Studio Ghibli is making plenty of headlines this year. Following the debut of its latest film, the iconic studio sparked tons of chatter recently when reports confirmed Nippon TV was acquiring Studio Ghibli. Now, the brand is making noise once again, but the discussion was sparked by director Hayao Miyazaki’s new look.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The update comes from the famed director himself as Miyazaki made a surprise appearance at the San Sebastian Film Festival. While the filmmaker was not there in person, Miyazaki did appear in a video he filmed accepting the event’s Donostia Award. It was there fans got a recent look at Miyazaki, and as you can see above, fans did not even recognize the artist.
Why is that? Well, we have a distinct lack of facial hair to thank. Miyazaki has shaved his iconic facial hair, and he is hardly recognizable without the beard.
At about 44 minutes into the video, Miyazaki is seen on screen, and the artist made everyone look twice. He is clean-shaven in this clip, but fans were able to make out the artist thanks to his usual apron outfit. Thank you to the San Sebastian Festival for this prestigious award. Right now, I am in the studio every day creating exhibitions for the Studio Ghibli Park. I hope you enjoy the film. Thank you very much,” Miyazaki shared in the acceptance video.
Of course, Miyazaki was as humble as always in this clip, but fans quickly took over social media to discuss his new look. It is rare to get video or photos of the Studio Ghibli icon, after all. We last saw the director make a public appearance in 2020 when Ghibli Park opened, and he was rocking his facial hair then. For decades, Miyazaki has worn facial hair, but fans were quick to note the director did not always rock the look. During his first years at Studio Ghibli and even beforehand, plenty of photos show Miyazaki with a clean shave, but his bearded look has been with him for a long, long time. It seems the Studio Ghibli legend felt it was time for a change, and it is working in his favor.
