Two versions of the divine Great Forest Spirit, plus an adorable mini Totoro to keep you company on your outdoor excursions.
No production company is more reverently associated with the art of Japanese animation than Studio Ghibli, and few fashion brands have an aura as American as Maine-based L.L. Bean. Nevertheless, the two companies’ mutual respect has led them to join hands across the Pacific, which is how we got those stylishly cute Totoro bags last year.
For 2020, L.L. bean’s designers are back with new Ghibli-inspired offerings, this time saluting Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke. Rather than the beast princess herself or male lead Ashitaka, though, both bags feature the Great Forest Spirit, or Shishigami (“Deer God”), as the creature is called in Japanese.
In the film, the Forest Spirit’s appearance changes depending on the time of day. During the afternoon, it looks like a large deer with a wizened human-like face, but once the sun goes down, it transforms into an ethereal, almost reptilian bipedal form known as the Nightwalker. L.L. Bean has designed one bag for each, incorporating appropriately lit scenery.
▼ The daylight bag has the Forest Spirit in deer form, rendered in a reflective material that shines brightly when hit with light.
▼ Meanwhile, the nighttime Nightwalker bag incorporates a holographic material for the creature.
Both bags also have little glow-in-the-dark kodama spirits, which emit a soft yellow-green light like they do in the anime’s enchanting woodland scenes.
IF you’re already set for bags, L.L. Bean still has a way for you to display your love of Ghibli anime with two new keychains, both of which star characters from more warm-and-fuzzy films than the somber Princess Mononoke.
Popping out of one of the Bean Boot Keychain is Totoro, specifically the white small-size Totoro.
Or you can opt for Jiji, the lovable black cat companion of delivery witch Kiki.
▼ Ironically, both Jiji and small Totoro have friends who can fly and are happy to give them rides, but they still look pretty adorable hanging out in these boots.
The toe bags are priced at 12,000 yen (US$114) and the keychains at 1,800 yen, with all four items scheduled to go on sale December 5 through the Donguri Kyowakoku online shop.
Related: Donguri Kyowakoku online shop
Source, images: PR Times
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