During an interview, director Mamoru Hosoda stated that he believes the praise for Hayao Miyazaki goes too far. We summarize.
No direct competitors
Since the release of “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” in 2006, Mamoru Hosoda has undoubtedly made a name for himself as a director in the world of animated films with other works such as “Summer Wars” (2009), “Ame & Yuki – The Wolf Children” (2012), “The Boy and the Beast” (2015) and “BELLE” (2021).
Although many anime directors produce impressive work, they are often compared to Hayao Miyazaki, the co-founder of Studio Ghibli. His films are regarded worldwide as a reference for outstanding anime – and it is precisely these constant comparisons that increasingly annoy Hosoda.
Because he doesn’t really see himself as a direct competitor to Miyazaki, but rather as one “coexisting” in the sense that they both try to do their own thing and express their own ideas and images through the medium of animation.
Criticism of comparisons
While Hosoda recognizes all the positive elements of Miyazaki’s films, he doesn’t think it’s right to idolize a creator like that:
»There is certainly a lot of praise, and much of it is deserved. But some go so far as to call him God, portray him as incredible and say he is above everything. I find it a bit questionable to what extent comparisons are made and how, on the one hand, he is singled out in particular while, on the other hand, other great directors are devalued.
There are many projects that deserve great respect, and some opinions about him and his work just seem exaggerated to me. Such extreme thinking is boring in a way because there are so many other talents, directors and creators out there. In my opinion, diversity is central to our industry because it opens up new impressions and different perspectives to the audience.«
While Miyazaki’s next work will probably be some time away, Hosoda is already in the starting blocks with “Scarlet”. The film can be seen in cinemas in Germany, Austria and Switzerland from March 5, 2026.