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Japanese director Miyazaki retires

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A sad start to the week. If it weren't for his movies, I wouldn't have first become interested in Japan. It's almost impossible to overstate the influence his work has had on my life. Above all our sadness though, this is a very well-earned retirement indeed.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

After a lifetime of achievement, I hope he is not now quitting to endure the remaining years of emphysema his non-stop smoking may have given him. Still shocked that he portrayed smoking by his protagonist in his final film. Smoking kills, no matter how talented one is. Ask Humphrey Bogart, for instance. Anyway, enjoy your retirement, Miyazaki-san.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

NOOOOOO! Nausica 2 please!

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Enjoy your retirement, hope you enjoy it as much as we'd enjoyed your movies. Your a legend!

3 ( +5 / -2 )

You will be greatly missed by all of your fans.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

I spoke to Suzuki-San(same Buddhist group) this one should be final, Hayao previously also announced a retirement. Sounds like Miyazaki will still have a say so in the company via his son, etc.

Thanks for all the good Times, hope Takahashi does another movie.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

too bad for us. good for miyasaki. his works enchanted my childhood, and adulthood as well. he will be greatly missed.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Otsukare-sama, Miyazaki-san. Thank you for all the wonderful animation and memories you've brought us.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I guess all his dreams were put into this last film so he will not leave any unfinished business. I will miss him and his unique touches to animation, but if Studio Ghibli can go on as pixar does without John Lassetar directing every movie (he is still an active producer though...), then I think we have more to look forward to even if Miyazaki enjoys his retirement. This is sort of ... a hope.

Anyways, otsukare-sama!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Gibhli is releasing a life faction movie in autumn by the guy that did Evangelion. They have spread out(for many years) and been doing many SFX recently. Also one of the 1st studios to use CG.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Weasel.

His son did a movie for gibhli.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

It was his "Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind" that made me a fan. I had seen anime before that, but when I saw a fan-subtitled nth generation VHS copy of the film it really made me realise that instead of panties, explosions and tentacles anime could also give us a proper art form. Since then I have bought all of the Ghibli releases (not the Disney versions) and I'm still as entranced as I was the first time I saw them.

I know his son will carry on the work, but I think Japanese cinema has just lost one of its brightest stars.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I'm like Thunderbird2, I used to think Ghibli was overstated until I read the manga of Nausicaa and my bf made me sit down and watch Ghibli movies (I'm passing through a phase where I love the 'anime' style but I hate most of the stories because too much sex, too little substance) -Ghibli was a totally different fantasy, thank heavens! I want to say thank you to Miyazaki-sensei, because he taught me how to write and draw stories that matter. Nausicaa was the deciding factor for me to not try and please people with what I draw, but to manage to carry the story and message I want to say. So in many ways, thank you! I never realized that Miyazaki was involved in Alps no shoujo heidi and Anne of the Green Gables anime, I used to watch those everyday on Italian TV from when I was age 2 (says mom) to when I was age 12, Thank you!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Qamar.

Add in 'Future boy Conan', many episodes of the 1st and 2nd season of Lupin(farewell lupin), etc. He met his wife while working for Nippon animation.

Also correction his son made 2 movies for gibhli and it should be Takahata(grave of fireflies, omohide poro-poro, etc) and not Takahashi. Busy day here.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Though my the most favourite movies of Ghibli Studio "Whispering of The Heart" and "Only Yesterday" weren't directed by Miyazaki, he is a master who created the entire new universe of animation which does make the world better place.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Anybody seen the AMV that Gibhli did for Change & Aska?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE_yOYv92C4

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I've not seen any animated movies since a long time ago, but perhaps I need to catch up on his latest works. Spirited Away must have been the last I saw.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

WORST news of the day. Miyazaki is probably the best story teller and animator ever. I hope he comes out of retirement again to produce one more!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

otsukare-sama ...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I'm not a big fan of Miyazaki, I respect him but not enough to watch ALL his movies, I did like Totoro, spirited away and Porco Rosso, but that's all, he is a great storyteller, and I feel Japan has lost an important contributor to art

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Reports coming through of riots and pandemonium breaking out in Manga cafes tonight in Japan! Seriously, I reckon some of Mr. Miyazakis hardcore fans should be put on suicide watch in the next few days, some may become unhinged at this devastating news.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Another big contributor to the success of gibhli is Joe Hisaishi for the music. His rendition of "the rose" is great: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIvsPfhBJps

John Lassiter of Pixar is also a close friend of Hayao And yes the fans are mourning.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Oh thank you It"s ME, I actually did watch all of Lupin hehe, but I learned something new, thank you! I think it is time I buy Ghibli storyboard books before they fetch even higher prices @_@..moneyyyyyyy.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Qamar.

You are welcome I am 10 min walk from the Gibhli studio and 5 min from J.C.Staff. My wife(rip) was an animator/manga-ka and fellow otaku. Hence I got many intros.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

The end of an era? Let us hope that someone worthy picks up the torch.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

i will forever miss Miyazaki-san!!! love his work! go figure i see an old posting of one of his movies i never seen "from up on poppy hill" now i read this...... -sobs in a corner-

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Forgot to add 'panda ko panda' is also great and get 'short shorts' videos which include the amv, CM's and the anime episodes where the rip themselves off.

End of an era maybe, gibhli will go on but in a new direction.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Some errors in the article but a decent homage. Yes Master M was a fine director of his own style, he was NOT the pioneer of anime, he was just one of many who created the vast and amazing universe that anime has flowered in. His films are all oddities at the fringe mostly because he insisted on some bizarre story twists and rather poor choices of character development, most of his works have a dark side that clouds the fantasy and few are untouched by his rather odd twist of things. True some of the colours and art in his work is very good, but overall it suffers from Disnyeitis, the effect of western animation is strong and quite detracts from what he did.

Anime is Japanese, and they in fact led the world in developing it into story telling much earlier and always much better than western style works. For that Studio G helped for it was one of the first ways that anime reached the west, but because of that, that view from the west back to Japanese Anime remains incomplete.

I am sorry he is retiring but it is NOT the big shock to the anime community of Japan pictured in the article, that is a nice invention but not the truth. There are many finer and much more skilled anime directors and producers at work now, and Master M's work as surpassed many years ago, tho it remains very attractive and has fine qualities. I wish him well, and am sure he will continue to guide the studio from behind the screen.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Oh no... so sad. What a genius.. the Japanese Disney. I hope his spirit is away in all future films from his studio and now the mantle goes to his son... who will take anime to a global audience.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

He's only retired 6 times already.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Kaze Tachinu is a masterpiece, so I am not surprised Miyazaki wants it as his swansong. Interestingly, while the story is, as it says in the article, based on the true life of Jiro Horikoshi, the whole romantic element is taken from a completely separate work of fiction which is unconnected with aircraft. That novel is also where the film gets its title. The Director himself is quite frank about the blending of the two narratives although the movie's promoters have not dwelt on it. However, the two stories come together wonderfully. Another amazing quality of the film is the song Hikkoki Gumo which compares the fragility of life to a con trail (aircraft vapor trail) vanishing into the wind. am sorry he is retiring but it is NOT the big shock to the anime community of Japan pictured in the article, that is a nice invention but not the truth. There are many finer and much more skilled anime directors and producers at work now, and Master M's work as surpassed many years ago, tho it remains very attractive and has fine qualities. I wish him well, and am sure he will continue to guide the studio from behind the screen.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Form the miyazaki-fans.

NTV is showing tonight Kurenai no Buta aka Porco Rossi at 21:00.

Trivia: His family made Zero wingtips during WWII in Mitaka.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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