protection of innocence

His films consistently explore the vulnerability of childhood and the threats to innocence in a corrupted world, as seen in Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle.

He repeatedly examines how innocence confronts darkness and cruelty, particularly through child protagonists navigating fantastical worlds tinged with danger and loss.

His films like Grave of the Fireflies and Only Yesterday meditate on how innocence is destroyed by war, time, and the harsh realities of human existence.