Miyazaki’s Animations by Eva Wang 95540460

Despite genders and ages, many people enjoy and appreciate Shun Miyazaki’s animations very much. His works become so popular that it became a worldwide phenomenon which not only Asian people love, praise his works but also Westerners. Therefore, I would like to discuss about the reasons for his big success, especially in relationship portraying skills.

In all Miyazaki’s works, there are always more than just one simple theme. Themes such as green issues, family relationship, love, and feminism are the common issue discussing in his works. However, relationship among human, despite parent-children, human-nature, friendship, or love between lovers, is always the main focus of his. But why relationships among people can raise so many people’s identification and make his works so popular? I think it is because we are human beings, so what Miyazaki describes in his stories are things that very likely to happen in our own life. Besides, Miyazaki, who has a very unique way of thinking about human relationships, always transforms his opinions into his stories and expresses them in a very brilliant but simple way. Take love for example, in almost all his animations, the main character is oftentimes a young girl, less than 18, and there is usually a boy as her company. In those movies, these two young people will fall in love with each other; either by love at the first sight or with the time goes on. Their love is always the source of their power and transformation. Miyazaki uses different stories to illustrate how great the power can love generate and motivate people to change.

For example, in the movie—Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, Ponyo’s unstoppable love toward Sōsuke is the origin of her magic power and beginning of her series of transformations. Ponyo fell in love madly with Sōsuke at the second she saw him. In order to stay with him forever, Ponyo not only fighted against with her father but also tried all possible means to be a human, which was considered as the taboo in her family. Ponyo was willing to do anything to gain the chance to stay with Sōsuke, even if she has to leave her family, her house, or break the balance of the sea. She caused the super Tsunami which destroyed so many houses and ships simply because she wanted to see Sōsuke. And at the end, Ponyo finally transformed into a human and can live with Sōsuke peacefully and happily. This movie is a good illustration of how love can make people change and be so determined, and also the example of how crazy love can sometimes hurt other people around them.

Another example is—Howls’ Moving Castle. The movie mainly describes the love and self-transformation between the two main characters through their adventure. Sophie is a girl who one day been cursed to gain a 90-year-old-like appearance. Because of the change of her appearance, Sophie decided to leave her home town and started her adventure. Later on, she was gradually in love with the owner of the castle—Howl, the beautiful young youth. It is shown in the movie that whenever Sophie tells a lie, she will stay like a 90-year-old woman, but when she fights with her true heart or tell the truth, she will return to that pretty and young Sophie as she used to be. And Howl, though possessing handsome face, has his own flaw as well. Howl is not as brave as he looks like; indeed, he is nothing but a coward. However, by the gradual and more and more strong love forming between Howl and Sophie through their adventures, both of them gain something precious. Howl no longer is a coward that he finally found his courage back, and Sophie found her true self. All these changes are owing to their powerful and strong love. From this movie, Miyazaki once again emphasizes the power of love and all the positive transformations love can bring to people.

There are so many reasons that make Miyazaki’s animations to be so successful, and love is one of the reasons. Miyazaki uses this universal concept as the media to attract and echo with his audience. He uses those cute, warm hand-draw pictures to state serious and heavy issues, and from those hand drawing and simple story lines can he attract audience from all ages to watch it together without any barrier. Audience from different cultural background can all learn and think deeply these about these big, heavy issues from entertaining animations. This make him stands out front the crowd and bring him the reputation he earn today!