Hayao Miyazaki was born January 5th, 1941. He was the son of an warplane parts manufacturer, Katsuji Miyazaki, and also an animator, Akemi Ota. Throughout his childhood he experienced things such as World War II and his mother developing tuberculosis between 1947 and 1955. He soon after became interested in animation, but not what we know him to have done today.

(Miyazaki and his mother Akemi Ota)

Miyazaki became interested in anime after seeing Hakujaden (Legend of the White Snake). At this time he was actually interested in comic illustration instead of anime. The thing is though, he did not go to college for the arts. Instead he went to Gakushuin University for economics and political science which possibly increased his dislike for politics from what he learned. While there he was a part of the Children’s Literature Club which was what he enjoyed because he loved to please children.

(Hakujaden a.k.a. Legend of the White Snake)

His entry into the animation scene was in 1963 when he made motion pictures and some television series with Toei Animation. After being at the studio for some time he started to get very creative with his ideas, thus impressing the other animators, and soon pitching his ideas to the directors who then made him the head animator. This is where he met his wife, Akemi Ota, who was one of the animators at the studio. They were married in 1968, and in that same year “Prince of the Sun” was released. This was the first motion picture that Miyazaki played a major part in, which in turn skyrocketed his career as an animator.

Miyazaki's first major film — Miyazaki’s first major film

Between the years of 1971 and 1978, Miyazaki experimented with his talents. He and another animator decided to attempt a motion picture that failed miserably. He then proceeded to Zuiyo Pictures where he was a scene designer. During this span he also dabbled in manga which were essentially graphic novels (not comic books). It was not until 1979 that he did anything truly noticeable, and that was the release of “Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro”,
and then the release of his first famous manga “Nausicaä” soon after. The Tokuma Production company took notice of Miyazaki’s manga and recruited him to turn his manga into an anime.

Nausicaa, Miyazaki's famous manga — Nausicaa, Miyazaki’s famous manga

In 1984, “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” was released. It was not what someone would call a money maker, but it made enough money in the box office for Tokuma to create a new studio for Miyazaki. He called it “Studio Ghibli”, which he pronounced “jee-blee” which was Italian for dry Saharan wind and also the name of a World War I plane. This is the studio that has progressed through the years to be the flag ship and the top animation studio in the world. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind may not have been a a big hit in the box office, but believe it or not it became the standard for anime from then on.

Studio Ghibli (jee-blee) Logo

Studio Ghibli Filmography

Miyazaki has been apart of 21+ motion pictures. I say 21+ because no one has a set number of films he has produced or been a part of, so it is a rough estimate on the low end. The following are some of those films.

First up is one of my personal childhood favorites, “Spirited Away”. One of the more recent films releasing near the end of 2002.

From Google, and I quote, “Tale of the fanciful adventures of a ten-year-old girl named Chihiro, who discovers a secret world when she and her family get lost and venture through a hillside tunnel. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, Chihiro must fend for herself as she encounters strange spirits, assorted creatures and a grumpy sorceress who seeks to prevent her from returning to the human world.”

That is a basic description of the film “Spirited Away,” when the movie is packed full of morals, pain, and realism. To explain a Miyazaki film is comparable to explaining what it is to be in love. Anyone you ask will have a different opinion depending on how they interpret it. Spirited Away is a good example because it is closer to the present then most of Miyazaki’s films. One lesson the film teaches is that greed can be very destructive. Food for example can be a horrible thing yet can be what saves a person in the end. In the film, Haku gives Chihiro something to eat to gain her strength back so she does not disappear into the spirit world. Right before that, her parents had turned into pigs by the witch because they had “stolen” food, which portrays that we take things at an advantage in life like food.

“Princess Mononoke” is a film Miyazaki did in 1997. This film may be one of the greatest works he has ever done all because of one reason. When released to the box offices, it was such a smash hit with japan that it grossed over $150 million+ leaving “E.T.” behind by a long shot. This attracted the first large audience from the U.S. The Film essentially opened the door for Studio Ghibli to expand around the world when Disney offered to get Tokuma Productions out of the financial drought they were having in exchange for the distribution rights to Studio Ghibli. It was completely up to Miyazaki, but since Tokuma made his dreams come true he happily accepted the deal.

Works Cited

“Google.” Google. Google, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.google.com/webhp? sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS597US597&ion=1&espv=2&es_th=1&ie=UTF-8#q=spirited%20away%20release%20date>.

“Reference for Business.” Hayao Miyazaki 1941- Biography. Reference for Business, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/biography/M-R/Miyazaki-Hayao-1941.html>.

“Biography.” IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2014. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0594503/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm>.

Yoshitomo Nara is a Japanese painter, sculptor and draughtsman. He was born December 5, 1959. Yoshitomo recieved his B.F.A and M.F.A from the Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music in 1987. He also studied Art at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf (German State Academy of Arts), Düsseldorf, Germany in 1993. Growing up, Yoshitomo was a shy kid and very sensitive. He had sibling, but they were much older so they weren’t really around. Both his parents had jobs and he was alone through a lot of his childhood. He says that his childhood loneliness fuels the creativity for much of his work. “When you are a kid, you are too young to know you are lonely, sad, and upset,” he told ARTnews ‘ Kay Itoi. “Now I know I was.” In high school he experienced art for the first time and was astounded that he could finally express himself.

After gaining his M.F. A. he headed to Germany. He lived here for several years in a city called Koln. Yoshitomo began to look inside of himself for art. He explored his self conscience and from this he created one of the first of his sad little girl portraits. “When I make the drawings, I don’t think of it,” he told Asahi Shimbun. “My brush just moves unconsciously.”

Some critics hate his work. It is very childlike. The subject of most of his work is a chubby cheek little girl with slanted eyes. He also draws little dogs frequently too.

His works have an air of simplicity. The subject is full of angst with a piercing gaze. In the 1990’s Yoshitomo aquired a huge fan base. He became an international artist. He has had shows in Japan, Korea, Germany, and the US. He has become so popular that his work can be seen on shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where a character of the show is wearing a shirt with his design on it.

Yoshitomo was arrested in NYC for drawing a smiley face on the wall near the First Ave L train stop. He was detained overnight. He was charged with making graffiti and mischief conduct. The charges were dropped later that year. Yoshitomo says he liked the experience because he met people he wouldn’t have other wise. The brick he drew on was washed clean. Apparently, the transit workers had no idea that the brick Yoshitomo drew on could have generated $10,000 if they had sold it.

Pieces by Yoshitomo can generate upwards of a million dollars. While pricey works are sold, he also has key chains and other items that are sold for only a few bucks. He has mass appeal. I instantly loved his work when I saw it at the MOMA. I also feel like he is an artist that I can relate to on an emotional level. Yoshitomo still feels lonely sometimes and has to constantly remind himself of all the good things that has been said about his work. He tries to work freely and without feeling pressured, to just create art for the joy of it. Yoshitomo keeps these words posted: “Never forget your beginner’s spirit.” He applies this idea to his work every day.

Tag: Japanese

Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎駿)

Studio Ghibli Filmography

Yoshitomo Nara (MOMA)