Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Starting Point: 1979-1996” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Starting Point: 1979-1996

(Hayao Miyazaki's Memoir)

Hayao Miyazaki,

Beth Cary (Translator),

Frederik L. Schodt (Translator)

4.13 · Rating details · 967 ratings · 113 reviews

R to L (Japanese Style). A hefty compilation of essays (both pictorial and prose), notes, concept sketches and interviews by (and with) Hayao Miyazaki. Arguably the most respected animation director in the world, Miyazaki is the genius behind "Howl's Moving Castle," Princess Mononoke" and the Academy Award-winning film, "Spirited Away." ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 500 pages

Published August 4th 2009 by VIZ Media LLC (first published August 1996)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Starting Point, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Warner Bros. Animation Art by Jerry Beck

Animation History Books

182 books — 16 voters

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Niche Non-Fiction

216 books — 22 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.13 ·

Rating details

· 967 ratings · 113 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Starting Point: 1979-1996

Jul 08, 2012 Michael Scott rated it liked it

Shelves: thought, comics, art, design, memoir, non-fiction

When I saw Starting Point: 19791996 in store at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne, I was still overwhelmed by joy: Hayao Miyazaki is for a long time now one of my favorite artists. This volume covers almost twenty of his productive years, with interviews, edited pieces, and even journal pages. The reader finds out not only about work-related topics, but also about Miyazaki's opinions about war, culture, animation, society, nature, well, pretty much about anything (hi When I saw Starting Point: 19791996 in store at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne, I was still overwhelmed by joy: Hayao Miyazaki is for a long time now one of my favorite artists. This volume covers almost twenty of his productive years, with interviews, edited pieces, and even journal pages. The reader finds out not only about work-related topics, but also about Miyazaki's opinions about war, culture, animation, society, nature, well, pretty much about anything (hint: Miyazaki appears to be a very stubborn and opinionated person). A second volume, Turning Point: 1997-2008 (Orikaeshi Ten 1997~2008), is currently under publication. Oh, and this first volume is excessively long and repetitive.

Miyazaki-san is perhaps best-known in the West for his children feature-film animations My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Spirited Away (2001), and Ponyo Off the Cliff (2008). He is the co-founder of Studio Ghibli, with titles such as Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986), Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Porco Rosso (1992), and Princess Mononoke (1997). Miyazaki was the lead man in the production of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), a cult-film about a polluted world and the relationship humanity-nature. This volume covers all of his work until 1996, which includes being director, (lead) animator, screeplay writer, and Jack-of-all-trades. Judging by his short writing, Miyazaki's statement that his scripts required much re-writing is true.

Here are a few things that I learned:

* What it takes to produce a good work of art is talent, passion, and a good dose of hard, long, detailed work. Miyazaki loves handcrafted objects, regardless of their type; for example, he appreciates greatly a house in the Open (Traditional House) Museum of Tokyo, because it is made using much handicraft.

* Miyazaki is opinionated, and critical and even hostile against other artists, esp. against Disney and manga creators. About Disney, he states "I hate Disney's work [...] they show nothing but contempt for the audience"---this statement should be taken with a grain of salt, as elsewhere Miyazaki mentions three of Disney's creations (Snow White, Peter Pan, and The Old Mill part of Silly Symphonies) as some of the most accomplished animations in history.

* Miyazaki likes Japanese nationalism, and is attracted by the mid-1980s notion of "broadleaf evergreen forest culture", which seems to state among others that a unique Japanese treat is the integration with nature.

* Miyazaki's directorial approach is loose and focuses on animation. As a main consequence, the films he directs start from concept sketches and only have a script much later in productions; sometimes, the script is produced after (!) the animation is completed, only for copyright purposes.

* The technique of animation has greatly evolved over time. Some of the advances are featured in Studio Ghibli's movies and have been requested by Miyazaki. For example, the rubber multi-plane technique used in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) and several other computer graphics (CG) effects were greatly enhanced for Howl's Moving Castle (2004), see also The Art of Howl's Moving Castle, p.77 amd 187--189. Sometimes, the advances are numeric: Howl's Moving Castle (2004) featured twice the number of CG effects present in Spirited Away (2001).

On the negative side, the book is full of contradictions. For example, Miyazaki is a self-confessed lazy person but also self-described hard-working, at times Miyazaki describes his relationship with nature as profound but dismisses it in the interview with academics (p.414 onwards), Miyazaki is strictly anti-war, which he deems stupid, but is fascinated with and likes to depict war machinery, Miyazaki is oftentimes praising the qualities of his animations but takes a modest stance during the interview with academics, etc.

Overall, a must-read for anyone interested in the creation of art using the animated feature-film medium. ...more

flag 15 likes · Like · see review

Jan 25, 2010 Allen Riley rated it liked it

This book is mostly boring and occasionally brilliant. The two great things expressed here are Miyazaki's overall positive attitude about making films, which is really foreign to me and was refreshing to be exposed to, and his definition of realism.

Realism for Miyazaki is a kind of depth of detail. His primary example is the depth of detail in a tree: bark, leaves, insects, etc. Real things are fortified by these rich, interlocking levels of detail. This is a big difference from the kind of surf ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

May 06, 2017 Yuniar rated it really liked it

Shelves: autobiography

"Creating animation means creating a fictional world. That world soothes the spirit of those who are disheartened and exhausted from dealing with the sharp edges of reality, or suffering from a nearsighted distortion of their emotions."

It's a book about the great Japan Director Animation film, Hayao Miyazaki on his early days as an animator. Starting Point makes me believe that he is one of the genius people out there. He creates his works with such wide range, accessible to younger and old ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jul 24, 2011 Yesenia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite-books

I would find it hard to believe that any true fan of Miyazaki-san would find this book boring or off-putting. Yes, it's a collection of essays, but they offer insight into the brilliance behind his award-winning works; I find it fascinating to know where he finds his inspiration. He also offers his own opinion on topics that might seem completely unrelated to animation--politics, the environment, the economy--but that ultimately affect the industry and his art nevertheless. Truly a great book fo ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jun 14, 2020 Phrodrick rated it liked it

For about the third time master director and artist Hayao Miyazaki has retired. There is every reason to believe that this one will take. His Starting Point, 1979-1896 reads like the results of going through old files and publishing some rather than trashing them all. I had hoped to gather some combination of who was the young Miyazaki, how he matured as an artist and some information on terms like Manga and any of the several forms and styles that in fact are mentioned in this collection. Inste ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 31, 2011 Scott Longo rated it really liked it

Fragmented, redundant and oftentimes too specific to be interesting... but that's why it is. The strange gap between the chapters feel like a real portrait, a personal portrait... of an artist, a human. You really get an insight into Miyazaki's contradictory and shifting mindset. With a perfectly written conclusion by Studio Ghibli co-head Isao Takahata, that makes you realize just how weird the previous 500 pages were.

Comprised of essays, interviews and lots of working history details (too many ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 14, 2016 Kaśyap rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites, art

Considering the nature of the book, a collection of articles and interviews, it is fragmented and redundant. But definitely recommended for Miyazaki-san's fans. Provides an insight into his mind and his work and creative process. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 28, 2017 Claire rated it it was amazing

This book was excellent. I am familiar with Miyazaki's work in animation (Spirited Away may be my favorite movie of all time, and I am fascinated by his films in general), but the book gave me a lot of new and surprising information. Some of it could be repetitive, and incongruous at times, but it was definitely worth the read. When at its best, the book was phenomenal.
Miyazaki shares views on Japanese history, society and environment, his various studies and fascinations with planes: so many s ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 13, 2018 Nightary rated it really liked it · review of another edition

There is certain kind of books where you can finish them in two or three days, and they are others that you can't help but live with them, either because you got attached & grew to love deeply, so you want to extend your experience with them as much as possible. Or because, harshly, they are too hard to read.

This book was both

I struggled reading it. I had to reread paragraphs many times. But, I enjoyed it, thoroughly, and loved it.

Because Hayao Miyazaki has so many opinions about so many subje ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 03, 2021 Erdenebat Altangerel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

As a rookie employee of my company, this book though me a lot about the importance of giving your effort and understanding the things you do. Personally, I kind of feel sometimes stressed during the lockdown and quarantine. So I made a routine about reading this book at least 1 hour per day in the morning before I start the day. What I wrote here has no context about the book or a spoiler. It is only the knowledge I received from this book. Of course, I do love Ghibli films, and I have watched m ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 15, 2018 Victoria rated it really liked it

What you can take out of this book really depends on what you're looking for. I read a few of the negative reviews (I only read the negatives :') ) and it's interesting to contrast what the general reader wanted (a biography, which it isn't and hence the negatives) versus what I and possibly other artists could benefit from- mind + methodology.

For the casual purveyor, Starting Point is a sneak peek into Miyazaki's personal lifestyle and thought process. Interrupted with numerous tangents involv What you can take out of this book really depends on what you're looking for. I read a few of the negative reviews (I only read the negatives :') ) and it's interesting to contrast what the general reader wanted (a biography, which it isn't and hence the negatives) versus what I and possibly other artists could benefit from- mind + methodology.

For the casual purveyor, Starting Point is a sneak peek into Miyazaki's personal lifestyle and thought process. Interrupted with numerous tangents involving the role of nature + technology in society, personal relationships and criticisms of colleagues, and his rage against the anime industry; it reveals a surprisingly pessimistic world view and creed on attempting to create an oasis of quality animation amongst an already oversaturated industry. Overall, it provides a far less humorous insight of the director than can be garnered from standalone hero-worship snippets and The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness.

As a whole, there are some parts that may be entirely too dry and nuanced. However, Miyazaki's short form essays reveal an in depth understanding of emotions and transitioning from childhood to maturity, which make his characters far more believable than comparable films. For the serious film buff who enjoys analyzing films, which I am admittedly not, it may be far more enjoyable chew through- it's fascinating to realize how purposeful his choices are for the way characters act despite the inexplicably natural way those actions are upon viewing. Simultaneously, there are also some completely arbitrary decisions, made purely as a result of personal experience. Versus the guesswork interpretations of paintings by old masters, it's actually possible to contrast the multitudes of fan theories with the director's intention in design elements and directorial choices.

Some included are:

- why Satsuki is hesitant in embracing her mother at the end (My Neighbor Totoro)
- the catalyst for Kiki's depression + loss of powers (Kiki's Delivery Service)
- why there are so many massive camphor trees in his movies
- the design of the floating castle in Castle in the Sky
- etc

As for myself, as an artist who does not necessarily want to be one and yet is involuntarily compelled to continue drawing, the first 1/3 of the book was personally relevant and prompted an intense urge to cry. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 08, 2017 Ilse rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, art-books, animation, non-fiction

More 3,5 stars... It was great to get to look into the mind of this great animator, to know how much he cares about nature, what he thinks of childhood, about animation, etcetera...

It was boring at times though, probably in part because of the writing, but honestly animation isn't the only subject in this book. I don't really know what I expected from this, but I definitely hoped it would be better (aka; I wanted it to blow my mind and maybe get more info on how to get better at this difficult c ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 21, 2016 Matt Kelland rated it it was amazing

Shelves: movies

Absolutely brilliant book, a must for any filmmaker, specially animators. Miyazaki writes a series of essays about how he creates, and most importantly why he creates. How does he see the world, and how does he represent that on screen? How do you make audiences care about what they're seeing? What makes Ghibli films so superior to those of just about every other animation studio in the world?
It's not about the drawings or the 3D models. It's not even about the movement. Miyazaki talks about wha ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 16, 2016 Benjamin Robinson rated it liked it

I think this book will only appeal to a very specific audience. It is not a grand, sweeping narrative about the life and works of Hayao Miyazaki. This book is a collection of interviews, essays, and speeches that he has given over the course of 27 years. In a way, this makes the book even more interesting. Instead of an author attempting to interpret the actions of Miyazaki, or even Miyazaki attempting an interpretation of himself, this book simply exposes his thoughts as they were at a certain ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 02, 2010 Errol rated it really liked it

Definitely enjoyed it. Why? Because it provided an insight into Miyazaki himself. It gave background to his thoughts on certain films, on the process of making them. It revealed to me how his Japanese culture, which I am not familiar, affected him. There is one chapter dedicated completely to Future Boy Conan. I had not seen it and so I put the book down and watched the whole thing before I came back to the book again. Maybe it's because I'm a fanboy, but it was very fascinating and to me, worth ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 13, 2013 Nymphredyl rated it really liked it

It builts an interesting picture of one of my favorite animation authors. It sheds light in the way he perceives the world around him and what his work means to him which is always valuable information to have when one attemps to watch a story in full light.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 25, 2010 Cornelius added it

Holy cow all Miyazaki talks about is overpopulation and how there are too many cartoons on TV.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 15, 2017 Ismael Barbosa rated it really liked it

Hayao Miyazaki Starting Point: Book Review

Starting Point is a memoir worth a read from anybody especially those seeking a career in the world of animation. The works and thought process of Hayao Miyazaki's mind are inspiring all on their own. Through Hayao eye’s you get his view and ideas on the industry whether it be negative or positive. His advice and lessons our giving and taught through his own expense throughout the whole memoir that will enlighten and may change the way you think of ani Hayao Miyazaki Starting Point: Book Review

Starting Point is a memoir worth a read from anybody especially those seeking a career in the world of animation. The works and thought process of Hayao Miyazaki's mind are inspiring all on their own. Through Hayao eye’s you get his view and ideas on the industry whether it be negative or positive. His advice and lessons our giving and taught through his own expense throughout the whole memoir that will enlighten and may change the way you think of animation as it has done for me. His thoughts on creative freedom, deadlines, and corporate influence, greed on the industry are talked and discussed about through experience and witness.
Starting point starts right off with Hayao talking about what animation is to him and right away you get to learn about how this animation genius sees his works. The way he thinks of animation and the industry is mentioned and gone back to through the whole fist half of the book with a favorite of mine being quote from early on in the book saying “That world soothes the spirit of those who are disheartened and exhausted from dealing with the sharp edges of reality, or suffering from a nearsighted distortion of their emotions." pg. 25. When it comes to the process of how his works come together he mentions how motivation is key he is always looking for some motivation to drive him saying things like “what i wanted to see in the 3rd grade” or “what kind of cartoon films my children might want to see” and even “younger children in my neighborhood” pag. 50. The time and nature of the world inspires setting and feel of a film he makes. To have insight to a man who is considered a legend in the animation industry is amazing, for fans of Hayao its really means something to see how he has such a humble and positive outlook on his place of work and life is pretty special.
For those seeking advice or perception on the world of animation this book constantly offers pointers and sort of “things to do first” from Miyazaki. Questions he gets from fans and others and what to do before going to work in the industry or just going straight in he answers with doing what it is that pleases you. But his advice goes deeper he warns newcomers to learn about what goes on in “his world” and decide what it is they want to say with the films they make. “In fact many of those who have not taken the plunge into the professional world of animation tend to speak endlessly about animation techniques”pg, 22 he says things like this a few times to get people to understand that preconceived notions on animation aren't always true, it's something always consistent with newbies. One of the first topics talked about in the book is nostalgia and how the first thing we think of starts with what we experienced in the past saying “nostalgia is one of the fundamental starting points for most people involved in creating animation.”. With a lot of what he says about the industry for people to take note of he wants people to live a “life” in a scene and do things they want to do travel learn other topics because the would of animation will leave you with no time to really explore other things in life. He has one big piece advice for everyone reading and its something im gonna keep in mind “My advice to you all is to study” pg. 22.
Hayao gives his thoughts on anime and manga during the anime boom in japan and the loss of motive afterwards. During the anime boom production reached upto 40 shows a week which was extreme and insane, but after so many shows were produced he talks about the loss of motive within them. He goes on to talk about how character lack depth and independent motives, he watched as anime became a bit stale to him with each show having the same them and drive for there characters. To him they all followed basic motives saying “robot soldiers fight because there robot soldiers” pg. 82 it became repetitive. He talks about loss of motivation in the U.S. and how everything became about killing nazi enemies and how animators began creating things with action and drama because it was hot at the time and he says “when creator start depicting things that they don't really believe in, they start to betray themselves.” to him if your not creating what you love then what our you really doing.
With his inspiring thoughts and interesting ideas on information Starting point is a fantastic read for fans of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki and animators looking to join the industry. Hid thoughts and words on animation as a whole inspire and enlighten when reading them and for those who have watched his work it opens them for deeper thought and understanding knowing his thought process. This is a must read from any fan and animator sure to change their outlook on the industry as a whole.

Works cited
Miyazaki, Hayao. Starting point: 1979-1996. VIZ Media, 2014.
...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 18, 2020 Lệ Lin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed

   “If you plan to reflect what you really want to do in your own work, you must have a firm foundation. My foundation is this: I want to send a message of cheer to all those wandering aimlessly through life.”

   “If you plan to reflect what you really want to do in your own work, you must have a firm foundation. My foundation is this: I want to send a message of cheer to all those wandering aimlessly through life.”

✦✧✦

3.5/5

✦✧✦

≛ This book is a collection of essays, interviews, and memoirs in which the first half revealing some of his personal views that I oppose* and the latter half, however, still made me look up to him for his dedication and acute observation both in work and life. There is a part of me feeling like he is a conservative man embracing only the world he went through but skilfully convincing viewers to see what he believed and still being able to stay inside his bubble while contributing the world his talent.
Moreover, he didn’t afraid to criticise the Japanese society for its flaws and pointed out the weakness in the contemporary world of animation, tv-series or giving straightforward comments on his peers.
≛ His speech for children is a bit boring to me so I actually skimmed most of them.
✦✧✦
(*) ex: He cares about the environment but he encourages people to have children as a way to go on living for the human race's doomsday is rather realistic to him.
He exclaimed that Moomin (created by Tove Jansson) was 'ugly', which broke my heart! He seemed to not be a big fan of Western animations even though the introduction of this book was written by John Lasseter, what an irony.

✦✧✦
Some facts :
⋆ The manga - Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind - is one of the most daunting and longest projects he involved in (I had to put it in my to-read list out of my curiosity)
⋆ They usually didn't have any script in Studio Ghibli and the team had to wait for Hayao Miyazaki to finish the storyboard, which made the production process nerve-racking (and yes they all turned out amazing!).
⋆ The earlier time frame for My Neighbor Totoro, according to Miyazaki's answer to one interview, would be handled by Grave of the Fireflies. The only hint of time is the Shigeru Sugiura manga scribbled in Kanta’s notebook. It was put in by the original artist, Masako Shinohara as her personal preference.

✦✧✦

Dưới đây là note bằng tiếng Việt trong quá trình đọc, được viết theo cách hiểu của riêng mình.
____

Sự học là nền tảng
⁃ Biết chủ đề mình muốn nói, và kĩ thuật sẽ là thứ bổ trợ / p22 34
⁃ Lời khuyên việc học / p23
⁃ Trí tưởng tượng không đến từ việc tự nhào nặn những gì ta nhớ được mà ở việc nghiêm túc tìm hiểu và tổng hợp kho hình ảnh có sẵn và kiến thức thu nạp thành tranh vẽ.
⁃ Việc tạo storyboard trong hoạt hoạ là cần thiết nhưng đôi khi sẽ không bao giờ đủ thời gian cho công việc này khi một tác phẩm dài 1 tiếng với, ví dụ, 800 cảnh chỉ có một storyboard cho từng cảnh, bạn cần gấp hai hoặc gấp ba con số ấy (p32).
+ Nhiều nhà hoạt hoạ sẽ thay vào đó bằng việc sketch các cảnh liên tục để tiết kiệm thời gian. Vấn đề không ở việc bạn chỉ vẽ storyboard để truyền tải cốt truyện chính (core story hay scenario) mà việc biết ‘chủ đề’ mình muốn khai thác. Từ hình dung tính cách nhân vật, hướng đi chính cho đến bối cảnh không gian và không khí chính. Tất cả phải được nghĩ đến trước khi hướng đến việc làm storyboard để tiết kiệm sức lực và thời gian (p.32-34).
+ Nếu thực hiện các bản sketch thay vì làm storyboard, việc cần thiết là xem xét liệu bản vẽ có thú vị hay không.
- Mọi người trong tổ sản xuất có thể đưa ra ý kiến nhưng với một người làm sáng tạo chuyên nghiệp, bạn cần đưa ra những giải pháp thay thế và hiểu được trách nhiệm của bản thân nếu extra labor cần cho giải pháp ấy - hoặc bạn không có quyền để lên tiếng (p35)
⁃ Những ảnh hưởng trong cuộc sống thời niên thiếu tạo nên tư duy làm phim/ mục đích làm phim cho trẻ em (p.55)
⁃ Cel animation ưu và nhược (p.73x 74) / thẳng thắn thừa nhận bản thân ông không thích cách sử dụng người thật của Disney vì nó làm giảm đi niềm vui thích và cảm quan của người hoạ sĩ. ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 04, 2019 Matthew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir

"I'm fully aware that in today's world, to create truly human-oriented works, we have to accept an inhuman daily schedule, and of course I wind up becoming a workaholic. I believe my dilemma is a yoke similar to what audiences- who yearn to be liberated from their daily lives- must bear. It requires a strong will. So that's why I believe that the only solution for me is to go back, again and again, to my starting point."
From "Thoughts on Japanese Animation," p. 85

A diverse set of essays, intervi "I'm fully aware that in today's world, to create truly human-oriented works, we have to accept an inhuman daily schedule, and of course I wind up becoming a workaholic. I believe my dilemma is a yoke similar to what audiences- who yearn to be liberated from their daily lives- must bear. It requires a strong will. So that's why I believe that the only solution for me is to go back, again and again, to my starting point."
From "Thoughts on Japanese Animation," p. 85

A diverse set of essays, interviews, and occasional writings culled from a dragnet of sources. Some of it is thin in substance and seems only to pad out the length of the book: planning memos for Ghibli's 80s features don't illuminate very much. But much of the material is full of wisdom and warmth, showcasing Miyazaki's love of children, nature, and other innocent things, or otherwise describing in fine detail the production element of his craft. Above all, Miyazaki (once a union organizer) believes in the powerful works good and worthy efforts create-- the power of kindness to one another, the power of pride in hard work, and the worthiness of treating our world with care and respect.

Miyazaki is exacting, curmudgeonly, slightly misanthropic, and dedicated to a life spent in arduous toil. It has been rewarding toil-- it's not for nothing that he's the most famous anime director in the world, and the one anime artist for whom those who otherwise hate anime will point towards and say "... but he's pretty good." But his addiction to work, seemingly so Japanese in nature, has come at a cost. In an essay like "I Left Raising Our Children to My Wife" he lets a door open and admits rather nakedly that his wife Akemi Ota, once an animator herself, had to quit the industry in order to raise their two sons in Miyzaki's perpetual absence. A revelation like this sheds new light on the long-whispered rumors of Miyazaki's strained relationship with his son Goro, and of Goro's reluctant participation with Ghibli.

To my mind, one of the best pieces here is "I Parted Ways With Tezuka When I Saw the Hand of God in Him," an incisive and brutally honest essay on the work of elder mangaka Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy, et al) upon the occasion of his death. It is something of a kingslaying moment, as Miyazaki frames Tezuka not as a mentor, but as a rival, a peddler of cheap and tawdry goods, whose passing should be mourned but whose work should be buried. Another fascinating piece is "Miyazaki on his Own Works," a long interview from 1984, just a year before the founding of Ghibli. He reflects candidly on his mid-60s to early 80s work, largely in television and largely under other directors, giving detailed, nostalgia-flecked descriptions of the painful and tireless process of producing a weekly animated program for television. As he describes his early projects like Lupin III, Heidi, and Sherlock Hound, it becomes apparent that he would've gone down in history as a legendary wunderkind with wide-ranging tastes and abilities if he'd stopped there and had never founded Ghibli or directed a story of his own creation. But, the same year as that interview, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was released, and the steamrolling faerie wind of his career began in earnest... ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 01, 2021 Lloyd Downey rated it it was amazing

Not quite a biography nor an autobiography; Not a sampling of his animation or drawing but a collection of interviews and writings about and by Hayao Miyazaki. I loved it. It's vaguely historical in terms of time lines but it meanders this way and that in teasing out Miyazaki's approach to manga and animation and the influences in his life. The translation is marvellous. Never once did i find that awkwardness that comes from having to translate something from Japanese into English ...so full mar Not quite a biography nor an autobiography; Not a sampling of his animation or drawing but a collection of interviews and writings about and by Hayao Miyazaki. I loved it. It's vaguely historical in terms of time lines but it meanders this way and that in teasing out Miyazaki's approach to manga and animation and the influences in his life. The translation is marvellous. Never once did i find that awkwardness that comes from having to translate something from Japanese into English ...so full marks to the two translators. And Miyazaki himself comes across as a fascinating kind of person. Fairly direct and seemingly very honest about his intentions, successes and failures. But he is surprisingly erudite about his intentions for an artist. (I think Artists frequently adopt the stance of an Australian sculptor who was asked "why are you burying these sculptures in the soil?" ....not an unreasonable question....His reply was " If you have to ask, you can't possibly understand".
Miyazaki comes across as incredibly talented ...his first supervisor at Toei Animation, Sadao Kikuchi says. "in those days, as now, his ideas and compositions were outstanding. I Still clearly remember that his lines were free and natural in the blacksmith illustration he brought with him when he joined the company........there are many animators who are good at drawing, but in terms of composition and imaging, he is first and foremost in the animation film world."
He was also a driven workaholic ...committed to completing the projects..even at the expense of his family life...which he now regrets. (hard to have it both ways).
He is extremely philosophical about his love for nature and his intentions in getting this across to a whole generation of children. He's been compared to Disney...but doesn't have a very high opinion of the Disney studios. Given the way the book has been put together, it's inevitable that there will be some repetition but that merely reinforces some of the messages that he has been striving to get across through his art. He is refreshingly self critical about his work...what worked and what didn't work and it's interesting that the commercial imperative was constantly both driving him and his team but also applying a discipline on their work. I love his work, ....Totoro was the first example that I saw and my son loved this and Ponyo ....maybe Ponyo and the song that went with it was loved more.
Will I now try and read the second part of this biography? Not sure. But this first part was quite fascinating in terms of seeing something of what makes Hayao Miyazaki tick. (And I would like to visit the museum he has established on the outskirts of Tokyo).
Happy to give this book five stars. ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 23, 2018 Brendan rated it really liked it

If you ever want to diagnose my personality, you can start with the time I read 450 pages of Miyazaki interviews and essays when I hadn't even seen all the movies he talked about. There's a lot of material here! It covers a lot of ground, too, but it's really interesting to see themes and repeated points emerge across media and time. This book made me get out my highlighter and scribble notes in the margins. I don't think his creative mind is any less enigmatic to me after reading the book, but If you ever want to diagnose my personality, you can start with the time I read 450 pages of Miyazaki interviews and essays when I hadn't even seen all the movies he talked about. There's a lot of material here! It covers a lot of ground, too, but it's really interesting to see themes and repeated points emerge across media and time. This book made me get out my highlighter and scribble notes in the margins. I don't think his creative mind is any less enigmatic to me after reading the book, but knowing his process and motivation will inform what I'm seeing now, and I'll be much better able to parse his structural intent.

If you've watched Kingdom of Dreams and Madness, you'll see the persona on display there emerge here too. The dude was already cranky old pessimist twenty-five years ago, and he doesn't suffer indulgence much. He used to be an animators' union officer, yet once he's running his own productions, he tacitly expects people to work so hard they end up in the hospital. He's open about his failures as a father and a Marxist. He is vastly intelligent and often charming, but if there's one thing that comes across very clearly in every piece, it's that the man has no intent or interest in bullshitting you.

When I'm talking about movies or books, I often find myself collapsing them to a sardonic one-sentence reduction. It's not a very fair way to treat them, but then again, so many stories--even those I like!--are morally simple and structurally similar. I can't do that with Miyazaki's films. It's not that they're too complex to summarize, it's just that they bypass so many of the assumptions that creators and audiences use to scaffold their communication--allegory, genre, escalation, boldly articulated takeaways (or the outright rejection thereof). Some of them shrug off plot. This book makes it clear how Miyazaki's determination to look closely at everything, from the number of frames in a run cycle to the arc of aviation history, drives that unique approach. I have a lot to learn from it.

It's worth keeping in mind that this is a book in translation. I can't say how close it hews to the original, but it makes what could be fairly dry material very readable, and doesn't seem to be overreaching for luminous prose as it does so.

"Other studios may also have been pushing their limits. I do think they were all working very hard. But I think we were working the hardest. What I mean is not that we were just working hard, but that we consciously determined what we wanted to do and worked toward that. And what we wanted to do was to create animation that had some meaning and was worth making." --Hayao Miyazaki, 1991 ...more

flag Like · see review

Mar 24, 2018 Friend rated it really liked it

My own starting point with Miyazaki was fifteen years ago sitting at home watching an animated film by the name of spirited away. Suffice to say, I was drawn into his world - not so much by their technical excellence in meticulous details (although, that is important too), but an artist quality that transported me, and still transports me, to a world where there are no distinctive villains, where the protagonist is a child with no superpowers but simply going through a search of identity just li ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 23, 2019 Zel Polev rated it it was ok

Shelves: non-fiction

Mmm...I'm kind of conflicted on this one. On the one hand, I am reading and partaking in the mind of the man who made Nausicaa. On the other, my god, can he complain.

I haven't finished it because I haven't much time for leisure reading. From what I've read though, he can really express his disgruntlement.

I don't really like it for the reasons that it didn't really teach me anything. The most prevailing idea I'm getting is that he is dissatisfied with the state of animation. There are too many m ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 06, 2020 Philip Shade rated it really liked it

I think it's uncontroversial to say that Hayao Miyazaki is modern day Walt Disney. His stories consistently have brought awe and wonder to children and adults alike. This collection of essays, interviews, and speeches gives insight to how his personal vision defines the projects he works on; both in and out of his Studio Ghibli.

I can't say this is a book for everyone, but if you're a big Stupid Ghibli fan, or really enjoy learning about the creative process of (and hearing a lot of anecdotal sto ...more

flag Like · see review

Jun 20, 2019 Ilaria Vigorito rated it really liked it

Shelves: essays

I started reading this book, because I needed some insight on “Nausicäa of the Valley of the Wind”. Then, I came back to read the other interviews and it was a really pleasant and interesting reading. Especially because you, as a reader and as a viewer of Miyazaki’s movies, have the chance to know more about his modus operandi, his personal beliefs, his views not only on animation but also on Japanese history and society and on international politics.

And you can clearly see what influenced his s ...more

flag Like · see review

Apr 29, 2020 Michael rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ghibli-related, hardcover

This collection of essays, articles, speeches, and interviews by Hayao Miyazaki provides so much insight into his working process, it's no wonder others have called it a course in animation. I would say it's a course in how Miyazaki does animation. Personal thoughts on early Japanese animation and animators, the state of manga, his work and the works of Studio Ghibli add up to a map of his mind and a look at the anime industry, its influences, and impact.

My only complaint is that Viz didn't incl ...more

flag Like · see review

Mar 12, 2021 Bethania rated it it was amazing

The book shows me how Hayao Miyazaki feels things to the extremes on both ends. He’d claim that he is the furthest thing from an environmentalist, yet spends pages after pages showing his astute observation and thoughtfulness towards the issue. The people who work with him will say that he have the biggest heart and is very friendly, and at the same time reveal how he is often found screaming atrocious things to his colleagues (and to himself).

This quality of him shows through how layered and in ...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 14, 2020 Camila added it

Shelves: non-fiction

Even though this was a very pleasurable and quick read, this is hardly a book I would recommend for everyone. I love Miyazaki‘s work, his excitement and realistic view on his experiences is refreshing. His love for the simple things and humble approach are what made me like this read so much.

This is not a closed story, a proper memoir, it is what it sets out to be: a collection of essays and interviews. Many of which are interesting in a way, but some are really a delight.

I am not gonna lie, i ...more

flag Like · see review

Sep 20, 2020 Craig Shearon rated it really liked it

This was such a pleasant read. It was quite a refreshing book for me and I enjoyed spending time reading about his thoughts and concepts on the industry, comparing to his filmography/ stand point now.

I find it interesting that 'Studio Ghibli Fans' or 'Anime Lovers' will read this book and be bored and disinterested from what he is discussing BUT I personally feel if you work in the creative industry you will heavily appreciate Miyazaki's tangents and analytical thinking of the film industry at ...more

flag Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Nonfiction

92 users

Biography

45 users

Art

30 users

Culture > Film

26 users

Cultural > Japan

22 users

Autobiography > Memoir

15 users

Writing > Essays

14 users

Asian Literature > Japanese Literature

9 users

Biography > Autobiography

7 users

Media Tie In > Anime

6 users

See top shelves…

About Hayao Miyazaki

Hayao Miyazaki

2,133 followers

宮崎駿

Hayao Miyazaki was born in Tokyo on January 5, 1941. He started his career in 1963 as an animator at the studio Toei Douga, and was subsequently involved in many early classics of Japanese animation. From the beginning, he commanded attention with his incredible ability to draw, and the seemingly-endless stream of movie ideas he proposed.

In 1971, he moved to A Pro with Isao Takahata, then to N ...more

Other books in the series

Hayao Miyazaki's Memoir (2 books)

Books by Hayao Miyazaki

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 1 (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, #1)

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 2 (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, #2)

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 3 (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, #3)

More…

Pieces of Mind: 30 Great New Essay Collections

Essay collections offer a unique kind of reader experience, one that can be rewarding in a different way from novels or even other types of...

Trivia About Starting Point: 1...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Starting Point: 1...

“To be born means being compelled to choose an era, a place, a life. To exist here, now, means to lost the possibility of being countless other potential selves.. Yet once being born there is no turning back. And I think that's exactly why the fantasy worlds of cartoon movies so strongly represent our hopes and yearnings. They illustrate a world of lost possibilities for us.” — 130 likes

“Personally, I was never more passionate about manga than when preparing for my college entrance exams. It's a period of life when young people appear to have a great deal of freedom, but are in many ways actually opressed. Just when they find themselves powerfully attracted to members of opposite sex, they have to really crack the books. To escape from this depressing situation, they often find themselves wishing they could live in a world of their own - a world they can say is truly theirs, a world unknown even to their parents. To young people, anime is something they incorporate into this private world.
I often refer to this feeling as one yearning for a lost world. It's a sense that although you may currently be living in a world of constraints, if you were free from those constraints, you would be able to do all sorts of things. And it's that feeling, I believe, that makes mid-teens so passionate about anime.” — 122 likes

More quotes…