Latest news with #Goro
Malaysian Reserve
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Malaysian Reserve
Studio Ghibli marks 40 years, but future looks uncertain
TOKYO — Japan's Studio Ghibli turns 40 this month with two Oscars and legions of fans young and old won over by its complex plots and fantastical hand-drawn animation. But the future is uncertain, with latest hit 'The Boy and the Heron' likely — but not certainly — the final feature from celebrated co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, now 84. The studio behind the Oscar-winning 'Spirited Away' has become a cultural phenomenon since Miyazaki and the late Isao Takahata established it in 1985. Its popularity has been fuelled of late by a second Academy Award in 2024 for 'The Boy and the Heron', starring Robert Pattinson, and by Netflix streaming Ghibli movies around the world. In March, the internet was flooded with pictures in its distinctively nostalgic style after the release of OpenAI's newest image generator — raising questions over copyright. The newly opened Ghibli Park has also become a major tourist draw for central Japan's Aichi region. Julia Santilli, a 26-year-old from Britain living in northern Japan, 'fell in love with Ghibli' after watching the 2001 classic 'Spirited Away' as a child. 'I started collecting all the DVDs,' she told AFP. Ghibli stories are 'very engaging and the artwork is stunning', said another fan, Margot Divall, 26. 'I probably watch 'Spirited Away' about 10 times a year still.' 'Whiff of death' Before Ghibli, most cartoons in Japan — known as anime — were made for children. But Miyazaki and Takahata, both from 'the generation that knew war', included darker elements that appeal to adults, Miyazaki's son Goro told AFP. 'It's not all sweet — there's also a bitterness and things like that which are beautifully intertwined in the work,' he said, describing a 'whiff of death' in the films. For younger people who grew up in peacetime, 'it is impossible to create something with the same sense, approach and attitude', Goro said. Even 'My Neighbor Totoro', with its cuddly forest creatures, is in some ways a 'scary' movie that explores the fear of losing a sick mother, he explained. Susan Napier, a professor at Tufts University in the United States and author of 'Miyazakiworld: A Life in Art', agrees. 'In Ghibli, you have ambiguity, complexity and also a willingness to see that the darkness and light often go together' unlike good-versus-evil US cartoons, she said. The post-apocalyptic 'Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind' — considered the first Ghibli film despite its release in 1984 — has no obvious villain, for example. The movie featuring an independent princess curious about giant insects and a poisonous forest felt 'so fresh' and a change from 'a passive woman… having to be rescued', Napier said. Natural world Studio Ghibli films also depict a universe where humans connect deeply with nature and the spirit world. A case in point was 1997's 'Princess Mononoke', distributed internationally by Disney. The tale of a girl raised by a wolf goddess in a forest threatened by humans is 'a masterpiece — but a hard movie', Napier said. It's a 'serious, dark and violent' film appreciated more by adults, which 'was not what US audiences had anticipated with a movie about a princess'. Ghibli films 'have an environmentalist and animistic side, which I think is very appropriate for the contemporary world with climate change', she added. Miyuki Yonemura, a professor at Japan's Senshu University who studies cultural theories on animation, said watching Ghibli movies is like reading literature. 'That's why some children watch Totoro 40 times,' she said, adding that audiences 'discover something new every time'. – French connection – Miyazaki and Takahata — who died in 2018 — could create imaginative worlds because of their openness to other cultures, Yonemura said. Foreign influences included writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery and animator Paul Grimault, both French, and Canadian artist Frederic Back, who won an Oscar for his animation 'The Man Who Planted Trees'. Takahata studying French literature at university 'was a big factor', Yonemura said. 'Both Miyazaki and Takahata read a lot,' she said. 'That's a big reason why they excel at writing scripts and creating stories.' Miyazaki has said he was inspired by several books for 'Nausicaa', including the 12th-century Japanese tale 'The Lady who Loved Insects', and Greek mythology. Studio Ghibli will not be the same after Miyazaki stops creating animation, 'unless similar talent emerges', Yonemura said. Miyazaki is 'a fantastic artist with such a visual imagination' while both he and Takahata were 'politically progressive', Napier said. 'The more I study, the more I realise this was a unique cultural moment,' she said. 'It's so widely loved that I think it will carry on,' said Ghibli fan Divall. 'As long as it doesn't lose its beauty, as long as it carries on the amount of effort, care and love,' she said. — AFP
France 24
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- France 24
Studio Ghibli marks 40 years, but future looks uncertain
But the future is uncertain, with latest hit "The Boy and the Heron" likely -- but not certainly -- the final feature from celebrated co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, now 84. The studio behind the Oscar-winning "Spirited Away" has become a cultural phenomenon since Miyazaki and the late Isao Takahata established it in 1985. Its popularity has been fuelled of late by a second Academy Award in 2024 for "The Boy and the Heron", starring Robert Pattinson, and by Netflix streaming Ghibli movies around the world. In March, the internet was flooded with pictures in its distinctively nostalgic style after the release of OpenAI's newest image generator -- raising questions over copyright. The newly opened Ghibli Park has also become a major tourist draw for central Japan's Aichi region. Julia Santilli, a 26-year-old from Britain living in northern Japan, "fell in love with Ghibli" after watching the 2001 classic "Spirited Away" as a child. "I started collecting all the DVDs," she told AFP. Ghibli stories are "very engaging and the artwork is stunning", said another fan, Margot Divall, 26. "I probably watch 'Spirited Away' about 10 times a year still." 'Whiff of death' Before Ghibli, most cartoons in Japan -- known as anime -- were made for children. But Miyazaki and Takahata, both from "the generation that knew war", included darker elements that appeal to adults, Miyazaki's son Goro told AFP. "It's not all sweet -- there's also a bitterness and things like that which are beautifully intertwined in the work," he said, describing a "whiff of death" in the films. For younger people who grew up in peacetime, "it is impossible to create something with the same sense, approach and attitude", Goro said. Even "My Neighbor Totoro", with its cuddly forest creatures, is in some ways a "scary" movie that explores the fear of losing a sick mother, he explained. Susan Napier, a professor at Tufts University in the United States and author of "Miyazakiworld: A Life in Art", agrees. "In Ghibli, you have ambiguity, complexity and also a willingness to see that the darkness and light often go together" unlike good-versus-evil US cartoons, she said. The post-apocalyptic "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" -- considered the first Ghibli film despite its release in 1984 -- has no obvious villain, for example. The movie featuring an independent princess curious about giant insects and a poisonous forest felt "so fresh" and a change from "a passive woman... having to be rescued", Napier said. Natural world Studio Ghibli films also depict a universe where humans connect deeply with nature and the spirit world. A case in point was 1997's "Princess Mononoke", distributed internationally by Disney. The tale of a girl raised by a wolf goddess in a forest threatened by humans is "a masterpiece -- but a hard movie", Napier said. It's a "serious, dark and violent" film appreciated more by adults, which "was not what US audiences had anticipated with a movie about a princess". Ghibli films "have an environmentalist and animistic side, which I think is very appropriate for the contemporary world with climate change", she added. Miyuki Yonemura, a professor at Japan's Senshu University who studies cultural theories on animation, said watching Ghibli movies is like reading literature. "That's why some children watch Totoro 40 times," she said, adding that audiences "discover something new every time". French connection Miyazaki and Takahata -- who died in 2018 -- could create imaginative worlds because of their openness to other cultures, Yonemura said. Foreign influences included writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery and animator Paul Grimault, both French, and Canadian artist Frederic Back, who won an Oscar for his animation "The Man Who Planted Trees". Takahata studying French literature at university "was a big factor", Yonemura said. "Both Miyazaki and Takahata read a lot," she said. "That's a big reason why they excel at writing scripts and creating stories." Miyazaki has said he was inspired by several books for "Nausicaa", including the 12th-century Japanese tale "The Lady who Loved Insects", and Greek mythology. Studio Ghibli will not be the same after Miyazaki stops creating animation, "unless similar talent emerges", Yonemura said. Miyazaki is "a fantastic artist with such a visual imagination" while both he and Takahata were "politically progressive", Napier said. "The more I study, the more I realise this was a unique cultural moment," she said. "It's so widely loved that I think it will carry on," said Ghibli fan Divall. "As long as it doesn't lose its beauty, as long as it carries on the amount of effort, care and love," she said.
Express Tribune
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
AI ambushing anime
Japan is grappling with a shortage of skilled animators. Photo: File Artificial intelligence risks taking Japanese anime artists' jobs but nothing can replicate Hayao Miyazaki, the creative lifeblood of the studio behind classics such as Spirited Away, his son told AFP. Thanks to ChatGPT's new image generator, the internet is awash with pictures imitating Studio Ghibli's whimsical style, raising fresh debate over potential copyright infringements. Films such as My Neighbor Totoro and Howl's Moving Castle are famous for their lush nature and fantastical machinery, painstakingly drawn by hand. While the studio has not commented directly on the image trend, Goro Miyazaki, 58, predicted that artificial intelligence could one day replace animators. "It wouldn't be surprising if, in two years' time, there was a film made completely through AI," he said in an interview last week. But whether audiences would want to watch a fully AI-generated animation is another matter, he added. Despite the rapid changes, new technology also brings "great potential for unexpected talent to emerge", added Goro, Studio Ghibli's managing director. He was speaking at the Ghibli atelier in western Tokyo, days before the San Francisco-based ChatGPT maker OpenAI released its latest image generator. OpenAI, which is already facing a barrage of copyright lawsuits, said generating images in the style of individual living artists is banned, but "we do permit broader studio styles". "Our goal is to give users as much creative freedom as possible," the US company said. Bittersweet Japan is grappling with a shortage of skilled animators, partly because most spend years in low-paid jobs to learn the ropes. Digitally savvy Gen Z may be also less enthusiastic about the manual labour involved, Goro said. "Nowadays, the world is full of opportunities to watch anything, anytime, anywhere," making it harder to imagine making a living from the physical act of drawing, he added. Goro's father founded Studio Ghibli with Isao Takahata in 1985, a year after directing the post-apocalyptic Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. After Takahata's death in 2018, Hayao – now 84 and a heavy smoker – continued to create films with 76-year-old producer Toshio Suzuki. "If those two can't make anime or can't move, then what happens?" Goro said when asked about Ghibli's future. "It's not like they can be replaced." Despite his age, Hayao won his second Oscar last year with The Boy and the Heron – likely his last feature film. Anime cartoons are usually for children, but Takahata and Hayao, men "from the generation that knew war", included darker elements that appeal to adults, Goro said. "It's not all sweet – there's also a bitterness and things like that which are beautifully intertwined in the work," he said, describing a "smell of death" that permeates the films. "That's actually what makes the work so deep." For younger people who grew up in peacetime, "it is impossible to create something with the same sense, approach and attitude that my father's generation had," Goro said. Even Totoro, with its cuddly forest spirit creatures, is in some ways a "scary" movie that explores the fear of losing a sick mother, he explained. 'Insult to life' As the Ghibli-style AI images proliferated, a 2016 video of Hayao resurfaced that many said showed his disdain for the technology. "I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself," the director says in the short clip, taken from a documentary. However, he was in fact reacting to an AI-assisted computer graphic of a zombie-like creature, which he calls "extremely unpleasant" in the full footage. Goro joined Studio Ghibli in 1998 and directed animations including the 2006 feature Tales from Earthsea and 2011's From Up on Poppy Hill. He also oversaw the development of the Ghibli Museum and newly opened Ghibli Park in Japan. Goro enjoyed drawing as a boy and said he learned a lot watching his father's and Takahata's work, although he didn't think he could live up to their talent. "My mother, who was also an animator, told me not to pursue this career because it's a tough and busy job," Goro said, adding that his father was rarely at home. "But I always wanted to do something creative." AFP
Japan Times
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
AI may be coming for anime, but Hayao Miyazaki is irreplaceable, son says
Artificial intelligence risks taking Japanese anime artists' jobs but nothing can replicate Hayao Miyazaki, the creative lifeblood of the studio behind classics such as "Spirited Away," says his son. Thanks to ChatGPT's new image generator, the internet is awash with pictures imitating Studio Ghibli's whimsical style, raising fresh debate over potential copyright infringements. Movies such as "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Howl's Moving Castle" are famous for their lush nature and fantastical machinery, painstakingly drawn by hand. While the studio has not commented directly on the image trend, Goro Miyazaki, 58, predicts that artificial intelligence could one day replace animators. "It wouldn't be surprising if, in two years' time, there was a film made completely through AI," he says in an interview. But whether audiences would want to watch a fully AI-generated animation is another matter, he continues. Despite the rapid changes, new technology also brings "great potential for unexpected talent to emerge," adds Goro, Studio Ghibli's managing director. He is speaking at the Ghibli atelier in western Tokyo, days before the San Francisco-based ChatGPT maker OpenAI released its latest image generator. OpenAI, which is already facing a barrage of copyright lawsuits, says generating images in the style of individual living artists is banned, but "we do permit broader studio styles." "Our goal is to give users as much creative freedom as possible," the U.S. company says. Japan is grappling with a shortage of skilled animators, partly because most spend years in low-paid jobs to learn the ropes. Digitally savvy Gen Z may be also less enthusiastic about the manual labor involved, Goro says. "Nowadays, the world is full of opportunities to watch anything, anytime, anywhere," making it harder to imagine making a living from the physical act of drawing, he adds. Goro's father founded Studio Ghibli with Isao Takahata in 1985, a year after directing the post-apocalyptic "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind." After Takahata's death in 2018, Hayao — now 84 — continued to create films with 76-year-old producer Toshio Suzuki. "If those two can't make anime or can't move, then what happens?" Goro says when asked about Ghibli's future. "It's not like they can be replaced." Despite his age, Hayao won his second Oscar last year with "The Boy and the Heron" — likely his last feature film. Anime cartoons are usually for children, but Takahata and Hayao, men "from the generation that knew war," included darker elements that appeal to adults, Goro says. "It's not all sweet — there's also a bitterness and things like that which are beautifully intertwined in the work," he says, describing a "smell of death" that permeates the films. "That's actually what makes the work so deep." For younger people who grew up in peacetime, "it is impossible to create something with the same sense, approach and attitude that my father's generation had," Goro says. Even "Totoro," with its cuddly forest spirit creatures, is in some ways a "scary" movie that explores the fear of losing a sick mother, he explains. As the Ghibli-style AI images proliferated, a 2016 video of Hayao resurfaced that many said showed his disdain for the technology. "I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself," the director says in the short clip, taken from a documentary. However, he was, in fact, reacting to an AI-assisted computer graphic of a zombie-like creature, which he calls "extremely unpleasant" in the full footage. Goro joined Studio Ghibli in 1998 and directed animations including the 2006 feature "Tales from Earthsea" and 2011's "From Up on Poppy Hill." He also oversaw the development of the Ghibli Museum and newly opened Ghibli Park in Japan. Goro enjoyed drawing as a boy and says he learned a lot watching his father's and Takahata's work, although he didn't think he could live up to their talent. "My mother, who was also an animator, told me not to pursue this career because it's a tough and busy job," Goro says, adding that his father was rarely at home. "But I always wanted to do something creative."
Korea Herald
16-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Solo diner's global vision
Yutaka Matsushige, star of Japan's beloved culinary series, introduces his directorial debut to Korean fans There is a certain epicurean joy in eating alone. The right to dine without anyone bothering you applies equally to all, especially to those who work hard to make ends meet. "The Solitary Gourmet" is a work that embodies precisely that ethos. At Thursday's press conference at CGV Yongsan in Seoul, Yutaka Matsushige — star of the beloved Japanese TV franchise that has run for 11 seasons since 2012 — sat before Korean reporters to discuss the film adaptation, his directorial debut. "I can feel how much Koreans love this work even when walking the streets here," Matsushige told reporters. "Young people in Korea seem to enjoy it much more than in Japan." The show's premise has remained disarmingly simple: Middle-aged businessman Goro Inogashira (played by Matsushige), in suit and tie, wanders city streets until his stomach growls. He then enters random local restaurants, typically modest mom-and-pop establishments, and enjoys a meal all by himself. "What's so captivating about watching a middle-aged man eating alone?" one might ask. There are no frills — no company, no Instagram posts, no talking (the narration consists entirely of internal monologues), no theatrical displays of delight. He simply sits and savors his food. The show maintains an almost religious contemplation of the act of solitary dining, letting food take center stage against the protagonist's stoic observations and musings. Inogashira's modest journeys preceded — perhaps even heralded — the explosive rise of mukbang in Korea and its eventual global spread. Even as food porn went on to produce its own excesses, he became an unlikely icon for lone diners, amassing a considerable Korean fanbase well before the food-content hype. This time, the film moves beyond one man's solitude and offers a sweeping romp through varied locales and characters. Here, Goro's culinary odyssey begins in Paris, where an elderly friend of his — the father of his late ex-girlfriend — asks him to find the ingredients for a nostalgic soup from his childhood. This curious errand leads him to Japan's Goto Islands and onward to Korea, a journey fraught with unexpected detours and mishaps. For many familiar with the show's trademark realism, seeing Goro jump headfirst into such a grandiose quest on a whim might seem out of character. Matsushige shared a personal story that inspired this imaginative leap. "Recently, I found a painting from my late grandfather and asked about restoration," he said. "When I inquired about payment, the specialist said they only charge transportation costs and accept whatever clients feel like giving. They follow their heart— just like Goro, who undertakes this journey with no material reward in mind." "I wanted to convey joy and surprise through this film," Matsushige added. "Though it might seem impossible in reality, creating a believable fiction is the mission of filmmaking. You could say I'm boldly playing with the medium." Setting aside its far-fetched premise, the film is first and foremost a love letter to Korean viewers. It features extensive shootings on Geojedo, Gyeongsang Province, and incorporates a uniquely Korean ingredient as a key plot element. Veteran Korean actor Yoo Jae-myung features prominently in a supporting role. "I saw Yoo in 'Voice of Silence' (2022) and thought, he's the one," Matsushige said. "So I sent him an invitation, and he accepted. He understood our creative intentions even better than we expected." Matsushige, who said he was deeply moved by the warm reception at last year's Busan International Film Festival, revealed he initially asked "Mickey 17" director Bong Joon-ho to helm the film before taking it up himself. "I wanted to make something that transcends being just a Japanese film," he said. "I thought Bong could bring something special to this material. Our schedules didn't align, but he sent a warm message wishing us success." Food brings people together, and Matsushige seemed a true believer in its uniting force. He recently appeared on Netflix's reality show "K-Foodie Meets J-Foodie" with Korean singer Sung Si-kyung to explore cuisines from both countries. "Japan and Korea must cooperate as neighbors," Matsushige said. "We don't know what challenges the future holds, so we need to face them together. If this film helps maintain that connection, I'll happily consider it my life's mission." "I'm not just trying to show food tasting good," he added. "I want to share those delicious moments with viewers. Eating connects people across cultures with shared emotions. That's why a show about an old guy eating alone somehow clicks with so many different people."
