Far beyond the obvious: complexity and narrative perspectives in Hayao Miyazaki’s anime films

Abstract This study explores how ecological and cultural complexity is addressed through the narrative structures of Hayao Miyazaki’s animated films. The paper examines how Miyazaki’s storytelling offers an alternative to the binary, reductionist frameworks that dominate Western narrative traditions. The analysis is grounded in theoretical approaches from systems theory, ecocriticism, and narratology. The paper argues that Miyazaki’s works treat complexity not as a burden but as a value, replacing oppositions such as “good–evil” or “human–nature” with open, relational narratives. Through close readings of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind , Howl’s Moving Castle , and Spirited Away , the author demonstrates how these films challenge anthropocentric and dominative positions. Miyazaki’s narratives invite multiple perspectives and emphasize care, reciprocity, and interconnectedness. The study concludes that these narrative strategies can foster ecological awareness and provide models for envisioning sustainable futures, positioning popular culture as a potential space for revising entrenched civilizational discourses.