Hayao Miyazaki

An elderly man sits hunched at a small wooden desk in the corner of his room. He furiously scribbles in his notebook, occasionally muttering out curses from under his breath as he erases every wrong mark, stroke, and mistake away. To those who would not even spare him a second glance, the man seems to be nothing more than a disheveled, reclusive workaholic. But who would have guessed that, littered around his desk, are thousands of striking, hand-drawn scenes as though they came straight out of a child's dream. This strange, pertinacious man, Hayao Miyazaki, is hailed to be one of the world's greatest animators. Born on January 5, 1941, Miyazaki grew up during World War II-a  time of chaotic political standings, extreme conflicts between humans, and pure desolation. Despite such a scarring climate, Miyazaki managed to make his way through school peacefully with the support of his mother and the influence of his father. His father was an engineer for airplane parts which  ignited  Miyazaki's lifelong passion for aviation, leading to a newfound interest in drawing. He graduated high school in 1959 and, after completing college, joined Toei Animation in 1963. However, he decided to join Nippon Animation in 1973 as he found out that Toei Animation was just not on par with his tastes. Unfortunately, that era ended as well, and he and his former coworker, Isao Takahata, left the company together to pursue a lifelong dream. The pair started up their own animation studio, Studio Ghibli, and though they did not know it, many highly acclaimed, award-winning movies would be born there. Some of Miyazaki's most famous films consist of Princess Mononoke, Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away (which ended up winning an Oscar in 2003), Howl's Moving Castle, and Ponyo. Even John Lasseter, director of hit films such as the Toy Story trilogy, Cars, and Up, regards Miyazaki as his superior. But it is not just the vivid and unique art style of Miyazaki's films that grips the hearts of his audience. Weaved among every movie are vital life lessons that are delved upon, enough to bring out "the purity of the heart" (as he once stated). Hayao Miyazaki, with his dedication to creativity, wise intuition, and ability to touch the hearts of others, unites his audience through his films to bring forth a generation of inspiration and dreams.

Unlike most movie directors of the modern age, Miyazaki does not concoct films for the sake of fame and money; it is the quality and substance within that he strives for. He feels that, as an artist, being able to deliver a memorable idea is the greatest honor of all. He once stated: "But regrettably, others making animated cartoons seem to be different. They insist, 'This is the trend... This is likely to be a hit...' I can't engage myself in such an inhuman task as making animated cartoons just to produce such things. To produce a decent animated cartoon requires anywhere from a year to a year and a half, and our private lives go out the window during this period. Of course, we could make cartoons while still taking our vacations, but that would be reflected in their quality. Works of art are created by those who are prepared to go the limit. We're not interested in anything else" (Jiji Gaho Sha, Inc.). When in the process of creating a film, Miyazaki does not have any interest in planning out which elements make a marketable movie, which star-filled cast would garner the most interest, or how to make it to the top of the box-office. It is about the themes-the essence of the story. To Miyazaki, a movie acts as a way of projecting thoughts and ideals that can speak to a person's soul. There is no point in abiding to the restrictions of conformities and trends that do nothing to inspire others. This is the reason why Miyazaki never has a set guideline when producing films: "If you look at it differently, everybody can make a film with logic. But my way is to not use logic. I try to dig deep into the well of my subconscious. At a certain moment in that process, the lid is opened and very different ideas and visions are liberated. With those I can start making a film. It's while working on that scene that I realised that I work in a non-conscious way. There are more profound things than simply logic that guide the creation of the story" (Mes). During his creative processes, Miyazaki knows that following logic is no different from sticking to conformities. He instead allows for his emotions and instincts to manifest vivid, unconventional ideas without worries of economical success. By letting his true feelings shine through, he can devise a film that has meaning to people.

Alongside his whimsical landscapes and quirky creatures, Miyazaki incorporates life lessons that are just as important as his animations. The ability to spread his ideas is a vital aspect to Miyazaki: "'Of course,' he relents, 'if, as artists, we try to tap into that soul level - if we say that life is worth living and the world is worth living in - then something good might come of it.' He shrugs. 'Maybe that's what these films are doing. They are my way of blessing the child'" (Brooks). As an artist, Miyazaki knows that his work has the power to be life-changing. Cartoons are not just mere moving images with the purpose of extracting entertainment out of its viewers. A cartoon is a form of art, and like many are aware of, pictures paint more than a thousand words. People can find that, through his animations, inspiration is abundant. In a world plagued with unforgiveness, Miyazaki assures that no matter how bleak things may be, life is still worth living for no matter what occurs. Despite that, Miyazaki does not hesitate to showcase the world's dark parts: "'I did not deliberately try to deliver any educational ideologies or messages to the audience. If they really exist in my works, they are only revealing themselves naturally. Many people think that I am telling a very deep truth. Actually what I like is simplicity. The reason that we made Howl's Moving Castle is that there are too many unhappy matters in the world, such as wars and economic crises. We hope that, through the movie, people can keep up their courage and see the hope. The future world is still nice and beautiful. It is worthy for us to survive and explore it'" (Bao). Miyazaki once stated that he does not make any unnecessary explanations for his movies. He deliberately makes his messages as straightforward as possible. By doing so, people can adapt and grow stronger by facing the world as it is. Miyazaki encourages people not to overlook the world's faults. To enjoy life is as simple as that-there are the good and the evils and Miyazaki assures his audience that, despite the "unhappy moments", life will be as beautiful as they make it.

To make a quality film is to make one that speaks loud volumes to anybody who watches it; Miyazaki makes it a point to produce a movie that can be understood by anybody of any age. It is important as an artist to be able to connect with everybody: "'It was through observing the daughter of a friend that I realised there were no films out there for her, no films that directly spoke to her. Certainly, girls like her see films that contain characters their age, but they can't identify with them, because they are imaginary characters that don't resemble them at all'" (Mes). It is rare for a movie to target children so Miyazaki wants to make something that can reach out to them as well. He uses his films to identify with them and to teach them lessons that they can relate to. For Miyazaki, it is necessary to "tap into that soul level" for kids. Children are taught to abide by conformities, live by the rules, and to anticipate the world's cruel nature. However, Miyazaki does not want that. He wants children to know that life is worth living for and that there is someone else out there that thinks just the same as them. He does not want the youth to lose hope as there many things in life worth experiencing. By making films that even children can understand, Miyazaki knows that he is killing two birds with one stone; for a child to understand what beauty and kindness is, even adults can understand: "Humans face a basic choice between love or money, he believes. 'A five-year-old understands that in a way an adult obsessed with the economy and share prices cannot. I make movies that can be understood by that five-year-old, and to bring out that purity of heart'" (Mes). Miyazaki ensures to unite his audience through his works. A film that can speak to people of all ages is a film that can "bring out the purity of the heart" from anybody.  

Despite his flaws, Miyazaki is able to inspire many people from all around the world. Even with his mysterious and intimidating nature, Miyazaki  shares his beliefs and ideals that, as a human, we must keep forth and treasure our time in life.  As he once stated, "Life is a winking light in the darkness". He reassures others with his words of wisdom in hopes that they will grow and change the world for the better. For people like him, reclusive and perhaps lacking in courage, Miyazaki's films act as a bout of fresh air amidst a world polluted with evil. It gives people something to ponder on, something to cling on, and acts as a paperweight for high hopes and steadfast dreams. As a fellow artist and introvert, I admire Miyazaki in more ways than one. I have always wished to reach out to people and find ways to settle in as a part of their life. Unfortunately, I can go only so far as my shy demeanor will allow. But, somehow, I see a bit of myself in Miyazaki. Miyazaki, who loathes nothing more than interviews, comes off as a recluse. However, he is still able to connect with others and communicate his own personal ideals. I felt as though I had found the hope I was searching for - even me, shy and awkward, could reach out to people with just a mere piece of paper and pencil. I can convey messages through my passion for art that speaks more about me than my words can ever say. Miyazaki brings forth the revelation that although the world appears to be in bad shape, there are still many great pleasures out there. Somewhere out there, another person is in the same shoes as another, and so, Miyazaki inspires me and the rest of his audience that life should be enjoyed no matter what the circumstance. Through his films, Miyazaki demonstrates his heroism with the use of his innovation and intuition to make a film that speaks volumes for people all around the world.