Gorgeous anime stills include tantalising food scenes from some of the studio’s beloved films. 

Last month, Studio Ghibli wowed its fans around the world with a present they weren’t expecting: a collection of 400 images from eight feature films free to download online.

It was a surprise gesture of kindness from a studio renowned for being fiercely protective of their movies, and now they’ve added even more images to the collection, expanding it to include six more titles, with 50 images from each film.

So let’s get right to it and take a look at some of the gorgeous new animated stills that have just been released for free online!

The first movie to feature in the second collection is Howl’s Moving Castle, the 2004 film that tells the tale of Sophie, a young milliner, who goes on a journey of self-discovery with some magical companions after being turned into an old woman by a wicked witch.

One of the best things about this new release is the fact that it includes plenty of mouthwatering food scenes. The most memorable food moment from Howl’s Moving Castle is this mouthwatering dish of bacon and eggs, cooked with the help of fire spirit Calcifer.

The next movie in the lineup is The Cat Returns, which was first released back in 2002 as a spin-off to the 1995 film Whisper of the Heart.

The only Ghibli film to be directed by Hiroyuki Morita, The Cat Returns tells the tale of high school girl Haru, who unwittingly saves the prince of the Cat Kingdom and is offered his hand in marriage. She’s treated to a feast at the castle of the Cat Kingdom, where she slowly begins to transform into a cat.

Diehard Ghibli fans will be pleased to know that Ghiblies Episode 2, the 2002 sequel to the 2000 short Ghiblies, is also included in the free image release. Featuring characters based on staff at Ghibli, one of the best scenes from this beautiful watercolour work involves a visit to a restaurant that serves super hot curry.

▼ How hot do you like your curry?

Another old-school Ghibli classic is the 2002 film My Neighbours the Yamadas, written and directed by Isao Takahata, who founded Studio Ghibli with director Hayao Miyazaki and producer Toshio Suzuki in 1985.

This film follows the daily lives of the Yamada family, and for five-year-old daughter Nonoko, any day with cake is a very good day.

Moving on to a movie that needs no introduction, we have the 1997 hit Princess Mononoke.

There are so many beautiful images to be found in this particular collection, including the mysterious kodama…

▼ And the elusive Forest Spirit.

▼ In the way of food, Ghibli gives us this moment when Ashitaka eats rice by the fireside with the iron workers.

Rounding off the second collection is the 1995 film Whisper of the Heart., which follows the story of 14-year-old junior high school student Shizuku Tsukishima. She immerses herself in writing, creating a fantasy world after encountering a cat statuette found called The Baron at an antique store.

▼ Eating nabeyaki udon and learning about The Baron’s story with antique shop owner Shiro Nishi

The images in the new collection, which can be downloaded from the official Studio Ghibli website, capture all the beauty and magic from some of Ghibli’s most loved films. And the dedication to providing us with at least one food scene from each movie has us inspired to get in the kitchen and try some of those Ghibli recipes out for ourselves!

Source, images: Studio Ghibli
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