The Japanese have a huge appetite for animation, as one glance at a TV or — at this time of year — a movie schedule will confirm. Much of that appetite, of course, is fed with junk: endless recyclings of superhero fantasy or schoolyard humor.

But this large potential audience, which includes legions of junior and senior high school anime fans, has given Japanese animators a creative freedom unknown to most of their American and European counterparts. Instead of catering exclusively to the very young (and their "young-at-heart" parents), they can attempt a more sophisticated storyline and treatment without worrying about confusing — or losing — their audience.

One of the most innovative of these animators is Hayao Miyazaki, who started his career with Toei Animation — the largest animation studio in Asia — more than two decades ago. In the course of that career, Miyazaki has developed a highly distinctive style that combines free-form fantasy with a meticulously observed reality. His animals talk and his children fly, but they perform these miracles in a world where windows stick and the heroine catches cold in the rain. And his artwork has a lushness and love of detail that rivals classic Disney.