Miyazaki family feud

Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii weighs in on the reasons behind the feud between Goro and Hayao Miyazaki.

I haven't wanted to talk about the rumoured feud between anime legend Hayao Miyazaki and his son Goro until I found out whether it was true, or another Internet hoax. Rumour had it that father and son weren't speaking after Goro had decided to direct a full-length feature film, the upcoming Tales from Earthsea (Gedo Senki in Japan). The elder Miyazaki had allegedly stated that Goro wasn't experienced enough to direct the project.

Nausicaa.net has confirmed the family feud, via some comments director Mamoru Oshii made in an interview with CH4. Some quotes:

Oshii: "I'm considerably interested in Gedo Senki which Goro-kun (Goro Miyazaki) is making now. I know his father well . . . There is nothing as interesting as a parent/child fight."

What do you think about the younger generation making a movie?

"I don't have a sense of impending crisis like Miya-san (Hayao Miyazaki). He has the sense of crisis that he is being driven into retirement by the young generation. He tries to kick the other party to the bottom of a ravine, even in the case of his own son. I don't have such recognition.

"In the world of anime, the generation older than me are still in active service. Miya-san, Tomino-san, Takahata-san,

Dezaki-san, Ryosuke-san (Ryosuke Takahashi), and my secretary are all still active. All directors who came out of the world of TV anime are still active. Nobody is going to retire . . . Nobody tries to drag down them . . . The younger generation is waiting for it with well-manner. If they are left, nobody will not retire. Miya-san's motivation be full of . . .

"It is only one that I expect Goro-kun. 'Drive your father to retirement early. Only you can do it.' Say to your father, 'It is not your times now!' If it can be proven to succeed even if other person make a movie, that annoying father need not be handled."

If Oshii's comments can be taken at face value, then Hayao Miyazaki's position is a bizarre one. He is known to have retired twice: once after directing Princess Mononoke and again before returning to direct Howl's Moving Castle. At age 65, he is in the winter of his career and it's not known what his next film will be, if there is one. It's obvious from Oshii's statements that Hayao Miyazaki wants to leave anime on his own terms, not to be driven out by the next generation of directors.

It's also possible that Hayao resented his son stealing Tales from Earthsea right out from under his nose. Author Ursula K. LeGuin originally asked for Hayao to direct Earthsea, but he was too busy working on Howl's Moving Castle. Goro then drew the storyboards for Earthsea, leading Studio Ghibli to suggest him as director. Goro flew to New York in 2005 to successfully pitch LeGuin.

Given the excitement brewing around

Tales from Earthsea, Hayao Miyazaki might feel that his son's burgeoning reputation is coming at his expense. However, for Hayao to impede his son's career for the sake of his own exit is extremely self-centred of him.

Tales from Earthsea opens in Japan on June 29. No word on a North American release date.