Hayao Miyazaki's Image Board Collection Volume 6: 178 Unpublished Images for 'Whisper of the Heart' and 'On Your Mark'

Hayao Miyazaki’s signature image board collection's sixth volume was published in Japan on June 4, 2025 by Iwanami Shoten. This special edition, titled “Miyazaki Hayao Image Board Complete Collection 6: Whisper of the Heart / On Your Mark”, contains a total of 178 image boards drawn by the master for two different projects. Among them are works that have never been published anywhere before.

The first section of the book belongs to the 1995 film “Whisper of the Heart” (Mimi wo Sumaseba). Although the film was actually directed by Yoshifumi Kondo, Miyazaki wrote the screenplay and drew many boards during the film's visual development process. The second section is “On Your Mark” — a 6-minute short film directed by Miyazaki for the song of the same name by Chage & Aska. This short film was remembered as one of Ghibli's science fiction experiments. Both productions were completed in the same year, 1995, and reflected the peak of Miyazaki's creative energy.

This collection series first started with “Spirited Away” (2001) and chronologically presents the image boards Miyazaki prepared for each of his films or projects. The boards showcase how Miyazaki constructed the first seeds of his storytelling, color palette, and scene composition. Particularly the previously unpublished boards serve as unique documents for fans and animation students. The sixth volume also includes Miyazaki's short notes and hints about the drawing process.

Image board collections are considered one of the most comprehensive resources on Miyazaki's pre-production work. This volume, focusing on relatively lesser-known projects such as “Whisper of the Heart” and “On Your Mark”, especially sheds light on Ghibli's creative period in the mid-1990s. It has not been announced which productions will be covered in future volumes of the collection, but the series is expected to continue with newer projects like “The Boy and the Heron”. Ghibli fans in Turkey can obtain the book through overseas ordering sites or specialty bookstores that import from Japan.