Studio Ghibli Fans Often Misunderstand Hayao Miyazaki, But They're Totally Wrong (2025)

The legendary Studio Ghibli is responsible for some of the greatest and most iconic anime films ever made. From the apocalyptic tones of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind to the award-winning introspective fantasy of The Boy and the Heron, Ghibli has continued to both inspire and uplift generations of fans. However, the contagious optimism that defines the studio's most popular works has often baffled viewers, when the films are observed in tandem with their legendary director, Hayao Miyazaki.

The visionary behind many of Studio Ghibli's most well-known movies, Miyazaki has gained a reputation for being far gloomier than the art he creates. And this reputation is largely of his own making, as many interviews with the director have led to degrading comments in reference to the anime industry and his own work. Though the popular meme featuring Miyazaki claiming that 'anime was a mistake' is a humorous fan-made edit, there's a reason it was made.

"Grumpy-Miyazaki", as fans have so affectionately dubbed him over the years, isn't just a crotchety, jaded artist, however. The optimism that lines his films isn't fabricated or shoehorned in because it sells. In fact, Hayao Miyazaki himself, in an interview from around the time of Howl's Moving Castle's release, revealed that he may just be entirely misunderstood.

Hayao Miyazaki and "Seeing the Hope"

The Director Reveals That He Is Actually Quite the Optimist

In a 2004 interview translated by Nausicaa.net, Hayao Miyazaki was asked about the humanitarian themes weaved into his films, and his response speaks to who he is as a person, just as it does to the art he creates. He says, "I did not deliberately try to deliver any educational ideologies or messages to the audience," before adding, "the reason that we made Howl's Moving Castle is that there are too many unhappy matters in the world."

A director who creates a work in order to uplift those who watch it does not do so because they are highly pessimistic people, and Miyazaki confirms as much in the same interview. He adds, "We hope that, through the movie, people can keep up their courage and see the hope. The future world is still nice and beautiful. It is worthy for us to survive and explore it." Despite the harsh attitude Miyazaki can have towards a number of different subjects, at the heart of his work are stories that are undeniably hopeful.

Films like Howl's Moving Castle, which uses a backdrop of war and violence, feature characters like the titular, morally gray Howl to showcase that even those infested with hatred can change when shown love. Others, like My Neighbor Totoro, which produced the studio's iconic mascot, show the importance of childlike imagination when dealing with difficult situations. There are few Ghibli films that do not include highly positive, extremely human themes that inspire and lift their audiences.

Hayao Miyazaki's Reputation Is Somewhat Justified

Despite Being a Humanitarian at Heart, Miyazaki Has Earned His Reputation

Though Hayao Miyazaki may be misunderstood, he hasn't exactly done his own reputation many favors. His optimism is felt in the work he produces, but is largely absent anywhere else. Hideaki Anno, the legendary creator of the Evangelion franchise and long-time friend and collaborator of Miyazaki, once described him as "a really mean old guy!" The comment was likely tongue in cheek, but goes to show that the director's reputation is not something that only fans have contributed to.

In 2005, directly following the interview in which Miyazaki revealed that the optimism in his movies comes from a sincere place, he told The New Yorker that he'd "like to see Manhattan underwater." The comment is harsh, but Hayao Miyazaki made his opposition to the United States' actions in the 2000s known, and the themes of war in Howl's Moving Castle reflect that. In a strange way, even this quote reflects his humanitarianism, as anything the director feels harmful to people, like war, will receive his angry commentary. This was displayed in 2016, when he was shown an AI animation.

In response to the new technology, Miyazaki said, "I am utterly disgusted," before adding, "I feel that this is an insult to life itself." The young team giving the presentation was clearly shocked by his response, and when adding that they would one day like to build a machine that can draw pictures like people can, Miyazaki's silence speaks volumes. He may be rude and harsh, or even "a really mean guy," as Hideaki Anno suggested, but even through comments like these, Miyazaki's belief in humanity is apparent.

Other Ghibli films, like The Wind Rises and the most recent The Boy and the Heron, chronicle the difficulty that comes with aspiring to be creative. It's clear that the director values those that put their all into being inventive and expressing themselves, which explains his adverse reaction to being presented with artificially created animation. Miyazaki may be grumpy, but he values the human effort that goes into being an artist.

Miyazaki Is Also Capable of Praise

While a large majority of Hayao Miyazaki's interviews feature the director giving ruthless commentary on a variety of worldly matters, he is also capable of giving genuine praise to other movies. During the time of the 2004 interview that included his thoughts on Howl's Moving Castle, American animation was enjoying the fruitful rivalry between titans of the industry, Disney and Dreamworks. Following his insightful comments about the hope included in his work, Miyazaki praised the work being done by both companies.

In line with his feelings toward AI and his innate respect for people willing to create things, Miyazaki says, "If we regard Disney's animated movies as classical ballet dances, the productions of Dreamworks are more to the side of modern Pop music." He also claimed to have really loved Disney's earlier films.

Hayao Miyazaki may not be quite as upbeat as the films he produces, but the belief that the legendary director doesn't share the same humanitarian values is largely unfounded. He's harsh and critical towards a large variety of topics, but the hope found in films like Howl's Moving Castle speaks for itself. Studio Ghibli has lifted generations of anime fans with the works of Hayao Miyazaki, and will continue to do so for generations to come.

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Howl's Moving Castle

Animation

Action

Adventure

Family

Fantasy

Romance

From Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki, Howl's Moving Castle is based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones. The story follows Sophie, a shy hat-maker living in a fictional magical kingdom who is cursed by a witch into looking like an elderly woman. Leaving her home in search of a cure, Sophie encounters Howl, a powerful magician, and becomes the housekeeper for his magical ambulatory castle. The English dubbed version stars Emily Mortimer and Christian Bale as Sophie and Howl.

Director

Hayao Miyazaki

Release Date

November 20, 2004

Writers

Diana Wynne Jones

Runtime

119minutes