When you think of master director Hayao Miyazaki, you think of the animator at Studio Ghibli. His animated works are incredibly popular and highly acclaimed, even overseas. While many people know this, few know what kind of person he is. This book delves into his passion for animation and his personality. You'll definitely be craving Ghibli after reading this.
Director Hayao Miyazaki Profile
Intimacy
Hayao Miyazaki was born in January and May 1941 and is currently 78 years old (as of 2019). When you think of director Hayao Miyazaki, you probably imagine his white beard, white hair, big glasses, and smile. I absolutely adore that smile! Originally from Tokyo, Miyazaki's family is an executive at Miyazaki Aviation and Technology, a company employing several thousand people. He's the second son of four brothers. He's a rich kid! He's so approachable, you wouldn't even notice.
My Encounter with Anime
Having a weak constitution and a dislike for sports since childhood, director Hayao Miyazaki is an avid reader. He also loves manga and dreamed of becoming a manga artist. However, after seeing the animated film "The Legend of the White Snake" during his third year of high school, he decided to become an animator. He subsequently joined Toei Animation (now Toei Animation).
Determination
Even after joining Toei Animation, he couldn't give up on his dream of becoming a manga artist. However, during his first year at the company, he saw the Soviet-produced feature-length animated film "The Snow Queen," and made up his mind to spend his life as an animator! After all, if you're not even slightly sure of your intentions, you won't be able to put your heart into animation. This is where director Hayao Miyazaki's talent truly blossomed.
Director Hayao Miyazaki: The Journey to Studio Ghibli
Talent
In his personal life, Miyazaki married a fellow animator at the age of 24 and is the father of two children. Together with Isao Takahata, Yasuji Mori, and Yasuo Otsuka (pictured to the right in the photo), he created the epic film "The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun," which took three years to produce. He was the key animator for this film, not the director.
Director's Debut
At the time, the popularity of Lupin the Third was declining, so Hayao Miyazaki was tapped to direct the new film. This was his directorial debut! It's still hugely popular today. Not only was Miyazaki's opening credits exciting, but this was also the first time Lupin, who had always been a bit of a joker, looked cool in this anime (lol). Incidentally, by this time, he had left Toei Animation and moved to A Production.
Panda Kopanda
"Panda Kopanda," a popular film even today, is actually a work by director Hayao Miyazaki. He created two animated versions in 1972 and 1973. It's a bit like Totoro. Merchandise and animations are still popular, and it's a work you can watch endlessly.
First Success
In fact, for the animation of "Heidi, Girl of the Alps," Miyazaki was responsible for the scene settings, screen composition (layout), and key animation for every cut. This task is actually quite brain-intensive. Even the slightest mistake, such as making Heidi's facial expressions unclear or making the location unclear, can turn off viewers. The series achieved a huge hit, achieving an average viewer rating of 26.9%, a rare record for a TV anime. Director Hayao Miyazaki apparently felt a real sense of success with this work for the first time. Incidentally, by this time, he had moved to Zuiyo Eizo (now Nippon Animation).
Superhuman
In 1978, he directed the anime "Future Boy Conan." Although he was credited with directing, he was essentially the director. His work ethic at the time was insane! He was responsible for the street boards, settings, character design, and mecha design for every episode. He also drew most of the storyboards (like blueprints for the visuals) and layouts, and personally checked the scripts, storyboards, layouts, and key animations created by the staff. It may seem strange now (lol), but it must have been a pretty intense workplace.
Director Hayao Miyazaki: The Birth of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Behind the Scenes
In the 1980s, "My Neighbor Totoro," "Castle in the Sky," "Princess Mononoke," and "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" were in the planning stages, but apparently, if they didn't have a source material, they were scrapped. Looking at them now, they're all incredible works, but conversely, I think it's a good thing they weren't made into films. It would no longer be a Studio Ghibli production. At that time, the person who fell in love with Miyazaki Hayao's talent was producer Toshio Suzuki, who is now his partner. It was Suzuki Toshio who first planned the film adaptation of "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind." Although the project is now scrapped, we're not giving up yet!
Production Confirmed
A new helper appeared in the film adaptation. Hideo Ozaki, editor-in-chief of Tokuma Shoten's Animage magazine, suggested that Miyazaki serialize the manga. The manga became a huge hit, leading to a film adaptation and the start of production. It was only possible thanks to the support and encouragement of many people, and above all, their admiration for director Hayao Miyazaki's talent.
Director Hayao Miyazaki Founds Studio Ghibli
Foundation
Don't you often hear people say that buildings with ivy and other plants entwined around them are "Ghibli-esque"? (laughs) This is Studio Ghibli's headquarters. It's here that various works are produced. Founded in 1985, "Castle in the Sky" was released the following year, followed by "My Neighbor Totoro" in 1988! The films conceived by director Hayao Miyazaki were finally coming to light. The studio's success continues!
Masterpieces Rise One After the Other
With the release of "Kiki's Delivery Service" in 1989 and "Porco Rosso" in 1992, Studio Ghibli's name was born one after the other. Kiki's Delivery Service was the top-grossing film of the year, making Studio Ghibli famous worldwide. Many people were riding broomsticks (lol). Porco Rosso was actually a short-length animated feature originally intended to be aired on Japan Airlines flights. However, the concept grew so much that it was turned into a feature-length animated feature and finally released to the public. The phrase "A pig that can't fly is just a pig" became popular.
A string of blockbusters
Released in 1997, "Princess Mononoke" was a true masterpiece, taking 16 years to conceive and three years to produce. Then, with the release of "Spirited Away" in 2001, international acclaim grew. At the Berlin International Film Festival, it won the Golden Bear for Best Animated Feature, the first time in 39 years that it was awarded by Japan. Then, in 2003, it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. This was the moment that Hayao Miyazaki became a global celebrity!
More Globally
"Howl's Moving Castle" was released in 2004 and remains the sixth-highest grossing film of all time. This work has also received high praise from overseas, winning the Ozzela Award at the Venice International Film Festival and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Animated Feature. In 2008, "Ponyo on the Cliff" was released, becoming a monster movie that grossed over 10 billion yen within a month of its release. It's amazing!
All of his films have won awards
Director Hayao Miyazaki's greatest achievement was receiving the Honorary Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival in 2005, an award given to outstanding international filmmakers. This marks the first time that every film he has produced to date has been awarded this honor, making him only the second Japanese director to do so after Akira Kurosawa, who won it in 1982. Apparently, "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" was screened at the event, further increasing his fan base! It's something to be proud of, even as a Japanese person.
Retirement Announcement
In 2013, Hayao Miyazaki announced his retirement from directing feature-length animation after "The Wind Rises," based on a manga by Miyazaki. Up until now, he's made retirement announcements every time a new film is completed, but this time, he even held a press conference. It became headline news not only in Japan but around the world. It seems that his retirement was due to his age and physical condition, and the job of an animator is indeed quite demanding.
Director Hayao Miyazaki's Future
After announcing his retirement, he reportedly participated in the production of short animated films. Even so, I respect Director Hayao Miyazaki for being involved in anime. He'll probably be an animator for the rest of his life! And, surprisingly, he retracted his retirement announcement in 2017 and is already in production (lol). What a relief! As for his next project, the title is apparently taken from the manga "How Do You Live?", released in 2017. The story is an adventure fantasy, and Miyazaki is enthusiastic, saying, "If I'm going to retire, I want it to end with fantasy!" I'm looking forward to it.
Director Hayao Miyazaki's legacy isn't over yet!
We hope you enjoyed this article. We've introduced you to the master director Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. While many people are familiar with his work, many may not know much about him. As an animator, he has worked on numerous projects and is a flexible animator who has actively embraced not only traditional techniques but also new forms of expression. He can be quite strict when it comes to animation, but that's because he wants to create great works. Take care of yourself and look forward to his new work!
