Studio Ghibli AU

The big four ghibli by tokyogirly-d6jl13l — https://www.deviantart.com/tokyogirly/art/The-Big-Four-Ghibli-395690961

Studio Ghibli AU is an AU in the fandom where the Big Four play roles from Studio Ghibli films. This can be considered an offshoot to Fairy Tale AU and Anime AU.

About the AU[]

Spawning from fanart, this AU places the Big Four, and other such characters in the fandom, as characters from director Hayao Miyazaki's animated films of Japan's beloved fairy and fantasy tales.

Studio Ghibli's animations have the characters find themselves in trouble, fight to fix and set things right, the villains turn over a leaf in the end and stepping into a world of fantasy that changes them. Studio Ghibli's logo is one of the main characters in My Neighbor Totoro (which Baymax is commonly portrayed as) one of the many films where people step from the world they know into a world that helps them find themselves and their place in the world.

Popular Scenarios[]

Featured Characters[]

The Big Four[]

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III[]

For the Hijack pairing and Hiccup's love of flying casts him as Tombo Kopoli from Kiki's Delivery Service, Pazu from Laputa: Castle in the Sky and as a male Chihiro Ogino, a human who gets trapped in a bathhouse for spirits or as Haku, the spirit that helps her in Spirited Away. His flying skills, was first introduced as a type of "prince" to his people and cares about large, deadly creatures that others see as monsters, can even portray him as a male version of Nausicaä from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Fans have also cast him as Ashitaka from Princess Mononoke, for the Mericcup, Hiccelsa, Hijack and Hiccstrid pairings. While Howl's Moving Castle commonly has him being cast between Howl Jenkins Pendragon and a male version of Sophie Hatter. The times when Hiccup has been turned into a dragon or has been portrayed as characters who have a connection to dragons in a other AUs, like Spirited Away, he could even be cast as Arren or a male version of Therru from Tales From Earthsea. There have also been occasions when he is cast as a male Haru from The Cat Returns.

Jack Frost[]

For Hijack he's cast as a male Kiki, a young witch that enjoys flying. He also plays Haku, a spirit who helps a trapped human girl in the world of spirits, the archer prince Ashitaka and as the charming wizard with the moving castle, Howl Jenkins Pendragon from Howl's Moving Castle. He has also been cast as a male version of Sheeta from Lapata: Castle in the Sky. He is also cast as The Baron from The Whispers of the Hearts and The Cat Returns.

Merida DunBroch[]

Merida is cast as San, also known as the wolf princess, Mononoke. Fans sometimes switch San's wolf theme with a bear theme so the role can better suit Merida, while her mother and brothers can play the pack members of San's adoptive family and animal clan in their bear forms. Merida can also play the part of the artist, Ursula from Kiki's Delivery Service, Sophie Hatter from Howl's Moving Castle and as Chihiro/Sen from Spirited Away. While her red hair and being the strong princess of her people, also portrays Merida as Nausicaä from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

Rapunzel Corona[]

Rapunzel plays the seen borrower, Arrietty Clock, young timid Chihiro and as a female version of the river spirit Haku. As well as Kiki or the Senior Witch she runs into, but nicer with healing as her skill, the age spell victim Sophie Hatter, the wolf princess San and as Sheeta from Lapata: Castle in the Sky. She could even be cast as Princess Kaguya from The Tales of the Princess Kaguya, for being a young royal who has magical abilities.

Extra Characters[]

Toothless[]

The black dragon plays Kiki's black cat, Jiji with a shorter tail; as fans commonly featured Toothless as a black cat for modern crossovers. This could also have cat Toothless as one of the cats that reside in the Cat Kingdom from The Cat Returns. Toothless can also be cast as Hiccup's dragon form for when he is seen as Haku, in the same way that he has served as Hiccup's "beast self" in Beauty and the Beast AU. Toothless has also be portrayed as the forest spirit, Totoro for when Hiccup is a male version of one of the Kusakabe sisters. While being a dragon could have Toothless as one of the dragons that exist in the world of Tales from Earthsea.

Queen Elsa[]

For the Jelsa pairing, Elsa is cast as Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle. Fans have also cast her as the wolf princess San from Princess Mononoke and as Anna Sasaki from When Marnie was There. While being an older sister casts her as Satsuki Kusakabe from My Neighbor Totoro, just as her time forming friendship bonds with spirits in Frozen II can have her as Chihiro from Spirited Away. She could also be cast as Princess Kaguya from The Tales of the Princess Kaguya, for being a type of royal who has magical abilities.

Princess Anna[]

Anna is cast between Mei Kusakabe from My Neighbor Totoro, Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle and as Marnie from When Marnie was There, when Elsa is place as either Satsuki Kusakabe, a female Howl or as Anna Sasaki.

Hiro Hamada[]

For the strong bond he has with Baymax, Hiro plays a male version of Mei Kusakabe from My Neighbor Totoro, commonly beside Tadashi for when he is cast as a male Satsuki Kusakabe while Baymax is placed as the spirit Totoro. Fans have also cast Hiro as male versions of Chihiro from Spirited Away, Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle and Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service. Along with there being fans who have portrayrd him as Ashitaka from Princess Mononoke. While his robotics skills, enjoys being in the air and his young age, could have him as either Tombo Kopoli from Kiki's Delivery Service or Pazu from Laputa: Castle in the Sky.

Tadashi Hamada[]

For the bond that Tadashi has with his younger brother and robot creation, he's cast as a male version of Satsuki Kusakabe from My Neighbor Totoro, commonly beside Hiro for when he is cast as a male Mei Kusakabe while Baymax is placed as the spirit Totoro. Tadashi has also been cast as the wizard Howl from Howl's Moving Castle.

Baymax[]

The white, huggable robot is commonly cast as the huggable forest spirit Totoro, that takes a shine to the Hamada brothers (when they are seen as male versions of the Kusakabe sisters) as they moved next to his forest and learn it's secrets from My Neighbor Totoro. Baymax is also seen as No-Face from Spirited Away, while his white body and black eyes could have a miniature version of Baymax (that sometimes looks a bit like Mini-Max) as a Kodama, a tree spirit from Princess Mononoke.

Mother Gothel[]

Due to Gothel using magic to keep herself young, fans have cast her as the Witch of the Waste from Howl's Moving Castle. She can also be portrayed as Yubaba (as well as her twin sister Zeniba) from Spirited Away, when Rapunzel is place as either Chihiro or a female Haku.

Miguel Rivera[]

Miguel's time with spirits, in both his and their world, could have him as a male version of Chihiro from Spirited Away or one of the Kusakabe sisters from My Neighbor Totoro.

Nicholas St. North[]

Fans have North as the six armed boiler man, Kamaji from Spirited Away. This would have his elves as the Sootballs. For when Jack is cast as a male Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service, a younger female version of North is cast as bakery owner Osono, while a human version of one of his Yetis, like Phil, serves as his/her husband.

Wreck-It Ralph[]

Fanart of the Bus Stop Scene from My Neighbor Totoro, has fans portraying Ralph as a human-like version of Totoro; while Vanellope is seen as one of the Kusakabe sisters beside him.

Vanellope von Schweetz[]

Fanart of the Bus Stop Scene from My Neighbor Totoro has fans portraying Vanellope as one of the Kusakabe sisters. Vanellope has also been cast as Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service and Chihiro from Spirited Away.

Mochi[]

Mochi has been cast as the Catbus or a cat version of one of the smaller Totoros from My Neighbor Totoro, for when Hiro and Tadashi are male versions of the Kusakabe sisters while Baymax is the large Totoro. Hiro's role as a male Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service, has also cast Mochi as a non-black cat version of Jiji.

Coraline Jones[]

Stumbling into another world, meeting a "witch" that wants to trap her there, and her parents having no memory of what happened to them after she saved them, can easily portray Coraline as Chihiro Ogino from Spirited Away. While moving to a house that turns her world upside down after discovering the "magic" that is close by, could have her as one of the Kusakabe sisters from My Neighbor Totoro or as Anna Sasaki from When Marnie was There. Being friends with a back talking cat could even have her as the young witch Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service.

Nod[]

For the Katherinod pairing, Nod is cast as male versions of Ponyo and Arrietty Clock.

Mary Katherine[]

For the Katherinod pairing, M.K. is cast as female versions of Sōsuke and Sho.

Raya[]

Raya's friendship with a dragon who as a human form, has cast Raya as Chihiro Ogino from Spirited Away, while Sisu serves as a female Haku beside her. Just as her (former) distrust in humans, prefer the company of animals (like Sisu and Tuk Tuk) and her fighting skills can strongly cast her as San (or the female role of Ashitaka for when Namaari is San) from Princess Mononoke.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng[]

Marinette has been cast as Sophie Hatter from Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service, Chihiro Ogino from Spirited Away and Haru Yoshioka from The Cat Returns. While in Ponyo she is cast between as Ponyo and the female role of Sōsuke, just as Princess Mononoke has her between San and a female version of Ashitaka.

Adrien Agreste[]

Adrien has been cast as Howl Jenkins Pendragon from Howl's Moving Castle, Tombo Kopoli from Kiki's Delivery Service, Haku from Spirited Away and his Cat/Chat Noir persona has him as Baron Humbert von Gikkingen from The Cat Returns. While in Princess Mononoke he is cast between Ashitaka and a male version of San, just as Ponyo has him between Sōsuke and the male role of Ponyo.

Plagg[]

For when Marinette is cast as Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service, Plagg is commonly cast as Jiji. Just as Adrien's common role as Howl from Howl's Moving Castle has fans portraying Plagg as a cat version of Calcifer, while the rare occasions when Adrien has been cast with the male role of San from Princess Mononoke has a large panther-like version of Plagg as one of San's wolf siblings.

Mavis Dracula[]

Mavis being a mother of a little boy and is acquainted with inhabitants of the sea can have her as Lisa from Ponyo, for when her son Dennis is seen as Sōsuke.

Luca Paguro[]

For the Luberto pairing Luca has commonly been portrayed as genderbend versions of the main female characters from the many anime films Studio Ghibli have done over the years. Like Sophie Hatter from Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service and Sheeta from Laputa: Castle in the Sky. Even though Princess Mononoke has him playing the role of Ashitaka, while Ponyo commonly has Luca serving as either Sosuke or a male version of Ponyo.

Mei Lee[]

When fans of Turning Red redraw the iconic Bus Scene from My Neighbor Totoro, they commonly feature panda Mei as Totoro, while human Mei or her friends serve as the Kusakabe sisters.

Alberto Scorfano[]

The popularity of Luberto commonly has Alberto be placed in the same Studio Ghibli stories as Luca, as fans enjoy having Alberto serve as Luca's love internet of those films. These characters and the anime films they from are mostly Tombo Kopoli from Kiki's Delivery Service, Howl Jenkins Pendragon from Howl's Moving Castle, Pazu from Laputa: Castle in the Sky and a genderbend version of San from Princess Mononoke. When it comes to Ponyo, however, fans tend to have the two sea monsters take turns to play Sosuke and a male version of Ponyo.