Hayao Miyazaki

Product Information

An adapted manga version of a translated collection of three of the young adult short stories written by Robert Westall. As Miyazaki began pre-production on the film version of “Nausicaä” in 1983—though he would not complete the story to his own satisfaction until he finished the manga eleven years later—he was also wrapping up work on a watercolor manga called “ Shuna’s Journey,” about another child growing up in a deteriorating world. Like “Ponyo,” the book, published this week in its first English translation, by Alex Dudok de Wit, is an adaptation of a much older story. It is a reworking of a Tibetan folktale, “The Prince Who Turned Into a Dog,” about a prince who finds a magic grain to feed his starving people. The tale is commonly thought to be a metaphor for the momentous introduction of barley, which can survive the region’s biting cold, to the Tibetan plateau. I thought I'd cap off my immersion into Miyasakiworld this year by reading Susan Napier's excellent overview of Miyasaki's life and work. I'd thoroughly recommend it to anyone that wants to delve a little deeper into the many wonders of Miyasaki's world.

This battle between two great college teams said to be the jewels of our baseball world is now in its thirtieth year! Even now, millions of fans across the country go wild with excitement. The honor of the two schools, the hopes of alumni and students, and thirty years of tradition—just think, it all comes down to this one contest…”Yet what really makes Miyasakiworld entrench itself so firmly in the hearts and minds of viewers, is, I think, the focus on the warmth of human connection. The films are full of quiet moments that highlight the easy beauty of home, family and friends: Howl's makeshift family sitting down to breakfast, Chihiro and her friends enjoying a respite in Zeniba's cottage, Mei and Satsuki finding comfort with their father in the family bath, Ponyo and Sōsuke reveling in the wonders of homemade ramen, Kiki being regaled with cake and stories at an elderly client's house. Ah, I’m beat.” Copper flopped on the floor in an exhausted pose. Kitami, too, stretched out his arms and took a breather. At this, Mizutani heaved a deep sigh and threw himself down next to them. This highly entertaining business memoir describes what it was like to work for Japan's premiere animation studio, Studio Ghibli, and its reigning genius Hayao Miyazaki. Steve Alpert, a Japanese-speaking American, was the "resident foreigner" in the offices of Ghibli and its parent Tokuma Shoten and played a central role when Miyazaki's films were starting to take off in international markets. Alpert describes hauling heavy film canisters of Princess Mononoke to Russia and California, experiencing a screaming Harvey Weinstein, dealing with Disney marketers, and then triumphantly attending glittering galas celebrating the Oscar-winning Spirited Away.

Key animation; direction by Masaaki Osumi, Noboru Ishiguro, Satoshi Dezaki, Ryosuke Takahashi and Rintaro

But the whistle couldn’t end the game. Because Kitami had jumped up and hurled himself at Copper the Radio.

Wow. Just wow. This comic has to be one of the greatest things I've ever read. I don't mean to hype it up too much, but I was personally blown away. Ante el desinterés de las editoriales —especialmente de aquella que posee los derechos en España— por reeditar este manga de superlativa calidad, me decidí a comprar la versión inglesa. Y no me arrepiento. Hace justicia por completo a la obra, algo que no es del todo habitual. Está compuesta por dos grandes tomos que reúnen los siete volúmenes originales en algo más de mil páginas. Ambos contienen varias ilustraciones a color, además de un póster que los acompaña. ¡Y hasta cuenta con un apéndice con la traducción de las onomatopeyas! A thirtieth-century toxic jungle, a bathhouse for tired gods, a red-haired fish girl, and a furry woodland spirit-what do these have in common? They all spring from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki, one of the greatest living animators, known worldwide for films such as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and The Wind Rises.The Walkman. Karaoke. Pikachu. Pac-Man. Akira. Emoji. We've all fallen in love with one or another of Japan's pop-culture creations, from the techy to the wild to the super-kawaii. But as Japanese-media… Miyasaki's world is peopled with nuanced thoughtful figures. From the highly kinetic and resourceful heroines he's well-loved for—Näusicaa, San, Chihiro, Kiki, Sheeta, Satsuki, Fio, Sophie, Ponyo— and the thorny world-weary males— Porco Rosso, Lupin, Howl— to the wholesome lovable boys, Ashitaka, Sōsuke, Haku and Pazu. There's also an impressive roster of mature female not-quite-villains: pirate-captain Dola, the industrialist, Lady Eboshi and the Witch of the Waste. Miyasaki's characters leap off the screen brimming with personality and depth. I am an illustrator and author and fantasy stories are some of my favorites. I love getting lost in a book. It might be a cliche, but the ability of a book to take you to a place you’ve never been, or might not even exist, is an amazing power. These are the types of stories I love to create and these books have been a great influence on my own work.