studio ghibli

Yes, it seems the living legend, Hayao Miyazaki has one more ride in him just yet; the genius who sat at the very helm of films like 1984’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, 1988’s My Neighbor Totoro, 1997’s Princess Mononoke, and 2001’s Spirited Away, which claimed an Academy Award for best Animated Feature. 



The film in question, is Kemushi no Boro, which is set to be the tale of a tiny caterpillar that Miyazaki didn't feel he could fit in the space of 20 minutes. Here's a peek at the concept art that's since surfaced:



This is just the kind of uplifting news so many of us needed after an abnormally tumultous 2016. He's reporting that he hopes to have the film completed in five years, so here's to hoping that time does nothing but blow by until then.

Michiyo Yasuda's terrific work with the studio spans from her earliest days with work on 'Castle in the Sky' (1986) to Hiyo Miyazaki's final film, 'The Wind Rises' (a few years ago).


(Castle in the Sky)


(The Wind Rises)

“What I like best is when I am building up the colors in my head, thinking of how to get the tone worked out,” Yasuda said during her interview with the L.A. Times. “Color has a meaning, and it makes the film more easily understood. Colors and pictures can enhance what the situation is on screen.” RIP Michiyo Yasuda, you will be missed!

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Last week The Guardian asked movie producer Yoshiaki Nishimura his thoughts on whether or not Studio Ghibli would employ a women director, and you could say his reply set off a barrage of outrage from various communities. 

Will Ghibli ever employ a female director? “It depends on what kind of a film it would be. Unlike live action, with animation we have to simplify the real world. Women tend to be more realistic and manage day-to-day lives very well. Men on the other hand tend to be more idealistic – and fantasy films need that idealistic approach. I don’t think it’s a coincidence men are picked.”

Fortunately, Nishimuru was quick to recognize his mistake, and he took to Twitter a few different times to issue his apologies. Here's his apology translated, in full:

“I would like to apologize for what was proclaimed in a June 6 article in The Guardian. The article was based on an interview done in the U.K. on September 28, 2015, and sure enough, those are the things I said. First of all, I left Studio Ghibli in late 2014, and I not a Ghibli employee. I would like to apologize for making everyone who loves Ghibli feel unpleasant due to the misunderstanding that this was representative of Ghibli’s thinking. Secondly, as for the comment that men tend to be more idealistic and women tend to be more idealistic, that is a discriminatory, one-sided point of view, and I most certainly had that. I’ve reflected, and I have learned a lesson. Gender is not related to making movies. I am truly sorry.”

Makiko Futaki was an invaluable creative resource, and instrumental in almost every work done by Studio Ghibli, where she started up in 1981. Her last film for the studio was, When Marnie Was There. 



Futaki was the go to animator on Princess Mononoke, and also worked closely on Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. Futaki was a true visionary, an unrivaled talent, and a godsend for the anime industry as a whole, may she rest in peace.

Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki has announced plans to build a 2.5 acre nature park for children in Japan. The park, "The Forest Where the Wind Returns," will create a space for visitors to experience nature with all five senses. 

Miyazaki is personally funding the $2.5 million project, which will be built using local resources and labor. "The Forest Where the Wind Returns" is expected to open in 2018. With any luck, it'll be filled with forest spirits to visit.