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The LEGO Ideas project Studio Ghibli – 40th Anniversary has now reached the important 10,000-supporter milestone, which means it officially moves into the LEGO Ideas review process. Created by UAKhan, the fan submission is designed as a large display tribute to Studio Ghibli and its wider film catalogue rather than a build focused on just one movie. That distinction matters, because hitting 10K does not mean LEGO has approved the project for release. It simply means the model has attracted enough support from the community to be considered by the LEGO Ideas review board, which will now assess whether the concept is suitable for a future official set. For Ghibli fans, though, this is still a notable moment, as it shows how much enthusiasm there is for the studio on the platform.
Studio Ghibli – 40th Anniversary is the latest project to join the LEGO Ideas 10K Club, and it immediately stands out because of its broad tribute format. Instead of recreating a single scene or location, the project pulls together references to multiple Studio Ghibli films in one display-oriented build.
What the Studio Ghibli project includes
According to the official LEGO Ideas description, the build uses 3,402 pieces and includes 16 minifigures. The model is arranged across three layers with nine main sections, each representing a different Studio Ghibli film. The creator highlights scenes and references tied to Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, Whisper of the Heart, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.
The official project description also notes that the display can be shown as a central stacked composition or separated into individual sections. In addition, the creator includes smaller references to other Ghibli works such as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Grave of the Fireflies, The Wind Rises, and The Boy and the Heron.
Why this 10K milestone matters
Reaching 10,000 supporters is the key threshold required for a LEGO Ideas project to advance to review. At that stage, LEGO evaluates the proposal internally, looking at factors such as build feasibility, brand fit, licensing complexity, and market potential.
That process is important to underline here: this project is not becoming an official LEGO set yet. It has only earned a place in the review round, where it will be considered alongside other qualifying fan designs. Many strong LEGO Ideas submissions reach this point without ultimately being approved, especially when they involve major entertainment licenses.
Why Studio Ghibli fans may be watching closely
Even so, the concept has obvious appeal. Studio Ghibli remains one of the most respected names in animation, and its films offer a rich mix of architecture, creatures, vehicles, landscapes, and memorable character moments that translate naturally into LEGO form. A multi-film anniversary tribute also gives the project a broader hook than a single-scene adaptation, which may help explain why it resonated with supporters.
There is another interesting angle here for LEGO fans more generally. Ghibli is a licence that still has no official place in LEGO’s current line-up, so any project that gains serious traction on LEGO Ideas tends to draw attention well beyond the platform itself. On Afol News, that broader pattern has already shown up through our earlier coverage of the Totoro project hitting 10K and the later Chihiro & No-Face milestone, both of which pointed to the same fan demand around Studio Ghibli-themed LEGO Ideas submissions.
What happens next in the LEGO Ideas review
Now that Studio Ghibli – 40th Anniversary has hit 10K, it will wait for inclusion in a future LEGO Ideas review round. From there, LEGO will decide whether to reject it, request changes, or approve it for development as an official product. If it is approved, the final set would still likely differ from the current fan submission.
For now, the main takeaway is simple: UAKhan’s Studio Ghibli tribute has earned its place in the next stage of the LEGO Ideas pipeline, and that alone makes it one of the more interesting newly qualified projects to watch.
You can see the original project on the official LEGO Ideas page.
