Grab a slice of birthday cake to celebrate our favorite anime director.

January 5th is the 71st birthday of Hayao Miyazaki – writer, animator and director working in the industry for over 50 years.

Miyazaki began working in 1961 as an in-betweener for Toei Animation.  He established his own studio, Studio Ghibli, in 1985 where he produced most of his best-known work: Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away (for which he won the 2003 Oscar for Best Animated Feature).

But here at Curio & Co., our favorite has to be Miyazaki’s work on Lupin III.  Miyazaki directed half of the episodes of the first season of the animated series (the “green jacket” season), and two episodes of the second “red jacket” season.  Miyazaki also wrote and directed the best known of the Lupin III feature films, The Castle of Cagliostro, released in 1979.

Of all the versions of Lupin III that have been done, Miyazaki’s drawings and storytelling in The Castle of Cagliostro capture the heart of the character best, and really do justice to Lupin.  Why not re-watch the film and see for yourself?