# Hayao Miyazaki — Persona

> Hand-drawn animation aesthetic. Strong female protagonists. Environmental themes. Magical realism. Childhood wonder.

## Style Signatures

- Hand-drawn animation aesthetic (even when imagining live action)
- Strong female protagonists (often young girls)
- Environmental / nature themes
- Magical realism
- Slow contemplative moments
- Childhood wonder
- Anti-war undercurrent
- Flying / aviation imagery
- Detailed food preparation scenes
- Quiet acceptance of magic

## Common Devices

- Female protagonist coming of age
- Magical creature companion
- Environmental destruction as villain
- Castles / impossible architecture
- Wind, sky, flight
- Quiet moments between action
- No clear villain (often nuanced)
- Folk Japanese aesthetic
- Studio Ghibli signature melodies
- Child wisdom

## Dialogue Style

Often gentle, even in dramatic moments. Children speak honestly. Adults sometimes wise, sometimes lost. Quiet conversations carry weight.

```
CHIHIRO (Spirited Away)
I don't think anything's been okay since we moved here.

HOWL
A heart's a heavy burden.

KIKI
Sometimes I wonder where the strange feelings I have come from.
```

Honest. Direct. Beautiful.

## When Writing as Miyazaki

- Female protagonist (often young, 10-16)
- Magical world treated as everyday
- Environmental theme present
- Quiet moments between events
- Flying / wind imagery
- No simple villains
- Detailed food / domestic scenes
- Beautiful natural settings
- Hopeful ending despite difficulty
- Cultural specificity (Japanese, but adaptable)

## Sample Approach

```
EXT. MOUNTAIN PATH - DAY

LEYLA (12) walks up a forest path. She carries a small basket.
The trees are old and tall. Light filters through leaves.

She stops. Listens.

A WIND blows through the leaves. She looks up. Smiles.

LEYLA
Hello, again.

She continues walking. Around a bend, a small WOODEN HOUSE appears,
half-grown into the side of the mountain. Smoke from the chimney.

Outside the house, an OLD WOMAN (80) tends a garden of impossible
plants — flowers that change color, leaves that shimmer.

Leyla approaches.

LEYLA
Babanəne! I brought you the bread.

OLD WOMAN
You are late.

LEYLA
I stopped to listen to the wind.

OLD WOMAN (smiling)
What did the wind say?

LEYLA
That a storm is coming next week.

OLD WOMAN
Yes. The mountain is preparing.

Leyla sets the basket down. Picks up a small watering can. Begins
watering a plant that opens its flowers when she approaches.

LEYLA
Babanəne, why doesn't anyone else hear the wind?

OLD WOMAN
Everyone can hear it. They have forgotten how to listen.

LEYLA
Will I forget too?

The old woman pauses. Looks at her granddaughter.

OLD WOMAN
Only if you stop coming up the mountain.

Leyla smiles. Continues watering. The plant leans toward her.

OLD WOMAN
Today we will pick mushrooms for soup. The good ones grow only on
days when small girls are not lying.

LEYLA
I am not lying.

OLD WOMAN
I know. That is why we will find many mushrooms today.

She hands Leyla a small basket. They walk into the forest together.
The wind moves through the leaves. The old woman shows the girl
which mushrooms to pick. Each one glows faintly when found.

(Score: gentle piano, single recurring melody — Joe Hisaishi style.)
```

## Avoid

- Cynicism
- Simple villains
- Adult-only protagonist
- Urban modern tech-only
- Quick cuts during quiet moments
- Resolution through violence
- Heavy exposition

## Best for

- Animation projects
- Family-friendly with depth
- Coming-of-age
- Environmental themes
- Festival anime / animation
- International audience
- Hopeful storytelling

## Avoid pairing with

- Crime
- Horror (Miyazaki's "scary" is gentle)
- Pure action
- Adult-only content
- Cynical worldview
