Thread by @the_stevem

"Why does Ghibli food look so good!!"🤩
Okay, but Has anyone actually tried to answer this question legitimately? 🧵

Let's start at the top, Hayao Miyazaki is a Tokyo foodie,
In his book Starting Point he talks about downtown food culture.

During that period in Japan, was defined by the post war Scarcity, Miyazaki was less affected by the scarcity, coming from a middle class family, he’d go on to have a particular interest in European culture and its food.

Which came into play at his first job at Toei, where they’d animate European literature. Food was used in those movies to emphasize the slapstick comedy, akin to American golden age cartoons. (Animal Treasure Island 1971.)

The genesis of Ghibli’s food cuts appear in Go Panda Go,
A short film from the mind of Miyazaki. Still with a dash of comedy, but we now focus on the cooking.

Yet it really comes into its own in next year's Heidi a Girl of the Alps. With an eclectic selection pushing the limits of tv anime in its time. A real highlight is episode 2.

While the first food cut, it shows the simple pleasures of eating a good meal as it draws out the processes every step, leaving Heidi enthusiasm in the end all the more gratifying.

One inbetweener on the production would later say that this scene would be a defining reason that natural cheese took root in Japan. (most of which is imported)

But like with any animation production, Miyazaki can’t take all the credit for either work. As both were directed by Isao Takahata, while Miyazaki helped board episode two, his primary role was the layouts.

Until he leaves Takahata to become his own director, in which we see a split in how both Ghibli founders approach food. Both of the directors had an impact on each other, but Takahata felt he needed to move away and do something different.

Takahata's approach comes from his background, not an artist but a graduate of French literature.

When asked of the difference between the two Ghiblis animation director Kitaro Kosaka said “Takahata's work is mainly founded on intellect, on rationality. Miyazaki, on the contrary, relies on a sensuality, a sensibility.”

Takahata’s work Captures a documentary style, where “realism” is the goal.

Eating is the central concern of his first animated movie at the studio, Grave of the fireflies.

As the War wages on Disparity is all around, the rationing becomes thinner by the day.
It’s a film of extremes. The quality of meals also varies.

As the author relayed in an interview, A stolen tomato would help you claw out of the jaws of death, bringing you a kind vibrancy that comes from said contrast.

On the other side, Miyazaki's food cuts are consistent.
Cartoony, playing with the idea of the motion,
They're bolder, with Exaggeration not present in Takahata’s, a "better than reality" mentality.

“We didn’t really use any references…and Miyazaki especially would have hated it if we’d done that. Use imagination, not research material, that’s what he would say. “ Takashi Nakamura (animator)
It's a lot easier when you have a photographic memory like the director I'm sure.

The perfect outcome even in these simple dishes,
like I can't even cut bread straight. Like Lupita what the fuck, showing me up like this.

And if you've ever seen a real Haddock pie, you understand that even when recreating it for Ghibli's own exhibition they couldn't really compare.

And don't forget about the reactions,
How do these people eat their food?

That's A shared aspect for both of them where their philosophies connect.
Despite Takahata’s movies changing over time,

‘Food that is still warm, that looks soft and tender, with the wonderful flavour showing on the faces of those eating it—these scenes of meals are appealing and charming. No dialogue is needed to convey deliciousness and happiness’ - Goro Miyazaki.

So in here they're stating how food helps build the world and culture of the story, that it says a lot about where you're from without having to say a word.

But forget all that Toshio Suzuki is here!!!
When People have asked Ghibli the real reason the food looks so delicious, this man has came to the rescue.
“It’s because it’s all food that Miyazaki himself has actually made.”

While many outlets ran with this, Toshio Suzuki is not always a trustworthy source as his priority is to put an emphasis on Miyazaki, but what about all the movies he didn't make at the studio, which still feature food.
Miyazaki isn't the only one who cooks at the studio either.

And it also negates the effort of many animators who have worked alongside Ghibli on its animated meals.
Like Atsuko Tanaka, Her work Going back to Miyazaki's first film Castle of Cagliostro, people eating food became a speciality of hers.

Her most famous might be Howl's moving castle’s breakfast scene.

It Varies the timing of each piece of the animation, the smokes sizzles slower than the hands movements, with Calcifer animating on a different pattern than Howl, speeding up Calcifer's fire just as the tempo slowed down, for a peak reaction.

As Takahata can't draw he’s reliant on his team to transfer his ideas. Especially as it further goes into these lavished cuts, when people reference GHIBLI FOOD SO Good among his works, It's usually about Only Yesterday.

With its Clinical attention to the process of preparing food, if it's the harvest or just to eat at home.
Some cuts are alleged to be animated by Makiko Futaki, known for her intricate foliage shots at the studio.

That's not to say it isn't important to Miyazaki especially when training newcomers at the studio you see how particular he is.

However it's not really on the animators alone
There’s several other departments who are instrumental.
Such as the colouring department, the rendering of food brings a lot of its appeal.

Anyway that's all you'll be getting for now.
Stay tuned for when I turn this into a full video because there's even more to talk about !

Sources
docs.google.com/document/d/1rd…