Hayao Megagenius

Just finished watching (re-watching) Spirited Away in English this time and totally loved it! The creator Hayao Miyazaki always (correct me if I am wrong?) bases his cartoons in summer when the skies are blue and everything is green. I have never seen a non-summer movie of his. There is always a breeze causing the tall grasses to wave so you get that really nice its-a-good-day-for-a-picnic feeling. Having been fortunate enough to visit the Japanese Alps in summer I know the smells and the cicada sounds he never fails to put into his movies.

I notice he also likes wooden houses. Old wooden houses that are a bit shabby but nevertheless have a homely feel about them. There's always a bit of wistfulness in his movies. The guy does not always get the girl. The girl is not always beautiful. More likely than not she's a skinny pumpkin-head with an attitude. The man is an artist of the highest caliber!