Animation genius Miyazaki is bringing back cinematic mystery

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— スタジオジブリ STUDIO GHIBLI (@JP_GHIBLI) December 13, 2022

A handful of media appearances from producer and Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki is all we’ve seen. “With so much information available these days, entertainment might come from not having information,” Suzuki said in one appearance, before adding, “I don’t know if it will be successful or not.”

For Hollywood, a decision to reduce a movie’s advertising budget is usually a desperate studio’s attempt to cut its losses on a likely flop. That’s not the case here. Nor is it some anti-capitalist stance, though Miyazaki has been known for his sometimes outspoken views on issues such as the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s moves to expand security legislation. Promotion for his last film was unavoidable when it opened a decade ago. Miyazaki is big business, having directed three of the top 10 grossing movies of all time in Japan, the world’s third-largest movie market.

Despite often being termed Japan’s Walt Disney Co., the differences between Ghibli and the House of Mouse couldn’t be more distinct; in many ways, they encapsulate how cultural and business mores diverge between the US and Japan. While Disney in 2009 abandoned the classic hand-drawn animation that made it famous in favor of computer-generated movies, Ghibli is proudly analog. With no shareholders to answer to, sequels and remakes are anathema, even as Disney plunders its classics for live-action remakes. (Not all Japanese firms are so opposed to cashing in, however; Toei Animation Co., a stock market star of recent years, has increased profits 10-fold in the past decade thanks to its usage of properties such as One Piece.)

At times, Ghibli almost seems to have an aversion to making money; only recently has it leaned further into selling merchandise, establishing tie-ups with Lucasfilm, and opening a theme park in Nagoya, though many more commercial opportunities would be available for a more profit-hungry firm. Even the theme park is expected to bring in just 6.1 billion yen ($44 million) in revenue next fiscal year, a fraction of the nearly 400 billion yen the operator of Tokyo’s Disney parks generates.

This brand strength, hard-won over nearly four decades, will be put to the ultimate test with this weekend’s release. But perhaps all the audience should know is the only other thing written on that poster besides the arresting title: “A work directed by Hayao Miyazaki.”

In terms of critical and commercial success, Ghibli movies can be broadly split into two types: those directed by Miyazaki, and the rest, even if that includes some classics such as 1988’s Grave of the Fireflies. A decade ago, after the release of The Wind Rises, Miyazaki announced his retirement, only to retract it shortly after. But at 82, and considering his recent pace, this might truly be his last big work.

It also comes during a golden age for animation in Japan, where audiences are tiring of Hollywood content; four of the top-five grossing movies in Japan last year were local animated fare, with only Paramount Pictures’ Top Gun: Maverick breaking the trend. Directors such as the prolific Makoto Shinkai, the visionary behind Your Name and 2022’s Suzume, are being hailed as Miyazaki’s successors.

And that’s why How Do You Live? might succeed. Audiences know they’re privileged to live in a world where such an auteur still exists; his like won’t soon come again. Despite the fascination, or perhaps because of it, I already have my tickets; even if the weekend box office disappoints, once word of mouth spreads I suspect many others will have too.

Gearoid Reidy is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication.

Credit: Bloomberg