When people in the United States hear the words “anime” and “manga,” they usually think of gratuitously drawn Japanese schoolgirls, pre-teen boys addicted to videogames in basements and conventions. This is a slim caricature of a unique and beautiful art form; after all, there are good reasons why people obsess over it. Japanese film prodigy, Hayao Miyazaki, is an example of someone who raises the medium to its most stunning heights. Miyazaki, the director, writer and animator of films such as Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, is one of the few non-American animators who has been successful in breaking into international markets, with Spirited Away winning an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film in 2001. It is no surprise then that this semester, Cornell Cinema has chosen to present “Five by Miyazaki,” a series on his work.
Original Author: Clio Chang