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Hayao Miyazaki creates movies for children, and most Studio Ghibli productions are whimsical creations targeted toward a younger audience. These films often have dark undertones that only adults can understand. But only a handful of these films are actually created for adults.
One such Ghibli movie isThe Wind Rises,a historical drama that focuses on the career of an aeronautical engineer during the World War II era. Emily Blunt and John Karinski voiced two major characters in the film, Nahoko Satomi and Kiro Hinjo.
Hayao Miyazaki Thanked the American Audience for the Positive Reception ofThe Wind Rises
The protagonist ofThe Wind Risesis a Japanese aeronautical engineer, Jiro Horikoshi. The character is inspired by an actual engineer by the same name who designed the Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter and several other Japanese fighter aircraft designs that were used during World War II. The film shows a fictionalized account of Horikoshi’s life from his time at university to the first test flight of the Mitsubishi Ka-14.
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With Japan and the USA’s rocky history during World War II,Hayao Miyazakidid not expectThe Wind Risesto be perceived in a positive light. He knew it would raise a controversy, and some people might even be against a protagonist who engineers fighter planes for wars. However, theUSA audience broke his expectationsand received the movie with open arms. Inan interview, the director claimed:
In another way I’m surprised and grateful to the people of the US –we once fought the second world war, but the people in the US generously accepted the film.
WhileThe Wind Risesdoes not focus on war itself but the life of Jiro Horikoshi, one can’t help butfocus on the background of Japan preparing itself for war.In fact, the movie also portrayed Horikoshi regretting that his aircraft designs were used in war after Japan lost World War II.
Hayao Miyazaki Felt He was Digging a Tomb for Studio Ghibli withThe Wind Rises
The original idea forThe Wind Risescame from a manga Hayao Miyazaki had drawn as a hobby. In the manga, all the characters, the men, had the face of a boar or pig (which is oddly reminiscent of Porco Rosso). When the producer suggested making it into a film, Miyazaki denied the proposal outright. But as discussions continued, he found out that they could actually createThe Wind Rises.
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Miyazaki’s primary worrywas that kids would not be the target audience if the concept were animated. There are frequent mentions of war and the protagonist designs fighter aircraft, a theme which can’t really be marketed to kids. But his worries were put to rest by one of the studio’s members who explained that even if the kids don’t understand the movie when they watch it, they will eventually grow into adults who will realize whatThe Wind Risesis about.
When we started the project this project as a film it was like we digging a tomb for ourselves and our studio. The result fortunately was good, but we were working with that sense.
Miyazaki’s grave sense of foreboding was proved wrong when the film grossed around $113 million at the Japanese box office and became the highest-grossing domestic film in 2013.
The Wind Risesmovie is available to stream on Max.
Aaheli Pradhan
Anime Content Writer
Articles Published :1558
Aaheli is an Anime Content Writer at FandomWire with 1300+ published articles. With five years of experience under her belt, she is a living, breathing encyclopedia for anime and manga. From Shonen and Shojo to the most niche anime, nothing escapes her radar. Her poisons of choice are Assassination Classroom, Gintama, Ouran High School Host Club and every Ghibli movie ever. She believes in living a slow life, surrounded by incomplete art projects and her beloved cats.
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Hayao MiyazakiStudio Ghibli
