You may not know Alan Becker, but if you were on the internet in 2006, you’re familiar with his work, since he created that viral “Animator vs. Animation” video that made the rounds back in the day. He’s kept busy since then, though, and his latest project is a beauty: He, along with a large team of builders, have recreated the world of the Studio Ghibli anime classic My Neighbor Totoro in Minecraft.
Above is a trailer for the project, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Key locations from the film, from the sprawling green landscapes to Totoro’s giant camphor tree to the iconic bus stop, are all rendered in pixellated glory, and the video overlays scenes from the movie to really demonstrate how faithful and beautiful the recreation really is.
As fantastic as this is, it turns out that this is just part of a far more ambitious endeavor: “The Ghibli World Project,” which as the title suggests, aims to re-create the settings from several other Ghibli movies in Minecraft as part of a larger universe. The project received some attention back in 2014 when progress shots from the Spirited Away portion of the world were posted on Reddit, and the project’s website has plenty of information about it. The site also reveals that while much has already been done, there’s still plenty left to do.
Watch the video above, check out the website to keep track of their progress, and appreciate what skilled fans of a beautiful work of art can accomplish.
Featured Image: Alan Becker