All eyes are on Hayao Miyazaki’s new film which will be released in the US soon, but fans of the director are also in for a treat. Recently, Hayao Miyazaki’s first-ever anime Yuki’s Sun was released in the US through streaming platform Mubi.
This is not Miyazaki’s first anime film. Instead, it is an animated short. What makes it significant is that it’s the first anime project that’s solely directed by Miyazaki, giving fans a glimpse at his earlier career.
Yuki’s Sun: Hayao Miyazaki’s Directorial Debut
Hayao Miyazaki needs no introduction for most anime fans. After all, he’s the co-founder of the beloved Studio Ghibli and the director of globally renowned films like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke.
Before he founded Ghibli in 1985, Miyazaki worked on lots of anime productions. His career started in 1963 with the anime Wolf Boy Ken by Toei Animation. This series was also Miyazaki’s first collaboration with Isao Takahata.
Following this series, Miyazaki worked on in-between and key animation for other titles like Sally the Witch, Moomin, and Lupin III Part I which he co-directed with Takahata.
Miyazaki’s first solo work as a director was Yuki’s Sun, a five-minute-long anime short which served as a pilot for a planned TV series.
Despite the series not getting picked up, Miyazaki continued to work on lots of anime productions, culminating in The Castle of Cagliostro – the first feature film that Miyazaki directed.
He then went on to become one of the most lauded anime directors ever as his next works have all been critically acclaimed, including his latest movie The Boy and the Heron.
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Hayao Miyazaki’s First Anime is Now Available on MUBI
Most of Miyazaki’s films for Studio Ghibli have a signature look. That’s not the case with Yuki’s Sun though as the short has a decidedly retro look because it’s a TV pilot from the 70s.
It may not be as striking as Miyazaki’s later works, but Yuki’s Sun is still worth watching for the biggest Ghibli fans, especially now that it’s available on Mubi.
Aside from the US, the anime is also available through Mubi in other countries such as Canada and India.
With Yuki’s Sun getting an official international release, the hope is that Ghibli’s lesser-known anime shorts will finally be released on streaming platforms.
These shorts include Mei and the Kittenbus, an anime short based on My Neighbor Totoro that’s screened only at the Saturn Theater in the Ghibli Museum.
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