Why does Hayao Miyazaki hate modern anime?

In the world of anime, animation and film, Hayao Miyazaki, director and co-founder of Studio Ghibli, stands out. Like many big names in the creative industry, there's always a bit of controversy, but thankfully, Miyazaki's negative comments don't hurt anyone or damage his reputation as a creator. At his worst, Hayao Miyazaki is the man who openly shared his contempt for the highly successful anime medium.

Anime fans are familiar with the "Anime Was A Mistake" meme, which cites Hayao Miyazaki as the source of the phrase. The quote itself is not far from what Miyazaki actually said, but there are many more details and history associated with his critique. His general comment has been broken down separately, and unfortunately, it leaves out Miyazaki's crucial experience with the anime. In short, these are the reasons why he feels the way he does about the anime industry, and he's really not wrong.

One of the main problems Miyazaki points out is mass production. Today, anime has become infamous for the sheer number of series produced and its routine schedule; Basically, there's never a moment of rest for anime. This idea of a regular series is not new and has been a matter of debate for anime since the 1960s. Miyazaki shared his thoughts on changing practices in the animation industry through an excerpt he wrote in 1988.

"Mass production has changed the situation," Miyazaki says. With the momentum and gradual demand for anime series, 30 TV series were being made per week in the 1980s. The Ghibli director explains that, in order to meet this growing demand, major changes were made to the animation. The new short form of animation is why Miyazaki is frustrated with anime.

Miyazaki also criticizes the trend of quantity over quality in the anime industry. He points out that animation has shifted to a more limited and less detailed form, replacing natural human expressions and body language. In addition, he criticizes the lack of genuine emotion in the characters and the tendency towards excessive escapism. For Miyazaki, the problem lies in the fact that anime creators have little experience in the real world and are obsessed with escaping reality rather than portraying it faithfully.

Another important aspect of Miyazaki's critique is the portrayal of female characters in anime. Throughout her career, Miyazaki has stressed the importance of creating strong, independent female characters, in contrast to the tendency in some anime to treat women as objects or pets.

Finally, Miyazaki also addresses the exploitation of artists in the anime industry, noting that even in the 1980s, animators struggled with overwork and low wages. Although Studio Ghibli has managed to improve working conditions for animators, Miyazaki remains critical of the industry as a whole and advocates for a shift towards a more equitable and respectful approach to artists.

Source: ComicBook Resources