You see, if he retires, the depression will catch him.
Here's the teaser trailer for The Boy and the Heron!
I don’t think it’s depression. I think it’s that he has a career and a vision that keeps him going lol.
I hope everyone finds a job like that honestly. Work you enjoy and find meaningful and that you keep coming back to. They say that once you retire, your health declines faster actually.
No shade to people who work to live of course and plan to retire! But having a fulfilling life and career you can keep coming back to is a real treasure that you should hold onto when you can.
Look, I'm not gonna seriously arm chair diagnose world renowed animation directors over here. But some of the documentary footage of Miyazaki (especially in 10 years with Hayao Miyazaki and the Kingdom of Dreams and Madness) shows him...really struggling at times, especially between projects. He's described himself as "manic depressive" in interviews as well. He smokes a lot, has a difficult relationship with his family, and generally seems to have an intensely cynical view of life.
Which seems wild, given how gentle and hopeful his movies tend to be. But I think that's kind of the point for him. He uses his films to find comfort and joy in a world that he knows can be painful and difficult. Making hopeful and joyful films is a calling and a distraction, it's aspirational.
It's why we get memes like this-
He's also exactly the embodiment of this-





















