Legendary Filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki has come out of retirement to make one last film for Studio
Ghibli. The Manga Artist, Animator and Storyteller has gained international acclaim for writing and
directing such films as My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited
Away which received the Academy Award in 2002 for Best Animated Feature. After the release
of his historical drama The Wind Rises in 2013 Miyazaki announced his retirement however just a
short while later he found that he had one more story to tell. In 2017 the filmmaker announced
he was returning to work on his next feature length project entitled How Do You Live? In this
video I’d like to talk about what we know so far about Hayao Miyazaki’s highly anticipated return.
Recently the New York Times published their interview with Miyazaki and when asked about why
he decided to come out of retirement the 80 year old filmmaker simply stated “Because I wanted to”.
Many fans including myself are delighted that he chose to do so and are thrilled at the prospect of
his newest Studio Ghibli entry. I’m also excited to learn more about the story that sparked his
inspiration. This feature appears to be a true passion project due to his connection to the
source material, the movie will be inspired by a novel published in Japan in 1937 entitled How Do
You Live, written by Genzaburo Yoshino. It is a coming of age classic that follows a 15 year old
boy nicknamed Koperu or Copper (in english) so named after the astronomer Nicholas Copernicus.
Copper goes to live with his uncle after the recent death of his father. The novel’s format
alternates the viewpoint between the boy and his uncle. The boy narrates his life
in school and the story features his struggles of growing up. His uncle narrates (relates?) his
experience as he helps his nephew deal with the challenges he faces such as bullying.
The book is a childhood favorite of Miyazaki’s and when asked about the question posed by
the film’s title he said, quote "I am making this movie because I do not have the answer."
This production certainly seems to carry the deeper philosophical themes that have come to
be a signature element of his films and will most likely resonate very deeply on an emotional level.
An english translation of the novel was just released this year for those who wish
to gain a deeper understanding of Miyazaki’s inspiration for the film and his approach in
adapting its themes and overall philosophy. As with other Studio Ghibli offerings based
on novels or short stories such as Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo, and the Secret World of Arrietty
this also will be a loose adaptation that incorporates certain themes and character
struggles and motivations found in the source material into a unique and original story.
Back when the announcement for this new film was first made Miyazaki revealed that the book itself
How Do You Live will actually be a story that has great meaning to the protagonist of the film.
I’m really intrigued as to how the very story this movie is inspired by will be integrated into the
film itself. Though in depth details are being kept close to the vest, Studio Ghibli co-founder
and producer Toshio Suzuki did reveal that this coming of age tale is in fact, fantasy on a grand
scale. He also hinted that one of the movie’s non-human characters reminded him of himself.
Not much to go on but it definitely reveals a lot about the storytelling approach.
I must admit that Ghibli’s fantasy epics are my favorite offerings from the studio
as the imagery that is developed for such grand tales is often truly a work of art.
Speaking of the animation style itself, fans will likely be excited to know that
How Do You Live will be a return to the studio’s signature hand drawn animation.
In a controversial move Studio Ghibli made their first computer generated animated
film Earwig and the Witch back in 2020 which was helmed by Hayao Miyazaki’s son
Goro Miyazaki who has previously worked on Tales from Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill for the
Studio. Earwig and the Witch was met with a mostly negative reception with many, including myself,
finding fault with the story, characters, score and the animation none of which remotely resembled
the films that cemented Studio Ghibli’s legacy. In a particular scathing yet in my opinion supremely
accurate review from IndieWire who gave the film a C- it was stated that While Earwig and the Witch
is far from the ugliest film of its kind, there's something uniquely perverse about seeing Ghibli's
signature aesthetic suffocated inside a plastic coffin and sapped of its brilliant soul; about
seeing the studio's lush green worlds replaced by lifeless backdrops, and its hyper-expressive
character designs swapped out for cheap dolls so devoid of human emotion that even the little kids
look Botoxed with an inch [sic] of their lives. This is the cartoon equivalent of that botched
Jesus fresco, only lacking the human touch that gave that debacle some perverse charm of its own.
This review echoes many of my own sentiments regarding this film. As such I am more eager
than ever to see a return to the animation form that made the Studio so famous to begin with.
Not only that but Hayao Miyazaki himself has a particular distaste for CG animation. In a clip
from the 2016 documentary entitled NHK Special: Hayao Miyazaki-The One Who Never Ends the artist
got a look at some new artificial CGI animation intelligence tools and reacted saying quote:
“Whoever creates this stuff has no idea what pain is whatsoever. 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. I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.”
https://www.indiewire.com/2021/11/hayao-miyazaki-anti-cgi-animation-pencil-1234681133/
In his most recent profile from the New York Times he reaffirmed his firm stance saying,
“I believe that the tool of an animator is the pencil.” I can’t help but agree with Miyazaki
as it is evident that each of his films are truly a work of art and labor of love.
Art takes time however and How Do You Live has already been in production for several years.
Producer Toshio Suzuki revealed the delicate and lengthy process in developing this new fantasy
tale in an interview with Entertainment Weekly back in May of 2020 saying quote,
We are still hand-drawing everything, but it takes us more time to complete a film because
we're drawing more frames," he noted. "So, there are more drawings to draw than before. Back when
we were making [1988's] My Neighbor Totoro, we only had eight animators. Totoro we made in
eight months. [For] the current film that Hayao Miyazaki is working on, we have 60 animators,
but we are only able to come up with one minute of animation in a month. That means 12 months a year,
you get 12 minutes worth of movie. Actually, we've been working on this film for three years, so that
means we have 36 minutes completed so far. We're hoping it will finish in the next three years."
The dedication to their craft and attention to detail that goes into every frame is admirable and
astonishing. Creative Integrity over commercial gain seems so rare in the film industry these
days and I can’t wait to see the results of the animators hard work as they bring Hayao Miyazaki’s
vision to life for what is being touted as his last film. It looks like we’ll have to wait a
bit longer however, Suzuki’s comments so far are the closest thing we have to a release window so
as of right now it’s currently slated for a 2023 premiere. I have a feeling that it will be worth
the wait and meanwhile there will be plenty of time to get acquainted with the source material
as well as some Studio Ghibli marathons. For those who haven’t seen the studio’s
various works they're currently streaming on HBO Max. (Mention Studio Ghibli theme park?)
But I’m curious to know what you think about this news. Hayao Miyazaki has come out of retirement
before. Do you think this will truly be his last film or do you think it's possible he’ll have the
inclination to create again? Do you have any theories as to how the source material itself
and its themes will be incorporated into this fantasy film? What are your favorite Studio Ghibli
movies and what elements are you most looking forward to seeing in this newest production?
Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. I hope you enjoyed this
video. Leave a like if you did and be sure to subscribe for more sci-fi and fantasy
news and lore. Thank you all so much for your support and as always have a very nerdy day.