Video: Documentary of Ghibli Studio and the great animator Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎駿)

When thinking about the word "animation", many westerners consider it as an extension of cartoon, with a bit of eccentricity.  Some picture conventions with girls wearing really short skirts.  Some associate it with comic books.

These are all valid associations, but it is not all that animation is.  In Japan, an animation movie such as "Spirited Away" can have box office sale equaling or exceeding that of a Hollywood hit movie.  (in this case, 150 million dollars)

Animation is a mainstream medium in Japan and enjoys high status.  In the following documentary, you get a glimpse into the renowned animation studio Ghibli and the people working in it.

It makes me wonder - how do people of different cultures develop different styles of animation, what are the effects of different styles of medium on sending a message to its audience?

Enjoy!  (This is the first of the 6 parts)