Hayao Miyazaki’s Mythic Poetics: Experiencing the Narrative Persuasions in Spirited Away,Howl’s Moving Castle and Ponyo

Abstract

Some of Miyazaki’s mythic narratives, rendered within dreamlike figurations, are certainly not detached fantasy. The director portrays relatable human actions and a reasonable amount of setbacks during the (heroic) spectating process. Miyazaki’s animated realm infuses the audience with a bright outlook for the future. His narratives are often based upon graphical details and a calculated emplotment. The present study proposes reading Miyazaki’s animated tales by means of the audience’s internal projection onto the signs in the film frame. In this article, the narrative highlights that render Spirited Away (2001) an archetypal quest will be discussed. Finally, the article examines the narrative oscillation in Ponyo (2008). Alluding to Gaston Bachelard’s phenomenological perspective, the study aims to look into the textual aspects of the three cases, demonstrates how Miyazaki renders the film frame to exert persuasive impact upon the audience, and describes Hayao Miyazaki’s persuasive artistry.