Miyazaki and Writing the Everyday

With the exception of the pseudo-autobiographical film The Wind Rises, Miyazaki’s stories aren’t grounded in reality the same way Ethnography is. Despite this they utilize similar methodologies of depicting a person’s story as proposed by Abu Lughod—writing against culture. Lughod suggests that writing against culture, or writing the everyday, can disturb the fundamental divide between the self and other that afflicts Ethnography, a sentiment I feel Miyazaki would agree with given his character-driven method of storytelling. In fiction, disturbing this boundary between self and other can help make a character more relatable and compelling to an audience. Miyazaki’s films focus on the everyday experiences of our protagonists no matter how fantastical the world they inhabit is.

Some of the most memorable moments in these films are when the story homes in on seemingly mundane details and imbues them with a magical quality. The snarky fire spirit may power a moving castle but why not enlist him to cook up a mouth-watering breakfast? Or ask the hopping scarecrow for help hanging your laundry? What makes Miyazaki movies special is their use of writing against culture—their ability to transform the mundane experiences we’ve all had into something magical. Miyazaki engages in writing the everyday to remind children that you can find magic wherever you are. His movies prompt us to look at our world again in a brand new way. While the fantasies of Studio Ghibli are fictional, they are never too far removed from reality.