Happy birthday, Hayao Miyazaki!!

On this day in 1941, legendary Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter, animator, author, and manga artist Hayao Miyazaki was born in the Bunkyō Ward of Tokyo, Japan. After working for movie studios as an animator and producer through the '60s and '70s, Miyazaki directed his first feature anime film, The Castle of Cagliostro, in 1979. 

In 1982, Miyazaki penned the manga Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind--which he adapted for film in 1984. The movie version of Nausicaä proved to be a breakthrough moment for Miyazaki's career, and he soon co-founded his own animation production company--Studio Ghibli--along with Isao Takahata, Toshio Suzuki, and Tokuma Shoten.

Since Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985, Miyazaki has directed many beloved films with the studio--including My Neighbor Totoro, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and Ponyo. Studio Ghibli has also created a number of other classic animated films that were helmed by other directors, including the heartbreaking Grave of the Fireflies.

Miyazaki's final feature-length animated film in the director's chair was 2013's The Wind Rises. Shortly thereafter, he announced his retirement from feature-length productions because of his age and his desire to focus on animated shorts. However, in 2016, Miyazaki began working on a new feature-length animated film, How Do You Live?, which is tentatively slated for a 2020 or 2021 release.

There's no question that Miyazaki has contributed much to the world of animated film--especially the exposure and wider audience his movies have brought to the anime genre in the western world. Happy 77th birthday, Mr. Miyazaki--and many happy returns of the day to you!

What's your favorite Miyazaki or Studio Ghibli film? Let me know in the comments!