The Moral Narratives of Hayao Miyazaki

<p> Widely regarded as Japan's greatest animated director Hayao Miyazaki creates films lauded for vibrant characters and meaningful narrative themes. Examining the messages of his 10 full-length films--from <I>Nausicaa</I> (1984) to <I>The Wind Rises</I> (2013)--this study analyzes each for its religious philosophical and ethical implications. Miyazaki's work addresses a coherent set of human concerns including adolescence good and evil our relationship to the past our place in the natural order and the problems of living in a complex and ambiguous world. Exhibiting religious influences without religious endorsement his films urge nonjudgment and perseverance in everyday life.</p>