Miyazaki Criticizes Contemporary Anime

In typical Miyazaki fashion, mixed with his grateful response to winning top honors at the Berlin International Film Festival for Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, Hayao Miyazaki made some incisive comments about the contemporary state of the entertainment industry in Japan and its effects on Japanese culture and life, including even the possible negative effects of his own films.

Miyazaki argued that the current anime industry in Japan has lost its creativity and relies too heavily on sex and violence and “copycat” films. He argues that Japan’s concern with sales figures and obsession with manga and anime prevents children from having original, personal experiences. “Watching animated films for four or five hours could stifle creativity,” he says.

For a full report of Miyazaki’s speech, read the BBC News article, “Japanese Animation at ‘Dead End’.”

Source: Anime News Network