Art of Castle in the Sky
/Castle in the Sky (also known as Laputa: Castle in the Sky) is an animation movie produced by Studio Ghibli. It was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki in 1986. Miyazaki's earlier anime series Future Boy Conan (1978) featured a number of elements that he later adapted for Castle in the Sky. The name 'Laputa' is derived from Jonathan Swift's novel Gulliver's Travels, wherein Swift's Laputa is also a flying island controlled by its citizens. Laputa is credited by Colonel Muska with having informed Biblical and Hindu legends, thus tying the world of Laputa to our Earth (and to western European civilization) as do the medieval castle architecture on the ground. The anime also features the use of cuneiform script on Laputa's interactive panels and tombstones; and makes references to the Hindu epic Ramayana, including "Indra's arrow". Some of the architecture seen in the film was inspired by a Welsh mining town. Miyazaki first visited Wales in 1984 and witnessed the miners' strike firsthand. He returned to the country in 1986 to prepare for Laputa, which he said reflected his Welsh experience: "I was in Wales just after the miners' strike. I really admired the way the miners' unions fought to the very end for their jobs and communities, and I wanted to reflect the strength of those communities in my film." English language dubs of Laputa have been released under three different titles by three separate distributors, which is largely because it is identical to a Spanish rude word. The pictures on this page are a collection of artworks created for this movie.
THE STORY
An airship carrying Sheeta, a young orphan girl who has been abducted by government agent Muska, is attacked by Captain Dola and her air pirate sons who are in search of Sheeta's small blue crystal pendant. In the resulting struggle, Sheeta falls from the airship but her descent is slowed by a mysterious power within the amulet. She safely lands in a small mining town where she is discovered by a brave young orphan boy named Pazu, who takes her into his home to recover. Pazu tells her of a mysterious floating island named Laputa which is visible in a picture taken by his father…
Ready for more?
Discover thousands of model sheets, concept designs, background paintings from the best animation movies and TV series!
