Miyazaki wrote an introductory essay for one of her own publications in 1989 (published in English as ‘About Futaki-san’ in ‘Starting Point’).
‘Makiko Futaki-san is an important member of our animation staff’ is the opening line, and Miyazaki goes on to give a detailed recollection of some of the scenes she had worked on at Ghibli (including the pigeon feeding scene in Laputa, the meeting of Mei and Totoro, and the opening scene from Kiki, up on the hill). He praises her immense skill and sense of tactility.
‘There was no need to tell her anything more than “I leave it up to you.”’
‘Futaki-san is a strange person who often picks up wounded birds and lost chicks. Each time she throws aside her work to try and revive them, mostly to no avail. In Nausicaä … I’m sure her pain from these experiences allowed her to render the baby ohmu’s expression not just visually, but emotionally. She must have been able to feel the tough shell of the baby ohmu against Nausicaä’s body, even its temperature. I think the excellence of Futaki-san’s animation lies in her effort to express not only the visual but also the tactile effect. The imbalance of her sensibility - her strong caring and keen observation powers for creatures other than human - can be seen as both her strength and weakness. But there is no mistaking that for our films these qualities make her a valuable asset.’
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