The Japanese director and designer released two of his works on Wednesday, November 1. In addition to his new animated film, Hayao Miyazaki is also releasing a watercolor album called “Shuna’s Journey”.
A new Hayao Miyazaki may hide another. During his final animation boy and heron It comes out in cinemas on Wednesday.One of the rare paper publications reaches French bookstores on the same day. Her name : Shuna’s JourneyDated 1983 but never translated. Actually, this is not a manga, but a picture book.
Finally enough to answer the demand of French readers. “We are often asked for something that doesn’t exist, namely the Totoro manga. David Birbes, who runs the Manga Story store in Paris, explains: “When people discover Miyazaki and want to delve deeper, we may be asked for the Nausicaä book.” the bookstore explains.
Only two books by Miyazaki have been published
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind It is Miyazaki’s only manga published so far. Rarity creates value, Shuna’s JourneyReleased in Japan 40 years ago, it will undoubtedly please fans in need. “As soon as his second feature film became a success, he stopped telling stories in book form altogether. says Frédéric Lavabre, editor-in-chief of Sarbacane, the publishing house that publishes Miyazaki’s works in French. The interesting thing about this book is that it is actually Miyazaki’s last book. There will be no one else.”
It is a unique work in which we find that the Japanese director’s universe, which starts from humanity’s relationship with nature, is widely evoked. Princess Mononoke. This time, there is a prince named Shuna who, despite the drought, goes in search of magical grains that can save his people from famine. The key is to encounter fantastical creatures and traverse wide open spaces. It is entirely painted in watercolor, which offers a different perspective on the Japanese artist’s drawings.
“We are lucky that the entire album is in watercolor, we discover a different Miyazaki”
Frédéric Lavabreon franceinfo
“It’s much softer than what we see on the screen because it’s not the same techniques, it’s not the same printing methods. And as a result, we discover a different Miyazaki.”“, explains Frédéric Lavabre.
The story is beautiful and magnificent images. “This book takes all the liberties, so it is also a picture book, but there are also comics, children’s books, novels. It is a completely unique book, true to the Miyazaki image”, He went on to the editor-in-chief and won. This will be the publisher’s largest circulation in its 20-year existence.
Bookseller David Birbes says he is confident that the artist can be trusted outside the cinema as well. “The more Miyazakis there are, the better. Given the current political climate, it’s nice to have a new Miyazaki with all the messages he delivers every time of peace, to take a step back from humanity and “study ecology for 10 years” – Next to 77-year-old grandfather order”, he assures. Hayao Miyazaki is 82 years old and continues to cling to modernity.
