Five scenes from the anime that looks like no other are waiting for you to recreate them.

The films of Studio Ghibli are extremely beautiful works of art, but even within that rarified group none of the others are beautiful in the way that The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is. At first glance, the 2013 movie, based on the Japanese folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, almost looks simplistic, with indistinct linework and sparse, often hazy backgrounds. But in the final film he made before passing away, director Isao Takahata manages to create something akin to anime impressionism, and the mixture of comforting warmth and apprehensive uncertainty that comes from the soft, less-than-complete visuals fits the story perfectly.

If that otherworldly quality speaks to you, there’s now a way to bring it into the real world, with the Miniature Kit Studio Ghibli Mini Tale of the Princess Kaguya series.

These dioramas are sold as build-it-yourself kits, allowing you to appreciate the subtle charm of each pen stroke and shade of color as you assemble the pieces. The lineup consists of five sets, each recreating a scene from the Ghibli anime, such as the moment when Princess Kaguya’s adoptive father, the Bamboo Cutter, discovers her as a literally small child inside a bamboo shoot. From there, the dioramas take us through Kaguya spending time with her lady-in-waiting…

…dancing with joy under the boughs of a sakura cherry blossom tree in the mountains…

…the Mikado trying to claim the princess as his own…

…and the bittersweet reunion with her lunar kinsfolk.

While assembly is required (and part of the fun), Ami Ami, the online retailer offering the dioramas, says that even people who’ve never put together a model should have no trouble, and that the entire process can be done in a relaxed two hours.

The finished dioramas have a 5.4-centimeter (2.1-inch) square base and a height of 4.6 centimeters, making them compact enough to fit on pretty much any shelf or desk, and you can also set them atop the beautifully illustrated box for some extra height.

The Miniature Kit Studio Ghibli Mini Tale of the Princess Kaguya are priced at 2,280 yen (US$21.50) on Ami Ami’s online store here, with shipping scheduled for late October. And if you want even more Ghibli interior touches, don’t forget there’s a new series of Spirited Away yokai figures too.

Source: Ami Ami via Japaaan
Top image: Ami Ami (1, 2)
Insert images: Ami Ami (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
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