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Hayao Miyazaki is a renowned Japanese animator, filmmaker, and manga artist who co-founded the acclaimed Studio Ghibli. He has created numerous critically acclaimed animated films that have captivated audiences worldwide, cementing his legacy as one of the most accomplished filmmakers in the history of animation.
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About the Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazakiis a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and manga artist. A founder of Studio Ghibli, he has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Japanese animated feature films, and is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished filmmakers in the history of animation.
Born in Tokyo City, Miyazaki expressed interest in manga and animation from an early age. He joined Toei Animation in 1963, working as an inbetween artist and key animator on films like Gulliver’s Travels Beyond the Moonalongside Isao Takahata. After moving to Zuiyo Eizoin 1973, Miyazaki worked as an animator on World Masterpiece Theater and directed the television series Future Boy Conanand the television series Sherlock Houndand directed the 1984 film adaptation produced by Topcraft.
Miyazaki co-founded Studio Ghibli in 1985, writing and directing films such as Laputa: Castle in the Skywas the first animated film to win the Japan Academy Film Prize for Picture of the Year and briefly became the highest-grossing film in Japan; its Western distribution increased Ghibli’s worldwide popularity and influence. Spirited Awaybecame Japan’s highest-grossing film and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature; it is frequently ranked among the greatest films of the 21st century. Miyazaki’s later films–Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), Ponyo (2008), and The Wind Rises (2013)–also enjoyed critical and commercial success. He retired from feature films in 2013 but later returned to make The Boy and the Heron (2023), which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Miyazaki’s works are frequently subject to scholarly analysis and have been characterized by the recurrence of themes such as humanity’s relationship with nature and technology, the importance of art and craftsmanship, and the difficulty of maintaining a pacifist ethic in a violent world. His protagonists are often strong girls or young women, and several of his films present morally ambiguous antagonists with redeeming qualities. Miyazaki’s works have been highly praised and awarded; he was named a Person of Cultural Merit for outstanding cultural contributions in 2012, and received the Academy Honorary Award for his impact on animation and cinema in 2014. Miyazaki has frequently been cited as an inspiration for numerous animators, directors, and writers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and manga artist who co-founded the renowned Studio Ghibli. He is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished filmmakers in the history of animation.
Some of Hayao Miyazaki’s most famous animated films include Laputa: Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo, and The Wind Rises.
Hayao Miyazaki was born on January 5, 1941 in Tokyo City, Japan.
Hayao Miyazaki has received numerous awards and accolades, including being named a Person of Cultural Merit for his outstanding cultural contributions in 2012 and receiving the Academy Honorary Award for his impact on animation and cinema in 2014.
Hayao Miyazaki’s films often explore themes such as humanity’s relationship with nature and technology, the importance of art and craftsmanship, and the difficulty of maintaining a pacifist ethic in a violent world. His protagonists are frequently strong girls or young women, and several of his films present morally ambiguous antagonists with redeeming qualities.
Hayao Miyazaki’s early career in animation involved working as an inbetween artist and key animator on films like Gulliver’s Travels Beyond the Moon, Puss in Boots, and Animal Treasure Island. He later co-directed Lupin the Third Part I and worked as an animator on World Masterpiece Theater and directed the television series Future Boy Conan, which laid the foundation for his future success in feature filmmaking.
Hayao Miyazaki wrote and illustrated the manga Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind from 1982 to 1994, and later directed the 1984 film adaptation produced by Topcraft. This early work in manga and animation helped shape his unique storytelling and visual style that would become hallmarks of his acclaimed feature films.
6 Quotes by Hayao Miyazaki
- 1.
When a man is shooting a handgun, it’s just like he is shooting because that’s his job, and he has no other choice. It’s no good. When a girl is shooting a handgun, it’s really something.
Hayao MiyazakiJapanese animator, film director, and mangaka (born 1941)
- 2.
We live in an age when it is cheaper to buy the rights to movies than to make them.
Hayao MiyazakiJapanese animator, film director, and mangaka (born 1941)
- 3.
I can’t do a film after having debated it. I am unable to do a film while discussing it with my team. I issue directives. I do not achieve it otherwise.
Hayao MiyazakiJapanese animator, film director, and mangaka (born 1941)
- 4.
I am an animator. I feel like I’m the manager of a animation cinema factory. I am not an executive. I’m rather like a foreman, like the boss of a team of craftsmen. That is the spirit of how I work.
Hayao MiyazakiJapanese animator, film director, and mangaka (born 1941)
- 5.
I never read reviews. I’m not interested. But I value a lot the reactions of the spectators.
Hayao MiyazakiJapanese animator, film director, and mangaka (born 1941)
- 6.
Is someone different at age 18 or 60? I believe one stays the same.
Hayao MiyazakiJapanese animator, film director, and mangaka (born 1941)