Thank you for taking the time to write on Totoro and Ghibli!! I love Miyazaki’s art style and direction and it’s always nice to see content like this on Substack!
Completely agreed. His films are one of the main reasons we're doing this work today -- if we hadn't fallen in love with them all those years ago, it's hard to imagine how we would've ended up here.
Great article, and for anyone interested in Miyazaki, you can find this documentary on YouTube it’s fascinating
The documentary about Hayao Miyazaki’s last movie is called **"The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness"** (2013). Directed by Mami Sunada, it provides a behind-the-scenes look at Studio Ghibli during the production of Miyazaki's film *The Wind Rises* (2013), which at the time was considered to be his final feature before his initial retirement. The documentary also covers the work of Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata and the broader operations at the studio during this period.
Though Miyazaki later came out of retirement to work on a new film (*How Do You Live?*), this documentary offers an intimate portrayal of his creative process and the inner workings of Studio Ghibli.
Thank you for taking the time to write on Totoro and Ghibli!! I love Miyazaki’s art style and direction and it’s always nice to see content like this on Substack!
Glad you liked it! We're big Ghibli and Miyazaki fans here and it was a joy to discover Oga's thoughts about this project.
I have the art book of My Neighbor Totoro, with all the background paintings and character sketches. It might be my favorite Ghibli film re: art.
It's a stunning film. One of our all-time favorites, animated or not.
I would rank it alongside Tale of the Princess Kaguya in terms of pure beauty. 🙌
And don't forget Porco Rosso and Kiki!
Kiki was the first I saw, it’s gorgeous. And I am yet to see Porco Rosso!
Wow this brought so much insight into the film's production and background story of it's conception. Amazing article!
Thank you! Happy we could share all this.
No one does it better then Miyazaki. He is one of the true masters.
Completely agreed. His films are one of the main reasons we're doing this work today -- if we hadn't fallen in love with them all those years ago, it's hard to imagine how we would've ended up here.
That's what's up. He has been an inspiration to many. Myself included.
Great article, and for anyone interested in Miyazaki, you can find this documentary on YouTube it’s fascinating
The documentary about Hayao Miyazaki’s last movie is called **"The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness"** (2013). Directed by Mami Sunada, it provides a behind-the-scenes look at Studio Ghibli during the production of Miyazaki's film *The Wind Rises* (2013), which at the time was considered to be his final feature before his initial retirement. The documentary also covers the work of Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata and the broader operations at the studio during this period.
Though Miyazaki later came out of retirement to work on a new film (*How Do You Live?*), this documentary offers an intimate portrayal of his creative process and the inner workings of Studio Ghibli.
Thank you!
Also love to know what you thought of it 😀
You’re welcome, it’s so interesting, you see an entire year, watching every decision, argument, process, problem and Joy.
Wow, is this a recent interview?
It's from quite a long time ago -- back in the mid-1990s, believe it or not!
Oh Wow. Also, if it were recent then he surely would have mentioned his work on The Boy and the Heron!
Wonderful article !! Thank you so much ^_^
Thanks for the kind words! Glad you liked it.
Thank you so much for this translation! It was a really enjoyable read and a fascinating insight into a master artist's experience
Really happy you liked it! This is a piece that's been in the works for quite a while and it's great to send it into the world.
This was such an inspiring article, thank you!
Very happy you enjoyed it!
If you like anime background art, this gallery does wonderful high-quality prints and posters: https://www.riekeles.com/shop.
I'm in no way affiliated with them, just a happy customer :-)
Thank you! Stefan does incredible work -- it's really inspiring.
A person's worth does not lie in what they have done, but in what they can still do.
——Metamorphosis (written by Franz Kafka)
لا تكمن قيمة الإنسان فيما فعله، بل فيما يستطيع أن يفعله.
——التحول