[Commlist] New book: The Many Worlds of Takahata Isao

Announcing a new publication from the University of Hawai'i Press :


*The Many Worlds of Takahata Isao*

*Edited by Lindsay Coleman, Rayna Denison& David Desser *

https://mngbookshop.co.uk/9798880701032/the-many-worlds-of-takahata-isao/ 
<https://mngbookshop.co.uk/9798880701032/the-many-worlds-of-takahata-isao/>

*_
_*

*20% Discount code*: LSFMNGUP*

*Valid until 11:59 GMT, 30^th  June 2027. Discount only applies to the 
MNG website.

"This book brings together key writers on Japanese animation to make an 
excellent case for the need to pay closer attention to Takahata as a 
director and writer, public intellectual and educator. The chapters 
situate him within the context of Japanese animation history and explore 
in detail key themes of environmental awareness, nostalgia, and civilian 
wartime experiences, as well as Takahata’s unique approaches to 
animation itself." - Lori Morimoto, University of Virginia

Takahata Isao (1935–2018), often referred to as the "Second Pillar" of 
the renowned Studio Ghibli, is one of the most esteemed animation 
directors in the history of the form. He is also the first, and thus far 
the only, anime director to have a solo exhibition at the prestigious 
National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo and was widely recognized for his 
advocacy of environmental and pacifist causes. Takahata’s distinctive 
vision and range and diverse contributions in both television and film 
have left an enduring mark on the genre, earning him a place of high 
regard among anime enthusiasts and scholars alike.

/The Many Worlds of Takahata Isao/ is the first English-language book 
dedicated to exploring lesser-known works and aspects of Takahata’s 
career and providing in-depth analyses of the films that garnered him 
international acclaim. Bringing together some of the foremost 
authorities on anime, it examines his pioneering television work on 
/World Masterpiece Theater/ and its precursors (1974–1979) and /Chie the 
Brat/ (1981–1983), as well as his directorial feature film debut /Horus, 
Prince of the Sun/ (1968) and the documentary /The Story of Yanagawa’s 
Waterways/ (1987), which combines live-action and animation. The book 
delves into Takahata’s best-known films, including /Grave of the 
Fireflies/ (1988), the intensely moving story of children caught in the 
fire-bombing of Japan during World War II; the endearing, "Ozu-esque" 
/Only Yesterday/ (1991); /Pom Poko/ (1994), known not only for its humor 
and striking visual effects, but also for its sharp critique of 
ecological and cultural loss; the stylistically innovative /My Neighbors 
the Yamadas /(1999); and Takahata’s final feature, /The Tale of Princess 
Kaguya/ (2013), celebrated by many as a masterpiece of animation and 
storytelling.

*Lindsay Coleman* is an educator and academic who has edited numerous 
books on film, including Killers, Clients, and Kindred Spirits: The 
Taboo Cinema of Shohei Imamura.


*Rayna Denison* is professor of film and digital arts at the University 
of Bristol.


*David Desser* is emeritus professor of cinema studies and comparative 
and world literatures and East Asian languages and cultures at the 
University of Illinois.

*University of Hawai'i Press | 31 August 2026 | 264pp | 
9798880701032 | PB | £22.99**

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