Hayao Miyazaki is one of the founders of the animation studio Ghibli, which produced many well-known animes such as Spirited Away. The 83-year-old Japanese man is concerned about the children of the future.
What are his concerns? In an interview with Japan Today, Miyazaki revealed that it would become increasingly difficult to reach the souls of children with his films in the future. This is primarily due to rising consumption and the virtual world.
In his view, television, video games, emails, mobile phones, and mangas “rob children of their powers.” This means that children escape into virtual worlds by reading mangas or spending time in front of the television, which is why serious topics like those in Ghibli’s films can no longer reach them. He cited Ultraman as an example that has made an entire generation dumber.
For him, it is therefore clear that he should not focus on questions about infrastructure but rather on creating an appropriate environment for future generations. He believes that children are the best investment for Japan.
A well-known film from Studio Ghibli is My Neighbor Totoro:
Studio Ghibli invents anime stories centered around children
Why is this topic so important to him? Miyazaki often deals with children and their worlds of thought. For him, utopias exist only in childhood.
In his films, children and teenagers are often the protagonists. They have to assert themselves against difficult conditions or have suffered serious traumas:
- In Kiki’s Delivery Service, Kiki moves to a strange city without her family at the age of 13.
- Chihiro is only 10 years old in Spirited Away when she has to save her parents from an evil witch.
- Even in the newest film The Boy and the Heron, a child is in the foreground. Mahito is 12 years old and has to cope with the death of his mother at such a young age.
Sometimes, Miyazaki addresses themes like war in his films. However, the most dramatic film from Ghibli comes from Isao Takahata. Grave of the Fireflies is about how a 14-year-old boy and his four-year-old sister starve miserably.
Moreover, Hayao Miyazaki has his own children and grandchildren. It is therefore understandable that he is concerned about the future of children when he has descendants himself. The founder of Studio Ghibli wishes that his son Goro Miyazaki will take over the management of the animation studio. However, his son is doing everything in his power to avoid having to follow in his father’s footsteps: Son of legendary studio chief does not want to become his successor, finds himself in his father’s latest anime film.
