“Maybe it’s just something in the blood”: Even Hayao Miyazaki’s Son Doesn’t Know What Really Is a Studio Ghibli Movie

Studio Ghibli films are marked by many things. From the classic hand-drawn animation, the romanticism of life’s daily occurrences to not-so hidden references to social issues, these are some of the various elements that make Hayao Miyazaki movies distinguishable.

Once anyone watches a Ghibli movie, they can instantly tell who the creator is. But what is it exactly that makes Miyazaki’s movies so distinctive? Since the director himself never answered the question, his son, Goro Miyazaki, filled up for him.

Hayao Miyazaki’s son attempts to unveil what really is a Ghibli film

Earwig and the Witch is a 2020 Ghibli movie directed by Goro Miyazaki. It is the first Ghibli movie that included 3D CG technique, which as you might realize, is an alarming change. Miyazaki has been vocal against the usage of CGI in anime films, and yet, Earwing and the Witch was produced.

Thus, in an interview with The Verge, Goro Miyazaki was questioned, what exactly made a movie a Ghibli film. Surprisingly, Goro Miyazaki himself did not have an appropriate answer. According to him, those who have watched Earwig and the Witch have reported that it was more Ghibli than they had expected. Goro Miyazaki himself wonders why they say it, and thus resorted to a vague answer.

Someone told me that maybe it’s just something in the blood.

There might be many things that make Ghibli movies iconic, but unfortunately, Earwig and the Witch did not have any of the elements. The movie currently has 28% positive reviews out of 69 critic reviews. At the time of writing this article, the film has 4.7/10 rating on IMDB. The film cannot be called a success in comparison to Hayao Miyazaki movies. Maybe Goro Miyazaki could never answer what makes a movie Ghibli film since he himself hasn’t been able to make one.

Goro Miyazaki felt abandoned during the creation of Earwig and the Witch

In an interview with The Mainichi Shimbun, Goro Miyazaki highlighted that he was the only one among the Ghibli staff who knew the 3D CG method of creation. Thus, he was able to push the project forward without consulting anyone. Despite the initial green light that the project received, Hayao Miyazaki might not have been happy with it.

Hayao Miyazaki told me to go ahead with it, and producer Toshio Suzuki encouraged me, saying that it seemed like a fine idea, but after that, I was left to my own devices. I was basically abandoned, so I made the anime with a young staff and didn’t consult with the old guys at all.

It is clear that Hayao Miyazaki might have never been in actual support of the project. Afterall, he detests CGI usage with his whole heart. Yet, here is a Ghibli film created completely with 3D CG effects. However, the director praised the film in his interviews.

If anything, I thought it would be kind of impossible for him. But despite my thoughts, Earwig turned out to be rather interesting. I think he used CG skillfully. It’s really something. And I think they put together a good team.

Unfortunately, the movie was not lauded by critics as they were quick to give it negative reviews. Ghibli fans did not like how its signature aesthetic was completely removed from Earwig and the Witch. The characters were called devoid of emotion (a common complaint with 3D CG animation), and the lust backgrounds and expressiveness of Ghibli movies were sorely missed.

At the end of the day, it became clear that no one other than Hayao Miyazaki can make films that can sway the hearts of Ghibli fanatics. Nonetheless, Earwig and the Witch‘s exploration into a new territory has been appreciated by Hayao Miyazaki.

Earwig and the Witch is available to stream on Max.

This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire