Arguably Miyazaki’s most important collaboration is his partnership with Isao Takahata, whom he long considered to be a mentor. This relationship not only gave us some of the greatest works of animation of the past 50 years, but also directly resulted in the creation of Studio Ghibli — not to mention it directly informed Miyazaki’s latest movie, “The Boy and The Heron.”
In the ’70s, Takahata brought Miyazaki along on many of his productions, helming some of the most influential and celebrated anime TV shows of the decade. Sadly, many of these works were never broadcast in the U.S., although they became immensely popular everywhere (from Latin America all the way to the Middle East).
Titles like “Heidi, Girl of the Alps,” “Anne of Green Gables,” and “3000 Leagues in Search of Mother” loosely adapted works of literature and were part of a push by Nippon Animation to make children’s shows based on books. Miyazaki contributed scene designs and layouts in addition to writing several episodes of these series, although they were mostly Takahata’s handiwork. Still, these ventures cemented a creative partnership that resulted in the founding of Ghibli.
These shows also have early hints of the Ghibli hallmarts that Miyazaki would return to time and time again. The character designs are simultaneously cartoonishly childish yet grounded and realistic, while the shows’ character animation and the way characters run are reminiscent of Miyazaki’s later work. There is also the combination of a child-like sense of wonder and a dark, dangerous world that constantly challenges the protagonist. This is where Miyazaki’s career as a writer begins properly.