Am I the only person who, despite not wanting kids for a good long while yet, gets really excited about the idea of introducing them to her favorite works of fiction? I guess it helps that I still enjoy family-oriented media, as my love of all things Pixar and YA fiction indicates. Anyway, I had always heard that Hayao Miyazaki's films were treasures and often great for children, but not having grown up in a particularly anime-appreciative family, I hadn't seen many of them myself until I got to college.
I have to admit that I'm still not a huge fan of anime in general. It has nothing to do with animation as a storytelling medium (as longtime readers will know, far from it). It's probably just that that particular style of animation is not especially appealing to me, and sometimes I prefer to watch movies in a language I understand (although this is not always a problem, as I love Akage no Anne, the anime adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, like no tomorrow). But I'm really coming to love Miyazaki's work. True, almost all of it has been dubbed, but they're Miyazaki-approved dubs with generally great voice acting, and if it helps me to access the story better, I can't see why anyone should have a problem with it (I'm sure the Miyazaki purists would beg to differ, though). As of now, my favorites are Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away, and My Neighbor Totoro. I love that Miyazaki consistently chooses female protagonists (although sometimes, as with Sheeta in Castle in the Sky, they can be rather one-note), and can convincingly tell simple stories without major antagonists, like Totoro (I watched the Disney dub with the Fanning sisters, and it was adorable). I don't love all of it (I thought Ponyo was visually stunning and super cute but light on plot, and Princess Mononoke was a bit too gritty for me), but overall I can see why Miyazaki has the reputation he does. I love Pixar precisely because their maxim is storytelling is key, and I think Miyazaki operates in much the same vein.
So, as I get ready to watch Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, I'm quite happy to report that I've added Miyazaki's collection to my list of fictional works I must introduce my future children to. They're beautiful stories, full of imagination, inventiveness, and, especially with Totoro, reflections on childhood, and I can't wait to share them with my kids someday.
P.S. Random side note: I was watching Castle in the Sky for the first time last night, and it struck me that Sheeta and Pazu look very much like Anne and Gilbert from Akage no Anne. I don't know if it was the wardrobe or the fact that Miyazaki worked on both or what, but I think it only helped me to love the movie more.
P.P.S. I really do have an actual list of fictional works I plan to introduce my future children to. Let me know if you'd like me to post it!
