did hayao miyazaki say anime

by Arnulfo Hegmann 10 min read
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Miyazaki did not say, “Anime was a mistake.” He was quite critical of modern otaku culture, but he never made that statement. It was a fake quote made up to troll people. And even if he did say it, I certainly don’t think it was a mistake. Why do people think Miyazaki said “Anime was a mistake”? This all started as a bit of a trolling on Tumblr.

His films have inspired generations of anime directors. He's been involved in the industry since the 1960s and has mentored anime directors like Neon Genesis Evangelion's Hideaki Anno. However, while he never exactly said "anime was a mistake," Miyazaki is incredibly critical of the anime industry, creators and fans.Apr 16, 2020

Full Answer

Did Hayao Miyazaki really say “anime was a mistake”?

The white-haired visage of legendary Studio Ghibli animator Hayao Miyazaki, emblazoned with a bold quote: “Anime was a mistake.” And you may have asked, “Did he actually say that?” The short answer is no. But the long answer is … kinda?

Why is Hayao Miyazaki famous?

After all, Miyazaki is one of the most widely beloved anime directors of all time. To date, his film Spirited Away is the only anime film to win an Oscar. His films have inspired generations of anime directors. He's been involved in the industry since the 1960s and has mentored anime directors like Neon Genesis Evangelion 's Hideaki Anno.

Is Hayao Miyazaki sketching a girl in his interview?

In 2014, Japanese news site the Golden Times posted a series of screenshots from a video interview with Miyazaki, in which he is talking while sketching a young girl, arms splayed out at her sides. The subtitles, subsequently translated into English by Sora News 24, read:

Is Miyazaki mad at the Japanese animation scene?

A user by the name of old-japanese-men took a clip from an interview that was done with Miyazaki for a Japanese publication called Golden Times, published online on the 27th of January in 2014. In that interview, Miyazaki indeed expresses his frustrations with the animation scene in Japan these days.

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Is Ghibli considered anime?

Not only does studio Ghibli do animation, but they do it in Japan where it would in fact be called anime. So yes, it's considered anime. Sadly, Avatar, the last Airbender is designed in the style of anime, but was produced in an American animation studio. So it is not considered an anime.

Is My Neighbor Totoro considered anime?

It is listed as a "must-see" by Metacritic. In 2001, the Japanese magazine Animage ranked My Neighbor Totoro 45th in their list of 100 Best Anime Productions of All Time.

Is Avatar an anime?

Avatar: The Last Airbender (abbreviated as ATLA), also known as Avatar: The Legend of Aang in some regions, is an American anime-influenced animated television series produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studios.

Is Totoro the God of Death?

The legend goes as follows: Totoro is the God of Death, and anyone who can see him is either dead or close to dying. The affirmation is strong enough on its own. We know Miyazaki looooves metaphors, and Studio Ghibli seems to have a weak spot for gods and spirits.

Who is Hayao Miyazaki?

Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese anime director who's won both popular and critical acclaim for his allusive and lyrical works, for which he became popular outside of Japan as well.

Why is Miyazaki so problematic?

He does so by observing other people, so that he can create a truthful and honest picture in his movies, and not something that's completely made up and has nothing to do with reality.

What is the name of the anime that follows the two sisters and their adventures?

My Neighbor Totoro was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki in 1998. It is an animated fantasy that centers around two sisters and their adventure and interaction with friendly forest spirits that live by their house, one of which they call Totoro. Spirited Away. Spirited Away is one of Hayao Miyazaki's best works.

What is the name of the movie that was dubbed in English?

Princess Mononoke. Princess Mononoke is one of Hayao Miyazaki's most popular and critically acclaimed movies that held the box office record for Japanese films in Japan until Spirited Away was released. It was also dubbed in English, which increased its popularity and influence furthermore. Kiki's Delivery Service.

What is the meaning of the phrase "Anime was a mistake"?

The phrase "Anime Was a Mistake" was actually a troll quote that first appeared in 2014, after Hayao Miyazaki's interview with a Japanese news site, where he honestly expressed his attitudes and opinions on the art of anime and its fanbase.

What is an otaku in Japan?

On the other hand, in Japan an "otaku" is a person who is absolutely obsessed with anime, a particular series or a character. They are obsessed to a point that their everyday lives revolve around it, and that's all they can ever think about. Otaku isn't only present in anime culture.

What does it mean to be an otaku?

An otaku can be a person that's obsessed about pop culture, about computers and so on. Otaku actually comes from the Japanese word for "house", and symbolizes someone who stays at home all day, afraid or unwilling to engage in reality.

Why does Miyazaki say anime suffer?

In a statement from 2014 following the release of The Wind Rises, Miyazaki said modern anime suffers because the otaku creators "don't spend time watching real people.". Animation, he believes, can only be done by people who understand and appreciate how other people behave and act.

What was Miyazaki's first short film?

Miyazaki did direct one CGI short film, Boro the Caterpillar, for the Ghibli Museum in 2018. As presented in the documentary Neverending Man, he frequently clashed with computer animators and programmers during this process.

Why is Anno so famous?

This might be because Anno is famous for deep, realistic portrayals of human psychology in his films, drawing on his experiences of social isolation and anxiety for his work. One obvious source of ire for Miyazaki is anime's unrealistic, often fetishized portrayals of women.

What are some of the most popular anime of 2010?

Many of the 2010s' most popular anime are fetishistic power fantasies. The likes of Sword Art Online, Oreimo and Darling in the Franxx are either unoriginal retreads of earlier narratives, simplistic wish fulfillment or just perverse.

What is Miyazaki's least favorite otaku?

His least favorite variety of otaku: gun otaku. He says gun otaku are "the ones that have the most immature character traits left over.". Miyazaki sees the obsession of technical details over humanity as immature... though of course Miyazaki still has his own otaku-like tendencies in regards to planes and tanks.

Who is the greatest anime director of all time?

Hayao Miyazaki is one of the greatest anime directors of all time. He might also just hate modern anime. If you've ever seen the quote "Anime was a mistake" attributed to Hayao Miyazaki, you might've written it off as a gag. After all, Miyazaki is one of the most widely beloved anime directors of all time. To date, his film Spirited Away is the ...

Is Hayao Miyazaki naturalistic?

Hayao Miyazaki's work is at once so naturalistic and heavily conscious of the world he lives in that it makes complete sense that he'd be frustrated with creators who refuse to go outside and draw from human experience. There is a distinct lack of humanity in heavy CGI and wish-fulfillment narratives.

When was the Golden Times interview with Miyazaki published?

A user by the name of old-japanese-men took a clip from an interview that was done with Miyazaki for a Japanese publication called Golden Times, published online on the 27th of January in 2014. In that interview, Miyazaki indeed expresses his frustrations with the animation scene in Japan these days. But nowhere does he outright say that “anime was ...

Will anime change?

Anime will change, for sure, but change is often good. The meta nature of anime will possibly develop new, wilder, more creative products for us all to enjoy. The real world is, to an extent, static. But the world of imagination is boundless in every direction, outwards and inwards.

Did Miyazaki say anime was a mistake?

Miyazaki did not say, “Anime was a mistake.”. He was quite critical of modern otaku culture, but he never made that statement. It was a fake quote made up to troll people. And even if he did say it, I certainly don’t think it was a mistake.

Who is Hayao Miyazaki?

t. e. Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎 駿, Miyazaki Hayao, [mijaꜜzaki hajaꜜo]; born 5 January 1941) is a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and manga artist. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, a film and animation studio, he has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and as a maker ...

What movie did Miyazaki make in 1969?

Miyazaki later proposed scenes in the screenplay for Flying Phantom Ship (1969), in which military tanks would cause mass hysteria in downtown Tokyo, and was hired to storyboard and animate the scenes.

What is Ponyo based on?

The film's seaside village was inspired by Tomonoura, a town in Setonaikai National Park, where Miyazaki stayed in 2005. The main character, Sōsuke, is based on Gorō. Following its release on 19 July 2008, Ponyo was critically acclaimed, receiving Animation of the Year at the 32nd Japan Academy Prize.

When did Miyazaki and Takahata start working on Heidi?

After moving from A-Pro to Zuiyō Eizō in June 1973, Miyazaki and Takahata worked on World Masterpiece Theater, which featured their animation series Heidi, Girl of the Alps, an adaptation of Johanna Spyri 's Heidi. Zuiyō Eizō continued as Nippon Animation in July 1975.

What was Miyazaki's job?

Miyazaki later worked as chief animator, concept artist, and scene designer on The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun (1968) .

What was Miyazaki's mother's condition?

From 1947 to 1955, Miyazaki 's mother suffered from spinal tuberculosis; she spent the first few years in hospital, before being nursed from home. Miyazaki 's mother was a strict, intellectual woman, who regularly questioned "socially accepted norms". She died in July 1983 at the age of 71.

Where did Miyazaki go to school?

Miyazaki began school in 1947, at an elementary school in Utsunomiya, completing the first through third grades. After his family moved back to Suginami-ku, Miyazaki completed the fourth grade at Ōmiya Elementary School, and fifth grade at Eifuku Elementary School.

Was anime a mistake?

Some memes are a little different, but many are along the lines of “anime was a mistake”, simple as that.

A perfect example to make my point

We all know Sakura Haruno from the Naruto series. She’s a famous character like no other, and is controversial on levels most female characters never reach.

What was Miyazaki's problem with anime?

In essence, Miyazaki’s problem with anime is the pervasive, workaday nihilism that affects everything from the production to the treatment of workers to the thematic content.

What is Miyazaki's meaning of "No matter how good the animation is when we have too much"

In Miyazaki’s mind, it was a period of empty decadence amid real economic troubles, of which anime was the key symbol: “No matter how good the animation is, when we have too much, it is no longer of good quality. ”. Production was its own end, rather than the means to reach other people with art.

What did Miyazaki think of Cel animation?

TV animation schedules were brutal, and still are, with sacrosanct deadlines. Cel animation, though convenient for such schedules, led to a look that Miyazaki found skin-deep. He felt that animators had to consciously work against it. Animation made with cels are striking, he thought, but not emotive.

What is the name of the short film that Miyazaki made?

Miyazaki at work on the short film “Boro the Caterpillar”. Image: GKids. For others, tight deadlines also led to less actual animation. In some cases, this refined certain classic anime techniques, like cutting to reflective still images while characters were talking elsewhere.

What is the pre-Ghibli Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind manga about?

The pre-Ghibli Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind manga reminds us that everything changes. The Miyazaki movie that got away. The studio’s first film, Castle in the Sky, is like no Hayao Miyazaki film that followed. Watch the 4-hour documentary that unravels Hayao Miyazaki’s obsessions. The Miyazaki movie deep dive 7.

What did Miyazaki call the overexpression?

Miyazaki called this “overexpression.”. Animation stopped being evocative of life, and instead transmitted packaged, easily consumed constructs that had to keep changing in appearance, so viewers wouldn’t realize the lack of creativity. This novelty-chasing led to an arms race, as new techniques lost their impact.

What was Miyazaki's economic miracle?

It was the peak of the country’s “economic miracle,” when domestic demand was climbing before the inflated Japanese asset market burst. “We are able to listen to large amounts of music and watch large numbers of videos.

How old is Miyazaki?

The man is clearly a genius. However, Miyazaki is also a 73-year-old man, and like many individuals who have reached such an age, occasionally can’t resist the stubborn urge to grumble about how the people who came up after him are screwing up his industry.

Who is the most famous anime director?

It’s hard to imagine legendary anime director Hayao Miyazaki needing to be any more lauded than he already is. Over 95 percent of Japan’s population has watched one of his movies, people see uploading his films to the Internet as being the fast track to popularity, and he’s even got a celestial body named after him. Really, though, after seeing the quality of his work, it’s hard to argue with the respect he receives. The man is clearly a genius.

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Did Miyazaki Say “Anime Was A Mistake?” Was He Right?

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Miyazaki did not say, “Anime was a mistake.” He wasquite critical of modern otaku culture, but he never made that statement. It was a fake quote made up to troll people. And even if he did say it, I certainly don’t think it was a mistake.
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Why Do People Think Miyazaki Said “Anime Was A Mistake”?

  • This all started as a bit of a trolling on Tumblr. A user by the name of old-japanese-men took a clip from an interview that was done with Miyazaki for a Japanese publication called Golden Times, published online on the 27th of January in 2014. In that interview, Miyazaki indeed expresses his frustrations with the animation scene in Japan these days. But nowhere does he outright say tha…
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So, What Did Miyazaki Say?

  • He didn’t say “Anime was a mistake” specifically, but don’t get too comfortable. He certainly has his criticisms for the community—especially its creators—at large. I’m going to put down here a transcription of the original Japanese as well as an English translation, so you can compare them for yourself and get a sense for what he was trying to say...
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So, Is Miyazaki Right?

  • Well, you’re going to find an extremely wide range of debate on this topic. Since that’s the case, I’ll just add a bit of context and then my own opinion. First, Miyazaki, in this particular instance, without the context of the rest of the video, it’s hard to see if Miyazaki is being critical of the industry as a whole. Just looking at what he says here, we can say that he’s just making a point …
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My Opinion on The Subject

  • Miyazaki is right, but what more can we expect? The amount of dedication to the craft that’s required of Japanese animators is insane. Only someone with a preternatural adoration of the medium would put in the work. And, along with that adoration and incredible work ethic comes a lack of time. Time necessary to observe people to deal with people. If you devote yourself a hun…
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Overview

Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and manga artist. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Japanese animated feature films, and is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished filmmakers in the history of animation.

Career

In 1963, Miyazaki was employed at Toei Animation; this was the last year the company hired regularly. After gaining employment, he began renting a four-and-a-half tatami apartment in Nerima, Tokyo; the rent was ¥6,000. His salary at Toei was ¥19,500. Miyazaki worked as an in-between artist on the theatrical feature anime Doggie March and the television anime Wolf Boy Ken (both 1963). He als…

Early life

Hayao Miyazaki was born on January 5, 1941, in the town of Akebono-cho in Bunkyō, Tokyo, the second of four sons. His father, Katsuji Miyazaki (born 1915), was the director of Miyazaki Airplane, his brother's company, which manufactured rudders for fighter planes during World War II. The business allowed his family to remain affluent during Miyazaki's early life. Miyazaki's fat…

Views

Miyazaki has often criticized the current state of the anime industry, stating that animators are unrealistic when creating people. He has stated that modern anime is "produced by humans who can't stand looking at other humans… that's why the industry is full of otaku!". He has also frequently criticized otaku, including "gun otaku" and "Zero fanatics", declaring it a "fetish", and refusing to identify himself as such.

Themes

Miyazaki's works are characterized by the recurrence of themes such as environmentalism, pacifism, feminism, love and family. His narratives are also notable for not pitting a hero against an unsympathetic antagonist.
Miyazaki's films often emphasize environmentalism and the Earth's fragility. Margaret Talbot stated that Miyazaki dislikes modern technology, and believes much of modern culture is "thin a…

Creation process and influences

Miyazaki forgoes traditional screenplays in his productions, instead developing the film's narrative as he designs the storyboards. "We never know where the story will go but we just keep working on the film as it develops," he said. In each of his films, Miyazaki has employed traditional animation methods, drawing each frame by hand; computer-generated imagery has been employed in several of his later films, beginning with Princess Mononoke, to "enrich the visual lo…

Personal life

Miyazaki married fellow animator Akemi Ōta in October 1965; the two had met while colleagues at Toei Animation. The couple have two sons: Gorō, born in January 1967, and Keisuke, born in April 1969. Miyazaki felt that becoming a father changed him, as he tried to produce work that would please his children. Miyazaki initially fulfilled a promise to his wife that they would both continue t…

Legacy

Miyazaki was described as the "godfather of animation in Japan" by BBC's Tessa Wong in 2016, citing his craftsmanship and humanity, the themes of his films, and his inspiration to younger artists. Courtney Lanning of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette named him one of the world's greatest animators, comparing him to Osamu Tezuka and Walt Disney. Swapnil Dhruv Bose of Far Out Magazine wrote that Miyazaki's work "has shaped not only the future of animation but also filmm…