A forest spirit with an umbrella, black soot sprites, a child raised by wolves, a girl whose parents were turned into pigs and a magician who gave his heart to a fire demon: a myriad of colorful, loved characters connected by Hayao Miyazaki, an Academy award-winning film director, producer, screenwriter, manga artist and one of the founders of Studio Ghibli, one of Japan’s top animation studios.

At age 22, Miyazaki began his career in animation at Toei Douga studios, in Shinjuku, Tokyo, where he was exposed to early Japanese animation. His creative drawings and film pitches always caught the attention of his peers.

Miyazaki also worked at two other studios called A Pro Studio and Tokyo Movie Shinya, where he directed a TV series called “Future Boy Conan” and a movie, “The Castle of Cagliostro.” After the successful 1984 release of “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind,” a film based on a manga he created, Miyazaki and his colleagues Yasuyoshi Tokuma,  Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki founded Studio Ghibli.

Dubbed the “Japanese Walt Disney,” Miyazaki produces movies with compelling plots, amazing visuals and beautiful character development that have captured the hearts of children and adults alike for decades. Not only do native Japanese enjoy Miyazaki’s movies, but international fans all praise the animator whose films have had an enormous impact on their lives.

“Miyazaki Fever” has even found its way to Hawaii.

Sophomore Taylor McKenzie has continuous feelings of creativity while watching Miyazaki’s Academy-award winning film “Spirited Away,” in which a girl Chihiro works in a bathhouse for spirits to save her parents.

“Every time I watch it, it inspires me to do something wonderfully creative,” said McKenzie. “Every idea suddenly seems like a better one just because my sense of magic has been restored by the movie. It’s just so incredible.”

Junior Adriana Choi, who enjoys Miyazaki’s 2011 film, “From Up on Poppy Hill,”  respects the filmmaker’s originality and inventiveness.

“Hayao Miyazaki introduces fantasy to the real world. His art style is unique and the stories he uses are mostly original and very creative,” said Choi.

Miyazaki’s films are timeless and awe-inspiring.  The sound of his name can make any fan react excitedly. Through his works, Miyazaki shows the unlimited power of  film and the impact on viewers. Although the filmmaker has retired, his movies will be enjoyed for many generations to come.

For those who have not seen a Hayao Miyazaki movie, the films “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Spirited Away,” “Princess Mononoke” and “Howl’s Moving Castle” are recommended for viewing. Ratings for his movies are often PG or PG14.