Hayao Miyazaki

Here is some of Miyazaki's work.

These pictures are not my own. Would you like to know from whence these pictures came? Click on one and all shall be revealed!

Laputa, Castle in the Sky

This is a poster from an animated movie called "Laputa, Castle in the Sky." Unfortunately for y'all, it's only available in Japanese right now. However, Laputa is the next Miyazaki film slated for release in America!

This is a story of a girl named Sheeta who is running away from those who seek her power. Unfortunately, she really doesn't understand the power that she possesses.

Sheeta is protected by a boy named Pazu, who "rescues" her as she floats down from the sky. Using his engineering skills, he's pretty good at protecting her too.

Laputa is actually the most Disney-like of all the Miyazaki films. However, Miyazaki is very good at not only telling a good story, but he has a mean paintbrush that can capture a mood like nobody I've ever seen before. This film is worth the anticipation.

Another thing I like about this film is that it clearly shows the fascination that Miyazaki has with flying machines. For some reason, most of his films have gigantic, cumbersome flying machines that barely look like they could fly in a cartoon. Somehow, he makes it work.

Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind

Here we have the story of Nausicaa. Nausicaa is a great example of Miyazaki's brilliant environmental philosophy. Unfortunately, this film is not available in English either. It was a long time ago, but it was cut extensively. However, the comic book version is available in English and it is much better. The comic book comes in four volumes of over 250 pages each costing $17.95 apiece. This is not your everyday comic book, however. It's not like "Spiderman" or "Spawn." This is a real, live novel plus pictures. This story is my favorite of the Miyazaki stories. It defies my capacity for description.

Nausicaa is the daughter of the chieftain of the Valley of Wind. The Valley of Wind exists in a world that has been decimated by pollution and been partially covered by poisonous forests that kill all who are near it within 5 minutes. Nausicaa, unknowingly, winds up becoming the "one" who will lead humanity to "the promised land."

This is the best I can describe it in such little space. The plot is so convoluted that I had to read the story 3 times before I understood what was going on. In fact, I am still finding nuances in the story. This is part of the fun of it, however. This story, more than all others, demonstrates Miyazaki's immense genius.

Kiki's Delivery Service

Ah, now this one IS available in English. In fact, it just came out. Phil Hartman does the voice of the cute black cat on Kiki's pouch in the picture there. This Miyazaki film captures one of the things I like best about Miyazaki. Most of the characters aren't fashion models. They are drawn, and act like, ordinary people (gasp!)!

Kiki is a witch. She is, however, not like the usual witch. In this story, witches aren't evil. In fact, except for spell-casting abilities, they are much like regular people.

Kiki has just turned 13, which means she has to leave home for a year to develop her skills. The problem is that Kiki hasn't really decided on which skill to specialize in.

Jiji is Kiki's sarcastic black cat. His job seems to be to provide advice that Kiki doesn't listen to and to pursue romantic endeavors.

Don't miss this show! It's fun!

My Neighbor Totoro

This video is quite a treat. It is available in English too! Finding it is another question. I recommend trying however!

Totoro is a friendly kami, which is a type of Shinto deity. He lives in a giant tree. The story begins when he comes in contact with two girls who have just moved into a nearby house. Despite the fact that Totoro is huge (at least 8 feet tall) the girls are not afraid of him at all. Totoro proves to be mighty helpful throughout the film.

Totoro is accompanied by several friends. First of all, he has two friends who are like tiny versions of himself. He also has the dust bunnies, which are the little black fuzzies in the picture. Finally, there is Catbus, who is simply, a cat shaped like a bus and who, in fact, actually IS a bus.

This story doesn't seem to be aimed at any particular age group. It's not like Disney, which is for kids, but some adults enjoy it too. This show is literally for everyone. Miyazaki, who is a master storyteller as well as animator, makes this a show that will not be forgotten soon. Even my mother likes it, and she thinks Anime is totally weird.

Princess Mononoke

Okay, now this show is no longer as inscrutable to me as it once was. This is due to a tremendous improvement in my Japanese. This story is extremely impressive. It's the closest thing to an actual epic that I have ever seen brought to the screen. It also manages to combine a strong environmental message as well as a kind of love story. Essentially, it is a great story about a young man's journey to cure a curse that has befallen him.

The animation on Princess Mononoke is absolutely first rate. The best part is the minimal use of computers. Computers were used, but most of it is hand-animated. Well over half of the frames in this, as well as most other Miyazaki films, were actually at least partially worked on by Miyazaki himself. That comes to tens of thousands of frames. The result is staggering. The battle scenes are the most impressive. They happen so smoothly and so quickly, yet upon close inspection, one actually will notice that all the battle equipment and ammunition is rendered with breathtaking realism.

Princess Mononoke became the highest grossing film ever in Japan when it was released. When you watch it, you will have no trouble understanding why. Know this, you cannot die after having lived a fulfilled life without seeing this film. It's that good. It's coming out on video in English soon.

Spirited Away

Coming soon!

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