Where would we be without Hayao Miyazaki? Not only has the Japanese filmmaker made the most beautiful animated movies in the world, he’s made some of the most beautiful movies ever– period. That’s why it was so heartening to hear the recent news that, at seventy-four years of age (when most men golf or garden or simply groan), Miyazaki is making another movie. In the meantime, fans can experience a few gems from his career they most likely haven’t seen before in a forthcoming comprehensive Blu-ray box set, the details of which Disney has just shared with us.
Due out exclusively from Amazon on November 17th, The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki contains each of the maestro’s eleven feature films: Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kikiâs Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howlâs Moving Castle, Ponyo, and The Wind Rises.
But the highlight for those who already own all of these films on Blu-ray will be the set’s bonus features, including Yuki no Taiyo (Yukiâs Sun) — a 1972 television pilot based on a manga by Tetsuya Chiba that was directed, storyboarded and animated by Hayao Miyazaki. The set also contains three episodes (26, 27, and 41) of the 1972 anime series Akado Suzunosuk (Little Samurai), featuring storyboards by the filmmaker. Fans will also get the uncut version of Miyazaki’s Retirement Press Conference, which was thankfully not the final page in his career. The whole package is rounded off with a book featuring The Great Dichotomy: Looking at the Works of Hayao Miyazaki by Tomohiro Machiyama, which “explores the themes and techniques of this revered Japanese filmmaker, and selected text from Hayao Miyazakiâs initial notes and creative proposals for the production of each film.”
Are you as much of a Miyazaki maniac as I am? Are you excited for this box set? Let us know below!