Hayao Miyazaki -Master of Japanese Animation Hayao Miyazaki 宫崎骏

Introduction Miyazaki was not the founding father of Japanese animation, but there is no doubt Miyazaki's name and that his animation house Studio Ghibli is the symbol of Japanese animation. He was honored with a life-time achievement award in the 62nd Venice Film Festival. He won oscar Best Animated Feature in He won a worldwide fame.

Career Hayao Miyazaki was born in Tokyo on January 5, He received a political science and economics degree from Gakushuin University, but even before that, after seeing the first full-length Japanese animated movie Hakujaden. Miyazaki knew he had to become an animator. Legend of the White Snake

In 1984 Miyazaki released Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind, which is a great success. in 1985, he co-founded Studio Ghibli.Since then, he has directed, written and produced a range of increasingly successful animated feature films. Miyazaki directed the following movies at Studio Ghibli: - Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind (1984) - Laputa: The Castle in the Sky (1986) - My Neighbor Totoro (1988) - Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) - Porco Rosso (1992) - Princess Mononoke (1997) - Spirited Away (2001) - Howl's Moving Castle (2004) Career

Representative Works Nausicaa of the valley of Wind Laputa:the Castle in the sky My Neighbor Totoro Grave of the Fireflies

Kiki’s Delivery Service Only YesterdayPorco RossoWhisper Of The Heart Representative Works

Princess Mononoke Spirited AwayThe Cat ReturnsHowl’s Moving Castle Representative Works

I will illustrate two of them.The first one is > Fireflies Background information In the waning days of World War Two, American bombers drop napalm canisters on Japanese creating firestorms. Content "Grave of the Fireflies" is an animation telling the story of two children from the port city of Kobe, made homeless by the bombs. Their father is serving in Japanese navy and their mother is a bomb victim. Their home, neighbors, schools, are all gone. The brother(Seita) takes care of the sister(Setsuko).

Fireflies Content Firstly, they lived in a relative’s home. Gradually their relatives didn’t welcome them, they had to move to a cave. They didn’t have neither electric light or candles, so they caught fireflies to illuminate their cave. They didn’t have enough food to eat, so the little sister finally died, so did her brother. The ending responses the beginning” In 1945, on the night of September 21, I died”. "Grave of the Fireflies" is an emotional experience so powerful that it forces a rethinking of animation. Since the earliest days, most animated films have been "cartoons" for children and families. Recent animated have touched on more serious themes. Miyazaki express his view on war in the animation – people will suffer from the war.

Spirited Away Content Spirited Away is a fantasy adventure with a ten year-old girl, which starts in everyday Japan but goes somewhere very different. For young Chihiro and her family, a mysterious tunnel and haunted town lead to the Land of Spirits, inhabited by gods and monsters and ruled by the greedy witch Yu-baba. Chihiro's parents are transformed into pigs; to rescue them, she must surrender her name and serve in this world. Luckily she finds friends and allies, including the handsome but mysterious boy Haku. Initially sulky and listless, Chihiro (or Sen, as she's now called) finds inner strengths and establishes an identity in this strange world. Finally, with the help of her friends, she save her parents out.

Spirited Away Content The world of Spirited Away is simply bustling with life; unique, instantly lovable creatures jostling about their daily activities and tasks in the bath houses, dancing across the screen like leaves caught in a playful summer breeze.

Characteristics Excessive expressionism contrast; to the left Chihiro from Spirited Away, to the right a typical popular anime character. In an article he wrote in 1988, Miyazaki described what he called “excessive expressionism” in Japanese animation. He described how Japanese animation had pushed itself into a spiral of ever decreasing motion.

Characteristics Miyazaki’s movies are a mix of fantasy and reality. The settings are often realistic, such as ancient Japan in Princess Mononoke, but with fantasy-like elements such as spirits and other mythical creatures. Miyazaki is a true master of creating and animating creatures, ranging from living lampposts to small forest spirits. Another trait of Miyazaki’s movies is that there is no strict good and evil. This can be seen in the characters from these movies: there are no stereotypically good or evil characters. (the Great Forest Spirit and Kodama from Princess Mononoke)

The End CS0505 宫士敏 (The following pictures are not from Miyazaki’s animations)