Studio Ghibliand Hayao Miyazaki are two of the most iconic names in anime. For more than 40 years, the legendary director has crafted and delivered films enjoyed around the world by audiences of all ages, and as a result, the animation studio he founded has long stood as a titan in the anime industry.
Ghibli movies are generally regarded as some of the very best works animation has to offer, and though the frequency with which they’re released has undeniably lessened in recent years, every new title remains an event worthy of celebration.
Hayao Miyazaki’s slowed production, as well as the loss of Isao Takahata in 2018, has alerted audiences to just how special Ghibli’s leading directors were in their primes. And one quote from Miyazaki explains just why his work hasnot only survived, but thrived throughout the last 40-plus years.
Miyazaki’s Movies Are Made to Stay With the Viewer
The Legendary Filmmaker Wants More Than For His Fans to Simply Enjoy His Movies
Hayao Miyazaki, on a number of occasions, has stated that his ultimate goal with filmmaking is to create something children will enjoy. It’s fair to say he’s achieved that goal several times over, though he would likely argue his own failure no matter how successful so many of his works have become.
In particular, he has named bothPorco RossoandPrincess Mononokeas instances in which he madesomething children might not be suited to enjoy. Nevertheless, his catalog speaks loudly for itself, and that’s largely to do with the fact that his films are much more than simple children’s entertainment.
In 2005’sThe Art of My Neighbor Totoro, Hayao Miyazaki discussed what isarguably Ghibli’s most iconic title, the main monster of which has served as the studio’s mascot ever since its release in 1988. It’s during that documentary that Miyazaki reveals another of his goals, and one that might explain just why his work is everlasting.
He’s quoted as saying his intention withMy Neighbor Totorowas to, “entertain and touch its viewers, but also stay with them long after they have left the theaters.”
To entertain an audience is one thing, and to have such a profound effect on viewers that a film stays with them is something entirely different. The work of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki often has that effect, and creating it takes so much more than simply making something entertaining.
There’s More to Ghibli’s Movies Than Simple Entertainment
Flight, Innocence, Environmentalism, and the Work of Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki’s work, as all art does, has something to say. Whatever a certain movie is saying can change from film to film, but there are constants in most of what the director has made over the years. Any fan diving into a Miyazaki movie can usually expect a young female protagonist, the inclusion of flight in some manner, and a supernatural presence.
Underneath the surface, there are also someconstant themes throughout much of his work. Topics like innocence, resilience, environmentalism, and much more often find their way into Ghibli’s biggest films. These themes are what achieve more than simply entertaining an audience for an hour and change while they sit in theaters, and are what eventually follow fans home.
The film Miyazaki was discussing,My Neighbor Totoro, might be seen as his most child-friendly, but it tootouches on some important, heavier subjects. Totoro himself appears when Satsuki and Mei are directly feeling the effects of having a sick parent; alone at the bus stop, when Mei is left to herself with Satsuki in school, late at night. All are times a child may want the company of a parent.
The inclusion of such topics in movies already brimming with Ghibli magic is what makes the work of Hayao Miyazaki so special, and what allows them to stay with viewers years down the line.
The film touches on the importance of imagination for young kids dealing with difficult situations in life, a subject that will always hold relevance. The inclusion of such topics in movies already brimming with Ghibli magic is what makes the work of Hayao Miyazaki so special, and what allows them to stay with viewers years down the line.
Ghibli’s Future Appears Uncertain As Miyazaki Slows Production
Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki are practically synonymous with one another, despite a few of the studio’s most popular filmshaving been directed by other artists, and that’s truer today than ever before. As Miyazaki has slowed the pace at which he works in recent years, Ghibli hasn’t quite been able to replace his workload.
The last non-Miyazaki work which could be considered a massive success was 2013’sThe Tale of Princess Kaguya,Isao Takahata’s final filmbefore his passing later in the decade. Capturing the magic found in works like those by Miyazaki is not easy by any means, and it goes to show just how talented a filmmaker he truly is.
Both entertaining and everlasting, the films ofStudio Ghibliand Hayao Miyazaki have forever altered the landscape of anime, and there are very few filmmakers who can match his output over the last four-plus decades. Not only are they guaranteed to entertain, but fans can be sure they’ll stay with them long after the credits roll.
