Through Oricon, Suzuki held a press conference in Tokyo, revealing Miyazaki's reaction to The Boy and the Heron's Oscar win. Suzuki said he met with Miyazaki, who said, "As a Japanese boy, I shouldn't show my happy face." Suzuki then added, "But he was smiling. He was so happy. Everyone was happy." He was excited. He tried hard to suppress his feelings, saying, "I don't care," but I could sense that he really wanted to. I was still nervous. I said, "Congratulations," and he said, "Congratulations to you, too."
Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki: Decided Not to Publicly Announce Retirement in the Future
Suzuki also revealed official comments from Miyazaki that highlight the director's regret over announcing his retirement after The Wind Rises. Miyazaki knew he wanted to make another film, but pretended not to. At the time, he said, "It's really ugly, but I want to make another film." Suzuki added, "When he was saying, 'I'm not going to show myself to the world anymore,' I think that's what he really felt. But that wasn't what he really felt."
Fans had already suspected that Miyazaki was hiding his excitement about The Boy and the Heron's prospects for an Oscar. In a clip featuring Miyazaki and Suzuki on the Oscars YouTube channel, the most excited part between the pair came when Miyazaki was more pessimistic. Miyazaki commented, "I thought it would never end." Suzuki added, "But it did," prompting Miyazaki to laugh, "Yes, because the money kept coming in." Miyazaki also added, "I'm glad I made it to the end." All that remains now is my exhausted self."
Given that Suzuki has previously stated that Miyazaki is already planning his next film, along with his stance that he will not publicly announce his retirement again, the message to Ghibli fans hoping for another film is "Don't say I'll never finish." Meanwhile, The Boy and the Heron will return to theaters after its Oscar win, where fans can enjoy what is considered one of Miyazaki's finest performances.
