parental disapproval

His films repeatedly feature young protagonists rebelling against parental expectations and societal constraints to forge their own paths, most notably in Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle.

Her work explores generational conflict and maternal relationships with nuance, examining how daughters navigate independence against parental wishes in films like Lady Bird and Little Women.

He intimately portrays family fractures and the tension between children's desires and parental disapproval, examining how unconventional choices devastate and reshape family bonds in Shoplifters and Like Father, Like Son.