Hayao Miyazaki was born in Tokyo on January 5, 1941, the second among four brothers. Their family originally lived in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo. Later, due to wartime evacuation during World War II, the family moved to Utsunomiya City and Kanuma City. His uncle, who lived in Kanuma City, ran an aircraft factory, and Miyazaki's father served as a supervisor at the factory. Hayao Miyazaki's mother was a strict and intelligent woman who had a great influence on Miyazaki's life. Hayao Miyazaki's younger brother later recalled that when he saw the pirate mother-in-law in "Castle in the Sky", he couldn't help but think of his own mother. Although she looked completely different, her personality was similar.
Hayao Miyazaki attended elementary school in Utsunomiya City from grade one to grade three. Later, they moved back to Tokyo and transferred to a school in Tokyo. In 1947, Miyazaki's mother contracted tuberculosis and stayed in bed for nine years. From the movie "My Neighbor Totoro", you can see the shadow of this gloomy period of the Miyazaki family.
In 1958, the first full-length color animated film "White Snake" (produced by Toei Animation) in Japanese film history was released. Hayao Miyazaki, who was still a high school student, became obsessed with this film and loved it originally. He became interested in animation after reading comics. Hayao Miyazaki used to like to draw things like warships and airplanes, but he was not very good at drawing people. He also once determined to be a cartoonist. Even years later, he still recalled with reverence: "I saw how prudent and cherishable the production of animation is."
After graduating from high school, Miyazaki entered Tokyo Gakushuin University. at school, majoring in political economics. In 1963, Hayao Miyazaki graduated from college and worked at Toei Animation. The first work he participated in was Toei's theatrical animation "Wanwan Tadashizo" in December of the same year. Immediately afterwards, Hayao Miyazaki participated in the first TV animation produced by Toei-"Wolf Boy Ken".
Some of the plans he proposed at the time were often not adopted, but Hayao Miyazaki still persisted in his ideals. After watching the Russian cartoon "The Snow Queen", Hayao Miyazaki's creative fire became even stronger. He later recalled: "I saw how careful and cherishable the production of animation is... Animation is a An art that is so pure and simple and allows us to express it through our imagination...its power will not be lost to other art forms such as poetry, novels or dramas."
In 1964, Hayao Miyazaki became president. Secretary-General of the Toei Animation Labor Association, of which Isao Takahata was vice-president at the time - Miyazaki is said to be a socialist. That year Miyazaki began dating his colleague Ms. Akemi Ohta. In the autumn of 1965, Hayao Miyazaki volunteered to help the production team of "Prince of the Sun" directed by Isao Takahata, serving as scene design and original painting. This was the beginning of the collaboration between the two, and it was also the first step in Miyazaki's animation career. In October of the same year, Hayao Miyazaki and Miss Akemi Ohta got married, and in January 1967 they had their first son. After "Prince of the Sun" was released in 1968, Miyazaki and his wife participated in the production of "Puss in Boots". The following year, the two participated in the production of "Song Fei Buyulei Boat" together. In April 1969, the second son was also born.
In 1971, Hayao Miyazaki left Toei Animation and joined "A-Pro" with Isao Takahata, Yoichi Otabe and others. In 1973, the animation "Panda Red Panda", which he collaborated with Isao Takahata, was released. In this work, Hayao Miyazaki held four positions - original story, script, scene design, and original painting. His personal style was quite different. of play. In June, Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and Yoichi Otabe left "A-Pro" to join "Zuiyo Picture". In July, Hayao Miyazaki went to Switzerland to shoot on location to find inspiration for his next work "Heidi, the Girl of the Alps", in which he served as scene design and composition. In 1975, he went to Italy and Argentina to shoot outdoor scenes in preparation for the production of "My Mother", and he also served as scene designer.
In 1978, the first work entirely supervised by Miyazaki Hayao - "Future Boy Conan" was broadcast on NHK and was well received. Miyazaki Hayao's ideas and style were displayed in this film. . The boy known as "Conan" has a pair of useful feet in addition to his hands. After people see Conan's energetic movements, they will unconsciously feel motivated to work hard. The story structure without any sloppiness and the cute characters with unique personalities are all fascinating. Unlike large-scale animations that are told through series, the fun of the work lies in the growth of Conan. Almost all women consider Conan to be the "ideal son." But as the story develops, Conan, who has always been a wild child in the eyes of women, said: "I want to return to Coral Water Island. By then, I hope to be with Lana again." From this passage we can see He has grown into a mature man. It's not "I want to come together", but "I hope we can come together again".
The structural composition of Intastoria, which relies on the old civilization, and Haihaba, which lives naturally in nature, was inherited by subsequent Miyazaki works. This is the first animation to be shown on NHK TV series directed by Miyazaki. This was the period when Hayao Miyazaki's style and ideas gradually formed: romantic temperament and courage to take risks, pure youth and a mood of growth.
In 1979, Hayao Miyazaki joined Tokyo Movie News and directed "Lupine III: Cagliostro Castle" (theatrical version) in 1980, once again showing the "future boy" adventure movie style .
1982 is an important year in the minds of Miyazaki fans. The long comic "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" began to be serialized in Tokuma Shoten's Animage magazine and was not completed until 1994. This comic masterpiece, serialized for 12 years and 7 volumes long, not only contains epic chapters, a journey of pursuit spanning life and death, deep philosophical thinking about human beings and nature, but also Miyazaki's own views on the environment. The culmination of long-term and in-depth thinking on conservation and humanism. It can be said that we must realize that Miyazaki has changed from being concerned about the environment to doubting the justice of "environmental protection", from caring about human beings themselves, thinking about the growth process from youth to middle age, to thinking about the origin and meaning of human beings themselves. Questions and interpretations, and finally the "ultimate meaning" that "life is a flickering light in the darkness" put forward in the chaotic and dark moment, so no matter how difficult it is, you must "live on!", are all in this profound and magnificent comic. was reflected in.
It was also this year that Hayao Miyazaki met another person who influenced his life, that is the famous Tokuma Yasukai. As the president of the largest bookstore in Japan, Tokuma was keenly aware of Miyazaki's talent and funded Miyazaki and Takahata to establish a studio. In November of the same year, Miyazaki quit Tokyo Movie News and became a freelance writer. In 1983, planning began for the animated version of "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Isao Takahata served as the producer, and Topcraft Studio was responsible for the production of the entire film. In July of the same year, Miyazaki's mother passed away at the age of 71.
The theater animation "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" was released in March 1984. The film concentrated on many features of Miyazaki animation production, such as beautiful and exquisite pictures, colorful characters, humorous dialogues, and positive attitude. Spirit...all this has made Miyazaki Hayao's reputation as a national animator suitable for all ages. The film reflects the backlash of nature due to human beings' ignorant wars and excessive plundering. The huge sea of ??rot composed of fungi exudes poisonous gas due to the toxins produced by humans. It is also cherished as a bible by environmentalists. Miyazaki This is how his identity as the leader of “environmentalism” was confirmed. Although due to the limitations of film length and inclusion, the content of the animated "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" is only a little more than the plot of the manga, and as a representative production of Miyazaki Animation's smooth period, the film's obviously sensational ending and religious complex have been criticized by critics. criticism, but its rich imagination and profound content shocked the audience and the entire film industry. In April, with funding from Tokuma, Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata jointly founded the "Himali" company, which is the predecessor of Ghibli.
Also released with "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" was "Detective Sherlock Holmes: The Blue Ruby", with Hayao Miyazaki as the script. The film was originally produced in cooperation with the Italian Television Bureau, but was halted for a while due to copyright issues. In the film, the famous detective Sherlock Holmes is actually a German beagle, the assistant Dr. Watson is a simple and honest Scottish long-haired dog, and the beautiful heroine Mrs. Hudson, the beautiful widow of the big family, is An English Yorkshire poodle, the villain is of course none other than Sharpei. The characters appearing in the story are replaced by animals, which is the privilege of cartoons. Since then, the film has been adapted into a TV animation, and a special episode of "Future Boy Conan" was released at the same time.
In 1985, Studio Ghibli was founded and began producing "Castle in the Sky". From then on, Hayao Miyazaki began the most glorious decade in his personal animation career, which was also a decade of great development for animation.
"Castle in the Sky" is a film adapted from Jonathan Swift's novel "Gulliver's Travels". Some people think that its storyline is more traditional, but this does not mean that it has no new ideas. On the contrary, "Castle in the Sky" is full of Many new elements. The movie almost perfectly depicts the landscape of the world in which the story takes place, with a bit of science fiction, a bit of mythology, and a bit of the European Industrial Revolution, such as the old trains on the elevated rails and the dark mines. "Castle in the Sky" was released in 1986. It was Ghibli's pioneering work. Hayao Miyazaki took on the four important responsibilities of original work, supervision, script and character setting, making this work infused with pure palace style from beginning to end. Raki concept. Hayao Miyazaki's music partner Hisaishi Joe has also reached the peak of his scoring career this time. In fact, the film explores the theme of man and nature. The final destruction of the great floating city Laputa seems to be warning the world that in the century of machinery and steel, we are actually facing an uncertain future.
"My Neighbor Totoro" in 1988 and "Kiki's Delivery Service" in 1990 can be regarded as transformational chapters in Miyazaki's works. On the one hand, Miyazaki's focus has gradually shifted from nature to humans. On the other hand, because his past works were all fantasy worlds full of visual impact, Miyazaki's world seems to be just a tense plot and illusory time and space. "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Kiki's Delivery Service" abandoned all exaggerated performances and complicated plots, focusing on ordinary humans and the world around them. The description of family love in "My Neighbor Totoro" and the meticulous description of a girl's growth in "Kiki's Delivery Service" both make people feel warm and touching.
The release of "Kiki's Delivery Service" also marked the beginning of Ghibli's guaranteed box office success. It attracted approximately 264 million viewers and became Japan's top-grossing film of the year.
"Porco Rosso" came out in 1992. This is a very important work of Hayao Miyazaki, but it is often easily ignored. In fact, both in terms of the work itself and its significance in Miyazaki's creative career, this is a work that cannot be ignored. Hayao Miyazaki's animation, which has long been regarded as "describing simple people and simple stories, full of anti-urban complexes, emphasizing environmentalism, full of the depth and breadth of love, suitable for family viewing", from this time, not in 1997 It suddenly started to change. Although from the outside, this story is set in Italy in the 1920s. It describes the story of a pig called Porco Rosso and alludes to the growth process in middle age. Whether it is from the beautiful pictures, The warm and beautiful music or the relaxed and humorous plot are all clearly marked with the special trademark of "Miyazaki's production must be high-quality." However, Miyazaki, who has always focused on young people, especially bright and bright girls, this time The sudden replacement of a middle-aged Ajisan with a pig face is a warning sign in itself. Although the red-haired girl Fei'e in the film plays the role of an encourager who brings light and hope to Porco Rosso, the so-called growth of middle-aged people is nothing more than, "Although many things cannot be changed, as long as you like yourself , you can also make your life different." The optimistic spirit that Miyazaki has always shown has actually changed at this time. In particular, although Miyazaki's films have been unsatisfactory since "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind", it is the first time that an ending like "Porco Rosso" that can be said to be "unreasonable" has appeared. Therefore, it should be from this time that Miyazaki has entered into a reflection on all previous works, a deep reflection on "environmental protection", "humanities" and human nature, and the outcome of this reflection is directly reflected in 94 In the manga "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" that was announced in 2011.
Knowing this, there is no need to be shocked by the appearance of "Princess Mononoke" after five years. Although it seems a bit stiff and obscure because it was shortened from the original 5 hours to 2 hours, and although too many emotional scenes were added for commercial purposes, and the character portrayal is not as good as Miyazaki's previous works, "Princess Mononoke" is still It must be said that this is Hayao Miyazaki's peak production. It is a work in which Hayao Miyazaki struggled to understand the relationship between nature and human beings. It is a work that Hayao Miyazaki, who has no answer himself, faces the only thing he can see in this era. hope to arrive. Therefore, it can be explained that this film is set in the Muromachi era when Japan began to invade the mountains and forests, and describes the war between two sacred realms, the materialized tribe in the mountains and the developing humans. At the end of the film, there is no usual happy ending, but the words "Let's live together" said by Ashitaka to Xiao Sang, who realizes that the war is far from over, can be truly understood. This is the helpless smile and expectation of Miyazaki who has overturned the ideals and doctrines that he has been promoting even though he did not believe in them in the past. He has no answer. The nobility and dignity of life, the inviolability of nature, everything that was believed in before has been wiped out. Without any support, Miyazaki, who does not know what the future will be like, throws the question back to the audience. The theme of "survive" has also become a theme that runs throughout but is constantly changing, penetrating into everyone's heart.
There were rumors that Hayao Miyazaki would retire after making "Princess Mononoke" and would no longer make animated films. He himself once said that directing animated films is a laborious job. Therefore, due to physical problems, he cannot personally direct some large-scale productions such as "Princess Mononoke", and it can also provide opportunities to young people. But this does not mean that he will give up the work of animation production. Hayao Miyazaki can also participate in some less tiring tasks in animation production, such as screenwriting, character setting, etc.
Hayao Miyazaki, who announced his retirement after "Princess Mononoke", finally couldn't let go of the temptation of animation, withdrew his declaration of closure and announced that he was planning to make a work based on population and environmental issues in the 21st century. So there was "Spirited Away", which became the highest-grossing film in Japanese film history two months after its release, setting an unparalleled record.
"Spirited Away", released in July 2001, tells a short episode of Chihiro's life, telling how she gradually released her potential and overcame difficulties when she faced difficulties. This is exactly what Miyazaki wants the audience to understand. Hayao Miyazaki himself also believes that this is a film that is different from his other stories in the past. In the past, the protagonists in his works were all his favorites, but this time Hayao Miyazaki deliberately made Chihiro an ordinary character, an ordinary person. An inconspicuous typical ten-year-old Japanese girl, the purpose is to let every ten-year-old girl see herself in Chihiro. She is not a beautiful girl, nor is she particularly attractive, and her timid character and listless demeanor are even more annoying. When he first created this character, Hayao Miyazaki was a little worried about her, but by the end of the story, he was convinced that Chihiro would become a likeable character.
In 2002, Hayao Miyazaki established the "Ghibli Museum" in Mitaka City. This is a place that all Hayao Miyazaki fans are eager to visit, but Hayao Miyazaki hopes that fewer people will come. That's good, so everyone can appreciate it better when visiting.
Although we are building an art museum, it actually feels like we are making a new movie. We have to do a lot of new things. It is actually quite a big project, and even if it is completed now, it does not mean it is over. It must continue. . Hayao Miyazaki also set a goal for himself in the summer of 2004, because due to various things such as economic depression, environmental problems, population expansion, terrorist acts, and wars, people will be uneasy about the future and have no hope for the future. I believe this situation will become more obvious by the summer of 2004. Therefore, the uneasiness, doubts and curiosity that children will have at that time must be made something that can solve those doubts. Hayao Miyazaki emphasized: "Under such circumstances, what kind of movie should we give to the children who lived at that time? This time I have to do it with this idea in mind.
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