Meanwhile, Totoro is as adorable as ever, thanks to being Totoro, in his own magnetic figure form.
Quite a few of Studio Ghibli’s anime have titles that feature the name of, or at least allude to, the film’s central character, such as My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Princess Mononoke. One notable exception, though, is 1986’s Laputa/Castle in the Sky. Sure, Sheeta and Pazu make for fine heroic leads, but the mystical floating island, and the fortress built upon it, are really what drive the story forward, and Laputa’s design is one of the most recognizable images from Japanese animated cinema.
So Ghibli specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku had its work cut out for it when designing a recreation of the castle in the sky that fans can have inside their home or office, but their designers came up with a very clever way to bring that sense of magic into the real world. With the tips of its branches reaching a height 12.8 centimeters (5 inches) off the ground, this Laputa figurine looks like its floating in midair!
Actual sorcery is beyond the abilities of even Donguri Kyowakoku, though, so instead this effect is achieved thanks to a magnetized section on the island’s underside.
This allows you to chain together paper clips (or ostensibly other small metal items), not only mimicking the exposed roots of the tree in the anime, but also obscuring the upper portions of the already skillfully concealed clear support rod between the island and the clouds below it.
Officially, Donguri Kyowakoku calls this theCastle in the Sky Laputa Clip Holder, and proudly says that it “saves you the hassle of having to open up a case when you need a paper clip.” Really, though, while the practicality and convenience are nice extras, the main draw here is how cool the thing looks, and that same ranking also applies to the Umbrella Totoro Clip Holder.
Here the clips are subbing for raindrops during a sudden shower, but one Totoro is prepared for thanks to the umbrella given to him by sisters Mei and Satsuki while they were all waiting together at the bus stop.
Totoro stands 10 centimeters tall, and while the figure’s construction is a little less photogenic when viewed from behind…
…we have a hunch that anyone with this guy on their desk, shelf, or table is going to arrange it so that they’re looking at his adorably overjoyed face.
Both figurines are available through the Donguri Kyowakou online store following a recent restock, priced at 3,300 yen (US$20), with Laputa’s order page here and Totoro’s here.
