Miyazaki's Lost Film Could Have Changed Animation Forever
Before Studio Ghibli became a household name, Hayao Miyazaki walked away from a collaboration so explosive it might have rewritten anime history. The project called 'Anchor' died in a single meeting.
Long before Studio Ghibli captured hearts worldwide, Hayao Miyazaki abandoned a project that could have transformed the entire animation landscape. The film, known only as 'Anchor,' never made it past a single planning session, yet its failure reveals more about Miyazaki's unwavering creative vision than any completed work ever could.
This wasn't a case of budget cuts or scheduling conflicts. According to director Mamoru Oshii, the project collapsed because three of anime's most influential creators discovered they spoke completely different artistic languages. What happened in that room would shape the future of Japanese animation in ways nobody could have predicted.
The Dream Team That Never Was
The mid-1980s represented a golden period of creative chaos in Japanese animation. Miyazaki had just finished 'Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,' proving that animated films could tackle serious themes like environmental destruction and political conflict without losing their emotional core. Meanwhile, Isao Takahata was developing his signature realistic storytelling approach, and Oshii had just released 'Angel's Egg,' a haunting work filled with religious symbolism that still puzzles viewers today.
In 1985, these three visionaries came together for what should have been a groundbreaking collaboration. Oshii was set to direct, while Miyazaki and Takahata would serve as producers on the Studio Ghibli project. For one brief moment, anime history balanced on the edge of something extraordinary.
When Creative Visions Collide
The meeting that killed 'Anchor' lasted just one night. As Oshii later recalled: 'Since Takahata-san works at the same place as Miya-san, I often meet him, and we talk from time to time. There was even a project which we three were going to do. I think it was after Angel's Egg (1985), it was a Ghibli project called Anchor. I think Miya-san was going to be the producer, I was going to be the director, and Takahata-san was going to produce too. We three got together and made a plot, but one night, we had a big fight and disagreement, and I quit.'
The clash wasn't personal—it was philosophical. Oshii approached animation as a medium for exploring spiritual ambiguity and uncomfortable silences. His work deliberately challenged audiences with unanswered questions and symbolic imagery. Miyazaki, however, believed animation should create emotional connections through movement, warmth, and hope, even when dealing with difficult subjects. Takahata occupied yet another creative space, focusing on subtle human observations grounded in realism.
The Philosophy That Ended Everything
Miyazaki's refusal to compromise his artistic principles ultimately doomed the collaboration. He has always maintained that animated films must remain emotionally accessible, regardless of their subject matter. This philosophy directly conflicted with Oshii's preference for abstract, puzzle-like narratives that leave viewers unsettled and questioning.
Oshii later joked that Studio Ghibli operated like a political system, with Miyazaki as the revolutionary leader and Takahata as the disciplined administrator. This observation highlighted a crucial truth: Ghibli's structured creative environment couldn't accommodate Oshii's experimental approach. Had 'Anchor' succeeded, Studio Ghibli might have launched with a dark, philosophical film instead of the adventurous optimism of 'Castle in the Sky.' The entire trajectory of both Ghibli and anime history could have shifted dramatically.