Happy 75th birthday to Hayao Miyazaki! We all know and love him, cherish him as if he were a fond uncle. The stories he’s brought to life, the worlds full of wonder, the characters close to our hearts…we would not be the same without them. Once captured our eyes, then our hearts as we sat, speechless, admiring his fairy tales. I remember the very first Hayao Miyazaki movie I had seen, Spirited Away. The world whisked me away, I rooted for San (yes, I even forgot her name) and Haku. Even the other spirits whom were portrayed as antagonistic I was intrigued by and yearned to learn more. It’s rare to create such a vivid masterpiece. Miyazaki never fails to impress.
This internationally renowned anime director celebrates his 75th year of life on January 5th. Soon after, on January 15th, Nippon Television Network will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of Studio Ghibli’s first movie with a broadcast of their Castle in the Sky, followed by the studio’s fourth, Kiki’s Delivery Service the following week.
In the years 2013 and 2011 the broadcasts of the movie were marked by “Balse” or “BALS” Festivals. Fans participated on social media, breaking Twitter’s Tweets-per-second records (from 33,388 to 143,199), by joining leads Sheeta and Pazu as they cast the final spell. Studio Ghibli co-founder/producer Toshio Suzuki recently revealed that Miyazaki was unaware of this phenomenon.
For their 30th anniversary there will be a BALS Button online.
There’s a superstition that when a Ghibli movie is broadcast the same day as the US government releases its job numbers, the labor report will be weak. However, fortunately, US numbers come up a week ahead of the double billing.
Below are just a handful of the tributes dedicated to this innovative genius, whom without we would not have grown to love such inspiring worlds and characters who stick with us even today.
https://twitter.com/MartinHsu/status/684422287638970368/photo/1
https://twitter.com/Film4/status/684334094176616448/photo/1
https://twitter.com/HYPEBEAST/status/684432203917471745/photo/1
https://twitter.com/thinkgeek/status/684417329719934976/photo/1
https://twitter.com/TIFF_NET/status/684405142565695488/photo/1
A tribute Vine for Hayao Miyazaki. Happy birthday sir! https://t.co/8WnQOmPy1s #HayaoMiyazaki
— Pinot W. Ichwandardi (@pinot) January 5, 2016
https://twitter.com/TIFF_NET/status/684395789708177408/photo/1
https://twitter.com/mubi/status/684334331893014528/photo/1
https://twitter.com/hanamasa_gt/status/684160164560175104/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/PONZUxPONZU/status/684333490276450304/photo/1
https://twitter.com/hanamasa_gt/status/684160164560175104/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/HistoryImg/status/683973578560163841/photo/1
https://twitter.com/coro123_coro/status/684326277881311232/photo/1
https://twitter.com/itamekun/status/684159895000625152/photo/1
https://twitter.com/Madman/status/684151522607804417/photo/1
https://twitter.com/gen_ghibli/status/684290255101399040/photo/1
https://twitter.com/gen_ghibli/status/684303600651120640/photo/1
Source: Crunchyroll
