Based Hayao Miyazaki

[fake-kun]

The anime you like is a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of the things Miyazaki and his peers (Tomino, etc.) from the early anime days created throughout their careers.

So what? What does it change? Does it oblige me to care about Hayao Miyazaki's opinions?

 

[Strategist's icon Strategist Strategist]

So what? What does it change? Does it oblige me to care about Hayao Miyazaki's opinions?

Then don't. Nobody's forcing you.

 

[UnDubious]

So what? What does it change? Does it oblige me to care about Hayao Miyazaki's opinions?

I don't care what you care about, calling him "washed-up" is objectively wrong when he just scored one of many massive hits two years ago (5th highest-grossing Japanese film of all time with no promotion!) You also didn't ask "why should I care", you asked "why does anybody care". They care because he's the single most respected and accomplished Japanese animator of all time, has contributed a lot to the medium, and is still one of the most successful. In fact no one else can launch an anime movie that isn't attached to some existing franchise (like Demon Slayer) and score a hit like this. His movies aren't even my favorite, but I recognize that.

 

[fake-kun]

I don't care what you care about, calling him "washed-up" is objectively wrong when he just scored one of many massive hits two years ago (5th highest-grossing Japanese film of all time with no promotion!) You also didn't ask "why should I care", you asked "why does anybody care". They care because he's the single most respected and accomplished Japanese animator of all time, and has contributed a lot to the medium. His movies aren't even my favorite, but I recognize that.

I guess you're right. I was annoyed by people's tendency to go "X celebrity said this about Y!" as if their opinions were inherently valuable, and I couldn't keep my mouth shut.

 

[Strategist's icon Strategist Strategist]

I guess you're right. I was annoyed by people's tendency to go "X celebrity said this about Y!" as if their opinions were inherently valuable, and I couldn't keep my mouth shut.

I wouldn't share his thoughts if I didn't respect his contributions to the anime industry and I was a big fan of his work. I think his long career and years of experience has earned him at least some valuable perspective we should pay attention to. Also keep in mind he is commenting on the same industry he's worked in for all his working life. Its not like a celebrity commenting about science or politics.

 

[CG4R12I4N]

He had his points, but he's overrated much like older animators before him. I'd take anything made by Makoto Shinkai over him personally.

 

[Strategist's icon Strategist Strategist]

He had his points, but he's overrated much like older animators before him. I'd take anything made by Makoto Shinkai over him personally.

Everyone is overrated nowadays. I wonder if the zoomers ever like anything, ffs.

 

[fake-kun]

Everyone is overrated nowadays. I wonder if the zoomers ever like anything, ffs.

No, we're too busy being depressed. /j

 

[Strategist's icon Strategist Strategist]

No, we're too busy being depressed. /j

Can't blame you there. The world is kind of depressing right now.

 

[CG4R12I4N]

Everyone is overrated nowadays. I wonder if the zoomers ever like anything, ffs.

Thing is I'm not even a zoomer, I grew up right when Princess Mononoke was the shit in my elementary school. His movies just didn't really vibe with me and most of the time his conveying plots and themes were just lost on me.

Meanwhile Tomino the Top Kino made me actually glued my eyes on the screen with his works because they were just completely bizarre shit contrast to Miyazaki's low end realism.

 

[Spike's iconSpike]

How long ago was this? seems old no? I'm pretty sure this was way before OpenAI started training their models on his movies (allegedly) and the boom of "ghiblifying" every photo.
I feel like he's talking about that creepy video specifically. And now that's used as "Miyazaki said he hates AI in general", this video and the quotes resurfaced after the OpenAI boom, as if he said it in relation to it.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

Why do people care so much what some washed-up animator thinks?

Hayao Miyazaki is one of the biggest guy in the industry.

I mean he basically revolutionised Japanese animation and had some of the best animated movies of all time so his opinion on the subject may have some weight.

I firmly think that Nausicaä, next to Akira, are still some of the best Manga and animated movies in all of History that barely anything more modern can even match despite having more tools to work with.

They were hand-drawn and still looked better, had a great character design and smooth animations.

Calling him "washed up" is a gross exaggeration (if not a troll attempt) and trying to minimise his big impact in the industry.

It's like saying that Miyamoto hasn't done anything to video games or that Black Sabbath hasn't redefined Metal.

 

[Samatonic Samatonic]

It's sad, but true. I like the "ghiblification" of the images, but it's sad that the "magic" is being tarnished.
No one should have such powers, especially when it comes to A.I.

There has to be a way to keep these things in check, right ?

I fear that one day artists will stop using their creativity powers, pushing the borders, fearing to tests their limits over such A.I Products.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

It's sad, but true. I like the "ghiblification" of the images, but it's sad that the "magic" is being tarnished.
No one should have such powers, especially when it comes to A.I.

And even non-Ghibli animating studios trying to replicate that style somehow made it less impactful.

Even Goro isn't as good as his father.

In the same way Disney will never match their Renaissance era ever again.

 

[Strategist's icon Strategist Strategist]

How long ago was this? seems old no? I'm pretty sure this was way before OpenAI started training their models on his movies (allegedly) and the boom of "ghiblifying" every photo.
I feel like he's talking about that creepy video specifically. And now that's used as "Miyazaki said he hates AI in general", this video and the quotes resurfaced after the OpenAI boom, as if he said it in relation to it.

That's true, but I doubt he feels any positive feelings about OpenAI if it is stealing the iconic Ghibli style.

 

[UnDubious]

How long ago was this? seems old no? I'm pretty sure this was way before OpenAI started training their models on his movies (allegedly) and the boom of "ghiblifying" every photo.
I feel like he's talking about that creepy video specifically. And now that's used as "Miyazaki said he hates AI in general", this video and the quotes resurfaced after the OpenAI boom, as if he said it in relation to it.

It's from a 2016 documentary. He's talking about the video but also the technology itself IMO. Knowing his ethos I doubt he likes AI any more now.

 

[Spike's iconSpike]

That's true, but I doubt he feels any positive feelings about OpenAI if it is stealing the iconic Ghibli style.

I would like to know if he made a comment on that.

 

[Tonberry]

How long ago was this? seems old no? I'm pretty sure this was way before OpenAI started training their models on his movies (allegedly) and the boom of "ghiblifying" every photo.
I feel like he's talking about that creepy video specifically. And now that's used as "Miyazaki said he hates AI in general", this video and the quotes resurfaced after the OpenAI boom, as if he said it in relation to it.

It’s from the 10 year documentary I think.
They made a documentary following Miyazaki around for a decade that was around when they were working on Ponyo to The Wind Rises, I think? It’s really good, and it makes him insanely relatable, at least as a creative person. It should be available online somewhere, I watched the entire thing in one sitting a bunch of years ago on some Japanese site I can’t recall the name of. I think it was an NHK site.

It’s always refreshing to see creators you admire becoming humanized like that.

 

[Yousef]

His thoughts on AI:

His thoughts on the anime industry:

“Almost all Japanese animation is produced with hardly any basis taken from observing real people, you know.”“It’s produced by humans who can’t stand looking at other humans.”“And that’s why the industry is full of otaku!”

His thoughts on America and Japan (ignore the clickbait title, I think it is more complex than simple hate):

I found this incredibly touching. I can’t help but sympathize with his anger. I hope his friend is alright. I know this a cliched thing to say; but you can truly feel the passion in his words and his sheer hatred of what the industry has turned into. And holy cow, that guy’s soul literally existed his body.

 

[UnDubious]

It’s from the 10 year documentary I think.
They made a documentary following Miyazaki around for a decade that was around when they were working on Ponyo to The Wind Rises, I think? It’s really good, and it makes him insanely relatable, at least as a creative person. It should be available online somewhere, I watched the entire thing in one sitting a bunch of years ago on some Japanese site I can’t recall the name of. I think it was an NHK site.

It’s always refreshing to see creators you admire becoming humanized like that.

10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki is still up on NHK's website btw, in 13 languages. It's from a different doc they made after that called Never-Ending Man, which is a one-time thing instead of a 4-part series. You'll find it if you google it.

 

[Tonberry]

10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki is still up on NHK's website btw, in 13 languages. It's from a different doc they made after that called Never-Ending Man, which is a one-time thing instead of a 4-part series. You'll find it if you google it.

Ah cool, thanks for digging that out!

 

[Prism_Red]

Just shooting in the dark here but if my assumption is correct, the actual shooting happened between late 2014 to early 2015 during winter. That would be funny if it's true since it's been exactly 10 years since then.

I'm not adding anything to the discussion, just wanna say I'm not a big fan of Miyazaki works, the one I only like is Kiki Delivery Service, but I recognize his influence and respect his view as an animator.

 

[_oBSOLEte_]

I dont know what's worse anymore, really. Having a general like him having overworked an army of low-wage slave animators in karoshi land, or an industry producing AI slop.

In both cases the true artists behind all that are fucked.

 

[UnDubious]

I dont know what's worse anymore, really. Having a general like him having overworked an army of low-wage slave animators in karoshi land, or an industry producing AI slop.

In both cases the true artists behind all that are fucked.

The guy who storyboards the whole damn movie, creating the story and setting the foundations for the character design and general look is not the "true artist" somehow, but the in-betweeners are? What? Besides, Miyazaki came up in the industry from a low-paid animator position. Everyone in Japan is overworked by our Western standards, but then we also have to be the laziest people that have ever lived at this point, so IDK. It's not like I expect one director to change the work culture of his entire country.

 

[_oBSOLEte_]

The guy who storyboards the whole damn movie, creating the story and setting the foundations for the character design and general look is not the "true artist" somehow, but the in-betweeners are? What? Besides, Miyazaki came up in the industry from a low-paid animator position. Everyone in Japan is overworked by our Western standards, but then we also have to be the laziest people that have ever lived at this point, so IDK. It's not like I expect one director to change the work culture of his entire country.

Ghibli is not a one guy studio. Yushifumi Kondo was sent to an early grave.

I think Karoshi is an insult to life itself. Dont you?