Hands up if you believe in magic. Anyone? Any takers at all?
Before we begin, let’s start with a disclaimer; this is not going to be that kind of article. I’m British, cynicism runs in my blood. I am biologically wired to take everything with a very large serving of blackened, grumpy salt. And yet, there is one person in the whole world, or rather, one studio, which has filled me with the sort of hope that I never knew existed. Living in the grey world of rainy England, there was always one place in which I knew that I could find magic, colour, imagination.
Through the mind of the immortal Hiyao Miyazaki, I visited worlds which I couldn’t conjure up in my wildest dreams, filled with the strangest, spookiest and most colourful characters I could ever hope to encounter. Ever since I was introduced to his work, I have been unable to think in the same way. Miyazaki is a magician. Now, the magic may be dead.
The last twelve months have been shattering for
Studio Ghibli and the world of Miyazaki. Initially rocked by Miyazaki’s announcement of his retirement, the studio has been utterly capsized following rumoured reports that it will halt production after 29 years. Fans (including this one) have been utterly devastated, with just cause. The death of Studio Ghibli would mark the death of all of the magic of their cinematic worlds, the closing of the door into Miyazaki’s imagination and those around him.
The question on everyone’s lips remains: Will they or will they not close? There is plenty to speculate about; since rumours of Studio Ghibli’s demise hit the press in early August, there has been a constant to-ing and fro-ing of closure claims. Some speculate that Miyazaki’s departure has ruptured the public’s interest in the studio, others, that the studio simply couldn’t go it alone.
It seems, however, that vital information may have been lost in translation. Whilst Western sources interpreted Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki’s statement as a declaration of the studio’s closure, this may not be the case. Rather, it has since been announced that the studio will take a “brief pause” in its production and that perhaps Miyazaki will return to his helm as animation master. What is not apparent, however, is how long this pause will last and what it means for the future of the studio. Whilst Ghibli enthusiasts can breathe a sigh of relief, it might not be long until they’re waiting for more news again.
Everything I learned about life, I learned from Miyazaki. Overcoming your fears and finding your purpose in life: Kiki’s Delivery Service. The importance of environmental conservation: Princess Mononoke. A catbus: My Neighbour Totoro. Miyazaki’s perception of the world is unparalleled. By enabling his viewer to visit worlds which exist only in his imagination, he gives a up a part of himself. If we lose Studio Ghibli, we would not only lose a part of the magic. We would lose the magician himself.
Miyazaki remedies this with his final feature, The Wind Rises. Based on the life of Japanese aviation engineer Jirô Horikoshi, the film diverts a little from traditional Miyazaki fare, representing a slice of cold reality. And, indeed, everything about Horikoshi’s life seems to be tempered by a soft sense of sadness, as if he can sense that everything in his life is ephemeral. Like Miyazaki, Horikoshi is aware of the impermanence of things, despite their apparent immortality or beauty.
The Wind Rises is a film rooted far more firmly in realism than many of Miyazaki’s back catalogue. It does have its fair share of fantastical dream sequences and impossible flying machines, but it’s very clear that they are just that- dreams, things to which Horikoshi has no tangible access.
Whether or not The Wind Rises is Miyazaki’s final message to us remains to be seen. The life of Studio Ghibli hangs in the balance and whilst there is no definite answer for its future, it seems that all may not be lost. Studio Ghibli, as we know it, has gone. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. When asked in an interview about the future of Studio Ghibli following his departure, Miyazaki said simply “the future is clear. It’s going to fall apart”. And so it will.
What is clear from what Miyazaki has taught us is that, when all is lost, we can discover things that we never knew existed before. Even if Miyazaki returns to Studio Ghibli, the films that would be produced will not be the same. Perhaps this is the moment for the studio to reconsider the way that they approach the world and the message that they send us through their work.
Studio Ghibli may be on hold for the moment but they will never fade. Whether or not this spells the end of their production, the work and wonder which they have produced will continue to live on and on and on.