Makoto Shinkai films feature some of the most gorgeous visuals you’ve ever seen in any animated film. The director made history with Your Name as the second highest-grossing Japanese animated film, sitting near the likes of Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki and Demon Slayer: Mugen Train. Due to his rich storytelling and vibrant visuals, Shinkai has also been compared to the Studio Ghibli director and has sometimes been touted as the “next Miyazaki.” The Your Name director, however, vehemently disagrees with the sentiment.
For years, anime fans have been in search of the next Miyazaki and someone who could surpass him. Makoto Shinkai’s popularity made him the prime candidate but the idea of someone else surpassing the likes of Miyazaki’s films, who has built a legacy for decades, is incomparable and unfair to the directors in that position. No one will ever live up to him and it becomes an unnecessary competition.
The Next Miyazaki: Is It Possible?
Hayao Miyazaki’s films are rooted in the simplest of things. From finding your courage to childish joy, he knows humanity and depicts them as such. Even a scene as simple as making ramen in Ponyo brings so much joy and nostalgia to the viewers. It remains an iconic and wonderful scene and this is just one of many. His films reflect on what our world should be like and what people should strive to be. The director often criticizes the state of the anime industry as a pioneer of their films and also as someone who doesn’t oversexualize either gender. He is a true visionary in the anime industry who doesn’t stick by the rules but makes them.
As many directors have acknowledged, even those not even in his genre, nobody could ever surpass Hayao Miyazaki. Makoto Shinkai, his unlikely competitor but a true admirer of the man, spoke about this in an interview:
In the Japanese animation industry there’s a big ideal, and that’s Hayao Miyazaki. He’s someone you look up to and are influenced by. He’s got his own, totally original style. He’s a genius. But… you can’t be Miyazaki, you can only be the second Miyazaki, and that isn’t something to aim for.
In essence, Shinkai says that no one can be the next Miyazaki or replace him ever. In the same sense, a second Miyazaki shouldn’t be the aim of any director who wants to become the next big thing. They should make an image for themselves and not strive to just become the second Miyazaki. The only way to make it as a director is to follow in his footsteps and make a name for yourself. Makoto Shinkai has successfully done that.
Makoto Shinkai: Making a Name Without Miyazaki’s Influence
Makoto Shinkai’s trilogy of Your Name, Weathering With You and Suzume is iconic and has made his own name. He comments in the same interview that the “next Miyazaki” term only happens globally as they aren’t used to seeing Japanese animated films. In Japan, this phenomenon doesn’t happen to Shinkai.
While the director was undeniably influenced by Hayao Miyazaki as a filmmaker, his films earned their legacy and fame with how much love and thought he put into every aspect. He might not surpass the likes of the legend but he made his own mark in the anime industry.
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