It’s Not All Sunshine and Rainbows with Hayao Miyazaki
When thinking of Ghibli films what comes to mind are mainly brightly coloured, whimsical universes that can induce hope in the coldest of hearts—let’s forget Grave of the Fireflies for two seconds.
In animation, few names are as renowned as Hayao Miyazaki, Ghibli’s co-founder.
For almost four decades, Miyazaki has been creating some of the most enchanting and thought-provoking animated films around; the trifecta of My Neighbour Totoro, Mononoke, and Spirited Away being an unbeatably heartwarming beast that has won over children & adults around the world.
With the success of Studio Ghibli and their ability to dazzle all who view their films, one has to assume that the masterminds behind their inception would have a personality on par with that of a Disney princess to match the nurturing universes they create. But that isn’t the case with Hayao Miyazaki, and he doesn’t like Disney either. Miyazaki's grumpiness is not a secret, his famed protege, Hideako Anno of Neon Genesis Evangelion, even coining him “A really mean old guy!” He's been known to openly criticize other animators and studios, such as Pixar, for their reliance on technology and lack of hand-drawn animation. He's also expressed his frustration with the commercialization of the film industry, particularly in Japan. Is this just a case of the aloofness that comes with being a legend or is there something more to it?
In a now memeified video from 2016, Miyazaki pulls no punches in expressing his view on AI-generated works stating to a team of dejected-looking developers: “I am utterly disgusted. If you really want to make creepy stuff, you can go ahead and do it. I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all.” This video isn’t the only of its kind, the archives of Miyazaki expressing his disdain for the world and work are fruitful and honestly prove for a good laugh.
While his grump may be seen as generally negative, the public seems to be here for it. There’s something relatably captivating about this divulged dark side that makes Miyazaki all the more lovable; only further highlighting his commitment to the industry.
