Hayao Miyazaki is retiring after his next film, The Wind Rises

Hayao Miyazaki, a major force in modern anime is retiring following his new film, the Wind Rises.
I am honestly not the biggest fan of his work, but am a fan of what he inspired. Although his works are kid friendly, they also sure the dark side of human nature a la a Terrence Malick film:

• War: like in Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind, Princess Mononoke and a Thin Red Line
• Nature, depicting war, and acts of violence as well as thing such as consuming things. This is especially important in post modern times, when media is constantly telling us to eat, buy and drink, with reckless effects on nature. Japanese artists are so great at this type of storytelling, as seen in the similar more quiet black and white bleakness depicted in Kaneto Shindo's Naked Island.

My favorite Hayao Miyazaki film is Nausicaa Valley of the Wind. It inspired the favorite that most people have of Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, has great characters, brave, female and powerful, living in a dark society. It almost reminds me of a Kenji Mizoguchi film, except not as dark. This year is approximately the 25th anniversary of the film.

The Wind Rises can be seen at the New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center.