Random: Ghibli-Inspired Animation Of Zelda's Castle Town Looks Even Better In Third Person

He makes it in a flash
And all the assets clash
Do his artistic skills know no boundaries?

Stop calling everything that is an anime-lookalike a "Studio Ghibli". Because it doesn't even come close.

NINTENDO HIRE THIS MAN

Pff and made in Unreal engine 5

Personally I think this style works really well with the source material. There are a lot of odd characters and lighthearted/dark contrasts in Zelda games. It'd be great if a full length came out or a netflix series like castlevania

@kennycottam
The anime style for castlevania is amazing, i would dev choose that one too.

The Ghibli style would make any fantasy (or contemporary) setting look great...but this isn't Ghibli.

I'm sure this could be a cool project if they made it their own

It's cute but this is true to neither Zelda nor Ghibli. Not sure why we need to degrade the latter so much lately with calling everything Ghibli like but that's a quality which can't be so easily replicated.

@sanderev Dude is the creator calling it like that, chill out.

Ghibli Zelda game- ideally Ocarina of Time remake in Ghibli style would be phenomenal!

Finally a Zelda “Ghibli” rendition that isn’t BOTW or TOTK.

this artstyle would be perfect on the next Legend of Zelda

@AlbertXi Not just the creator. The only reason this is posted here is honestly because of the words "Zelda" and "Ghibli" used by the creator. Also those words are parroted multiple times by Nintendolife.

And that is what I have an issue with. This is a video using stolen IPs from Nintendo (Zelda) - I do hope they will take it down - and the name "Ghibli" to beg for likes. Nintendolife supporting this is just as bad.

Also the video just looks bad, it has terrible framerate, the textures don't match and it looks really bland.

A remake in this style please. I will cry tears if happiness during the entire playthrough.

Good compositions and color management!
Everything image is very pretty.

Looks too bland for my Taste

Why is everyone getting so grumpy about the Ghibli comparison? It's clearly looking to emulate the classic Ghibli style, and I'd say it gets a decent way towards that goal even if it's not 100%.

Plus the video describes itself as being Ghibli emulating.

Honestly it's pretty good, much better than most attempts and hundreds of times better than all the "in Unreal Engine" renditions we see all the time.

I think Miyazaki would pitch a fit if he saw those 3D backgrounds, he gets so grumpy about CGI. 😂

@sanderev Someone worked really hard on this for potentially months.

On YouTube you can talk into a camera about literal garbage for 5 minutes and get 100x the amount of views and revenue. At least this has genuine effort and artistry put into it.

Being so harsh on his work whether you like it or not is a bit uncalled for...

@Varkster "Someone worked really hard on this for potentially months"

Sure. But let me ask you this. If they had used completely new characters in a completely new world and not mentioning any anime studio. (Everything else being the same) Would it still be worthy of an article on Nintendolife?

I've seen hours of great indie-animated content on Youtube and other platforms. Without the need for stealing others' work or names.

"On YouTube you can talk into a camera about literal garbage for 5 minutes and get 100x the amount of views and revenue. At least this has genuine effort and artistry put into it."

Again okay, but that is an issue with Youtube and similar platforms. Those really aren't made for home made animation video's. They are made for people who want to talk into a camera about garbage for 5 minutes. Because that keeps the bar of entry low, and makes the platforms the most money.

"Being so harsh on his work whether you like it or not is a bit uncalled for..."
So not liking it, and telling what I don't like about it is "being harsh"? I disagree. I am honest, and you might not like my honesty.

"Many creatives start out creating their own fan works of things they are passionate about. In this instance, this creator is passionate of both The Legend of Zelda (particularly Ocarina of Time), and Studio Ghibli films, and wanted to create something that marries these passions."
Sure, but publishing that into the public is a form of piracy. You can't make a watch call it a "Rolex inspired" and sell it. (the video has ads, so they are selling it) This is exactly the same.

"Now, nobody in the comments is complaining about this looking like Zelda. It unmistakably recreates when young Link first arrives at Hyrule Castle Town in Ocarina of Time."
I am not complaining that it looks like Zelda, I am complaining that they use the name Zelda and make the main character look like Link. They are not Nintendo, they do not own the rights to the name Zelda or Link.

"As for whether or not it faithfully recreates the Studio Ghibli style (which is the author's goal and not the article writer's own editorialisation)"
This isn't mentioned anywhere in the article.

" I can understand being contentious and up to subjectivity. The opening shot in the video clip doesn't have a cohesive visual style, but later shots in the town are much more cohesive."
Indeed, like I said it looks bad. I don't have to repeat that.

"I think it is remarkably unfair to shoot down amateur, passionate creative efforts by comparing them to the work done by whole teams working professionally full time.
This is the work of an individual, sharing a work in progress of their larger project."
I have seen work created by individuals that look really good without any mention of Zelda or Ghibli. I even bought movies, shows and games with that exact description. For example: Undertale, Deltarune and Stardew Valley.

"You aren't wrong that if this weren't a Zelda fan project it wouldn't be featured here, and that many creatives make a living producing unauthorised fan works (which is the case with this author, they run a Patreon), but I find that to be a wholly joyless approach to creative works."
I find it a joyless approach to creative works if you can't create your own characters, worlds and make awesome videos with them.

Can people please stop calling everything bright and pastoral Ghibli? Very impressive piece of 3D animation, but this is far from being Ghibli (specifically the works and style of Hayao Miyazaki). The faces are similar and inspired by, but there is more to Miyazaki's work than just the style he draws faces, from his camera work, to color choices, ambiance and how he directs a scene. I don't want to bag on the animator either, but when you invite the comparison, the comparison you will get. This is not even NintendoLife inviting the comparison, I just feel bad dogging on the person like this.

Good work by the animator overall, but needs a bit more polish.

Looks great, amazing work

Man the things I would do to get a Zelda movie animated by studio ghibli, a guy can dream.

Give this man a job.

@RupeeClock Agreed. Most people tend to get a footing in the creative fields by doing fan works and very rarely are they leaping directly into the deep end of an original works. Bioware used their creation kits around the time of Neverwinter Nights to help narrow down their hiring process. Even Bethesda has done the same with the Fallout 3/NV/4 and Skyrim moding scene. So, there is precedent of studios and publishers finding future employees within these scenes.

Fan works are not inherently bad. I can argue I think it would be better for the creatives to make original works like Undertale, Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight, but fan works are a safer playground to be creative in learning the ropes.

I think my personal issue is more the permissions aspect than anything with how fan works treat the publication of their works. i.e. how some fans think that just because they make a fan work that entitles them to make money off it, or remove them from potential legal consequences of their works. Think DMCA take downs, or how a cove artist had their album taken down because they didn't get a cover license and just complained about it when Nintendo had the album pulled.

@RupeeClock Your viewpoint can seemingly be boiled down to "how dare anyone make a fan work, and if they do, how dare they not be as good as the original work".
I never said that.

I don't like it when people try to make money off of other people's properties. (names, characters, etc) I don't care if it's good or not. It could've been the best thing ever created, if they don't have the rights. They should not release something with the name.

Toby Fox never sold any of his works based on Earthbound. He made a new game in a new world that he named Undertale, and that is the thing he sells. See the difference.

Other example. I like writing stories. And when I started doing that I created a story named "The Legend of Zelda: Legendary Crystals" I wrote it entirely and even had some friends read it. But I never went public with it. And I never will.
I am, however, currently writing a book based on a character I invented in a world I created. And I will publicise that book when it finally is ready to be released. (Writing the Zelda story took about 6 months to do, the book is already taking multiple years)

I'm Studio Ghibli, and so's my wife!

"I feel that calling it "piracy" is highly inaccurate, but it is unauthorised use of their intellectual property."
That's the definition of "piracy"

"I doubt it is causing any actual harm"
True, Nintendo is yet to release a movie based on Zelda. And that will of course be a lot bigger than this indie project.

"In the case of RwanLink here, they aren't selling the content they're producing, but they have a Patreon where they can be financially supported with perks like early access (not exclusive access)."
As soon as you make any money off of it, you are selling it. And that includes "early access" or advertisements on a YT video.

"most you seem to be frustrated that someone attempted to make something in the Ghibli style and you felt they got it wrong."
Indeed, and that they used Nintendo's IPs in their works.

@sanderev I don't particularly like Ghibli, but this is true. Actually, this Zelda thing doesn't really look good at all...

Highly amused by half the comments being "ZOMG AMAZING" and the other half being "This rubbish shouldn't even be allowed to be made on the same planet on which Studio Ghibli operates, what a disgrace. Disgusting art, I nearly vomited it is so bad."

I, for one, will be watching on Nov. 21.

@Drac_Mazoku In this case, their channel has been around for so long that I think they are assuming that if Nintendo was going to intervene, it would've happened by now.

But your logic is sound in a general sense.

@rushiosan And I bet you could do better

Beautiful little video. I hope whatever form it takes can capture Zelda's needed level of charm.

Now if only Nintendo saw the potential and thought, "We can do better" and Zelda gets an actual movie or show with just as much effort, heart, and passion.

Imagining game graphics like this.
The things you can make with Unreal engine 5 is insane.
Love these fan projects.

Okay, I'm not usually fussed about movies based on videogame IPs. But I would watch the s#!t out of a full length movie version of this

Sure it looks… nice, but I wouldn’t call this “Ghibli”.

At least it looks better than those shiny “Unreal Engine remakes”.

Sorry but this doesn't help. If anything, seeing what COULD be makes me more sad of what WILL be when a Zelda movie is made.

Looking good, the one thing i conclude after watching works like this one is, Nintendo should flesh out their games with cutscenes like this one. I thought that was exactly what they were going to do when they announced the buying of that film company but nothing sustancial has come from that so, yeah, we need some more in-game movies, longer cut scenes on Nintendo games...Not every IP should be adapted to the movie format.

@sanderev Your strawman slandering the animator is ridiculous, and so is your definition of piracy. Point out to me where the animator is trying to make money off it by charging for the film.

Sucking up to Nintendo's corporate suits won't make them hire you.

Some people also just enjoy making fanworks for things they like without treating it like a practice ground for original work.

That said, if the characters had outlines like everything aroubd them, it'd look way better.

@PKDuckman
1. Patreon.
2. Youtube ads.
Like I've said multiple times already. Also it's not slander, it's just pointing out the facts.

It certainly looks nice but to say that it's reminiscent of studio Ghibli's work or style is a huge stretch.
It looks like classic manga, this I can agree with but it stops there.

By the way guys the last movie The boy and the heron is absolutely wonderful. Go see it it's great.

Very cute animation.

@mlt Excited to watch The Boy and the Heron once it drops here next month.

Here we go again with Nintendo Life articles saying something is Ghibli-esque when it clearly isn't.

Have you guys actually seen a Studio Ghibli movie, or is this just the current trendy analogy for this kind of creation?

So not Nintendo and not Studio Ghibli? Moving on.

THAT'S how they should do a remake!

@Ade117 I totally agree A Link Between Streams!

@mlt Yeah I agree it's no Ghibli, but it does look good even by manga/anime standards. The people saying this looks like a flash animation are just trolling lol.

Oh, it's Nintendo Ghibli at it again!

TBH i would love to see another Zelda using cel shading.

Not so much a re-tread of wind wakers style (since that had its own unique identity) but something similar to what games like Ninokuni did only with its own spin on the style.

Would love to see the next zelda in this style 😍🥰

Reading this article while Ghibli-ishly sipping Ghibli-inspired coffee and munching on a Ghibli-esque bagel.

It's interesting and impressive for one person, but the fetishization of Ocarina of Time and this faux "ghibli" descriptor (that is rendered meaningless by its overuse), is off-putting.

One can only dream.
Outstanding effort, a true labour of love.

@sanderev right on time!

@Ogbert they get mad when ghibli is the reference because it's not a deep enough cut, and they need an excuse to show how niche their tastes are, lol.

@calbeau ...the video describes itself as Ghibli inspired. Good work.

Waiting for the dumb "Nintendo hire this guy"- comments. I mean, what would his role be? Copying artstyles from others and implementing the stuff to Unreal Engine?

OOT and MM have their own artstyles. If they were to make a remake and use the ghibli- style for graphics, to me that would feel like a cheap move. And then everyone would just call it a Ghibli- Zelda. Like yeah, Nintendo would really want the name of another company associated with its highest rated game ever.

@Mgalens
Ehh... you mean more games that look like BotW/ TotK? Here's a prediction: the next Zelda game will have a completely new artstyle.

Another example of why TLoZ has unlimited potential in animation. Though Studio Ghibli is not usually known for working for others, they made that Mandalorian short for Disney+.
Right now, I suggest paying attention to its contemporary, Studio Ponoc.