Makoto Shinkai's latest animated movie titled "Your Name" has been making waves in the entertainment industry for the past few months. Within that time and probably until now, it is has been compared to works of Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki. And now, Miyazaki has finally reacted to the trending movie and fans are eager to find out what he has to say.
With Makoto Shinkai's recent animated film, "Your Name" being compared to the likes of classic Japanese animated films such as those created by Studio Ghibli, it is no surprise then that fans would want to know how Studio Ghibli would react to this comparison. Aside from "Your Name", also known for its official Japanese title "Kimi No Na Wa", Makoto Shinkai was dubbed as the next Hayao Miyazaki.
Hayao Miyazaki, along with former Studio Ghibli president and producer, Toshio Suzuki sat down for an interview with a local Japanese publication and it talked about the two's views on Makoto Shinkai's film, "Your Name". Toshio Suzuki stated that he always knew that someone was bound to make an animated story about a girl losing her way in a different time and world. Hayao Miyazaki agreed to this notion and added that he never planned on making a movie about time traveling but Makoto Shinkai created "Your Name", delivering the trope of a love story lost in time just as he thought it would turn out.
Hayao Miyazaki is a highly respected figure in the animation industry not just because of his works, but also because he's honest when it comes to giving constructive criticisms on animation. He even recently expressed that he will never have a hand at animation created by artificial intelligence because it was an insult to art and the efforts of the artists that have spent their time creating an animation that conveyed human emotions. Hayao Miyazaki has remained mum about Makoto Shinkai's "Your Name" until this time, finally yet briefly stating that the said movie is what he expected it would be.
Toshio Suzuki further expressed his thoughts on this matter and pointed out that even though the plot of another world has been used over and over again, Makoto Shinkai's work depicts that he might just be a fan of Hayao Miyazaki himself. Toshio Suzuki brought up how the movie "Your Name" stood out with the portrayal of its characters as well as the music that enhanced the scenic background of the animation. He was particularly impressed by how the high fall sky seemed to feel alive to him when he watched it.
Hayao Miyazaki was the great mind behind the making of numerous Japanese animated films that have remained classic and popular to this day. He worked on the highly acclaimed movies, "Howl's Moving Castle", "Spirited Away", and "Princess Mononoke", along with a long list of popular movie titles. Hayao Miyazaki has been working on animation since 1964 and is currently working on one after returning from retirement.
Makoto Shinkai's "Your Name" recently became the newest highest grossing animated film in the world. This feat has placed Studio Ghibli's "Spirited Away" at second after holding the top spot for a long time. But set aside the figures, "Your Name" and "Spirited Away" are both astounding animated films, set in different stories, and just because one has sold more does not mean the other one is less great.
