A Dream World That Hasn't Forfeited its Goal
Anno Hideaki
[from the Ghibli ga Ippai Liner Notes]
[translated by Mark Neidengard]


Anno Hideaki.  Director, producer.  Born 1960, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Uto City.
As an animator, participated in works including "Superdimensional Fortress
Macross", "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind".  Afterwards, established the
shared stock company Gainax for the production of "Royal Space Force - the
Wings of Honneamise".  Also acted as Animation Director for that work.  Later,
as director he worked on "Aim for the Top!", "Nadia of the Mysterious Seas",
"Neon Genesis Evangelion", and others.


There are too many painful things for people to go on living in reality.
Thus, _humans_run_and_hide_in_dreams_.
_They_watch_films_as_entertainment_
Animation, as a means to enjoy everything in a pure, fake world, is a
  realization of dreams and has become entrenched in film.
In short, it is a thing where _even_coincidences_are_arranged_ and _everything_
  judged cinematically unnecessary _can_be_excized_.
The negative feelings of the real world are no exception.
If the director so desires, even malice toward others could be introduced
  straight into film.
I guess that's one of the attractive things about anime.
_Changing_the_tribulation_of_reality_into_dreams_ and conveying that to the
  people...is that what our work is?
For the sake of people who forget reality until the bill comes due, who
  _want_to_devote_themselves_to_happy_fallacies_.
I guess that's our job in the entertainment and service sector.

One of the distinctive features of Studio Ghibli's works is that, _even_if_
  _there_are_obsessive_actions_,_there_are_things_which_appear_to_have_not_
  _forfeited_their_goal_.
Forfeiting ones goal leads to despair, and is a sickness that can prove fatal.
I wonder if Miya-san and his people are familiar with that feeling of despair.
Perhaps they don't want to show that anguish to other people.
I think they specifically don't want to display the negative things called
  self-loathing and complexes to others.
That's why Studio Ghibli's works can't show anything but superficial happiness
  and a reproduction of reality with all the dirty things omitted.  A fiction
  that imitates reality, and nothing more than a single dream.
I suppose that is the governance of entertainment.
And I think that that is one of the reasons that Studio Ghibli's works are
  _safely_watchable_,_brand_name_creations_.

I have no intention of denying that.
All of Studio Ghibli's works are top level creations.
But, _I_can't_help_but_feel_that_something_is_missing_.
This is because, although the technique is there, _I_can_no_longer_feel_
  "blood", _the_"blood"_ that is surely flowing within everyone.
I wonder when that happened?
Studio Ghibli's works have, for me, become things that doesn't possess the
  image of "Anime", but rather of the so-called Japanese cinema, in other
  words, the Japanese movies that have now lost all their energy.
That may be the reason that I _feel_that_something_is_missing_.

By the way,
Mr. Miyazaki Hayao and Mr. Itano Ichirou are those I consider my teachers.
I brag and say that _I'm_probbaly_the_only_one_in_the_world_ with that
  combination.
_I_was_greatly_influenced_, not just in the technical points of the animation
  craft, but _in_the_mental_portion_of_filmmaking_.
My posture on filmmaking is nothing more than an attempt to hang on to the
  things I learned from the two of them.
_I_have_nothing_but_words_of_gratitude_for_both_of_them_.

When I helped out as an animator for "Nausicaa", there's something that 
  Miya-san often told me.
It seems to have come from a Chinese sage, but "There are three conditions for
  _accomplishing_something_.
Those are: '_Being_young_', '_Being_poor', and '_Being_unknown_'."
And, "_No_matter_what_,_make_friends_."
So I was taught.  This was more than 12 years ago.
Yes, I've known Miya-san approximately 12 years.
In that time, I think Miya-san has achieved various things.
However, _he_also_lost_many_things_.

I think supporting a studio, that is, _fighting_to_protect_the_organization_
  _against_ruin_, _is_painful_as_it_piles_up.  A staff that strongly depends
  on you is also a double-edged sword.
The height of the brand-name image and weight of the pressure from the world
  which prevents you from announcing even a short film without hiding your head
  under the excuse of it being an "experiment".

_However_,_I_feel_that_he_is_still_trying_to_obtain_something_new_.
Is that trying to throw away the past?
But could that be the _fate_of_those_who_go_on_making_films_?
In any case, _he_is_a_person_of_deep_craft_regarding_his_desires_.

Finally, _I'm_looking_forward_to_"Mononoke_Hime",_the_latest_in_the_series_of_
  _seven_works_stretching_from_his_masterpiece_"Nausicaa"_(the_movie)_.
  No, I'm serious.

Postscript.  Yesterday, when I was in a state of mental collapse after my
  latest work had ended, I was moved deep within my heart by an encouraging
  phone call I received.  The words of concern proceeding from the receiver
  became joy on my end as, with a exaltant face, my whole body was buoyed.  In
  secret, I rejoiced in receiving some recognition for myself.  Thank you from
  the bottom of my heart.

My master, the Lord Miyazaki Hayao-sama.  From a (self-proclaimed) prodigal
son, Anno Hideaki.