Take your big inspiration, and jot it down with this new collection of Studio Ghibli stationery from Chronicle Books. The set includes a sketchbook, journals, *plush* journals, erasers, and pencils.
We haven’t forgotten that Studio Ghibli took the animation world by storm with several films that some call the best hand-drawn films of all time. It’s known for creating vast anime worlds like in Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and the two Chronicle Books adapted into its stationery: My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service.
My Neighbor Totoro explores childhood imaginations when the sisters Satsuke and Mei move into a haunted house with their father and learn that even stranger creatures are outside. In Kiki’s Delivery Service, a young witch Kiki spends a year with only her cat, Jiji, to become a true witch.
The above My Neighbor Totoro Sketchbook ($19.95) is gray cloth, with Totoro and other forest icons foil stamped on the top. Blank pages — 128 of them — are designed to be filled with a world of possibilities — or your grocery list. (Who am I to judge?) Luckily for every doodler out there, pen and pencil don’t bleed through the thick stock; however, markers can.
Plush journals (mhmm, yes, you read that correctly) are available for $16.95. Fans can choose from two designs: My Neighbor Totoro or Kiki’s Delivery Service. On the My Neighbor Totoro journal, a fuzzy, blue background serves as a muted backdrop so that a Cat Bus stitching can stick out on the cover. Inside of the front and back covers are colorful animations of Mei drawing and Cat Bus roaring away.
The brown-dotted lines of the pages are joined by sepia-toned artwork of mushrooms in the corners. Cat Bus and Mei make appearances throughout without blocking your words. Due to the illustrations and the fact that marker does bleed through the paper, the 96 pages are best used for writing.
The Kiki’s Delivery Service journal celebrates Jiji, who is stitched on the red plush cover. The bold inside-cover artwork features Kiki and Jiji. Inside you’ll find blue-tinted images of Jiji, Jeff, and Kiki in the corners. Both journals come with plastic covers for avoiding dust, but dare to dream and don’t use it — the plush won’t attract too much dirt if you’re careful.
The non-plush journals are no less exciting. They’re as sophisticated and beautiful as the nostalgic animations that they’re based on (My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service), and they only cost $12.95. Sections are divided into subdued hues of the rainbow, each part beginning with different drawings from the films.
Simplistic pictures of the characters are woven into the corners of each of the 196 pages, and it’s easy to find your place within your writings with the attached ribbon. Writing with a strong hand could lead to some bleeding through the pages, but only permanent markers like Sharpie leave a noticeable mark on the back of a page.
There’s no way to avoid the adorableness of the pencils and erasers. Currently, they’re only designed around My Neighbor Totoro, but who is complaining? The No. 2 pencils come pre-sharpened with a bundle of Totoro, acorn, Susuwatari, and Chibi designs for $14.95. Five colorful erasers arrive in a box with a cutout, so you can see the cuteness before the box is even open. They’re not the kind of erasers you want to use every day, but they work well at getting rid of small mistakes. Find them for $12.95.
When you need some motivation to write or draw with all your new merch just remember the words from My Neighbor Totoro: “Big things have small beginnings.”
Photos: My Studio Ghibli
