Studio Ghibli releases a gorgeous free image archive

Wanna see something really freaking cool? How about 400 really cool things?

Studio Ghibli has you covered.

The studio has released 400 HD still images from eight of its feature films free to download. So far eight movies each with 50 scene photos are up for grabs.

For now the focus is mostly newer films like When Marnie Was There, The Wind Rises (listed as Windless) but there are classics like The Borrower Arrietty, Ponyo, and Spirited Away with more to be added.

Here's some favourites from Ponyo.

These images are totally free to use “within the bounds of common sense” according to the Ghibli website. So I wouldn’t go trying to make money out of any of these stills without expecting potential litigation which is very fair.

And here's more from The Tale of The Princess Kaguya.

What they are excellent for is, well, just to look at. Perusing the archives with these handpicked shots is delightful, especially if you’re a big fan of animation like I am.

They make wonderful desktop/tablet/phone backgrounds to enjoy in daily life (especially if you pick a movie you love and cycle through it for a while. I’m waiting for Naussica.)

They even make pretty neat video call backgrounds, but Ghibli already had us covered there. You can also download these images specifically intended to spruce up your calls with a bit of Ghibli magic.