Studio Ghibli co-founder and producer Toshio Suzuki says Hayao Miyazaki sees Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba as his current “rival.”
During an appearance on Fuji TV’s Bokura no Jidai talk show, Suzuki recalled the discussion he had with Miyazaki about the success of the Demon Slayer movie Mugen Train, which claimed the all-time Japanese box office record previously held by Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. “So [Miyazaki] says to me, ‘It seems like Kimetsu is a big hit.’ I haven’t actually seen the anime, or read the manga it’s based on, but I’ve heard about it from other people, so I gave him [Miyazaki] a basic overview of it, and he said [nodding solemnly], ‘Yeah, an anime like that’ll be a success.’”
Click the button below to start this article in quick view.
Suzuki quoted Miyazaki as saying, “Well, you know, to me, Demon Slayer is my rival.” This private comment contrasts with Miyazaki’s previous public statements to reporters who asked him about Demon Slayer‘s box office last fall, in which he said losing Spirited Away‘s box office record “isn’t worth worrying about” because “there’s always inflation in the world.” Miyazaki’s stance on Demon Slayer as relayed by Suzuki mirrors Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino’s comments about wanting his next anime to “crush” the success of Demon Slayer and Evangelion.
It sounds like Miyazaki has not watched Demon Slayer himself, which is not really surprising. The acclaimed director regularly notes that he doesn’t keep up with contemporary movies or TV, focusing instead on the production of his own movies along with various other “retirement” activities (Miyazaki has described himself as “retired” since the release of The Wind Rises in 2013, though he’s since returned to filmmaking at Studio Ghibli). When Miyazaki does comment publicly on popular culture, he usually does so through a highly negative critical lens, especially in regards to anime fandom. When he says “an anime like that’ll be a success,” it’s hard to tell whether he means that as a compliment or a cynical rejection of what’s popular.
Demon Slayer: Mugen Train is currently playing in theaters and will be released digitally on June 22. Hayao Miyazaki’s next film, How Do You Live?, is halfway finished and expected to be released in 2024.
Source: SoraNews24
About The Author
