Miyazaki,+Hayao

Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki, one of the most renown Japanese anime directors in Japan. His work has garnered him with international acclaim and fame. His success in Japan has transferred across the globe to North America, with the Academy Award winning animated film, //Spirited Away//. Born in Tokyo on January 5, 1941, his career strated off as an animator with Japanese animation studio, Toei Douga in 1963. In 1971, he moved to another studio (A Pro) with Isao Takahata (another famous Japanese anime director, with films such as //Grave of the Fireflies//, and //Pom Poko//), where both Miyazaki and Takahata are now co-founders of Studio Ghibli. Miyazaki's first feature film debut came in 1979 with //Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro//. The success of his 1984 film, //Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind// led to the creation of the animation studio, Studio Ghibli. Recently, Miyazaki came out with his newest featured film, "Howl's moving castle." Even though he has said this would be his last film, a statement he has said before after the completion of some of his earlier films, many of us still hope for additions to his extraordinary body of work will continue to be produced as long as he remains alive.
 * Biography**

//Howls' Moving Castle// (2004) //Spirited Away// (2001) //Princess Mononoke// (1997) //Porco Rosso// (1992) //Kiki's Delivery Service// (1989) //My Neighbor Totoro// (1988) //Castle in the Sky// (1986) //Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind// (1984) //Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro// (1979)
 * Filmography - director (feature length films)**

The films of Hayao Miyazaki contain a distinct element or multiple elements that distinguish from other animated films. Whether those films are other anime (as Miyazaki films fall into the genre of anime), or American animated films. Miyazaki's films are often compared to his American counterpart, Walt Disney. A lot of Disney films contain that fantasy world element filled with magical worlds and characters (e.g. Aladdin, Beauty and The Beast, Pinnochio, etc.) Miyazaki's films also contain dream like world and non-human characters that fit into the worlds Miyazaki creates. Looking at some of his films like Spirited Away, the main character wanders into a strange world inhabited by strange creatures. There seems to be a striking resemblence to Walt Disney's, Alice in Wonderland, in terms of the concept. I can see why the Miyazaki and Disney comparisons are made. But Miyazaki takes a different approach to how he handles his characters, which will be explained later. In MyNeighbor Totoro, Miyazaki creates the character Totoro, that has now become the symbol for his studio, Studio Ghibli.
 * Miyazaki Films as a Genre**

There is the element of flight. Miyazaki's passion for flying is brought onto his films. Castle in the Sky contains a flying castle; My Neighbor Totoro has a character that can fly; Kiki's Delivery Service has the main character as a witch that flies using a broomstick; both Howl's Moving Castle (based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones) and Spirited Away contain characters that can transform into flying creatures. A few Walt Disney films contain characters with flight, even some that have gone on to become iconic (e.g. Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, the magic carpet in Aladdin).

Aside from those technical elements, Miyazaki's thematic elements is his greatest asset that distinguishes his works from others and in the process, emerge other creators whose films include some of the same principles. The main protagonist in Miyazaki's films most of the time are females. The characters are placed in situations where they must overcome struggles inside themselves and around them. As they journey on to whatever world they find themselves in, they manage to grow stronger mentally. Although most of these characters are mostly placed in imaginary worlds, Miyazaki has created characters with real emotions and realtionships that audiences are able to identify with. Relationships with parents, friends, and the environment are issues that Miyazaki includes. The cliche of good versus evil in a lot of movies involve the antogonist plotting to take over the world, and the protagonist must save mankind. Miyazaki avoids those cliches. Characters viewed as "the enemy" emobody "human" like emotions who initially fail to realize their flaws until the end, where they try to amend peace.

The creation of Studio Ghibli, exemplifies the works of Miyazaki. Included in Studio Ghibli are other directors who have also collaborated (e.g. animation director, production, character design, etc.) with other films within the studio that includes films directed by Miyazaki, and vice-versa. Whisper of the Heart, directed by Yoshifumi Kondo, has a female protagonist who deals and struggles with school and family life. In most Studio Ghibli films, we can see the themes and connotations that borrow off of Hayao Miyazaki, in a way creating a sub-genre of anime.



//Castle In The Sky// (1986) //Grave of the Fireflies// (1988) //My Neighbor Totoro// (1988) //Kiki's Delivery Service// (1989) //Only Yesterday// (1991) //Porco Rosso// (1992) //Ocean Waves// (1993) //Pom Poko// (1994) //Whisper of the Heart// (1995) //Princess Mononoke// (1997) //My Neighbor the Yamadas// (1999) //Spirited Away// (2001) //The Cat Returns// (2002) //Howl's Moving Castle// (2004) //Tales From Earthsea// (2006)
 * Studio Ghibli - (feature length films)**

Official website of Studio Ghibli http://www.ghibli.jp/
 * External Links**

Nausicaa.net. //The Hayao MIYAZAKI Web//. Online at: , consulted on Nov 04, 2006.
 * References**

IMDB. //Biography for Hayao Miyazaki//. //Online at: <[|http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0594503/bio/]>,// consulted on Nov 04, 2006.

The Guardian. //A God Among Animators//. Online at: , consulted on Nov 25. 2006.

Midnight Eye. //Hayao Miyazaki Interview//. Online at: , consulted on Nov 25, 2006.

Anderson, Jeffrey M. //Interview With Hayao Miyazaki//. Combustible Celluloid. Online at: , consulted on Nov 25, 2006.

//Images// Hayao Miyazaki image: http://mimime7.free.fr/Mangakas/HayaoMiyazaki/hayao.jpg Studio Ghibli logo: http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/5092/studiologoee8.gif