Friday 23 August 2013

Hideaki Anno Wants Nausicaä Sequel, But What About Hayao Miyazaki?


When I saw the below Tweet, a rush of emotions flooded through me. First, surprise, then wonder, and finally nervousness. After some digging, I'm a little less on edge but I still have a lot of questions.

According to Anime News Network, Miyazaki head of Studio Ghibli had an interview on a Japanese television show called Ō-sama no Brunch in which he was asked if he would be interested in making a continuation or sequel to Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, to which he replied: 
"No, I don't. I don't really feel like doing it, but Anno keeps on saying, 'I want to do it! I want to do it!,' so I tell him now that I've come to think lately that if he wanted to do it, it would be fine for him to do it."
This is where the wonder comes in. Miyazaki was referring to Hideaki Anno who had worked with him previously on Nausicaä as a key animator, as well as on last year's live action short Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo, and was most recently the lead voice actor in The Wind Rises

While it seems that Anno has the credentials and approval to do a sequel, there is still much to be nervous about. For one, the original film was produced nearly 30 years ago which could throw a wrench in the works as they try to revive a world that has been abandoned for much of that time. For two, though the entire story exists in manga form, if Miyazaki decides not to write the story himself, it would have to go through a new writer, with a new perspective, and a new agenda which could be a bad thing - though it could be a great thing. 

But as I finish typing this out, my nerves begin to subside as there are obviously no concrete plans to go forward with this idea. But the seeds have been planted, and we all await attentively to hear what the next Studio Ghibli project will be. 

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