

We’ve noticed a few funny resemblances while watching some animation movies over the holidays! And no, we are not talking about the obvious ones like Notre-Dame or Ratatouille (though we love them!) but rather smaller details you may not have noticed… Read this catch and if it doesn’t ring a bell at all, maybe it’s time to watch them again 🙂
1. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki never hid their inspiration from Alsace and Colmar city for some scenes in this beautiful anime.
You can clearly recognize the wooden structures and bright colours that make the Alsace houses so typical! While movie fans argue whether it may actually be Colar, Eguisheim or Riquewihr, it does for sure make us want to stroll peacefully into these surreal villages!
2. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
It is now acknowledged that Disney teams did some inspiration research in Conques village, in the south of France.
Due to its relative remoteness, somewhere deep in the countryside between Toulouse and Clermont-Ferrand, Conques is still pretty much off-the-beaten-track, yet it offers charming views!
3. Spirited Away (Chihiro, 2001)
Another Miyazaki anime! Though the inspiration is not that clear and obvious for this one, doesn’t this scene remember you a little of….Brittany? Chihiro is traveling with her new companions on the train, gliding for a long journey on the water.
Take a closer look with our picture from Morbihan , the similarity is stunning!
4. Raiponce (2010)
A much more recent inspiration, it is pretty obvious that Raiponce’s Castle was drawn from the famous Mont Saint Michel! The medieval Abbey, still an active pilgrimage destination for many Christians, has this iconic and moving look, with its sharp vertical lines contrasting with the gentle waves and water all around.
It for sure makes a good idea for a magnificent castle!