A Japanese trade organization that includes heavy-hitting media creators like Studio Ghibli, Square Enix, and Bandai just announced that it sent a letter to OpenAI dated October 28 concerning alleged copyright violations.
The letter includes some observations about the similarity of Sora 2 videos to “Japanese content,” and issues two requests: It asks OpenAI not to use CODA content as training data without prior permission, and requests that OpenAI “responds sincerely” when a CODA member complains about copyright issues.
Notably absent are anything like “demands” of “immediate action,” or any sort of direct legal threats.
The framing of the alleged infringement is different in tone and approach than most American copyright claims. The similarity between Sora 2 and Japanese images and video “is the result of using Japanese content as machine learning data,” CODA says. When such content is the output, “CODA considers that the act of replication during the machine learning process may constitute copyright infringement.”
Japan’s Copyright Act has a potentially relevant section on AI called Article 30-4 that may shed some light on CODA’s logic, and its reason for starting with such a gentle approach to achieving redress—namely that Japan is a permissive legal environment for this sort of thing. According to a government fact sheet on the law, “exploitation for non-enjoyment purposes” such as “AI development or other forms of data analysis may, in principle, be allowed without the permission of the copyright holder.”
CODA, however, says that in Japan, “prior permission is generally required for the use of copyrighted works, and there is no system allowing one to avoid liability for infringement through subsequent objections.”
The Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA), which represents several major Japanese entertainment companies such as TV studio Toei and game developer Square Enix, recently sent a written request calling on OpenAI to end its unauthorized use of their IP to train its recently launched Sora 2 generative AI.
Nearly 20 co-signers have accused the tech company of copyright infringement, alleging a “large portion” of Sora 2 content “closely resembles Japanese content or images [as] a result of using Japanese content as machine learning data.” The letter mentioned OpenAI’s policy of using copyrighted works unless the owner explicitly asks to opt out, but argues under Japanese law, it should instead be an opt-in system, since permission for copyrighted works is generally required beforehand.
As such, CODA’s made two requests of OpenAI: that its members’ content aren’t used to train Sora 2 unless permission is given, and that OpenAI “responds sincerely to claims and inquiries from CODA member companies regarding copyright infringement related to Sora 2’s outputs.”
In mid-October, the Japanese government requested OpenAI stop infringing on the country’s local anime and video games like One Piece and Demon Slayer. At the time, Minoru Kiuchi, its minister of state for IP and AI strategy, called such works some of the country’s “irreplaceable treasures,” and other politicians have similarly criticized the generation model. Earlier this year, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman talked up being able to create Ghibli-like images via ChatGPT’s then-new update, which was then used by the White House to dehumanize immigrants and highlight President Donald Trump’s ongoing deportation efforts.
At time of writing, OpenAI hasn’t responded to CODA’s request—but in a longer statement, the companies warned they would “take appropriate legal and ethical action against copyright infringement, regardless of whether we use generative AI.”
GKIDS and Fathom Events have announced the lineup for Studio Ghibli Fest 2024, and it’s absolutely stacked with gems. This year’s run includes 14 films and isn’t limited only to the works of Hayao Miyazaki, also featuring movies directed by Isao Takahata, Yoshifumi Kondo, Hiroyuki Morita and Hiromasa Yonebayashi. Studio Ghibli Fest 2024 will start with Spirited Away on April 27 and continue through December, when it ends with My Neighbor Totoro. The movies are playing in select AMC and Regal theaters across the US, with a few dates for each title in both Japanese and English dubbed.
The full list is: Spirited Away (April 27-May 1), Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (May 19 and 21), Castle in the Sky (May 20 and 22), The Secret World of Arrietty (June 9 and 11), When Marnie Was There (June 10 and 12), Princess Mononoke (July 13-17), Ponyo (August 3-7), Whisper of the Heart (August 25 and 27), The Cat Returns (August 26 and 28), Howl’s Moving Castle (September 26-October 3), Kiki’s Delivery Service (October 26-30), Pom Poko (November 24 and 26), The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (November 25 and 27), and My Neighbor Totoro (December 7-11).
I’m already crying thinking about watching Nausicaä and Princess Kaguya on the big screen. Actually, you can apply that sentiment to pretty much all of these titles. It’s going to be great. According to the announcement, there will also be “surprise special extra content.”
Renowned Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heronbreaks the filmmaker’s ten-year hiatus since making The Wind Rises. The Boy and the Heron was supposed to be his last ever film, but in true Miyazaki fashion, he has one more film in him. According to Studio Ghibli executive Junichi Nishioka, filmmaker Miyazaki is already working on his next featured film.
Based on a novel of the same name by Genzaburō Yoshino, The Boy and the Heron is now in U.S. theaters after making its theatrical debut in Japan earlier in the year. Here’s where you can watch Miyazaki’s latest, The Boy in the Heron, starring Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, and Gemma Chan, among other notable actors for the English dub voice cast.
Theatrical Release
The Boy and the Heron’s North American release happened on December 6, with a wider release on December 8. You can check your local listings and theaters for showtimes below:
Streaming & Digital Release Date
There’s no official word on when The Boy and the Heron will be released on streaming. However, it’s safe to say that the film should eventually land on Max due to Studio Ghibli’s contract with the streamer. As for a digital release, where viewers can own a copy of the film, there hasn’t yet been an announcement. The digital release date will likely depend on how well the film does in North American markets. However, it’s more than likely that The Boy and the Heron will be available to stream in 2024.
The Boy and the Heron has attracted widespread attention due to the chance that it might be Hayao Miyazaki’s last film, but one interpretation of the movie might mean there’s hope for one more work from the acclaimed director.
In an interview we conducted with the film’s English dub director Michael Sinterniklaas, the illustrious voice actor and director made mention of a theory brought to his attention by Mark Chang, the production manager at NYAV Post’s New York office.
“[D]uring production, Mark Chang — he’s my production manager in our New York Office — he said ‘Wait: When (the Tower Master) presents the blocks to Mahito, there are thirteen, and this is his twelfth movie.’”
The theory does hold water, as the Tower Master does indeed present Mahito 13 blocks in the film which he has used to create the world around them. There are likewise 12 films that Miyazaki has directed with The Boy and The Heron being the 12th of the bunch, meaning there could be a 13th film he wishes to make before he’s done.
It also backs up earlier claims made by Studio Ghibli executive Junichi Nishioka to CBC back in September. During an interview, Nishioka said that Miyazaki is not done making films, and is already working on ideas for his next movie. Miyazaki hasn’t confirmed or denied these statements though, so take all of this with at least a few grains of salt.
Nevertheless, it’s good news for Ghibli fans as many viewers have interpreted The Boy and The Heron as more of a final message from the acclaimed director. Throughout the film, themes of moving on and letting go of what has come and gone are front and center. This is particularly true for the scenes involving the Tower Master, who is an aging creator who no longer has the energy or ability to craft and mold everything that exists around him.
You make your own interpretations by seeing The Boy and The Heron in theaters either subbed or dubbed. For more on all things Ghibli, consider checking out our ranking of every Studio Ghibli movie.
About the author
Keenan McCall
Keenan has been a nerd from an early age, watching anime and playing games for as long as I can remember. Since obtaining a bachelor’s degree in journalism back in 2017, he has written thousands of articles covering gaming, animation, and entertainment topics galore.
The anime universe can be a lot to handle when first diving in, especially if you are in the market to buy a present for that special someone. We’re here to help you narrow down the search by providing you with some anime gift ideas for the holiday season.
Lenticular Artwork by Dominic Glover
Image Source: Dominic Glover
Dominic Glover has some of the most unique anime artwork, as its design changes based on the angle you are looking at. While one side showcases a focused Naruto, the other exhibits him in action during an all-out battle. It’s almost as if it’s a moving picture without the need for any electronics, creating an illusion with its different perspectives.
Glover’s collection harnesses a plethora of anime to choose from, from Demon Slayer to Dragon Ball Super to One Piece. However, you may want to get your hands on it fast since their products are typically sold out with their constant high demand.
An Ode to Attack on Titan Final Season
Image Source: Etsy & Hot Topic
If your special someone considers themself to be a member of the Scout Regiment, then you should definitely get them a gift to commemorate AOT’s finale. First up, we have the “I Survived All Parts of AOT: The Final Season” sticker, which can act as a badge of honor for dedicated fans.
You can also go for the classic Scout Regiment jackets that every Attack on Titan has wished for at some point in their life. To keep things simple, you can acquire a hoodie or shirt version at Hot Topic. Or, purchasers can go for a more cozy approach with its cloak blanket variation.
Jujutsu Kaisen Manga Woven Blankets
Image Source: Etsy
Another big anime that continues to dominate viewership is the action-packed Jujutsu Kaisen. That said, you can’t go wrong with ALLEVRO’s hand-woven manga blankets that show off the elite Satoru Gojo. The artist’s creation is perfect for those who enjoy manga and anime, reimagining these covers in an entirely new way.
ALLEVRO’s products come in many different shapes and sizes, as well as alternative design choices based on the Jujutsu Kaisen series. But if your Otaku prefers another anime, you can browse through the artist’s collection to discover other remarkable finds, including My Hero Academia, Hunter x Hunter, and Chainsaw Man.
Anime Funko Pops
Image Source: Funko
Funko’s Anime and Manga collection features many famous characters, including Dragon Ball Z, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Yu-Gi-Oh!. Figures generally cost around 12 to 15 dollars, so you don’t have to spend an exorbitant amount of money, as you may have seen with other high-priced items.
If you aren’t sure which Funko to decide on, you can filter in some content by checking out the best-selling or most exclusive products. Purchasers can also take it a step further with scenic pops that typically capture an iconic moment from the show. For instance, the Pop! Moment Eren & Zeke Jaeger takes you back to the infamous conversation shown in AOT.
Studio Ghibli Steelbooks
Image Source: Crunchyroll
When in doubt about anime gift ideas, you can always rely on the Studio Ghibli collection for presents. Any anime fan will undoubtedly have at least one favorite film, and you can use it to your advantage by getting them the Steelbook version. It’s the perfect collector’s item that commemorates the breathtaking art style of Hayao Miyazaki.
The Crunchyroll shop features Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, and many more. On top of that, Miyazaki has recently launched the film The Boy and the Heron, so you may want to gift them movie tickets to give them some new content.
Demon Slayer Kimonos
Image Source: Anime Kimono
Another popular anime of 2023 is none other than Demon Slayer, with the most recent Swordsmith Village arc. There’s a lot of excellent anime gift ideas for this beloved series, but the one that takes the cake is the kimono collection. You can start with the main protagonist’s iconic clothing, exhibiting the classic green and black checkered design.
It doesn’t even have to stop at Tanjiro’s get-up with the numerous variations from other lovable characters. In particular, you can purchase outfits based on Giyu Tomioka, Shinobu Kocho, and Nezuko. You can also explore Anime Kimono’s personal designs that add a unique twist to the series’ fashion.
One Piece Wanted Posters
Image Source: Etsy & One Piece Store
One Piece has taken the world by storm (again) with Netflix’s live adaptation and the exciting new content from the animated series. If there’s one thing that any OP fan wants, it’s definitely the show’s wanted posters. Your best bet would probably be Monkey D. Luffy’s famous smiley-faced bounty or any of the other Straw Hat members like Roronoa Zoro.
But if your Otaku has been explicitly obsessed with the One Piece live-action, then head over to Etsy to claim some wanted posters there. PotterTatts’ selection showcases Monkey D. Luffy, Gold D. Roger, Buggy, and Arlong, along with various sizes (and a digital download.)
Manga Sets
Image Source: Amazon
Complete manga sets are another excellent anime gift idea that continues on the adventures in written and hand-drawn form. In general, it can be difficult to obtain each book individually, so having the set can help them experience the narrative as a whole.
One of my favorites has to be the Dragon Ball Z collection (or the Dragon Ball series, if I’m being more specific) due to its connected illustrations on its spines. Alternatively, you can go for an ongoing anime like Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen to give them some insight into what’s to come. You can also purchase them an entirely new manga set that hasn’t yet debuted as an anime if you want something more unique.
SeerLight’s Anime Artwork
Image Source: Seerlight
As an anime lover myself, I’ve always marveled at Seerlight’s artwork through their usage of vibrant colors and subtle placement of anime characters. Even those who haven’t watched any anime will be in awe of its design, whether it be through the artist’s print or phone case collection.
The artwork above shows the Cowboy Bebop-inspired High-Rise, the Hunter’s Inn, and the Meteor Shower depicted in Your Name. Even more so, Seerlight has unleashed a live wallpaper series on their Patreon, which brings your phone’s photographs to life with various anime.
Personalized Anime Portraits
Image Source: Etsy
For a more personal touch, you can get your friend or family member a customized anime portrait from Etsy. The highly recommended BlueMintAnime can use your suggestions to create your very own artwork, with a maximum of six characters (pets can be included, too.) The artist can work with almost any anime, regardless of its popularity, and an added bonus of a background.
Purchasers can explore the Etsy page to find even more depictions, like DoyourToon’s Haikyuu-inspired artwork. On a more bizarre note, you can turn your Otaku into a Titan using JasuDigitalArts’ many templates.
About the author
Kristina Ebanez
Kristina is a Staff Writer and has been with Twinfinite for more than a year. She typically covers Minecraft, The Sims 4, Disney Dreamlight Valley, anime, Call of Duty, and newly released games. She loves the Metal Gear Solid series (Snake Eater especially), Rockstar’s Bully, the Horizon franchise, What Remains of Edith Finch, and many more. Her dog is also an avid video game watcher, primarily when there’s a horse or a cat. She has a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and grew up gaming on the islands.
In defense of English dubs, no one does it better than Studio Ghibli. It’s not a matter of either-or; with the incredible global talents that span the original Japanese voices and the English casts, it just means we get more!
With the release of The Boy and the Heron, which featuresRobert Pattinson’s dedicated vocal bird transformation, we’re looking back at the best Studio Ghibli dubs. When it comes to Hayao Miyazaki’s films, care has always been taken between by the Disney and GKIDS distributors to cast the English roles with incredible talent. It’s no easy feat to perform in sync with animation, let alone in a foreign language, but it helps to have the guidance of directors such as Pixar’s Pete Docter (Howl’s Moving Castle) who approach the task with appropriate reverence. While we understand the importance of subtitles—and we’d never take away from the wonderful work of the original Japanese voice casts—dubs help make the films accessible to more audiences. And as an animation fan, I love dubs because I can bask in the art and storytelling without reading and then revisiting with subtitles. It’s a preference and a gateway for more global animation to travel the world.
Here’s a list of the top 10 English Studio Ghibli dubs we love.
Hayao Miyazaki may be a legend in the film industry, but believe it or not, The Boy and the Heron marks his first number one film at the U.S. box office. Despite having retired numerous times (he’ll never do it), Miyazaki’s latest film has been received as one of his best, and that’s saying something.
Miyazaki has been creating films for decades now, founding Studio Ghibli with fellow director Isao Takahata and producer Toshio Suzuki. Over the years, Studio Ghibli, with Miyazaki as the key driving force behind it, has produced some of the most fantastic animated stories of all time, with such notable mentions as Princess Mononoke, As the Wind Rises, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (the one that started it all), and the Oscar-winning Spirited Away.
The most recent film from Miyazaki, The Boy and the Heron, was released in the States on December 8 and debuted with $12.8 million, according to studio estimates. Sitting behind Miyazaki over the weekend is the still-going-strong The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes with $9.4 million, followed by another Japanese entry, Godzilla Minus One pulling in $8.3 million, and Trolls Band Together with $6.2 million, among others.
As reported in the Japanese publication, The Asahi Shimbun, this makes the film the third anime film ever to top the box office in U.S. and Canadian theaters. Of the success, Eric Beckman, founder and chief executive of GKIDS, the North American distributor for Studio Ghibli films, said,
“It’s really a resounding statement for what animation can be. American audiences have been ready for a lot more than what they’ve been getting, and I think this really points to that direction.”
Though Miyazaki’s work is well known in Japan and across Asia, Studio Ghibli has historically had less of an impact in North America, despite being beloved by certain groups and individuals. The film has been played in theaters both featuring the Japanese voice cast with subtitles and with the English dub cast. The latter consists of quite the who’s who of the Hollywood elite.
(Studio Ghibli)
The film was released much earlier in Japan, and despite having no marketing (Ghibli decided to simply let the name “Miyazaki” do the work), it made $56 million. The film has already been hailed as one of the director’s best, with critics responding favorably to the story about a boy who is taken to a fantastical land after the death of his mother, with moments of the film having directly taken inspiration from Miyazaki’s own childhood.
Despite rumors circulating that The Boy and the Heron would be Miyazaki’s swan song (yet again), the studio has confirmed that Miyazaki is back at work once more, with Ghibli executive Junichi Nishioka telling IGN,
Other people say that this might be his last film, but he doesn’t feel that way at all. He is currently working on ideas for a new film. He comes into his office every day and does that. This time, he’s not going to announce his retirement at all. He’s continuing working just as he has always done.
Now we just have to sit and wait to see what the master of animation will create next.
Happy Halloween! Ubisoft Netherlands invites you to celebrate the spooky festivities with AI-generated Assassin’s Creed art. Terrifying indeed!
How Alan Wake 2 Builds Upon The ‘Remedy-Verse’
People first began to notice some of Ubisoft’s social media channels posting what appeared to be AI-generated versions of Assassin’s Creed art last night. A smoothed over, off-brand Ezio emerged on the French publisher’s X (formerly known as Twitter) account for Latin America. “In other amazing industry news here’s an official Ubisoft account with 300K followers posting AI art,” tweeted Forbes contributor Paul Tassi. The publisher’s post was mocked for making Ezio look like a Fortnite character and for one character in the background wielding gun grips like knives. The tweet was deleted soon after.
Not to be outdone, however, the Ubisoft Netherlands account followed up with its own AI-looking Ezio art complete with Jack-o’-lanterns. “Which Ubisoft game is perfect for this horrible evening?” the account asked in Dutch. Clearly the one the Assassin’s Creed maker was playing with fans’ hearts.
Ubisoft recently revealed that over 1,000 people have left the company in the last year as part of its “cost reduction” program. Some of those departures were voluntary, but others included layoffs across customer support, marketing, and other departments in Europe, the U.S., and elsewhere. “Ubisoft literally conducting layoffs this year and last month, and they’re posting AI art,” tweeted film concept artist Reid Southen. “Unbelievable. What the hell is the game industry doing right now.”
Still, over 19,000 people continue to work at Ubisoft, including many devoted just to the Assassin’s Creed franchise and all of its sequels, spin-offs, and other incarnations currently in the pipeline. Surely one of them could have made some art for the social media accounts. Or the company could have just used one of its many existing Ezio images. Anything would have been preferable to posting ugly AI-generated crap as thousands are laid off across the video game industry this year.
Fans have had to become increasingly vigilant in 2023 about companies trying to pass off AI-generated images in their marketing, as DALL-E 2, Midjourney, and other AI text-to-image models make it easier than ever to cobble together fake art. Amazon did it to promote its upcoming Fallout TV show. It sure seemed like Niantic did it to promote upcoming content in Pokémon Go. Legendary Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki calling AI art tools “an insult to life itself” back in 2016 has never felt so prophetic.
Contrary to popular belief, How Do You Live? (aka The Boy and the Heron) will no longer be Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki’s final film.
The Week In Games: High On Witchcraft
In a recent red carpet interview at the Toronto International Film Festival, Studio Ghibli vice president Junichi Nishioka told CBC reporter Eli Glasner that the iconic director has been coming into the office with new movie ideas following The Boy and the Heron’s international release. This news comes after years of Studio Ghibli never releasing a single trailer to promote Miyazaki’s final film, sharing only the title and a single poster in the run-up to release, and operating on the intriguing premise of it being Miyazaki’s final animated movie.
“Other people say that this might be [Miyazaki’s] last film, but he doesn’t feel that way at all,” Nishioka told the CBC. “He is currently working on ideas for a new film. He comes into his office every day and does that. This time, he’s not going to announce his retirement at all. He’s continuing working just as he has always done.”
As longtime Ghibli watchers may recall, Miyazaki’s previous, supposed “final” films were 2013’s The Wind Rises and then 2018’s animated short film Boro the Caterpillar. Yet here we are today, tricked once more by this master of fake retirement.
According to Anime News Network, How Do You Live? is about a boy named Mahito Maki who, after the death of his mother in the firebombings of Tokyo during World War II, moves with his father to the countryside. Things take a dramatic turn for Mahito when his father remarries his mother’s pregnant sister. It’s here that Mahito meets a talking heron who promises him that he can see his mother again if he follows him into another mysterious world, one which critics are praising for its visual inventiveness and stunning animation.
If you’re still planning on going into Miyazaki’s latest “final film” without any knowledge of what the film looks like, I suggest you don’t click on the trailer below. I’m told it’s pretty sweet—like worth paying $300 to snag the final movie ticket on Ticketmaster kinda sweet.
GKIDS Films
Personally, I’m gonna opt to not watch the trailer because I wanna watch How Do You Live? with fresh eyes. If Japanese audiences could do it, why can’t we?
Ghibli Park, a large theme park dedicated wholly to the works of Japanese animation giants Studio Ghibli, opened late last year. And it hasn’t taken long for people to start being weirdos with some of the statues found at the park, prompting calls from local authorities to please stop.
As CNN report, last week the Governor of Aichi Prefecture (where the park is located), Hideaki Ōmura, held a press conference, and discussed the subject of adults taking “lewd” photos with attractions. Seems not only have grown-ass men been taking inappropriate pics with statues of Ghibli characters, but they’ve been sharing them on social media, leading to reactions that are not in keeping with the strict family-first vibes Ōmura would have been expecting.
“Frankly speaking, posting photos like that on social media is very inappropriate”, Ōmura said. “From adults to children, people go to Ghibli Park to enter the Ghibli world and enjoy themselves. Clearly this action disturbed many people,” he added, saying that local authorities have since told park staff that “they need to firmly stop such actions once spotted and confirmed.”
“For those who come to the park to do this kind of thing, I would much prefer them not to come at all. Of course we need to take harsher measures against this kind of behavior. This is basically destruction of property.”
Gaming time This PC has an RTX 3070 GPU, a 12th gen Intel i9 processor, 16GB of SDRAM, and a 1 TB SSD, and it comes with a mouse and keyboard included as well.
You might think this reaction is a bit much, but Japanese staff and authorities do not usually fuck around when it comes to taking photos in places you’re not supposed to take photos. I’ve had staff at the Tokyo Game Show be stricter with camera use than security at famous museums, and I felt like the star of an Oceans movie the day I managed to snap a pic of my son playing on the plush Catbus at the Ghibli Muesum in Tokyo. They’re normally super strict, so Ōmura’s frustrations are perhaps partly born from the fact that he expects security to be tighter at these exhibits than they are.
Ghibli Park opened last year after numerous delays, but isn’t really finished; while it’s selling tickets, and there are three areas to explore (including the house from Totoro), two other spaces (including a Mononoke-themed forest) are still under construction, and aren’t due to be completed for another year or two.
Reader, I hate how quickly I was able to make this image. Image: Trigger / CD Projekt Red / Netflix / Kotaku / artpartner-images (Getty Images)
It’s official: the ability to smell shows and movies is finally here.
The cutting-edge tech in question, called the Aroma Shooter, was shown off at CES 2023 today by a Japanese-based developer Aromajoin. The Aroma Shooter can “digitalize aromas and create a new communication channel in the same family as text, images, and audio.” If you aren’t in attendance at CES this weekend, fear not, you can check out its demo video below:
Smell-O-Vsion-type products aren’t anything new to the entertainment medium. If you’re a millennial like myself, you may have experienced the 4D gimmick in action for the 2003 theatrical release of Rugrats Go Wild! that featured The Wild Thornberrys. However, instead of scratching a parchment of scented paper while watching a film or movie, Aroma Shooter…well, shoots smells at your face.
Aromajoin
The Aroma Shooter involves the use of two pieces of tech: the shooter itself and the aroma cartridge. Rather than using oils or mist, the aroma cartridge is a solid-state device that can apparently “toggle between scents in 0.1 second and blend scent permutations instantly with no lingering sensations.” When combined with the aroma shooter, a device PCGamer described as a wireless gadget that sucks in air and creates the scent fired toward your nose, you’ve got some sniff-able media.
As the video above demonstrates, users can program the Aroma Shooter’s over 100 scents to blast fragrances at their face holes in sync with a TV show, VR game, or anime like QuintessentialQuintuplets or Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. For those curious, the featured scents for QQ are cherry blossoms, grapes, and peaches. The Edgerunners demonstration clip featured smoke, caramel, coffee, and clove bud. Chances are they’re still figuring out what cyberpsychosis smells like. You can also create your own scented viewing experience by linking a YouTube video to the software and marking timecodes when your techo-snoofs occur.
While I think the tech is impressive in passing, I’m not exactly sold on the daily practical use of it. Although the thought of programming the Aroma Shooter to its maximum capacity to smell bomb my apartment with gourmet food from any given Studio Ghibli movie is tempting, I can’t see myself using this ridiculously expensive device. I’m a lazy bitch who has enough of an imagination to carry me through watching anime characters gorge themselves on food that looks better than real life. Should the day ever come where Elon Musk’s Neuralink chips take off and the smells of my childhood memories are paywalled (you know he’s thought about it), then we’ll talk.
Here comes the catch: The Aroma Shooter 2 packaged with six aroma cartridges will run you $998. Should you have enough disposable income to require more individual cartridges, they’re gonna cost you $54 each. Currently, Aromajoin is working on crowdfunding a VR/AR attachment for its smell-o-rific device, as well.
Studio Ghibli, The famous Japanese animation studio behind classics like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away has spent the past few days teasing a possible collaboration with Lucasfilm and Star Wars on its official Twitter. And there’s some evidence that it might be a Baby Yoda aka Grogu show based on a previous leak and a new tease.
03:51
Halo Infinite Winter Update’s New Multiplayer Maps
Wednesday 4:38PM
If you are reading Kotaku, I likely don’t need to explain Studio Ghibli or Star Wars, but let’s just pretend for a moment that you have no idea what these things are. This will just take a second, be patient. Studio Ghibli is an incredibly popular animation studio that was founded in 1985 in Tokyo, Japan. Since its creation, it’s gone on to produce beloved films, like My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service. Meanwhile, Star Wars is a massive sci-fi franchise that was created by George Lucas in the 70s and has since grown into one of the biggest things on the planet. Its most recent show, Andor, is amazing (and also filled with cool, but easy-to-miss Easter eggs!) And these two might be working together in the not-too-distant future, based on recent tweets from both.
Yesterday, the official Studio Ghibli Twitter account tweeted out a short video showing the Lucasfilm logo and its own logo. That was it. But it was enough to get people talking and going “Hey, what’s that all about, then?” Shortly afterward, the official Star Wars Twitter account re-shared the teaser as well. This did two things. One, it killed my hopes that the anime studio was working on an Indiana Jones series, and two, it confirmed that whatever they are collabing on involves Star Wars. Now, earlier today, Studio Ghibli doubled down on the connection to the famous galaxy, far, far away with a follow-up post showing an image of Grogu, also known online as Baby Yoda. The official Star Wars account has since re-tweeted the image.
G/O Media may get a commission
Take 50% off your two-week trial. Veterinary Nutritionist-backed food—for your dog. Just like you feel better when you eat better, your pup will enjoy a shinier coat and more energy in time.
This alone seems like solid evidence the studio is doing a Baby Yoda short or movie or animated series. But even before today’s tweet and yesterday’s tease, we knew Disney and Lucasfilm were likely working on a Grogu project of some kind. That’s thanks to a previous leak from the Italian Disney+ Twitter account earlier this month. That leak pointed toward a November 12 release date, which is coincidentally tomorrow. It’s also the three-year anniversary of the premiere for The Mandalorian, the show where Grogu first appeared.
All of this points to the very real possibility that very soon, Studio Ghibli and Lucasfilm will release a new animated Star Wars short starring Grogu. Or perhaps that leaked short has nothing to do with this project and instead, Ghibli is working on a segment for the next season of the Star Wars anime spin-off anthology series, Star Wars Visions. Time will tell…
