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Legendary director Hayao Miyazaki rarely gives praise to anime that Studio Ghibli is not directly responsible for, which is why it’s so surprising to see an iconic ’90s anime with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes earn the famous curmudgeon’s respect. While Miyazaki may be infamous for his grumpy persona, even he had high praise for the iconic work of a close friend.
In a clip from the documentary Hideaki Anno: The Final Challenge of Evangelion posted to Retro Crush’s Youtube Channel, Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno’s tryout for the lead role in Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises is shown. During the clip, Miyazaki speaks about first meeting Anno and what it was like working with him. After a clip from The Wind Rises is shown, Miyazaki mentions a conversation he had with Anno that ended with the Ghibli director proclaiming, “Eva’s not done yet? Hurry up and finish it!”
Hayao Miyazaki Demanding Evangelion’s Completion Is A High Compliment
The Director Rarely Offers Such Praise
It’s not immediately clear from the context provided in the clip when Miyazaki and Anno’s conversation about Evangelion took place. While it could have well been when the original series was in production, it seems more likely, given the subject of the documentary the clip is from, that Miyazaki’s comment came after learning that Anno planned to continue his famous franchise with the Rebuild of Evangelion film series.
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Regardless of when Miyazaki told Anno to finish Evangelion, it is undeniably high praise. Though Miyazaki never said anime was a mistake, he is often very critical of the industry. Given this, Miyazaki demanding Anno finish Evangelion is just about the highest compliment any non-Ghibli animator can get from the world’s most famous anime director. Anno himself might might have said that Evangelion is pretentious, but Miyazaki clearly sees a spark there.
Miyazaki And Anno’s Friendship Stretches Far Back
Anno Actually Worked For Ghibli
Though it may surprise some due to the stark difference in their work, Anno actually worked under Miyazaki on Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind as an animator. That work clearly inspired Anno, as the design for the God Warriors looks to have inspired the iconic mechs at the heart of Evangelion.
Anno voiced Jiro in 2014’s The Wind Rises, a project that was very personal to the Ghibli director.
Miyazaki actually details his first meeting with Anno in the clip. Though Miyazaki is quick to call Anno out on things like his strange fashion sense or the fact that he didn’t bathe when the two first met, it’s clear that their friendship runs deep. Studio Ghibli even helped out with animations on Evangelion, so Miyazaki and the other Ghibli heads obviously had some respect for the project. Evangelion is clearly a labor of passion from Anno, so it must have been gratifying to hear Hayao Miyazaki be so hungry for its conclusion. The 100% on Rotten Tomatoes is just icing on the cake.
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