LEGO Masters Germany winner Alex (Brix Tales) has quickly become one of my favorite habitat builders.  This quartet of tributes to Miyazaki films epitomizes why, with their dynamic shapes that eschew convention and a bold use of color.

Princess Mononoke (newly restored in 4K – go see it!) is uses only foliage to house minifig hero San, who makes perfect use of this Ninjago headpiece to evoke the character’s forest mask. Using ghost faces as Kodoma is a brilliant choice, and I always appreciate a green sprue used for a vine.

The joy of motion as Ponyo runs atop waves is a highlight of this sweet Ghibli film and Alex does a remarkable job capturing that sense of wonder in miniature. Mini Mouse’s skirt is a great choice to represent the young hero’s billowing clothes.

For Spirited Away, Alex choses the peaceful scene of Sen and No Face riding on the tram. I really like Alex’s asymmetrical cut-away technique, to reveal the interior. No Face’s mask is a custom print – if only the Mario Shy Guy tile was 2×2, that would work nicely.

Finally we have Kiki, who is more of an accent to the stack than a habitat. Once again, Alex raids Minnie Mouse’s closet for the perfect minifig accessory.

It seems unlikely that Studio Ghibli would agree to a LEGO partnership, but Alex’s models show that with a little creative parts use you can make some great minifig recreations without waiting for a license.