Isao Takahata is one of the most important and influential
animators in the history of the medium. With a career spanning six
decades, he has helped shape Japan’s domestic animation industry
and inspired audiences worldwide. A co-founder of the legendary
Studio Ghibli, Takahata has directed films such as Grave
of the Fireflies, proving that “cartoons” can be every bit as
powerful as live action cinema.
With his final movie The Tale of the Princess
Kaguya — a beautiful adaptation of a thousand-year old
Japanese fairy tale, where a bamboo cutter raises a mysterious girl
he finds in a tree — about to open in UK cinemas, WIRED.co.uk had
the pleasure of speaking with Takahata on his earliest work in the
anime industry, his evolving artistic influences, and Studio
Ghibli’s legacy.
By: Matt Kamen,
