Latest news with #Miyazaki
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
40 years on: the wonderful world of Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli films have always had a special place in the childhoods of those who grew up watching them. Whether it was hopping on a Catbus on a rainy day (My Neighbour Totoro, 1988), soaring above the clouds on a broom to deliver freshly baked goods (Kiki's Delivery Service, 1989), or warily eyeing the pigs outside a bathhouse (Spirited Away, 2001) — these are the images that stay with you long after the screen goes dark. The animation studio, which recently turned 40, continues to be in the spotlight. Recently, Studio Ghibli's popularity has skyrocketed and, like most animated styles, it has progressed into mainstream media — with people flaunting its merchandise, available in stores and on the pavements of most Indian metros. Ghibli films are regularly screened in these cities, too. Most recently, AI can now mimic the style with unsettling accuracy. The irony — that every Studio Ghibli film takes years to bring to life, with each frame painstakingly hand-drawn, and that Hayao Miyazaki himself is famously anti-AI — seems to be lost on users as they upload their photos for a Ghibli-style render. Behind the longevity But what is it about Studio Ghibli's creations that captures public imagination? Is it the animated worlds that are simple and uncomplicated; the protagonists who are easy to empathise with; intricate depictions of sweeping mountains, mechanical castles, and lush green forests; or the unmistakable expressions of joy, sadness, anger, frustration, and disappointment etched into the expressive faces of its characters? There is no black and white in Ghibli's worlds — the villains have their reasons and are always redeemable. Maybe it's the feeling of nostalgia, the sense of familiarity, the childhood memories stored deep in the recesses of your mind, and the emotions they evoke. All of this contributes to Studio Ghibli's universal appeal. Of course, one could take a more cynical view and attribute the recent burst in popularity and interest to the aesthetic churned out by algorithms. Either way, there's something about Studio Ghibli that clings to your mind like a particularly stubborn soot sprite. Perhaps it's because beneath the deceptively simple narratives lie deeper themes that offer profound philosophical food for thought. Miyazaki and modernisation Miyazaki's disdain for technology and modernisation is evident throughout his films. He has famously stated that 'modern life is so thin and shallow and fake — I look forward to when developers go bankrupt, Japan gets poorer and wild grasses take over'. While this vision may not reflect reality, he weaves this imagery into his films, particularly in Princess Mononoke, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and My Neighbour Totoro, where forests abound and grasslands stretch endlessly. Princess Mononoke centres on environmentalism, portraying it in a way that forces the viewer to confront the inevitability of industrialisation. As much as one may not want it to happen, it must — and finding a middle ground becomes the only viable solution. Nausicaä, meanwhile, navigates a world transformed into a toxic wasteland, as she searches for a solution. Both San (Princess Mononoke) and Nausicaä inhabit worlds scarred by war. While San, the wolf princess, fights to protect her beloved home from further deforestation and industrialisation, Nausicaä takes a more peaceful approach. In Howl's Moving Castle, themes of pacifism are more explicit, set against the constant echoes of war that linger throughout the film. Despite Howl's abhorrence of war, the wizard is forced to become a tool of destruction, even at the cost of losing his humanity. The image of Sophie, the protagonist, standing in a meadow of flowers while war rages around her highlights the stark contrast between the ugliness of war and the fragile beauty of nature. Strong, fearless women Most of Ghibli's films feature female protagonists — whether children like Satsuki and Mei (My Neighbour Totoro), Kiki (Kiki's Delivery Service), and Chihiro (Spirited Away); young women like Nausicaä and San; or even Sophie (Howl's Moving Castle), who ages and then returns to youth. Unlike Disney's princesses, they are their own knights in shining armour, facing the world head on. All of them demonstrate resilience, courage, and an unyielding hope. No matter how daunting the task or how bleak the future, they either find a silver lining or create one themselves. The younger protagonists especially show wisdom beyond their years, yet paradoxically retain their innocence and wide-eyed wonder. It is not that Ghibli lacks male protagonists, but rather that they inevitably fall short in comparison. Drawing from life Miyazaki, like many artists, often draws inspiration from real-life experiences. For instance, he travelled to Alsace, France, to study European architecture and aesthetics for Howl's Moving Castle. He also sent his animators to the vet to observe how to give medicine to a dog, which they then translated into animating a dragon in Spirited Away. There's a recurring theme of chronic illness in several of Miyazaki's films. In The Wind Rises, we meet Naoko, who suffers from tuberculosis. In My Neighbour Totoro, Satsuki and Mei's mother is hospitalised while the sisters explore Totoro's forest. This mirrors Miyazaki's own childhood experience, when his mother was hospitalised due to spinal tuberculosis. Despite theories about the underlying symbolism in his films, Miyazaki's stance is clear: 'I don't have much patience for calculating and intellectualising anymore. It has to do with the times. Nobody knows everything. Nobody knows what's going to happen. So, my conclusion is, don't try to be too smart and wise. Why does anybody feel the way they do? Why is somebody depressed? Or angry? Even if you have a therapist, you're never going to figure it out. You're not going to solve it.' Contrary to rumours of his imminent retirement after The Boy and the Heron, Miyazaki, now 84, shows no sign of slowing down. Since his films are hand-drawn, it's understandable that they take years to complete. If Clint Eastwood can continue directing films at 95, then what's stopping Miyazaki? The writer and journalist is based in Mumbai.
SoraNews24
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
The Hayao Miyazaki anime we never got – New art book reveals Ghibli legend's unrealized concepts
Latest volume in Hayao Miyazaki Image Board Series traces the pre-history of Nausicaa, with over 50 never-before-seen Hayao Miyazaki illustrations. In 2024, Japanese publisher Iwamani Shoten began releasing its Hayao Miyazaki Image Board Series line. Each volume is filled with amazing artwork drawn by the legendary anime director, and with the fourth book in the series just about to go sale, the cover has been revealed. There's no mistaking Miyazaki's artistic style, with soft, almost abstract linework nonetheless being used to convey a wealth of small details, and coloring that's expressive and eye-catching without any garishly harsh contrasts. But while most anime enthusiasts can recognize the aesthetics, even the biggest Studio Ghibli fans are probably scratching their heads trying to figure out who the character on the book's cover is. Her outfit sort of looks like something Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind's heroine would wear. That's just it, though: it looks like something she would wear, but nowhere in her film does Nausicaa wear this costume. That's not quite Princess Mononoke's San, either, plus that movie had wolves, not a dog like the one in the illustration above. The new book, titled Hayao Miyazaki Image Board Series-Nausicaa Prehistory, is a collection of nearly 200 pieces of Miyazaki-drawn artwork, including 58 that have never been shown before, which the famed artist drew before Nausicaa went into production or Studio Ghibli was formed. Miyazaki may have become the most lauded and respected figure in the history of Japanese animation, but that success didn't come overnight, nor did every idea he had materialize in completed anime form. In fact, even after the extremely positive response to Miyazaki's first effort as a theatrical feature director, Castle of Cagliostro , won him praise in 1979, it wouldn't be until 1984 that he directed his second anime movie, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind . Miyazaki wasn't just twiddling his thumbs for those five years, however. While working on a variety of anime TV series and teaching animation techniques at anime studio Telecom Animation Films, Miyazaki continued to draw characters and develop concept art on his own, something he'd been doing since even before his work on Cagliostro . Eventually, it was his story and art concepts for Nausicaa that convinced anime magazine Animage to run it as a serialized manga, with parent company Tokuma Shoten eventually bankrolling its theatrical anime adaptation and Miyazaki using its success a springboard to co-founding Studio Ghibli. Iwanami Shoten describes the book as 'tracing the 10 years leading to the birth' of Nausicaa, and it includes, among other things, Miyazaki's drawings for his imagined adaptation of American comic artist Richard Corben's Rowlf, which unfortunately never made it past the early rights-negotiation stages. In that sense, looking through the pages of Hayao Miyazaki Image Board Series-Nausicaa Prehistory will be a little bittersweet, as in some ways it's a brief glimpse at the Miyazaki anime that could have been, but with an artist of his caliber, even a glimpse is something for fans to be happy about. And who knows? Since Miyazaki hasn't said he's officially retired, maybe some of the concepts in the book will end up making their way to the movie screen after all. The 192-page Hayao Miyazaki Image Board Series-Nausicaa Prehistory goes on sale July 8, priced at 6,000 yen (US$41), and can be ordered through Amazon Japan here. Source, images: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
West Australian
2 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
James Pethokoukis: Japan baby slump might not be an economic disaster
Economic coverage of falling birth rates these days sounds like a CNBC adaptation of the 2006 dystopian thriller Children of Men, a film about societal meltdown in a childless future. Income growth will stall! Innovation will wane! Consumer demand will falter! 'This is how great civilisations throughout history have ended,' Elon Musk warned in one of his many grave pronouncements about 'population collapse.' As this stagnation scenario becomes the default economic forecast, governments around the world are scrambling for ways, often at great fiscal cost, to slow or even reverse their baby busts. From cash incentives to paid leave, the results have been disappointing, and there's little sign of a promising untried fix waiting in reserve. Yet Japan, 17 years into population shrinkage despite its own attempts at pricey natalist policies, now offers a surprisingly hopeful counter that an ageing economy can still offer growth and prosperity. The data, however, tells a more upbeat tale (if without any Miyazaki whimsy). A Goldman Sachs analysis this year found that wage growth has risen from 0.3 per cent in the 2010s to 1.2 per cent in the 2020s, while core inflation has climbed from 0.5 per cent to a healthier 1.5 per cent, an encouraging development in a country that was long stuck in a deflationary trap. As Goldman sees things, the demographic decline that once drained vitality is now creating a 'virtuous cycle' of tightening labor markets, increased worker bargaining power and more investment in productivity-enhancing tech. These trends are helping prop up the economy even as it weathers a shock from the US-led trade war. When Japan's population peaked in the late 2000s, the country initially offset the decline by drawing more women and older people into the workforce. Rising participation helped mask demographic pressures and kept wages subdued. Now, Japan is running out of workers to tap, and scarcity is finally exerting upward pressure on wages, a boon for the remaining labor force. But rather than just grumbling about the lack of workers, businesses are finding ways to use fewer of them. From software to machines — here's where AI and robotics can really lend a hand — productivity has gone up in Japan's most labour-starved sectors, with corporate profits hitting record highs in fiscal 2024. Recent performance doesn't guarantee long-term results, as the report cautions. Still, the Japan scenario seems a more promising path forward than further natalist nudges. Hungary's lavish baby bonuses and generous parental benefits in Scandinavia have barely budged birth rates, proving again that you can't fight a values-based war with economic weapons. Cash-for-kids advocates Musk and JD Vance would protest, but no financially feasible subsidy can compete with 21st century attitudes about families, career priorities and life goals. A survey by Pew Research Center this month finds that younger Americans report wanting dramatically fewer children than even just a decade ago. These are fun scenarios to contemplate, but they offer little guidance to policymakers grappling with population trends staring them in the face right now. Accepting a Japan-like fate as a manageable result might encourage policies that help better adjust to it. We could emphasise productivity — the business investment provisions in the Senate tax bill would help here, but so would retooling immigration to focus on letting in the smartest, highest-achieving workers. We could encourage a labour market that maximises mobility so the right person is in the right job in the right place, perhaps by easing occupational licensing requirements and providing vouchers for job relocation. And there's no time like the present to reform pension systems to reflect the new reality of longer lives and shrinking workforces. If a country that's considered an archetype of demographic decline can go gently into that good night, so, too, might the United States and other rich countries. Like the willow in the wind, better to go with the flow than fight against it. James Pethokoukis is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of 'The Conservative Futurist.'
NHK
6 days ago
- Climate
- NHK
Mt. Shinmoe erupts in southwest Japan, alert level remains at 2
Mount Shinmoe, located in the Kirishima mountain range bordering Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures in southwestern Japan, erupted on Sunday evening. The mountain last erupted seven years ago. The Kagoshima Meteorological Office says an eruption occurred around 4:37 p.m. and sent up a volcanic plume more than 500 meters into the sky. The plume is believed to have drifted east to the Miyazaki side. It is unconfirmed whether the material included volcanic rocks. Officials say residents of Takaharu Town in Miyazaki Prefecture reported that volcanic ashes were falling, and a security camera in Kobayashi City captured the eruption. The Japan Meteorological Agency lowered the volcanic alert for Mount Shinmoe to Level 2 from Level 3 on its five-level scale last month. Authorities kept the alert level at 2 after the latest eruption. They warn that large volcanic rocks may fall within about a two-kilometer radius from the crater, and that pyroclastic flows could travel within about a one-kilometer radius. They also urged people in downwind areas to be cautious of ash and small rocks. Ground movements continued to suggest the mountain is expanding, as volcanic earthquakes increased sharply on Sunday. Magma eruptions from the mountain in 2011 emitted large amounts of light rocks and ash, and the rocks and air vibrations from the blast caused damage.
Hans India
19-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Farmers cautioned against overuse of chemical fertilisers, pesticides
Nandyal: As part of the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM), district Collector G Rajakumari announced the release of Rs 1.99 crore in subsidies for the distribution of agricultural machinery to 964 eligible small and marginal farmers. Speaking at the distribution programme held at PGRS Hall in the Collectorate on Wednesday, she emphasised the government's commitment to promoting agricultural mechanisation for enhanced productivity and farmers welfare. Highlighting the significance of sustainable farming, she urged farmers to use water judiciously, especially in areas with abundant black soil and irrigation. She cautioned against overuse of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, warning that it could deplete soil nutrients and reduce yields. Instead, she encouraged farmers to adopt organic practices, crop rotation, and mixed cropping to improve soil health and long-term productivity. She also recommended use of drones and technology in agriculture to save time and resources. In view of the ongoing cultivation of BPT Nandyal fine variety rice, the Collector advised farmers not to rush into selling their produce prematurely. She said the government has established 145 warehouses equipped with essential infrastructure to help farmers store their harvests until they can get better prices. Farmers were also encouraged to diversify crops based on climatic conditions, and she noted the success of exotic fruits like Miyazaki mangoes, which have thrived better in local conditions than in their native Japan. Plans are underway to establish cold storages and warehouses with support from NABARD and the Horticulture Department. Addressing the needs of tenant farmers, Rajakumari stated that out of one lakh tenant farmers in the district, 30,000 will be issued crop cultivator rights cards (CCRCs) this year, which remain valid for 11 months. She added that banks have been instructed to provide loans based on crop cultivation, and an additional 20% in loans will be sanctioned this year. With forecasts indicating higher rainfall, farmers were advised to stay informed about suitable cropping choices and avoid leaving fields fallow. The event concluded with the symbolic handover of subsidy cheques to beneficiary farmers and an inspection of farm machinery by the Collector at the venue. District Agriculture Officer Muralikrishna, assistant agricultural officers, mandal agricultural extension officers, and local farmers were present.
