Guillermo Del Toro is among the most influential and acclaimed filmmakers in the entire entertainment industry. Recipient of several accolades including three Academy Awards, Del Toro has blessed the industry with several incredible films and features. And so while many of his contemporaries and juniors would hail him as a visionary, the director himself hails Hayao Miyazaki as the best director in animation.
Recently having won the second Oscar for his apparently last film, The Boy and the Heron, Miyazaki is among the TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2024 list. And Del Toro penned a heartfelt note while exclaiming why the director deserves to be on the list.
Guillermo Del Toro Hails Hayao Miyazaki as a Visionary
The Japanese animator, filmmaker, as well as manga artist, Hayao Miyazaki, is the founder of Studio Ghibli. For many of us, the name Studio Ghibli rouses a wave of nostalgia, home, and serenity thanks to the many heartwarming and wholesome animated classics that have been made by the studio under the guidance of Miyazaki.
Even after all these years, the acclaimed filmmaker’s various features continue to delight the old and the young. His latest film, The Boy and the Heron recently won him his second Oscar for the Best Animated Feature. And so, Miyazaki found himself among the 100 Most Influential People of 2024 list by TIME, and Guillermo Del Toro penned a small note describing the Japanese filmmakers’ contribution.
Revealing how Miyazaki’s movies shaped his childhood and hailing him as one-of-a-kind creator, Del Toro wrote,
“He is the single most influential animation director in the history of the medium and one of my top 10 favorite storytellers in any audiovisual medium. The Boy and the Heron is a subtle masterpiece that exerts a gravitational pull—and many of us feel that pull intensely.”
While this isn’t the first time that Del Toro confessed his love for Miyazaki’s talent, his words for the Japanese filmmaker were full of high praise which fans absolutely agreed with (via X).
Guillermo Del Toro Hails Hayao Miyazaki For His Nuanced Films
It is no secret that as far as the world of animation is concerned, Hayao Miyazaki will always find himself standing tall above the rest. Characterized by soft and homely animations, the many films of Studio Ghibli contain enchanting imagery of the human world and nature.
And it is Miyazaki’s unique understanding of human nature and the ability to blend fantastical worlds with the real world that makes the movies all the more special. So, while describing this unique talent of the Japanese Animator, Del Toro stated in his TIME piece,
“Miyazaki’s work provokes that rare emotion—the shiver of recognition of a type of beauty that is impossible in the real world and thus exists only in his films. Yet he is also a brutal realist regarding greed, war, and human rage. He knows that we shape and destroy the planet and that humans are the best and the worst of our world.”
A careful yet praise rooted in truth, Del Toro’s words perfectly capture the essence of Hayao Miyazaki’s artistry and his contributions to the world of animation. From Spirited Away to Howl’s Moving Castle, each of Miyazaki’s films is a masterpiece on its own, resonating with audiences of all ages.
