Ghibli Tavern - Miyazaki's new direction in film-making

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Miyazaki's new direction in film-making

In the "Ask John" archive of AnimeNation, there is an interesting reply from John, a veteran in anime, to a question on Miyazaki's recent trends in anime production.

Regarding the apparent degradation in the general level of enjoyment the recent Miyazaki films bring about, John suggests that it is largely a result of the director's desire to make more personal films. He feels that Miyazaki has shifted the focus from the audience to his own desires, thus making movies that are artistically stunning, yet a bit lacking in characterization, coherence and development when compared to the older works. The resulting products, therefore, "make perfect sense to the director, but leave the viewer slightly lost and confused."

I find his comments quite interesting. Quite a number of critics have also recognized the shift of the weight from storytelling to artistic effects. But they treat it as more of a commercial and strategic move for gaining worldwide appeal and awards, and complained that Miyazaki has lost his magical "Miyazaki touch" in the early films. John, however, consider the magical "Miyazaki touch" as merely a commercial device for appealing to the audience, and regard recent movies like Howl as the ones that are the most personal of all. He feels that the true, bona fide "Miyazaki touch" is indeed what distances the audience.

The whole of John's reply can be found here:
http://animenation.net/news/askjohn.php?id=1239

I wonder what you think of these comments? And how do you account for the changes in the recent Miyazaki movies?

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01.31.2006, 06:31 AM

AnIm@ster
Susuwatari

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cool!!!!

02.01.2006, 08:48 PM

Although I haven't seen Howl's Moving Castle yet, I personally disagree with John's reply. Of course its opinion oriented so he isn't wrong, but I doubt that most people would agree that 'Princess Mononoke' and 'Spirited Away' were indications of Miyazaki's story telling on a decline.

Indeed, many people believe that they are two of his finest works. Therefore the opposite argument is just as valid, perhaps Miyazaki's efforts to make his movies more personal are beneficial -humanising his films and making them less abstract, despite the fantasy surrounding the movie.

However, the point I disagree with most strongly is the fact that Miyazaki has recently started to personalise his movies. I believe that almost all of his movies have been personal, with Porco Rosso being the climax. It has often been claimed that Miyazaki has an obsession with pigs and he is incredibly interested in aircrafts (in fact I think Ghibli was actually named after an airplane engine). Porco Ross combined these two fanatical interests, and the result was the ultimate 'personal' Miyazaki movie, over 90mins -despite originally set to be a 30min short shown during Japanese flights. His strong anti-war sentiment and environmental concerns are also strongly featured in many of his movies before Princess Mononoke, most notably Nausicaa.

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Post last edited by E_Hakki on 02.02.2006, 03:38 PM.

02.02.2006, 03:04 PM

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I second with you that all Miyazaki films are the director's personal works. After all, Studio Ghibli was founded under Miyazaki and Takahata, who were disillusioned by the commercial influence in the industry, and wanted to set up a studio of their own for them to produce personal and high quality films.

Regarding the changes in the styles and paces of the Miyazaki films throughout the Ghibli era, I think it is largely a result of Miyazaki's own personal development, rather than a move from "commercial" to "personal," or vice versa.

In any profession related to art, it is unavoidable for an artist to be inspired by his personal experience and go through various stages of changes, no matter these changes are positive or not.

In the case of Miyazaki, the differences between the Nausicaa movie (1984), the Nausicaa manga (ended in 1994) and the Mononoke movie (1997) are good illustrations of one of his changes, from idealistic environmentalism to pragmatic humanism. Some fans attribute this change to the collapse of the communist utopian illusion in early 90s, but I digress.

Certainly the aforesaid is only one aspect out of the many changes in Miyazaki's Ghibli career. Indeed, the general political/urban/natural/personal environment has prevailing influence over the director's works. Howl addressed the futility of wars, while Spirited Away showed certain effects of materialism and capitalism. So is the shift of the focuses a sign of the "personification?" I don't think so, as all his films are personal works to begin with.

Additionally, with the two-hour-feature-film limit, it is simply impossible for the director to encompass all his thoughts in one single piece of work. It is therefore the most natural for him to unfold his thoughts one by one in each of his works. Hence what we are seeing may not necessarily be merely changes. They may simply be different sections of a gigantic, yet dynamic library of ideas.

By the way, how do you personally feel about the trend of the Miyazaki movies? Do you prefer the older works (80s to early 90s) or the newer ones (mid 90s to now)?

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02.04.2006, 05:27 AM

Well put Jiji.

I think that some people construct elaborate, and at times, overcomplicated theories...which isn't a bad thing since its nice to understand other peoples interpretations and to reflect upon them.

Taking the example of Nausicaa, the differences between the manga and movie may simply be due to time constraint since it would be impossible to cover all seven volumes in just two hours. Or it may indeed be rooted in political considerations that perhaps even Miyazaki isn't consciously aware of. Its just too difficult to say for certain.

I for one agree that personal experiences in such a line of work cannot be avoided, although to imply (as some have) that Miyazaki was an advocator of communism is perhaps too extreme for me. The failings and of communism were evident long before the collapse of the Soviet state and he gives no specific reference to communism.

Personally, I find it difficult to divide Miyazaki's works into specific trends. I have yet to see Laputa and Howl's Moving Castle, but look to forward to seeing both of them equally. From what I have seen and believe, Miyazaki's later works have continued to hold the the same eloquence and charm that his previous films have championed. Basically...I'm trying to avoid the question because I find it too difficult to pick between them. My preferences change according to my mood. How about you? I'm guessing your favourite is Kiki's Delivery Service?

02.05.2006, 07:23 PM

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Regarding his animated works, Miyazaki once commented that, "don't try to think too deep or too shallow about them. They are simply a kind of entertainment." Yet fans do have the tendency to overanalyse their favourites.

I personally enjoy reading these speculations and guesses. They may not be correct per se, but they certainly help me to examine the works in question from a variety of perspectives, and acquire a more comprehensive understanding of them. Nevertheless, speculations can be nothing more than educated guesses unless otherwise proven by authoritative voices.

Actually, Miyazaki has another interesting comment, which apparently is directed towards the hardcore fans. "If you have the time to watch the 'Totoro' tape (again and again), I wonder how much you have experienced from the rich reality?"

On my personal preference, I generally prefer modest and humanistic stories, though I like the well-written grand epics as well. You are correct that Kiki is my favourite Miyazaki movie (quite obvious, isn't it? ). My second favourite is a tie between Totoro and Spirited Away. What Totoro attracts me is quite similar to Kiki: the simple and innocent charms of being a child. Spirited Away is a bit different, as I see it as one of the best package with all the strengths of Miyazaki, from the dazzling adventures to the personal story of growth.

As for the discussion on the trends, I feel that the earlier Miyazaki works have a more centralized focus, be it an epic voyage or a journey of self-actualization, while the later ones (SA, Howl) interweave all these themes together to form a story that can appeal to anyone. (Feel free to bash me as each Miyazaki movie is too unique to be effectively classified into just two groups ^^;; ). Given the two-hour-feature-film-limit, I am more interested in seeing a single theme being examined in more details, than seeing a bunch of plot devices being thrown out continuously with no reason. Yet if the director is capable enough (like Miyazaki ), and with well execution, a mixed package can still marvel.

P.S. the 1984 Nausicaa movie was based on all completed manga chapters at that time. i.e. less than 1/4 of the whole story. The serialization came to a final end in 1994.

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02.08.2006, 07:01 AM

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Miyazaki really strikes me as idealist. Its evident from his movies, but also from comments such as those that you outlined. He seems very much opposed to the idea of a hardcore fan, instead hoping for people (especially children) to discover life for themselves and build fond memories, rather than become absorbed in an increasingly media-oriented society.

Whether this is still possible in some societies is difficult to say. Here in London, trees are few and to let ones children roam freely is risky business. Nevertheless, such a world sounds appealing and seems to be a central theme in most Miyazaki works.

I guess now that that I think about it, his later works have all been epics and the focus is broader. It was however a good idea to branch out a little more, if he had not then he would probably never have recieved the recognition in the west that he deserves and therefore would remain unknown to people like me. If this is indeed a shift in trend then I for one am extremely thankful for it .

02.16.2006, 10:35 PM

Sunchaser
Totoro

That's really interesting. I enjoy all of Miyazaki's works but sometimes they are a little confusing. The only reason for me, is that I can't understand Japanese. So I listen to the Chinese and English. However, because of the translations, it may be a little different. I'm not really sure..I still think those comments John made are well put.

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02.22.2006, 01:59 PM

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quote:
Originally posted by E_Hakki
Miyazaki really strikes me as idealist. Its evident from his movies, but also from comments such as those that you outlined. He seems very much opposed to the idea of a hardcore fan, instead hoping for people (especially children) to discover life for themselves and build fond memories, rather than become absorbed in an increasingly media-oriented society.

Very true. Miyazaki has always been complaining about the overabundance of media entertainment. Children in present day Japan are far too indulged in TV programmes and TV games. They have lost their inborn playfulness and creativity, while gaining weight and heavy pairs of glasses.

While it is true that there are less and less free space for the children, TV and computer games are still by no means the best kind of entertainment children can get.

An extract of a discussion between Hayao Miyazaki and Ryo Murakami after the arrest of a "otaku" serial killer called Tsutomu Miyazaki, published in the 1989 November issue of Animage. You can see another version of the Totoro quote, along with Miyazaki's view on certain social phenomenon
.
(The whole interview is pretty long, so I only pick out a few parts and give you a general idea on some points that Miyazaki covered and relevant to our discussion. But I may translate the whole thing if I have enough time and if you are really interested.)

quote:
[...]

Not only the issue of watching Totoro repeatedly, but also the habit of watching TV during meals equally worths our concern. If we allow children to receive passive visual entertainment day-by-day, what will our children become under such environment?

If I meet a youngster that is willing to eat high-calorie junk food for every meal in order to save enough money to buy 10000 video tapes; or the kind of people that dish out all their money on videos and have no balance on their lives, I will not shout at them “you are such a moron.” I will only think that by 80% chance the source of the problem lies in today’s Japanese society. Therefore, I would like to call on everyone who realizes the problem: to cease from providing children with unnecessary things. Even though there are children programmes on TV, when children need to learn music, parents can sing with them or play the music to them. What I mean is that do not use TVs as children’s caretakers.

[...]

Therefore, even if some audience claim that they have watched "Totoro" 40 times, I will not be happy.

[…]

We don’t need to have adults acting as veterans guiding them how to play. Instead, we should create a “so boring that something must be done” atmosphere. In that way, children can bring their inborn nature into full play.

[…]

But, the current social phenomenon that we can see is that everyone is eager to produce hardware, making the things bigger and bigger. Additionally they chase after high-definition image quality continuously. The World Expo is a typical example: they spent all the money on building the centre of the Expo, while leaving no money on enhancing the software for broadcasting. Isn’t this the structure of today’s society? Rather than saying that this twisted phenomenon – I believed that it is an obvious twist – is a climax of civilization, it is better to regard it as a trap that civilizations are peculiar to; a trap that is being shown in certain parts of Japan and America. Because of America’s clear inlaid structure, not everywhere is affected by Los Angeles. Yet, by a certain construct, the influence that Japan receives is equally distributed in all parts. This makes people feel that no matter in the mountains or anywhere, they are all proceeding towards the same direction.

[…]

The translation work is so time-consuming that I’d better leave my additional comments in the next message. (^_^;; )

quote:
Originally posted by Sunchaser
That's really interesting. I enjoy all of Miyazaki's works but sometimes they are a little confusing. The only reason for me, is that I can't understand Japanese. So I listen to the Chinese and English. However, because of the translations, it may be a little different. I'm not really sure..I still think those comments John made are well put.

It is recommended to stick to the literal subtitles while listening to the Japanese original track. In that way you can get the best of both worlds. Generally the subtitles of the Ghibli DVDs are pretty good. Kiki is an exception, with subtitles made from a dub script (Really sad as it is my favourite movie). Well, the ultimate solution is to learn Japanese. Translations, no matter how accurate they seem to be, are always prone to errors due to cultural and linguistic differences.

By the way, may I ask all of you a question? What do you think is the ultimate aim of Miyazaki in making animated movies? Is there anything he would like to achieve? Or...?

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02.22.2006, 03:21 PM

Sunchaser
Totoro

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Okay, thanks Jiji. I have a lot of Miyazaki's movies, but they are either in Japanese or Chinese. Unfortunately, they do not have subtitles.

I'm not really sure about the aim of Miyazaki's work. It seems that in every movie something bad happens, or there is a sad event, but then there's always something good that is there as well, to kind of balance out the good and bad. I guess, maybe what Miyazaki's trying to do is show that even though unfortunate things may happen, good things happen as well. Also, I think he may be trying to show audiences the good and bad points of our world today, and also the different facets of different events happening. Like in Nausicaa with all the war and stuff. (That's actually the most confusing movie to me, although I enjoyed it very much). It seems to have many obvious and underlying issues. So yeah, that's my opinion. I know that it may sound redundant as I've heard other people say that too.

I'm watching Whisper of the Heart right now. I love this movie. LOL

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02.22.2006, 05:07 PM

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quote:
Originally posted by Jiji

Very true. Miyazaki has always been complaining about the overabundance of media entertainment. Children in present day Japan are far too indulged in TV programmes and TV games. They have lost their inborn playfulness and creativity, while gaining weight and heavy pairs of glasses.

While it is true that there are less and less free space for the children, TV and computer games are still by no means the best kind of entertainment children can get.

An extract of a discussion between Hayao Miyazaki and Ryo Murakami after the arrest of a "otaku" serial killer called Tsutomu Miyazaki, published in the 1989 November issue of Animage. You can see another version of the Totoro quote, along with Miyazaki's view on certain social phenomenon
.
(The whole interview is pretty long, so I only pick out a few parts and give you a general idea on some points that Miyazaki covered and relevant to our discussion. But I may translate the whole thing if I have enough time and if you are really interested.)

Not only the issue of watching Totoro repeatedly, but also the habit of watching TV during meals equally worths our concern. If we allow children to receive passive visual entertainment day-by-day, what will our children become under such environment?

If I meet a youngster that is willing to eat high-calorie junk food for every meal in order to save enough money to buy 10000 video tapes; or the kind of people that dish out all their money on videos and have no balance on their lives, I will not shout at them “you are such a moron.” I will only think that by 80% chance the source of the problem lies in today’s Japanese society. Therefore, I would like to call on everyone who realizes the problem: to cease from providing children with unnecessary things. Even though there are children programmes on TV, when children need to learn music, parents can sing with them or play the music to them. What I mean is that do not use TVs as children’s caretakers.

[...]

Therefore, even if some audience claim that they have watched "Totoro" 40 times, I will not be happy.

[…]

We don’t need to have adults acting as veterans guiding them how to play. Instead, we should create a “so boring that something must be done” atmosphere. In that way, children can bring their inborn nature into full play.

[…]

But, the current social phenomenon that we can see is that everyone is eager to produce hardware, making the things bigger and bigger. Additionally they chase after high-definition image quality continuously. The World Expo is a typical example: they spent all the money on building the centre of the Expo, while leaving no money on enhancing the software for broadcasting. Isn’t this the structure of today’s society? Rather than saying that this twisted phenomenon – I believed that it is an obvious twist – is a climax of civilization, it is better to regard it as a trap that civilizations are peculiar to; a trap that is being shown in certain parts of Japan and America. Because of America’s clear inlaid structure, not everywhere is affected by Los Angeles. Yet, by a certain construct, the influence that Japan receives is equally distributed in all parts. This makes people feel that no matter in the mountains or anywhere, they are all proceeding towards the same direction.

Thanks for finding the time to translate that interview Jiji, it certainly does provide explicit support for Miyazaki's personal beliefs on society and childrens needs.

quote:

By the way, may I ask all of you a question? What do you think is the ultimate aim of Miyazaki in making animated movies? Is there anything he would like to achieve? Or...?

I think this is quite a puzzling question. Looking at many of his movies, he appears to be trying to transmit some key factors of his ideal world. Three underlying features that are easily recognisable include; the importance of living in harmony with nature, the futility and needless devastation of war, and finally the importance of freedom.

On a more simplistic level, Miyazaki wishes to entertain children for that 'one-day a year' they are not adventuring. An ironic desire considering that Goro has stated feeling great neglect. Perhaps on a psychological level, Miyazaki seeks to compensate for this by entertaining the children of the world, although he was always a workaholic so that's stretching it a little.

03.04.2006, 10:22 AM

Earthsea
Susuwatari

hmmm i dont think he has lost his magic touch, miyazaki.
His peaks were defineatly Mononoke-Hime and Spirited away!

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03.05.2006, 02:01 AM

OYM Angel
Tanuki

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I agree with JiJi. All the Miyazaki movies are personal in a sense.

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03.06.2006, 05:24 PM

shiawase
Ohmu

Registration Date: 03.09.06
Location: British Columbia, Canada
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yoku deki mashita!

Wow, what a deep subject. We could go on for pages and pages! I disagree with John's opinion. I think Hayao is trying to detour minds, young and old, from getting tangled up in modern media and believing whatever their told is true and just. He makes his films based on "the perfect world" as it were. No war, no struggles, no impurities. Nausicaa is a prime example, aswell as Mononoke Hime.
As for his newer films (90's+) or his older ones... hmm, I prefer the transition period. Late 80's, early 90's were the suspense: the most exciting part. Howl's Moving Castle was the climax: the end of his animation career(btw is that official, is Goro taking over?).

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03.19.2006, 07:42 PM