Miyazaki's Influence On Animated Films

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All artists are influenced in some way or another. While it is well known that artists and their styles are always influenced by the work of their peers and those who came before them, there's more to it than that. Personal experience is inarguably a huge influence for artists, and it's what makes animated films unique. Borrowing tropes and techniques are all apart of being an artist, and it's been an asset to animation. However, regurgitating those ideas over-and-over again can get stale rather quickly. It's the interests and life behind those who created the films that set them apart. In order to keep the animated genre fresh and interesting artists will come up with ideas based on their own personal experiences. Some times artists go so …show more content…

Many fans of Miyazaki will be able to tell you about his fixation on the wonder of flight. His family own a company that manufactured rudders for airplanes after all. As a child he dreamt of flying in the sky, and put that very same child-like amusement into his films. While most of his films feature flying characters, his most recent one hones in on his fascination with airplanes and mechanics. That film is 'The Wind Rises', which is based on the story of a Japanese fighter pilot who also engineered weapons in World War II. But Miyazaki has included far more than the whimsical feeling of flight in his work. Miyazaki is also known to incorporate environmental messages into his work. His passion for protecting the environment is supplemented by the inclusion of mythological spirits of the forest. He uses these spirits as a way to show the pain the eco-system endures during its destruction and has his human protagonists interact with them. In the case of 'Princess Mononoke' there's a portrayal of when Japan stopped using the gods as a guiding force in their government and the destruction of forests and forest spirits(based on Japanese mythology). The very reason Miyazaki is so successful is because he chooses to work on projects that he's passionate about. Even if he makes an animated feature based on a pre-existing story he adds his own personal touch to it. That's what makes his films so distinct and unique. His thoughts, feelings, and convictions go into his films with deep

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