Rumors have been floating around for the past few weeks about Studio Ghibli – poorly translated and generally riling up fear among the faithful who have adored the studio’s creations for the past 30 years. I didn’t cover the news when it started trickling over a few weeks ago because I knew it was time to be patient. Miyazaki has been back and forth on his decision to retire over the past few years and I didn’t want to jump onto anything before I was sure. As a word of advice, this is something you’ll generally want to do when you read news in Japan. Ambiguously declarative statements like “I’ll think about it,” and pausing to reflect before speaking are the cultural norm when discussing difficult subjects.
Getting to the matter at hand, however, I can’t wait any longer to cover the confirmation that Studio Ghibli has made the decision to “pause” for the first time in its history. You’ve heard the panic exploding around the internet, but I’m actually here to defend their decision and to ask for your understanding. I think Ghibli is restructuring its production arm so that time can pass and they can evaluate their place in the world. This will make the potential sting of any future decision they make less painful, and will allow them to keep their existing creations alive in other ways.
It might be time for us to let the Studio Ghibli we know become a legend of the past, and for us to see something different.
Looking at the big picture, the last few Ghibli features have been shifting in tone and Miyazaki’s absence from the development process is evident. It’s not that I don’t want to experience more from the talented individuals working at Ghibli; I quite enjoy The Wind Rises and the other films coming from the new creative vision holders. I just think it might be better for the creators to take flight under a new name so that they’re not so closely associated with Miyazaki. Imagine how difficult it must be to create against both an established tradition of a certain type of film AND the ridiculously high expectations Miyazaki set when he made movies.
Miyazaki makes Ramen for the deadline-crunching staff of Spirited Away.
Every once in a while, we’re lucky to be given the creations of someone born to bring life to their ideas. They’re people that inspire us, dare us to dream, and get us to see things in a new way. Among my personal favorites are Jim Henson, Hayao Miyazaki, Gene Rodenberry and John Lasseter – each of whom have left an indelible impression on me and the way I write. For those of us that have loved Miyazaki’s films, we’ll likely never forget the first time we watched the struggles of Ashitaka, the whimsical journey of May and Satsuki, and the destiny of Nausicaa unfold before our eyes. Ultimately, we’re sad to see one of our favorite filmmakers retire, but does that mean we should expect Studio Ghibli to somehow stay exactly the same in his absence? It’s a bit unfair for us to expect such a thing, and to deny them the chance to try something new. We should be grateful for everything Studio Ghibli has given us, and respect their decision to take some time away from us.
“In our work, the question is, how much you absorb from others. So for me, creativity, is really like a relay race. As children we are handed a baton. Rather than passing it onto the next generation as is, first we need to digest it and make it our own.”
― Hayao Miyazaki