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13 Ghibli Songs Inspire Live-Action Short Series

Japanese music label Victor Entertainment announced on Monday a short live-action video series based on its upcoming Studio Ghibli tribute album Ghibli o Utau Sono 2 (Singing Ghibli 2). With 8 mm film reels as both the medium and a storytelling device, the 13 Ghibli o Utau Sono 2 – Fū to Nagi no Monogatari (Fū and Nagi's Story) shorts show how an ordinary girl named Nagi and a mysterious girl named Fū meet and eventually part ways. The series' prologue streamed on Monday:

Masafumi Yoshikawa directed the series, which stars Takane no Nadeshiko idol group member Saara Hazuki and actor Ririka Atsumi as Nagi and Fū respectively. Actor Eisaku Katsumata plays a salesperson.

The 13 shorts will stream in “random” order, instead of in a particular sequential story order. While enjoying the shorts with their accompanying songs, viewers can use their intuition to connect the clues that unite the shorts into one complete story.

Studio Ghibli and Victor Entertainment announced Ghibli o Utau Sono 2 with arrangements by Satoshi Takebe in August. The album features Aina The End, Yudai Ohno & Sōta Hanamura (Da-iCE), Sakurako Ōhara, Aya Ogawa & Iroha Okuda (Nogizaka46), Kalafina, Shigeru Kishida (Kururi) & Shiori Tamai (Momoiro Clover Z), GLIM SPANKY, Ninjin (from Rokudenashi), Non (Rena Nōnen) × SOIL & "PIMP" SESSIONS, Taro Hakase & Satoshi Takebe, Penthouse, Win Morisaki, and Hiromi Yakushimaru. Wakana Ōtaki performs with Keiko Kubota and Hikaru Masai as part of Kalafina, and Hayato Kakuno participates as a member of Penthouse for the album.

The full track list is:

1. Kaze ni naru / Sakurako Ōhara (The Cat Returns)
2. Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta nara / Aya Ogawa & Iroha Okuda (Nogizaka46) (Kiki's Delivery Service)
3. Ue o Muitearukō (Sukiyaki) / Yudai Ohno & Sōta Hanamura (Da-iCE) (From Up On Poppy Hill)
4. Itsumo Nando de mo / Hiromi Yakushimaru (Spirited Away)
5. Hikōki Gumo / GLIM SPANKY (The Wind Rises)
6. Chikyūgi / Penthouse (The Boy and the Heron)
7. Therru no Uta (instrumental) / Taro Hakase & Satoshi Takebe (Tales from Earthsea)
8. Asagohan no Uta / Shiori Tamai (Momoiro Clover Z) (From Up On Poppy Hill)
9. Country Road / Non × SOIL & "PIMP" SESSIONS (Whispers of the Heart)
10. Sayonara no Natsu ~Kokuriko-Zaka Kara~ / Ninjin (from Rokudenashi) (From Up On Poppy Hill)
11. Arrietty's Song / Kalafina (The Secret World of Arrietty)
12. Home Sweet Home / Aina The End (Grave of the Fireflies)
13. Sekai no Yakusoku / Win Morisaki (Howl's Moving Castle)
14. Inochi no Kioku (instrumental) / Satoshi Takebe (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya)

The album was slated to release in November 2025 but was subsequently delayed until February 25.

The first Ghibli o Utau tribute album debuted in November 2023. Its full artist list includes Leo Ieiri (The Fire Hunter), Shigeru Kishida of Quruli (Real Girl), Kaela Kimura (Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle ), GReeeeN (Teasing Master Takagi-san), Ryūta Shibuya of SUPER BEAVER (My Hero Academia), pianist Hayato Sumino, Momoiro Clover Z singer Shiori Tamai (Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal), Kōhei Matsushita (DEEMO Memorial Keys), and Hikari Mitsushima (One Piece Film Gold).

Sources: Ghibli o Utau Sono 2's X/Twitter account, Victor Entertainment (link 2), Victor Entertainment's YouTube channel, Comic Natalie