Yeah, I read this book on accident.
Sort of. See, I was in the mood to look at some good art books, and the drawings of Hayao Miyazaki, filmmaker best known for Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, are among my favorites. So I saw this book in the library catalog and thought I'd put it on hold, just so I'd have some pretty pictures to look at. Then the book arrived, and there's not a single illustration in the whole thing.
How can you have a book called The Anime Art of Hayao Miyazaki without a single picture in it?
Well, I decided to read through the book anyway, as it appeared to be a rather scholarly approach to the films directed by Hayao Miyazaki. And scholarly it was! I'd never even heard the word "concomitantly" before, and the author uses it at least a dozen times throughout the text.
I've often wondered what a scholarly approach to pop culture would really look like. It's not something I've ever really thought to research, though. I must say that the scholarly approach to Miyazaki's films actually makes me appreciate them a whole lot more - even Howl's Moving Castle, which I've recently started to look down on despite the fact that it's the film that introduced me to Miyazaki.
I think the title is something of a misnomer. While the book certainly dedicates most of its time to discussing Miyazaki's work, there's a lot of space devoted to the works of other prominent directors from Studio Ghibli. I guess "Studio Ghibli" wouldn't move as many books as "Hayao Miyazaki."
The only section here I could see appealing to people not absurdly obsessed with fine foreign animation is a brief chapter detailing the sort of "bromance" between Hayao Miyazaki and John Lasseter of Pixar. It's a pretty cool little story. Otherwise, this one's for hardcore fans only.
I don't think I can sully my fingers by typing the word "otaku."
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