What Hayao Miyazaki Teaches Us and His Wonderful Cartoons

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

On January 5, the legendary director-storyteller turns 80.

Hayao Miyazaki's cartoons are loved all over the world. His work is close and understandable not only to anime fans, but also to those who have not yet forgotten how to dream and believe in the best. Miyazaki's stories are most often simple, but literally each of them has something to think about and something to learn. After all, the director puts personal emotions and experiences into each plot.

1. Humanity is obliged to take care of nature

In his first works, Miyazaki turned to this topic. The world of the cartoon "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds" is on the verge of an environmental disaster, but people continue to conflict with each other, not noticing that they are destroying both the planet and themselves.

In the future, the director will repeatedly emphasize that life in peace with nature is much more important than momentary worries.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

• Japan, 1984.
• Science fiction, fantasy, drama.
• Duration: 112 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

After humanity led the planet to an ecological disaster, the earth was filled with poisonous forests and huge insects. Only Nausicaa, the heiress of the Valley of the Winds, can communicate with them. But soon she finds herself in the middle of a conflict between power-hungry neighbors.

The infamous Minamata Bay became the prototype of the infected world. Inorganic mercury was dumped there for many years, which caused massive poisoning of people living nearby.

Princess mononoke

• Japan, 1997.
• Fantasy, adventure, drama.
• Duration: 134 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 4.

The young prince Asitaka killed a boar possessed by a demon, and he himself was cursed. To get rid of the curse, he embarks on a dangerous journey. Asitaka involuntarily becomes a participant in the confrontation between man and nature: Lady Eboshi from the Iron City cuts down the ancient forest, and animals and spirits try to prevent her even at the cost of their lives.

In the image of Mrs. Eboshi, Miyazaki embodied a typical entrepreneur who is ready to sacrifice nature and the lives of others for the sake of earning money. And the main character acts as a peacemaker, calling to live in peace with nature, although he himself may be mortally ill.

2. You need to believe that miracles are always somewhere nearby

It is not for nothing that Miyazaki is called a real storyteller, because he often weaves fantasy into seemingly everyday life. The author calls to believe in miracles, in the fact that somewhere near us there is a lot of unknown. And there is no need to be afraid to discover something new, even if it is scary at first.

My neighbor Totoro

• Japan, 1988.
• Fantasy, adventure, family.
• Duration: 86 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 2.

Little sisters Satsuki and Mei move with their father to the village. Soon they get to know the forest spirit Totoro and his little helpers. Totoro is huge, but very kind. He quickly finds a common language with the girls, arranges for them an excursion through the forest, and then helps them see their sick mother.

This cartoon also has a green theme. Totoro protects the forest and it seems that in anger it can be very scary. Still, the story looks more like a simple and kind fairy tale. The heroines' father also treats spirits with great respect, so not only children believe in miracles.

3. Growing up doesn't always mean rebellion

Miyazaki often talks about family relationships, and about the balance between observing traditions and choosing your own path in life. And in contrast to many authors, he tries to show growing up not as a rebellion against the older generation.

Kiki's delivery service

• Japan, 1989.
• Fantasy, comedy, adventure.
• Duration: 103 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 9.

Young Kiki grows up in a family of a scientist and a witch. According to the old tradition, at the age of 13, the girl goes to another city, where there is not a single witch. There she must live alone. Kiki decides to start his own business - to open a delivery service on a broomstick.

Interestingly, the young witch adheres to family traditions, although she is not afraid to add modern elements to them. For example, as befits witches, she wears black clothes. But at the same time she ties her head with a bright bow.

Spirited Away

• Japan, 2001.
• Fantasy, adventure.
• Duration: 125 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 6.

While moving to a new house, Chihiro and his mom and dad got lost and wandered into an empty town. Having a snack there, the parents turned into pigs and together with their daughter found themselves in a magical world ruled by the witch Yubaba. Now Chihiro must figure out how to break the spell.

Here, the young heroine suddenly has to become independent, which often happens in reality. And the girl does everything to return her parents to a normal life. After all, no matter what happens, the family is the main thing.

4. You should always follow your dream and do what you love

Miyazaki decided to become an animator while still in high school. He first worked for TMS Entertainment and later founded the famous Studio Ghibli. But fame did not come to the director immediately.

By the way, since childhood, he was fond of airplanes and other aircraft. That is why there are so many plots in his cartoons about flights. And even the word Ghibli is a reference to the name of the Italian plane.

Heavenly castle Laputa

Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta

• Japan, 1986.
• Fantasy, adventure.
• Duration: 125 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

Little Sita is pursued by government agents and pirates. After all, she has a Flying Stone, with which you can find the legendary island of Laputa. Hiding from his pursuers, Sita meets a young Padzu from a mining town. And the boy decides to help the fugitive.

The story is based on one of the parts of "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift, which just told about the flying island. Of course, such a fabulous theme, and even connected with flights, could not fail to attract Miyazaki.

By the way, it is no coincidence that Padzu is depicted as a miner in the cartoon. So the director expressed his respect for the striking miners from Wales, whom he met while looking for landscapes for the cartoon.

The wind is getting stronger

• Japan, 2013.
• Drama, history, biography.
• Duration: 126 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

The boy Jiro always dreamed of flying, but due to his myopia he could not become a pilot. Then he devotes his life to the design of airplanes. He has to go through many disappointments and trials. But his efforts will be rewarded.

In part, this story is based on the fate of the real aircraft designer Jiro Horikoshi. But still, most of the biography of the cartoon hero is fictional. It's just a story about dreams and flying.

5. There is nothing worse than war

Hayao Miyazaki is a pacifist. He urged the Japanese government to plead guilty for participating in World War II, and later refused to attend the Oscars due to the US bombing of Iraq. In his works, he tries to show that war disfigures the survivors and even makes good people do terrible things.

Porco Rosso

• Japan, 1992.
• Fantasy, melodrama, adventure.
• Duration: 94 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

World War I veteran Marco Pagott became so disenchanted with people that he himself partially turned into a pig. He works as a pilot, driving pirates away from merchant planes. Realizing that they cannot cope with an experienced pilot, the bandits hire an American pilot who must destroy Porco Rosso - the Scarlet Pig.

The work on this cartoon was going on at the time when the war began in Yugoslavia. This is what made Miyazaki make the plot rather dark, showing anger and aggression. And the ending of the cartoon hints that only love can save people.

Walking castle

• Japan, 2004.
• Fantasy, melodrama, adventure.
• Duration: 119 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 2.

The young hatmaker Sophie fell in love with the handsome wizard Howl. And soon she even got into his walking castle. But the trouble is that the evil Witch of the Wasteland turned the girl into an old woman. Now Sophie works for her beloved as a cleaner, and at this time he is trying to stop the war with the neighboring state.

At first glance, this is just a fabulous plot. But it is not for nothing that the action takes place in a world where there is a war. In part, the author draws parallels between the difficulties of communication between the main characters and the world around them, where people also do not want to understand each other, which gives rise to terrible collisions.