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My main complaint about Miyazaki not showing up at the Oscars is that, like it or not, the Oscars are a great promotional tool for films. As somebody who wants the popularity of anime to increase, I regret any lost opportunity for somebody of Miyazaki's stature to promote his own work and, by extension, anime as a whole.

mufurc wrote:

Frankly, it sounds like you're going out of your way to be offended on behalf of the American nation. Yes, he accepted those honors. Yes, he let them license 'Ponyo.' What do you want him to have done? Do you honestly think that his protest would've been authentic only if he boycotted the entire country - not just awards ceremonies but the entire film industry, the people, the honors, everything? Wouldn't that be a thousand times more rude and disrespectful than simply not visiting the country? People protest in many different ways. Miyazaki protested by not visiting the US. That doesn't mean he hates America and Americans and wants to have nothing to do with them.

(Btw, the part about the cash and fame is just plain malicious. At that point Miyazaki didn't need either the money or the fame because he's already had both.)

I'm rarely offended by much nowadays. It still doesn't mean that I'm going to call garbage prime rib steak either.

It's not malicious to point out lack of refusal of fame and the award. Refusal makes his reason more valid imo. That's what Brando did. Sure Brando got bad publicity for it but that's what happens when you take an ideological stand.

Waiting 6 years to state your reason and then still accept accolades and money in the interim does not present itself as a sound ideological dispute imo.

If he's still accepting money and accolades from the US, then perhaps it's best for him to keep his political stance to himself. Politics and business rarely mix anyways. Disney is only in it until he becomes less marketable. As I said before, he's expendable imo. There's plenty of other studios out there. US companies do not need to give their money to companies or executives of companies that have an issue with coming to the US outside of health and safety concerns imo.

hikaru004 wrote:

US companies do not need to give their money to companies or executives of companies that have an issue with coming to the US outside of health and safety concerns imo.

Right, because it's not as though Miyazaki has never been in the United States since then. Rolling Eyes

I wonder how much of the "criticism" that Miyazaki is receiving in this thread is a result of people who are both apathetic about his work and want to maintain some sort of smug moral superiority?

I've got one question to people saying "America by and large voted for the war" or "Miyazaki has every right to hold it against the 'USA' since it was only a short time before vs. decades ago (ala. WW2)"

So.... you know that Japan was one of the few (or many, depending on your opinion) in the "coalition of the willing", right? You are aware that Japan had a token force in Iraq and Koizumi was one of Bush's strongest world leader allies, right?

I mean, I'm just saying. Miyazaki has every right to not choose to go to the Oscars or SDCC or "podunk Anime Con USA" if he chooses. But to hold it against the US while not taking Japan to task... wtf?

"This idea that whenever something evil happens someone particular can be blamed and punished for it, in life and in politics is hopeless."
-Hayao Miyazaki
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0594503/bio

(Good to know that he lives his ideals)

Oh gosh people calm down.
At any rate he can do whatever he wants, just chill people.

Every country has something that is shameful about them. Humans aren't perfect.

Tuor_of_Gondolin wrote:

You guys do know that the US boycotted the Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, right?

end of discussion! Laughing

J-Syxx wrote:

JairStout wrote:

J-Syxx wrote:

JairStout wrote:

J-Syxx wrote:

JairStout wrote:

What a childish thing to do. He didn't want to come to America because it's government, not it's 300 million people, decided to "bomb Iraq?"

If I become a famous cartoon director and am invited for an award in Japan, I'm gonna say, "No, that country bombed Pearl Harbor, sorry."

Yeah, because no one in America voted for Bush after he bombed Iraq so the American public had no part in supporting his war. Oh wait...

By all accounts he lost both the first and the second election, but was elected anyway due to the courts. Where have you been?

Are you kidding me? Laughing

There was only a recount in the first election. He won the second one after the Iraq war with a clean majority. Most voting Americans supported this war up untill 2006. I really hope you're not American, because your lack of basic knowledge of this country is extremely embarrassing.

[sigh] I don't feel like debating this dude. Take your polemicism somewhere else.

Oh yes, pointing out you being ignorant of cold hard facts is polemicising. How about not entering a debate unless you know what you're talking about? You may as well been debating the civil war and had said George Washington won the Battle of Gettysburg.

Oh, yes. Keep it up. Keep writing. I'll wait 'till you're through.

[quote="HeeroTX"]
I mean, I'm just saying. Miyazaki has every right to not choose to go to the Oscars or SDCC or "podunk Anime Con USA" if he chooses. But to hold it against the US while not taking Japan to task... wtf?

Do you mean he should move out of his home country, because he didn't want to visit the US? No one can choose the country they are born in but I think everyone should still have the right to not go to places they don't want to.

JairStout wrote:

[sigh] I don't feel like debating this dude. Take your polemicism somewhere else.

JairStout wrote:

Oh, yes. Keep it up. Keep writing. I'll wait 'till you're through.

FYI, when you respond like this, you both look foolish for being unable to simply walk away from an argument you yourself claim to have no desire to pursue, whilst simultaneously making people wonder if you're not just saying this because you aren't able to think of anything to actually say. Or at least that's how you're coming off to me. You'd probably be better of to either actually adress what he is saying or simply stop responding entirely.

"HeeroTX wrote:

So.... you know that Japan was one of the few (or many, depending on your opinion) in the "coalition of the willing", right? You are aware that Japan had a token force in Iraq and Koizumi was one of Bush's strongest world leader allies, right?

"You're either with us...or you're with the terrorists." - George W. Bush

In all honesty though, I wouldn't be surprised if Japan did this because they felt strongarmed into it.

HellKorn wrote:

hikaru004 wrote:

US companies do not need to give their money to companies or executives of companies that have an issue with coming to the US outside of health and safety concerns imo.

Right, because it's not as though Miyazaki has never been in the United States since then. Rolling Eyes

I wonder how much of the "criticism" that Miyazaki is receiving in this thread is a result of people who are both apathetic about his work and want to maintain some sort of smug moral superiority?

Actually, his last trip to the US was in 1999 and it was related to Princess Mononoke.

This is news?

Opinions are like buttholes in that everyone has one and that most stink. That goes for mine, yours, and Miyazaki's. Right or wrong, it's his opinion, and, while mine is that it's a foolish one, that's hardly important, is it? It has nothing to do with the price of eggs in China.

Onto the next news item of the day.

I am really surprised that this comment (which is in response to a question some people had that was asked of him) would garner this type of reaction. I mean, it was something I always wondered about, but regardless of the answer, it is not something to really dwell on.

There are a number of fascinating cultural and historical aspects that go hand in hand with a decision like what Miyazaki had made.

First and foremost, Miyazaki has something of a history with making heavy-handed and critical commentary. In a previous article in 2002 he mentioned that he believed that Japan's animation industry was approaching a dead end, and accused the younger film-makers as being a "copycat" generation, so much so that he believed the spread of Japanese animation worldwide "might only lead to embarassment."

In an interview with Takashi Oshiguchi of Animerica magazine in 1993, he also specifically stated "I have no plans to start making films with a global market in mind. I want to create enjoyment for Japanese children. If the children of other continents or islands enjoy my work as well, then to me that's just icing on the cake." This was in the context of his realization that his work carried a distinct Japanese-ness to it that he had discovered over the course of working on his animations, and he admits to being grateful that his work is enjoyed in other countries.

For a 200-year period between 1641 and 1853 Japan imposed sakoku, a policy prohibiting foreign contact with most outside countries. As a result, many Japanese in the past and even in the modern day exhibit some xenophobic tendencies and misunderstandings of outside cultures.

The Japanese approach to dealing with wholly admitting to the atrocities of WWII are still a major problem with it's ability to console itself with many of the Asian countries it attacked during the 1st and 2nd Sino-Japanese wars. In particular, textbook revisionism has been under much fire in Japan for the past 60 years, as a number of politicians have been calling for the rewording or complete omission of articles describing the nature of Japan's Imperialism and war-time atrocities committed during WWII (e.g., the Rape of Nanking and the Three All Policy). Recently, a call for the revision of historical information stating that the Imperialist Army did not in fact order civilians to commit mass suicide in Okinawa has been cause for much criticism on the island, and has been bemoaned as a continuation of Japan's apparent unwillingness (especially when compared to Germany) to completely come to terms with it's past.

According to Gravett's "Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese comics", after Japan's defeat in WWII the rise to media prominence of Osamu Tezuka and his largely pacifistic stance on war had a strong effect on future generations of Japanese. Having talked with several Japanese youth myself regarding the subject of WWII and interaction with other Asians, there appears to be a great agreeance in the desire for peace in the world - however, coupled with this desire is a certain uneasiness with talking to other Asians because of Japan's historical treatment of other Asian countries.

At the 2004 Cannes film festival Miyazaki's "Howl's Moving Castle" was described as the film with the biggest "anti-war" message, and when the movie's production began at the start of the Iraq war Miyazaki himself stated the war had a "great impact on them." As the original work itself was a light-hearted fantasy and did not involve war, many have taken this as Miyazaki using his artform as a platform for espousing his political views.

The totality of this information creates something of an ambiguous opinion on my part. On the one hand, I can understand the opposition to visiting a country involved in a war with no clear foundation - I would, at least, understand a certain hesitation or fear of the nature of a country that would groundlessly go to war. On the other hand, much like with countries that have boycotted the Olympics in the past for political reasons, I would like to think that a celebration of the film arts is inherently separate from politics in general. Whether Miyazaki's choice to not attend was out of fear or simply a political statement isn't completely clear, but given his history and that of Japan I would wager that most likely it was the latter - in which case, I would think that he may have unfairly involved politics with an event structured to celebrate the arts.

Kikaioh wrote:

First and foremost, Miyazaki has something of a history with making heavy-handed and critical commentary. In a previous article in 2002 he mentioned that he believed that Japan's animation industry was approaching a dead end, and accused the younger film-makers as being a "copycat" generation, so much so that he believed the spread of Japanese animation worldwide "might only lead to embarassment."

In an interview with Takashi Oshiguchi of Animerica magazine in 1993, he also specifically stated "I have no plans to start making films with a global market in mind. I want to create enjoyment for Japanese children. If the children of other continents or islands enjoy my work as well, then to me that's just icing on the cake." This was in the context of his realization that his work carried a distinct Japanese-ness to it that he had discovered over the course of working on his animations, and he admits to being grateful that his work is enjoyed in other countries.

I fail to see how either of these are "heavy handed" or controversial.

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