"Well, it's like this." Aoki Haruhi seemed to realize that asking that was indeed a bit rude, so he quickly apologized and then explained the reason to Hayao Miyazaki.
"Actually, I am Furuhara Tsubaki."
Aoki Haruhi leaned in and whispered into Hayao Miyazaki's ear.
"Huh?"
Hayao Miyazaki was a little surprised, but not that surprised.
Mainly, he had only heard about Furuhara Tsubaki's deeds from Toshio Suzuki, but he didn't know much about this Author's previous works. The only thing he knew was that the game, Your Name, was indeed very good, exceeding Hayao Miyazaki's imagination and understanding of game.
However, this made him appreciate Aoki Haruhi even more.
"So, Your Name was produced by you?"
"Hmm." Aoki Haruhi nodded in distress, "Senior, please keep it a secret for me."
"I really like this game." Hayao Miyazaki didn't hide his liking at all, "The art style is exquisite and particularly pleasing to the eye."
"Thank you, Senior Miyazaki," Aoki Haruhi put his hands together, "Before, I didn't want to continue making game as Furuhara Tsubaki. At the same Time, I wanted to make way for the younger generation, which is why I announced my retirement. Now that there aren't enough Producer, I might need to use Furuhara Tsubaki again, so I'm somewhat apprehensive.
I wanted to ask you how you handled it."
Oh, so that's it.
Hayao Miyazaki understood immediately.
He glanced at Aoki Haruhi and smiled meaningfully.
Goodness, you're so young and already talking about making way for the younger generation, so what about me, a middle-aged man in his 50s?
But then again… thinking about it carefully, it's really a coincidence. Aoki Haruhi actually has the same experience as him.
Thinking about it this way, he felt even more that fate was wonderful.
"I see… Coming out of retirement after retiring is indeed a very interesting question."
Hayao Miyazaki leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and scratched the silver hair at the back of his head with his right hand.
He instinctively wanted to light a cigarette, but then suddenly remembered that this was a shop, a non-smoking area.
Aoki Haruhi immediately reacted and said with a smile, "Senior, how about we talk outside?"
He put his index and middle fingers to his lips and gestured.
Hayao Miyazaki chuckled.
…
After finishing dessert, the two found a smoking room on the street, sat down, smoked, and continued chatting for a while.
"Every Time I retired, I was serious."
Hayao Miyazaki took a puff of his cigarette, recalling his feelings at the Time, and couldn't help but smile.
"When I finished castle in the sky, I felt that this was probably the peak of my life." Hayao Miyazaki looked back at Aoki Haruhi and said, "My thoughts are similar to yours, though the reasons might be different. When I finished castle in the sky, I was 45 years old.
I thought, it's about Time to make space for the younger generation.
And for us comic Author, retiring at the peak of our lives might be the best outcome.
According to my thinking at the Time, I didn't want to go downhill later due to lack of physical strength or creativity, and finally withdraw due to dismal results.
That would be too embarrassing."
Aoki Haruhi listened silently, looking at the expression on the old man's face, knowing that he was speaking very seriously.
Sometimes, it takes great courage for people to retreat bravely when they are at their peak.
"To be able to say he was retiring after castle in the sky, Senior Miyazaki is truly amazing." Aoki Haruhi sighed.
Looking at China's thousands of years of history, there are few who can truly achieve success and then retreat.
Hayao Miyazaki smiled calmly, "Regarding my comeback later… I actually don't want to say it was for Ghibli, or for the audience, although there was a part of that reason in it."
"I also get troubled, wondering if this Time still needs Hayao Miyazaki, if Hayao Miyazaki's new works will still be watched, if they can surpass previous works. These things actually put invisible pressure on you."
"But after retiring, there's a small flame inside, and it burns up, then transforms into a powerful force, pulling you out of bed and pushing you forward."
"The ideas constantly born in my mind, if I don't draw them, I can't stand it."
"Perhaps this is my flaw."
"Based on these, I then produced Totoro and porco rosso."
When Hayao Miyazaki said this, his face was filled with a childlike smile.
This is probably the pure passion and dedication of a true animator for animation.
When Aoki Haruhi saw his expression, he only felt that a guy like himself, a half-baked person with no talent who became the president of a game company, was really trash.
He probably could never understand what it felt like to be unable to bear not drawing the ideas in his mind.
"After porco rosso, I felt that everything I wanted to express had been expressed. I seemed to have no regrets in my life, so I told the media, 'My animation career has ended,'" Hayao Miyazaki shook his head and smiled bitterly, then held the cigarette and tapped his head with his hand.
"It's still this. Constantly emerging ideas, many novel things, the desire to express, it's like a magical power residing in my head. If I don't release it, it will accumulate more and more, and finally fill my entire brain, like seawater about to overflow.
So…"
Hayao Miyazaki smiled awkwardly, "I've recently started working on a new animation again."
"Ah? Really?"
Although Aoki Haruhi already knew what this animation was called, he still feigned surprise and cooperated with the act, "That's wonderful. It's truly a blessing to be able to continue seeing your future works."
"No, no." Hayao Miyazaki waved his hand with a smile, "It's still hard to say what the actual result will be. It's possible that audiences might scold me to death.
But I am exploring the answers I want to find in my own unique way."
"Then have you found it?"
Aoki Haruhi asked tentatively.
He knew that the animation Hayao Miyazaki was about to produce was princess mononoke, which explored the ultimate question of man and nature, but he still wanted to ask the person involved about his views and mental journey.
Hayao Miyazaki froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"No."
Aoki Haruhi also laughed along.
He looked back at Senior Miyazaki, who had two dimples on his smooth cheeks, looking somewhat cute and somewhat comical.
It's wonderful to be able to chat with such a senior.
"You should grow your beard back."
"Eh?"
Hayao Miyazaki touched the stubble on his chin and laughed amiably, "Won't it look messy?"
"Not at all. Messiness has nothing to do with beards."
"It makes you seem more approachable." Aoki Haruhi said.
"Haha, really?"
…
"In short," Hayao Miyazaki said, "Just be sincere. Don't overthink it.
If you really want to retire, then retire.
If you have to make a comeback, then do it according to your own ideas.
Because life is your own choice."
Hmm.
Aoki Haruhi nodded.
He felt like he had learned a lot again.
However, with such a good teacher at Ghibli, why is there no successor? Aoki Haruhi really couldn't understand this point.
Oh no, Hideaki Anno should be considered Hayao Miyazaki's proud student, but unfortunately, this guy doesn't work at Ghibli.
Sometimes, students also need talent.
At least Aoki Haruhi felt that he wasn't quite there yet.
The reason he can still hold his own now is mainly due to his foresight of the future, which is equivalent to copying many great masters' ideas. But to truly let him independently create works that rival the gods, he seems to be missing something.
…
"Oh, right."
Just then, Hayao Miyazaki's voice came from beside him.
Since the topic had come to this point, and the atmosphere was good, Hayao Miyazaki shamelessly spoke, "There's one thing I've thought about for a long Time, and I'd like to take this opportunity today to ask a favor of Aoki-san."
"Hmm?"
"It's like this," Hayao Miyazaki said with a smile, "To be honest, we are currently producing a new animated film, but I would like to ask Pokeni Co., Ltd. to turn it into a game."
"Huh?!"
Aoki Haruhi was completely stunned.
What?!
Hayao Miyazaki wants us to make princess mononoke into a game?
This is simply…
It was completely beyond his expectation, something he hadn't even dreamt of.
How could Hayao Miyazaki authorize an animation to others to make into a game?!
And it's princess mononoke!
In Aoki Haruhi's perception, this was almost impossible.
"Well, this is the result of discussions between Suzuki-san and me, but we haven't made up our minds yet." Hayao Miyazaki smiled, "We will finish the storyboard script for the new animation as soon as possible and then give it to Pokeni Co., Ltd.. At that Time, please make your decision."
"Okay, okay." Aoki Haruhi took a deep breath, still not having fully recovered.
Although he really wanted to agree right now, he felt it wasn't formal enough. Since it involved cooperation between two companies, it was naturally better to follow the proper procedures.
"Um… Actually, we also have something we'd like to ask Senior Miyazaki."
Since that was the case, Aoki Haruhi also wanted to reciprocate.
"Hmm?" Old man Hayao Miyazaki was also stunned.
Goodness, what is this between us?
Telepathy?
In the game, LIFE-LINE, there is a plot where strong original art is needed, because the daughter's setting is that she can create amazing paintings, thereby gaining people's admiration.
Aoki Haruhi tried several Times himself, but still couldn't find a style he was satisfied with.
But if it were Hayao Miyazaki, it might have a very strong expressive effect.
So for the game, LL, Aoki Haruhi wanted to ask Hayao Miyazaki to draw several very important illustrations for it.
…
A week later, Hayao Miyazaki arrived at Pokeni Co., Ltd. with the initial storyboard and script for princess mononoke.
Aoki Haruhi gave him a warm reception.
Shinji Mikami, who was engrossed in work and discussing heatedly with his colleagues, suddenly found the surroundings quiet.
He looked back and saw the President leading a silver-haired, bearded man and a thin old man into the meeting room.
Following closely behind were Ishino Mika, the new project leader, Akanishi Ken, the program director, and Sakata Taiji, the art director…
"Wow, I didn't see wrong, did I? Was that Master Miyazaki Hayao who just passed by?"
"Really?!"
"Really, it's really Hayao Miyazaki!"
"Why would Hayao Miyazaki come here? Is he going to make a game?"
"Nani?! Really, how is this possible?!"
Everyone's first reaction was, how is this possible?
After all, Hayao Miyazaki's previous impression was that he disliked game, so why would he suddenly come to Pokeni Co., Ltd. now?
"Could it be that he wants to animate a game?"
"Ghibli? Animate our game? Is this possible?" Everyone had question marks on their faces.
Although this explanation seemed more plausible than collaborating on a game, it was also hard for everyone to imagine Ghibli producing animation for others.
"Which game caught their eye? Your Name? Or Quilt Man?"
"Both of these game have great potential for animation, but hasn't Ghibli always followed an original route? You know, this is Hayao Miyazaki. He can't even produce all of his own ideas, so why would he think of taking on others' works?"
"Yeah… Unbelievable."
"Actually," just then, Xiao HR Ayase Akane, as one of the few people who knew the inside story, whispered, "From what I understand, the President wants to ask Master Miyazaki Hayao to draw a few original illustrations for the new game."
As for the cooperative game part, since Ayase Akane herself was unaware, she didn't mention it.
"Nani?!"
A single stone stirred up a thousand waves.
Everyone found this answer even more incredible.
"Hayao Miyazaki as our Lead Animator? Is this possible?"
"Don't ask me, my brain has stopped working."
"It's just original art design, not a Lead Animator. It's more like a friendly favor." Ayase Akane said.
"Isn't that all the same thing?"
"Scary, our President is too scary. How did he do it?"
"Exactly, completely incomprehensible. This is beyond my imagination."
…
In the meeting room, the negotiations between Ghibli and Pokeni Co., Ltd. executives were exceptionally relaxed and efficient.
Although Aoki Haruhi hadn't seen Ghibli's new storyboard, after confirming it was princess mononoke, a huge weight was lifted from his heart.
He was too familiar with princess mononoke. He had watched this animated film at least three Times himself, and each Time he watched it, he had different insights. In his mind, princess mononoke was one of Hayao Miyazaki's peak works.
Its profound meaning, grand momentum, and neutral narrative style presented the audience with the most primitive power of life.
Moreover, this animation was simply too easy to adapt into a game.
Especially real-Time combat game.
The actions of the male and female protagonists were already very fluid in the film, especially the scene where princess mononoke rides on the wolf's back and charges forward, which was incredibly cool.
Even now, Aoki Haruhi recalls it vividly, and the impression is undeniably profound.
If adapted into an action game, it would definitely have a strong combat effect. Aoki Haruhi even lacked full confidence that he could fully convey the momentum expressed in the film.
Thinking of this, Aoki Haruhi couldn't help but feel a little regretful—
If it were ten years later, it would be great. Current game hardware hasn't developed yet. If it were 10 years later, he believed he could make the princess mononoke game even better.
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