Hayao Miyazaki's Style Retrospective

In 2023, Hayao Miyazaki graced the silver screen with his latest creation, "The Boy and the Heron." However, this piece aims to delve into his recent work rather than taking you on a journey to explore the distinctive features and artistic enchantment prevalent in Hayao Miyazaki's animated films.

To me, the name "Hayao Miyazaki" embodies a particular style of animated filmmaking. This style has evolved over the years, shaped by his experiences and advancements in creative techniques.

Yet, some elements remain timeless... Some have summarized the four critical elements of Hayao Miyazaki's films:

Girls and their companions: human or animal, ghosts or spirits;
Love: devoid of explicit sexuality, filled with oriental subtlety and romance;
Elderly characters and mighty forces: sometimes as antagonists, sometimes as crucial plot drivers;
Scenic beauty: imaginative, richly detailed landscapes

Some argue that the hallmark of Hayao Miyazaki's films lies in the application of color. Colors are utilized narratively, crucial in developing rich tones and atmospheres and conveying character and background information. While these aspects capture the essence to some extent, uncovering the true nature of Hayao Miyazaki's animated films requires delving into the man himself...

Hayao Miyazaki was born in Tokyo in 1941, nurturing dreams of becoming a manga artist since childhood. He drew numerous battleships, airplanes, and tanks, drawing inspiration from other manga artists. However, he soon realized that mimicking their styles would hinder his personal development, motivating him to create works with his unique perspective.

In 1963, he was employed by TOEI ANIMATION CO., LTD. as an artist. Later, he continued creating his manga, including "Desert Tribe" and "Animal Treasure Island." In 1985, Hayao Miyazaki, friends, and colleagues Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki founded Studio Ghibli, officially launching the rise of Hayao Miyazaki's animated films.

After Walt Disney, Hayao Miyazaki is arguably one of the world's most renowned animators. Starting with his debut film in 1979, "Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro," his movies frequently topped Japanese charts, breaking box office records, especially gaining mainstream recognition in Western societies after the turn of the millennium. In 2003, Hayao Miyazaki's surreal masterpiece, "Spirited Away," earned the Best Animated Feature award, elevating Japanese animation to new heights.

Despite his grandfatherly appearance, Hayao Miyazaki is known for his exacting standards and strictness, setting high benchmarks for himself, his peers, and his staff. He staunchly adheres to traditional hand-drawn animation, resisting the trend toward 3D animation many animators favor.

This labor-intensive approach infuses each of his works with a distinctive style. Every film boasts a unique color scheme and visual palette. He pays attention to conveying dynamics, primarily abstract depictions of human actions. He captures the natural world's subtle layers and beautiful moments through keen observation.

However, times are changing, and the advancement of 3D animation technology is expanding its advantages. After "Princess Mononoke," Studio Ghibli began incorporating computer animation to enhance certain scenes, reserving hand-drawn animation for more intricate parts, like the transformation of the boar god in "Princess Mononoke."

Hayao Miyazaki do not simplify his films for children. His stories and plots are often complex and, at times, profound. Unlike many contemporary animators who first write a script and then animate, he focuses on visual storyboards, constructing the narrative around the images he creates. Hayao Miyazaki's emphasis on visual storytelling allows his imagination to roam freely.

His mentor and colleague Isao Takahata shed light on this process in his later years: "Hayao Miyazaki stopped writing scripts a long time ago. He's even too lazy to finalize storyboards beforehand... Only after thoroughly understanding this process does he create storyboards starting from key animation frames while doing all the other work. With his sustained concentration, the work begins to show endless elements of improvisation."

This creative characteristic aligns with Western perceptions of Hayao Miyazaki's film script structure, often referred to as "Kishōtenketsu" (a structure similar to the "introduction, development, twist, and conclusion" of Western storytelling).

Kishōtenketsu, an ancient Japanese storytelling method, consists of four parts: ki (introduction), shō (development), ten (twist or distortion), and katsu (conclusion). Unlike Western scripts' conflict-driven three-act structure standard, Kishōtenketsu emphasizes deep-level or metaphorical structural development.

"My Neighbor Totoro" is a prime example, lacking driving conflicts, and some American critics have said "nothing happens." However, this is only partially accurate. Beneath the slow and gentle narrative, this four-act structure completes the introduction of the background, presents the encounter of Satsuki and Mei with Totoro after arriving in the Japanese countryside, introduces a twist with Mei running away, and then gradually restores the story to calmness.

While this structure might not sustain an audience seeking constant suspense, it allows those inclined toward this narrative style to relax and immerse themselves in fantastical scenarios. Hayao Miyazaki's films often contain something inexplicable, akin to silence, a certain lack of overt action, which he terms "ma." Integrating the concept of "ma" between narrative segments allows the audience a moment of respite, and this spatial sense aligns with the core of Kishōtenketsu, emerging subtly yet surprisingly throughout the entire film.

Nevertheless, in the storytelling of Hayao Miyazaki's later films, there's a departure from the constraints of the Kishōtenketsu structure, incorporating more of his rebelliousness and intuition. With the growth of age and experience, Hayao Miyazaki's creative themes have undergone various stages of transformation, but several tendencies remain constant.

Good and Evil

Most characters in Hayao Miyazaki's universe are dynamically evolving, devoid of absolute good or evil. Many threatening characters possess redeeming qualities, not definitively defined as antagonists. In "Princess Mononoke," Eboshi destroys the forest for industrial resources, disregarding animal life. Yet, the lepers she shelters highly respect her. The film culminates in reconciliation rather than triumphing over irredeemable evil.

Similarly, protagonists and heroes in Hayao Miyazaki's films often come with significant moral flaws. At the same time, their adversaries might exhibit noble virtues in some aspect. This allows the audience to resonate with the characters, irrespective of the "side" they stand on, fostering an environment of empathy.

Hayao Miyazaki explains the lack of a clear distinction between good and evil because he believes the 21st century is a complex era, and old norms no longer apply, necessitating a reexamination. He rejects simplistic stereotypes, even in children's films.

Nature and Environmentalism

The prevalent theme in Hayao Miyazaki's films is environmentalism, exploring the relationship between humans and nature. "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" reveals humanity's tendency to harm the environment and delves into nature's self-cleaning mechanisms after human devastation. "Princess Mononoke" explores the conflict between human progress and nature, revolving around an iron town at the heart of a forest. Hayao Miyazaki, who has been involved in river clean-up, holds complex views on the relationship between humanity and the natural world, vividly reflected in his films.

A Degree of Feminist Perspective

Hayao Miyazaki tends to focus on female heroes with a somewhat feminist viewpoint. He prefers creating female characters because he does not want films to be confined by their gender perspectives. Environmental warriors Nausicaä, San, and Eboshi, all-powerful women controlling their destinies and the fate of entire cities or nations, exemplify this approach.

Nausicaä's self-sacrifice endows her with qualities akin to Saint Joan. However, Hayao Miyazaki regrets the religious undertones that occasionally seep into his films. "Spirited Away" and the cheerful "Kiki's Delivery Service" tell stories of young girls coming of age. "Ponyo" narrates the tale of a goldfish princess striving to become a human girl to be with the boy she loves.

Reflections on Militarism

Militarism frequently surfaces in Hayao Miyazaki's films, especially those set in wartime, like "Howl's Moving Castle" and "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind," depicting a peaceful nation invaded by military forces. Hayao Miyazaki is highly critical of the ideology behind 20th-century militarism and expresses shame for it.

His viewpoint on the senselessness of war is influenced significantly by the conflicts in the late 20th century, notably the war in the former Yugoslavia. "The Wind Rises" illustrates how the military hijacks beautiful ideals (exquisitely designed aircraft) for war.

When "Spirited Away" won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2003, Hayao Miyazaki did not attend the awards ceremony. Later, he explained that it was because he “didn't want to visit a country bombing Iraq."

In summary, this is an overview of the style of Hayao Miyazaki's animated films. Hayao Miyazaki can be regarded as a genius among geniuses, and his movies succeed on multiple levels — technical, emotional, intellectual, philosophical, artistic, and political. By maintaining the authenticity of emotions, his films resonate profoundly, even with adult audiences.