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Hayao Miyazaki is one of the greatest animation film directors in the world, and his creations have gathered both critical and commercial success. However, several of his films have also faced criticism due to their underlying political commentary.
Miyazaki is a realist, after all, and despite creating movies for a children-majority audience, he does not like lying. The worlds that he creates are cosy but not devoid of some of the pressing societal issues.
One Hayao Miyazaki Movie Angered Three East Asian Countries
The Wind Rises(2013) is a Studio Ghibli film that portrays an account of a Japanese aeronautical engineer, Jiro Horikoshi, in a fictionalized manner. Jiro designed the A6M ‘Zero’ fighter, one of the finest battle aircraft that was used during World War II. However, the movie itself focuses on Jiro Horikoshi’s life and passion and does not show any scenes of war.
“It is no longer of good quality”: Hayao Miyazaki’s Brutal Criticism of Anime Industry is What Naruto and One Piece Prove to be Painfully True
While manyfans from all over the world cherished the movie,it was not received with equal enthusiasm in East Asian countries, mainly Japan, China, and Korea.The movie faced criticism from the Japanese political right. Korean internet users also attacked the director by arguing that the Zero represents Japanese military aggression and that many such planes were assembled by forced laborers from Korea.
Hayao Miyazakiadded fuel to the fire by making detailed remarks about the issues of comfort women and territorial division. These remarks were published in Ghibli’s own publicity pamphlet,Neppu.
The comfort women issue is also a matter of national pride, so a proper apology and compensation should be made. As for the territorial issue, a proposal should be made to split the territory in half or to ‘manage it together.’
Thisled to comments like:
Why don’t you pay the comfort woman with the profits from your movie?
Wouldn’t it be good to ban the movie that this traitor created?
That’s it! Ghibli’s finished
This anime is a eulogy to the Zero fighter, right? Considering all that, apologize to the comfort women? I don’t get this old coot.
Japanese conservatives were quick to point out that Japanese politicians and the emperor have apologized for the atrocities committed during the war, and compensation has been handed out. But whether it was enough is still debatable. Disputed island territories which are claimed by Japan, Korea, and China as their own are also a massively controversial issue.
Studio Ghibli Made it Clear that Miyazaki’s Comments Were Not Made in Regard toThe Wind Rises
Elsewhere in the interview, the director also commented:
There’s no way we can wage war in a country like this, with so many nuclear power plants.
According to Miyazaki, it’s more important for Japan to change its industrial structure so that it can provide for the needs of its people like food, clothing, and shelter. While some people have seen the truth in his words, others have become enraged beyond repair at his sharp comments.
Additionally, a Ghibli PR person commented that what is written in the interview is everything, indicating there will be no additional comments on the issue. Toshio Suzuki, the other co-founder of Studio Ghibli, emphasized that althoughThe Wind Risesis a war-related film, there are no direct scenes of conflict in it. In response, several speculations suggested that Miyazaki’s comments must have been used to create a buzz for the film.
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A Ghibli spokesperson explained that the special feature is unrelated to the film, and they have no link with each other. Several social media sites had become war rooms with people attacking one of the best minds in the animation medium.
The Wind Risesis available to stream on Max.
Aaheli Pradhan
Anime Content Writer
Articles Published :1558
Aaheli is an Anime Content Writer at FandomWire with 1300+ published articles. With five years of experience under her belt, she is a living, breathing encyclopedia for anime and manga. From Shonen and Shojo to the most niche anime, nothing escapes her radar. Her poisons of choice are Assassination Classroom, Gintama, Ouran High School Host Club and every Ghibli movie ever. She believes in living a slow life, surrounded by incomplete art projects and her beloved cats.
