My wife and I have been fans of the work of Hayao Miyazaki since the translation and import of Princess Mononoke to the American market back in 1999. Shortly after this, Disney took it upon themselves to translate and import most of his more family-friendly films and bring them to America. A couple films you may have heard of are Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. Hayao Miyazaki’s films are all done with great imagination and creativity, but he also portrays the human condition more accurately than other movie director/writer I have ever seen.

The other great wisdom shown in Hayao’s Miyazaki’s films is how evil is overcome. “Overcome” is the key word here, evil is not “conquered” but rather overcome through perseverance and maturity. In Spirited Away, the main character starts out as whiny and selfish, and likewise most of the characters around her are shallow and greedy. Throughout the film, the main character is actually struggling against herself as she overcomes her own weakness, as she grows those around her are challenged to grow as well. In a couple movies like Howl’s Moving Castle, the films end with no villains left at all, everyone has reconciled. Continue Reading »

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