Miyzaki’s misquote “Anime was a mistake” is a reference to his belief that otaku culture that produces anime today is created by
“people who hate interacting with people.” Previous generations of animators were artists trained in other disciplines such as medicine, political science and
economics. Miyazaki claims that the anime of today is not grounded in reality because animators base their stories and themes on references to previous
anime works. Note that he is not saying anime cannot have fantasy or science fiction elements, many of his works include these, but he’s saying that
characters, situations and emotions are no longer grounded in reality and that’s led to a drop in the quality and appeal of Japanese animation.
1. Do you agree or disagree with Miyazaki’s sentiment? Explain why in detail with examples from your own experience with anime.
2. Do you think the anime you watched in class reinforces Miyazaki’s opinion or opposes it? Explain with specific examples from the anime.
