Of anime myths and author cult. Tezuka and Miyazaki consideration through authorship film criticism

Abstract

In the world of Japanese anime, few animators’ works have been appreciated by both communities of scholarship and journalism for their valuable and singular forms of authorship. This paper will focus on one of the most prominent figures, namely Hayao Miyazaki (1941-). As one of the main creative leaders of Ghibli Studios, this filmmaker has had a pivotal role, not just in relation to the content created – the key to an industry fed by its merchandising – but also in the promotion of the company’s image and values, both in Japan and overseas. Several para-texts, including cinema criticism, reportages and even social networks have helped to create an almost “mythic figure”. This figure can be considered in some aspects as being quite similar to that reflected within anime Western scholarship as well, and ultimately read as a reminiscence of Author Theories. But the figure of Miyazaki cannot be understood without considering other past figures within the film industry, such as Walt Disney, and Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989), a prominent figure of anime and manga, with whom there is constant comparison. The intention of this paper will be to differentiate the main features of both criticism and anime scholarship traditions, as well as defining their relationship with Author Theories, by using these two figures as a case study.

Citation

Hernández-Pérez, M. (2015, April). Of anime myths and author cult. Tezuka and Miyazaki consideration through authorship film criticism. Paper presented at Exploring 30 Years of Studio Ghibli: Spirited Discussion

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Exploring 30 Years of Studio Ghibli: Spirited Discussion
• Start Date: Apr 18, 2015
• End Date: Apr 19, 2015
• Publication Date: 2015
• Deposit Date: Dec 10, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 13, 2018
• Keywords: Animation Studies, Osamu Tezuka, Hayao Miyazaki, Film Criticism, Auteurism, Critical Perspectives
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/479326