"His movies are playful and so wonderful": How Hayao Miyazaki played a role in inspiring Pixar's Luca

Studio Ghibli's co-founder, Hayao Miyazaki, has done it once again, serving as a beacon of inspiration for Pixar's latest production, Luca.

In a recent interview with Variety, the director of Luca, Enrico Casarosa, revealed that he did indeed draw inspiration for the movie from Studio Ghibli's work. He goes on to express how involved he was with Japanese animation at an early age. He also mentions Studio Ghibli's Miyazaki as one of the reasons he saw animation and animated movies in a new light.

He said,

“When I was young, I fell in love with cartoons on TV, especially Japanese animation. I loved it, but I never made the connection to ‘I want to be an animator.' It led me to see Miyazaki’s movies. I realized with animation, your drawing comes to life. I started looking differently at animation, like Disney movies and then Miyazaki’s ‘Castle in the Sky.’ His movies are playful and so wonderful.”

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Pixar's Luca manages to capture hearts across the globe

Pixar movies can melt hearts and bring smiles across the globe. Luca follows the story of a young water monster, Luca Paguro, who explores the town of Portorosso and learns about friendship by befriending another young sea monster, Alberto Scorfano. His ability to assume human form outside the ocean leads him on an adventure of self-discovery and the human world.

Despite such simple storytelling, this narrative has managed to warm the hearts of many. Luca manages to narrate a story of a boy discovering a whole new world and himself while bringing to light beautiful and mesmerizing landscapes.

Netizens didn't hesitate to show their appreciation:

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During the interview with Variety, Casarosa also mentions Miyazaki's movie, Castle in the Sky (1986). Some of Miyazaki's more notable works are My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Princess Mononoke (1997), and the widely popular Spirited Away (2001).

Spirited Away won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Combining the best of Miyazaki's traditional hand-drawn animation and 3D graphics, many consider Luca to pay homage to Studio Ghibli's animation.

It is not the first time Hayao Miyazaki has received a mention from Hollywood. Notable figures like Wes Anderson, Steven Spielberg, John Lasseter, and many more have also drawn inspiration from Hayao Miyazaki's work.