Miyazakiworld : a life in art / Susan Napier.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 265-288) and index.

Prologue: In search of Miyazakiworld -- Hametsu -- Constructing an animator -- The joy of movement -- Ups and downs : Castle of Cagliostro -- Nausicaä and "the feminine principle" -- Orphans of the sky : Laputa: Castle in the Sky -- Umbrellas in the haunted forest : transcending national and personal trauma in My Neighbor Totoro -- The witch and the city : time, space, and gender in Kiki's Delivery Service -- Porco Rosso lands in Casablanca -- From messiah to shaman : the Nausicaä manga seeks light in the darkness -- The faces of others : boundary crossing in Princess Mononoke -- The intimate apocalypse of Spirited Away -- The castle, the curse, and the collectivity : Howl's Moving Castle -- Rich and strange : the apocalypse of the innocents in Ponyo -- "A terrible wind" : The Wind Rises -- Conclusion.

The story of filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki's life and work, including his significant impact on Japan and the world.

"A thirtieth-century toxic jungle, a bathhouse for tired gods, a red-haired fish girl, and a furry woodland spirit--what do these have in common? They all spring from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki, one of the greatest living animators, known worldwide for films such as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and The Wind Rises. Japanese culture and animation scholar Susan Napier explores the life and art of this extraordinary Japanese filmmaker to provide a definitive account of his oeuvre. Napier insightfully illuminates the multiple themes crisscrossing his work, from empowered women to environmental nightmares to utopian dreams, creating an unforgettable portrait of a man whose art challenged Hollywood dominance and ushered in a new chapter of global popular culture"--Dust jacket.

AAL