The Simpsons has paid an affectionate tribute to the films of Hayao Miyazaki, Digital Spy said.

The long-running animated show will tip its hat to the legendary Japanese filmmaker in this Sunday's new episode 'Married To The Blob'.

The preview clip sees Homer encountering homages to Miyazaki's famous characters and movies, including Spirited Away's No-Face, Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service and the Catbus (in the guise of Otto) from My Neighbour Totoro.

Miyazaki, who announced his retirement last year, is also behind Studio Ghibli films such as Princess Mononoke and The Wind Rises.

The Simpsons recently ran a Guillermo del Toro-directed intro sequence for last Halloween's Treehouse of Horror episode and a Hobbit-inspired couch gag for the episode '4 Regrettings and A Funeral'.