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Hayao Miyazaki’s contribution to the world of anime films is undeniable. He is a legend among animators, and great directors from all over the world have praised and recognized his dedication to the craft. Miyazaki’s films serve as inspiration to children, adults as well as people in his field.
Miyazaki’s first Oscar-winning film wasSpirited Away, which debuted in 2001 and won the Best Animated Feature award at the 75th Academy Awards. It became the highest-grossing film in Japanese history at the time, a record that was surpassed only a few years ago.
Hayao Miyazaki almost missed out on his first Oscar Winning Film
Spirited Awaywas preceded byPrincess Mononokewhich was released in 1997. Following this masterpiece that showed the conflict between humanity and nature,Hayao Miyazakiannounced his intention to retire. Thankfully, his decision did not stick for too long.
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John Lasseter, the director ofToy Story,andCarsand also the executive producer ofFrozen, is fond of Miyazaki and his works.In an interview with Roger Ebert, he praised the man and even talked about how he had influenced the animation scene. When Miyazaki was reminded about his earlier decision to retire, he commented:
I wanted to retire, but life isn’t that easy. I wanted to make a movie especially for the daughters of my friends. I opened all the drawers in my head they were all empty. So I realized I had to make a movie just for 10 year olds, and ‘Spirited Away’ is my answer.
Had Miyazaki not come upon his sudden enlightenment about the lack of movies for 10-year-olds, the world might have never seen one of the best animated works of all time. But true geniuses can never stray from their passion, and Hayao Miyazaki is a living example of it. In fact, he had also tried to retire several times afterSpirited Awaybut to no avail. His latest film,The Boy and The Heronbrought home his second Oscar.
What deterred Hayao Miyazaki from retiring beforeSpirited Away?
In anotherinterview with Animage in 2001, Hayao Miyazaki talked about his inspiration behindSpirited Away. When Miyazaki spent his summer at his mountain cabin, he met some young girls, and he wanted to make a movie they would enjoy. He recounted that while Ghibli had made movies for various age groups,no film was created for 10-year-old girls.
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He felt that the country only offered crushes and romances to 10-year-olds. Looking at the girls who inspired him, he felt that romance wasn’t what they held dear. Thus, he began to pour himself into making a movie in which they could be portrayed as heroines.
To Miyazaki, ifSpirited Awaywas exciting to 10-year-olds, he would consider it a success. This is the main reason why Chihiro, the protagonist ofSpirited Away, is just an ordinary girl with whom his audience could empathize.He kept her appearance average and unexaggeratedto focus even more on the reliability factor.
Spirited Awayis currently available to watch on Hulu and Disney+.
Aaheli Pradhan
Anime Content Writer
Articles Published :1556
Aaheli is an Anime Content Writer at FandomWire with 1300+ published articles. With five years of experience under her belt, she is a living, breathing encyclopedia for anime and manga. From Shonen and Shojo to the most niche anime, nothing escapes her radar. Her poisons of choice are Assassination Classroom, Gintama, Ouran High School Host Club and every Ghibli movie ever. She believes in living a slow life, surrounded by incomplete art projects and her beloved cats.
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Hayao MiyazakiSpirited Away
