I heard that Miyazaki is retiring after Mononoke Hime. Is this true?
No, Miyazaki is not retiring. He is going to make short films to be screened at the “Ghibli Museum” in the Mitaka City Tokyo (to be opened in 2001). The films will be based on children’s books. Ghibli’s younger staff members are supposed to make these films, and production has started, after they’ took a rest break following the recent completion of My Neighbors the Yamadas. Whether Miyazaki would “direct” these films or not is still unclear, although he has written storyboards for them. Miyazaki is also said to be planning a film for young girls (10-11 year old), but nothing has been officially decided yet. Miyazaki said that it will be “a wonderful blend of contemporary Japan and historical Japan,” according to an interview he gave for Another Universe. At a press conference following the completion of Mononoke Hime, Miyazaki did say “I think that this (Mononoke Hime) will be the last (feature-length) movie that I make in this way.” You have to understand what “this way” means. Miyaz
No, Miyazaki is not retiring. He is going to make short films to be screened at the “Ghibli Museum” in the Mitaka City Tokyo. The films will be based on children’s books. Ghibli’s younger staff members are supposed to make these films, and production has started after they took a rest break following the recent completion of My Neighbors the Yamadas. Whether Miyazaki would “direct” these films or not is still unclear, although he has written storyboards for them. At a press conference following the completion of Mononoke Hime, Miyazaki did say “I think that this (Mononoke Hime) will be the last (feature-length) movie that I make in this way.” You have to understand what “this way” means. Miyazaki is an animator, first and foremost. He personally checks almost all the key animation, and often redraws cels when he thinks they aren’t good enough or characters aren’t “acting right.” This isn’t the typical way in which a director works. (For example, Mamoru Oshii doesn’t even check key anim
