2008-08-News

Miyazaki photos in Venice

Taking a ceremonial photograph before the official screening.

English edition poster of Ponyo.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for sending this in.

Toshio Suzuki radio interview with Naoki Urasawa

Tonight's (August 31, 2008) special guest on Suzuki's radio program was Naoki Urasawa. He talked about the Miyazaki and Takahata TV animation work that he had seen when he was a child. Urasawa said, "Members of our generation think, 'I am the one that discovered Hayao Miyazaki'(laughs)".

At the end of the program, Suzuki reports from Venice on the phone. According to Suzuki, Miyazaki, Takahata, NTV (Nippon TV) chairman Seiichiro Ujiie and Suzuki traveled to Paris before visiting Venice. Miyazaki stayed in Paris for nine days. According to Suzuki, Miyazaki seems to have been exhausted before arriving at Venice.

Because many reporters asked Miyazaki for an autograph after a press conference, he is at a loss for words. Read more...

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for sending this in.

Why Ponyo is in Venice

Marco Muller, director of the Venice International Film Festival stated, "I wanted to invite a master. [...] He is an indispensable person to the movie world, and has deep insights and a universality that is loved by all generations."

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 18:56, 29 August 2008 (UTC)

Miyazaki Interview in CUT

The monthly magazine 'CUT' carried a lengthy interview with Hayao Miyazaki.

The following are translated excerpts with minor spoilers:

Q: Did you get mad at the evaluation of "Howl", like "Miyazaki got old"? M: No, it has a reasonable part. I discovered that a person who does not really understand it does not understand it at another time.

Q: Because 'Ponyo' is dynamic, youthful, and is filled with energy, I thought that Miyazaki-san got angry at evaluation of Howl. (laughs) M: I am very angry! (laughs) I intended to go to hit someone many times. (laughs)

M: My American friend who backs me very much was seriously troubled about a scene [in Ponyo] where mother leaves children in the house. (laughs) He says, "I cannot do that." Though I think "Why can't you?" There is a guy who says the same thing, "I cannot" on our staff. I made the film while cursing him, "You do nothing after all. You spend a night while being merely timid without going for help." (laughs)

M: I talked about this in many places, I want to make a film that a student Ryunosuke Akutagawa becomes an excellent detective and he consults with Soseki Natsume. Then Natsume does irrelevant inference, and audience laughs at it. (laughs) Of course none of the staff [of Ghibli] showed interest. I want to make it, but because, fortunately, nobody recognizes it, I ended up not making it.

M: I thought "I have watched this somewhere" while drawing the storyboard of a scene which Ponyo runs over a wave. I thought it is connected with a thing like Fujin-Raijin. It does not have sense of incongruity, for us Japanese.

Q: That scene which Ponyo runs over a tsunami, and the view of the town which sank into the sea are the best part. M: When the place where man lives is submerged, it'll be a mountain of trash. I don't want to draw wreckage. So I drew a beautiful place. And none of the residents [in the film] are weary. When I watched the news at the time of earthquake of Noto Peninsula, an old man was laughing in front of his destroyed house, "All was destroyed, hahahaha." I was very glad. I think he must be very troubled, but he does not show it. And he does not say "There is nothing to eat." I feel the future in that.

M: How will the people who erased a heretical thing such as the animism watch Ponyo? Suzuki-san makes an effort to release it on a large scale in US. However, I'm thwarting him while saying, "This is impossible in the US." (laughs)

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 17:35, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

Personal Interview with Director Michel Ocelot

GhibliWorld.com has exclusively interviewed director Michel Ocelot at his studio in Paris. Ocelot is responsible for making films like Kirikou, Princes et Princesses and Azur et Asmar (which have been released in Japan by Studio Ghibli) and during their very extensive interview his films, thoughts on animation, but also his connection with Studio Ghibli were discussed.

Read the interview (direct link)

--16:17, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Ponyo Cross 10 Billion Yen Threshold

Toho announced that box office total of Ponyo exceeded 10 billion yen on August 18. Ponyo reached 10,135,000,000 yen in 31 days. Last weekend's box office take was 112.6% of week before.

Other films that reached the 10 billion mark:

• Spirited Away (25 days)
• Howl's Moving Castle (33 days)
• Princess Mononoke (43 days)

Howl's Moving Castle's was the last Japanese movie to exceed 10 billion yen.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 23:00, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

Miyazaki and the Protection of Fuchinomori Forest

Masayoshi Usui, a member of a municipal assembly of Higashimurayama City, reported the process that Miyazaki and residents went through to solve the issue of development in Fuchinomori Forest (info in English) on his blog. Miyazaki fought against the issue of development of Fuchinomori Forest while making Ponyo.

• June 19, 2007 - Miyazaki handed Mayor Watanabe a donation of 5,156,000 yen from 709 people.
• August 16, 2007 The conference of Miyazaki and the mayor at Fuchinomori.
• September 16, 2007 - The public transfer of the forest is almost settled. Miyazaki says, "It was good that it could be settled without making a villain."
• November 11, 2007 - Celebration. Miyazaki says to residents, "I think I'll name an opposite shore green tract of land in public land-ized Fuchinomori. That place was called 'Hachiro' formerly. So I'd like to name 'Hachiro-yama' (Hachiro Mountain), how about it everyone? If it's good, clapping, please." Magnificent clapping resulted from the residents.

Miyazaki goes to the studio after picking up garbage every morning here.

The Totoro Forest Project is another effort to raise funds to save green space, this time Sayama Forest.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 02:59, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

Ponyo Helps Toho to Record July

Mark Schilling in Variety reports that the film distributor Toho has recorded its best ever box office results for the month of July, helped in part by the release of Ponyo.

Toho's previous record July takings were in 2001, when Spirited Away was playing.

Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the news.

--Mrgazpacho 14:26, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Ponyo Beats Batman

Ponyo, in its fourth weekend at the Japanese box office, topped the charts:

1. Ponyo
2. The Dark Knight
3. Pokemon Iteration-n

The cumulative take (with weekly results in parentheses):

• 1st week: 1,575,817,355 yen
• 2nd week: 3,228,150,000 yen (1,652,332,645)
• 3rd week: 5,258,741,380 yen (2,030,591,380)
• 4th week: ~7,200,000,000 yen (1,941,258,620)

The 10 billion yen (~91 million USD) mark will be broken sometime this month.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 21:36, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

Mamoru Oshii on Ghibli Asemamire

The director of Ghost in the Shell made an appearance on Suzuki's radio program to discuss Ponyo. Choice quotes include:

• The individual episodes are very interesting, but it is not formed as a movie. Miya-san's delusion is enumerated. His delusion blows up. You did not touch this work this time, didn't you?
• I thought that opening with the large flock of jellyfish, is just what one would expect of Miya-san.
• It cannot win the atmosphere that hand-drawing brings on even if one made an extremely great real jellyfish with CG.

Accoring to Suzuki, key animator Atsuko Tanaka, animation director of the Water Spider Monmon, drew the large flock of jellyfish of the opening that used 1,600 animation cells.

About the present conditions of animation:

• We can produce quality such as TV animation in large quantities. However, it is impossible to make a work formed as a movie with a freehand drawings. Ghibli barely did it.
• "Where is the reckless animator who is going to move a cloud and a fighter in a freehand drawing? I could not but use CG.
• I am a director who cannot draw, so I will use anything for direction.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 17:42, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

More from Hisaishi's Concerts

Studio Ghibli production diary's from August 2 to 5 reports on the rehearsal and performance of Hisaishi's concert. At the August 5 concert Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli president Hoshino made an appearance. Miyazaki presented Hisaishi with a bouquet.

According to production diary of August 2, Ghibli is working on a Yoshiyuki Momose (director of Ghiblies Episode 2) film.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 21:32, 9 August 2008 (UTC)

Photos from Hisaishi's Concert

eiga.com has 10 pictures from Joe Hisaishi's concert. The last song was the theme from My Neighbor Totoro and the screen showed a scene of Miyazaki singing the song from the Lasseter-San, Arigato documentary.

In the middle of this concert a message from Miyazaki's to Hisaishi was projected on the huge screen. Miyazaki said, "I came across a lot of good luck, Hisaishi-san is one of them" and "Please live long."

As Walt Disney Home Entertainment was one of the sponsors a DVD release is likely.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 03:25, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

Layout Exhibition Merchandise, Manchester (UK) Screenings

NTV's blog shows examples of merchandise that are only available through the Studio Ghibli Museum.

• Storyboard Replica: ¥1,050 (17 versions)
• Storyboard + Finished Art Frame: ¥15,700 (17 versions)

As part of the How Manga took over the World exhibition in Manchester UK, thru September 21 the Urbis will be playing various anime movies with free admission. The Studio Ghibli films on the schedule:

• 31 July - Kiki's Delivery Service
• 7 August - Castle In The Sky
• 14 August - Princess Mononoke
• 21 August - Howl’s Moving Castle
• 28 August - Spirited Away

All films are sourced from DVD and shown with the English dub.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa and Fil for the news.

--LLin 16:58, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

NHK "Professional" Tracking Nishi Ghibli, Hisaishi Concert to Air on TV

This week's special guest on the Ghibli Asemamire radio program was Arakawa, one of the directors on NHK's program "Professional". Toshio Suzuki announced that a new Ghibli-related project has already begun. It'll be a documentary of the new Ghibli studio called "Nishi Ghibli" (West Ghibli). "Professional" will cover the entire process from the examination of potential Nishi Ghibli staff members to resulting Studio Ghibli Museum short film.

NHK reported from the rehearsal of Hisaishi's Budokan concert and announced that it'll be aired on August 31.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 00:21, 4 August 2008 (UTC)