The Wonder of Miyazaki

For this blog post, less spiritual and more so just geeking out over Studio Ghibli. If you are a fellow otaku/anime lover, then you should be familiar with Studio Ghibli. A lot great films have come from this studio; Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Ponyo just to name a few. All of these great works come from the mind of Hayoa Miyazaki.

When it comes to conveying emotion and complexed idea’s, Miyazaki is second to none in these regards. He takes us on a journey to world that are in our wildest of imaginations. He connects with characters and causes us to have an indirect relationship with them. We feel invested when a we see two girls struggling to adjust to a new home while their mother is in the hospital as in My Neighbor Totoro or perhaps are cheering for the heroine of a flying witch in Kiki’s Delivery Service. Whatever your attention is drawn to, you can be sure it is magical!

When we talk about Miyazaki conveying complexed idea’s through his works, one of these is the underlying metaphor of his use of flight in his movies. In a lot of Miyazaki’s films there is an element of flight or air travel. This is generally tailored to the main character and is said to metaphor for independence, confidence or for the overall growth of a character. Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli as a whole bring us as an audience something that can only be described as delightful and charming. These films also bring us a snippet of Japanese culture and a better understanding of its customs.

While you may not find any mythical dragon flying around, a moving castle, or a giant cat like creature offering you an umbrella (though that would be cool) if you were to visit Japan; you will find something. That is appreciation for the culture and the new perspective that you got from watching any film from the mind of Miyazaki. In our opinion, we believe it should be a pre-requisite before visiting Japan (you’ll thank us for it).

Be sure to listen to more  about our thoughts on Studio Ghibli as it pertains to Howl’s Moving Castle, on our podcast, here.