We have written many articles about Hayao Miyazaki and his wonderful films. We've produced many thoughtful pieces about the art he has produced and what it means to us, and we are all eagerly anticipating his final(?) Film The Boy and the Heron. There is one surprising person though who has never received much joy from watching Hayao Miyazaki's films, and in fact watches them for reasons that are tragic in a very real way. Who is this person, and what are the tragic reasons? Let's discuss.

Why Do People Watch Hayao Miyazaki's Films?

Though it clearly depends on who you ask, most people watch the films of Hayao Miyazaki because of his unique storytelling, which often incorporates fantastical elements, deep philosophical themes, and moral lessons. His movies address complex subjects like environmentalism, war, and the intricacies of human relationships, making them both entertaining and thought-provoking. Additionally, Miyazaki's films are renowned for their stunning animation and meticulous attention to detail, which bring his worlds to life in a visually captivating way.

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The characters he creates are multidimensional and relatable, often showing both their strengths and vulnerabilities. His movies also frequently challenge conventional tropes, presenting young female protagonists in empowering roles or blurring the lines between good and evil. Another significant appeal is the beautiful soundtracks, usually composed by Joe Hisaishi, that accompany the films.

All these elements combined give viewers a rich and immersive cinematic experience, making Miyazaki's films enduring classics for audiences around the world. There is, however, one person who does not watch Miyazaki's films for any of the reasons discussed above. In fact, he watches Miyazaki's films for completely different reasons altogether.

Who is Goro Miyazaki?

Goro Miyazaki is the son of Hayao Miyazaki. Born on January 21, 1967, Goro initially pursued a career in landscape architecture, a background that later influenced his approach to film and animation. Despite the enormous shadow cast by his father's legacy in the animation world, Goro eventually entered the film industry and directed several projects for Studio Ghibli.

Impressed by the end result of those projects, producer Toshio Suzuki brought on Goro Miyazaki to make his directorial debut with Tales from Earthsea, an adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea series. The film generated some controversy due to Goro taking on the project despite his lack of experience in animation and the publicized disagreements between him and his father over the film's direction. It was during the production of this film that Goro kept an online diary about his time working on the film, and revealed something quite alarming for fans of the acclaimed director.

Why Does He Watch His Father's Films?

To say that the two men were not on speaking terms with one another would be an understatement. When asked about their working relationship, Goro answered:

I haven't spoken to him at all. In about August of last year, before actual production started, Producer Suzuki told me at an internal Ghibli meeting to say a few words to mark the beginning of production on "Ged", so I said "I will do my best" and at the same time, "When this is over, I want to go back to the Ghibli Museum". I said this to put everybody at ease. When it reached my father's ears, he called me in and said "Are you that half-hearted! Don't build yourself an escape route from the start!". We had a shouting argument, and that was the last time we talked to each other. When we bump into each other at work, whoever notices first just silently gets out of the way. (Laughs)

While this was all that was said in the interview, for online readers there was more information to be mined. Whether it was because it was his first movie or just something he liked to do, Goro kept an online journal of the production of Tales from Earthsea. Thankfully for English-speaking fans, the fine folk over at Nausicaa.net made it a point to translate the entire blog for those who were interested in reading it. Most of the entries are of Goro discussing his film making decisions, the difficulties of learning the business from such esteemed colleagues, and yes, even about his frosty relationship with his father Hayao.

Near the end of the production Goro did something that would be considered characteristically out of character for a Japanese man and his society: He opened up about some of his family problems in this journal, and in a three blog post entitled Zero Marks as a Father, Full Marks as a Director he opens up about his strained relationship with his father. First, he discusses his childhood, which is pretty depressing:

Hayao Miyazaki, to me, is "Zero Marks as a Father, Full Marks as a Director". My father was almost never at home. That's why for me, when I was a child, my mother had to fill the place of my father. My father came home every day in the middle of the night, after I had already gone to sleep. He was always very conscientious in this regard - apparently, no matter how late it was, he always made sure that he came home. But almost every Saturday and Sunday he was still at work regardless.

That's why, from my earliest awareness to the present day, I hardly ever had the chance to talk to him. He always came back after I was asleep, and when I left for school at 8 o'clock he was still asleep. That's why, when I was in elementary school, before going to school I often used to go and look in the bedroom to see if my father was there or not. My father threw himself completely into his work. Not only did he not look after the children, he never did a single bit of housework. So my mother did all of that.

He goes on to explain that his mother was also an animator (a job she took much pride in), however, when she had a second child she was forced to give up her job. She would stay at home all day taking care of the kids while her husband went to work. For these reasons and many more she was actually more opposed to Goro becoming an animator than Hayao was. On the third post Goro opens up even more and reveals the depressing reason he watches his fathers films:

I don't know about before that time, but ever since I can remember, my father was often absent. I say that, but just as I loved my mother, I loved my father too, so when I was small I wanted him to look after me, and to play with me. But those opportunities almost never came. When I was in junior high, and high school, when I started to be conscious of my father in terms of "I'd like to know more about my own father" or "I wonder what my father is thinking", he was never around.

Even on the rare occasions when we met, since we never talked usually, we had no idea what to say to each other. That was our relationship. In my high school days, I watched the anime "Urusei Yatsura", "Mobile Battlesuit Gundam", "Super Dimensional Fortress Macross" and liked them. But my way of looking at these works and the works my father created were, naturally, different.

The more wonderful I thought my father's movies were, the more I watched them because I wanted to learn about him through them. In this way, ever since I can remember, at the same time as enjoying them, I have been watching Hayao Miyazaki's works to understand my father. For me, Hayao Miyazaki gets zero marks as a father but full marks as a director of animated films.

This is the heartbreaking reality of Hayao's neglect as a father: His son Goro knew so little about his father he watched his films to understand him better. Goro felt his father was unapproachable, never home, and not involved in his life at all. Instead of learning who his dad was through a natural relationship, he learned who his dad was by watching his movies. For regular viewers, My Neighbor Totoro is a charming kid's film about childhood innocence that comes to an end.

For Goro, it is a movie where he can learn what his father felt about his grandmother and her illness. What's more, it appears that Hayao himself appears to have some regrets about his own failings as a father. After Tales of Earthsea was completed, Hayao directed Ponyo. While the film may be Hayao's own interpretation of The Little Mermaid, it should be noted that the family in the film seems to be eerily similar to his own.

The boy - Sasuke - was reportedly modeled after Goro when he was younger, and Sasuke's father is largely absent in his life due to his demanding schedule as a sailor. Young Sasuke still loves his father but certainly notices the pain that his absence causes his mother, who has been left alone to take care of their son. It is said that Hayao did much soul-searching before making his son the inspiration for Sasuke in Ponyo. Hopefully, with this movie, Goro has one more perspective about his father he can learn about.

It's ultimately a sad story, but one that is not uncommon for those who work in the animation industry in Japan. It's just one of the few that was pubically spoken about. If this story makes you sad, don't forget to reach out to your dad and tell him how much you appreciate him.

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