, long-lasting interior accents. Size-wise, the Totoro frame is 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) wide and 18.5 centimeters tall, and the Kiki’s Delivery Service one is 18 by 15 centimeters. Prices are different for the two, though, with the Totoro frame 9,900 yen (US$65) and the Kiki’s 12,100 yen, perhaps on account of the intricacies of crafting all those potion ingredients.
Both frames are available through the Donguri Kyowakoku online store here.
Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2)
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