Exploring the History of the Urban Deterioration Amulet: From Ancient Times to Modern Cities

Urban Deterioration Amulet The concept of urban deterioration amulets stems from the idea of using design and symbolism to combat the negative effects of urban decay. **These amulets serve as protective charms, warding off the impacts of urban blight and revitalizing the community.** Urban deterioration, characterized by the decline of infrastructure, neglect of public spaces, and impoverished neighborhoods, can have far-reaching consequences for the people living in affected areas. **The amulets act as talismans, instilling a sense of hope and positivity** in residents, while also serving as a catalyst for change. The design of these amulets is important, as they symbolize the unique identity and character of the neighborhood. **Symbolism plays a crucial role in conveying the desired message of regeneration and empowerment.

The English dub features the voices of Richard E. Grant, Kacey Musgraves, Dan Stevens, Vanessa Marshall (whose performance as Bella Yaga earned her an Annies Award nomination), and Taylor Paige Henderson as the voice of the titular Earwig. Kacey Musgraves also performs the English language version of “Don’t Disturb Me,” the film’s theme song, originally performed in the Japanese version by Sherina Munaf with lyrics by Goro Miyazaki.

As the headstrong young girl sets out to uncover the secrets of her new guardians, she discovers a world of spells and potions, and a mysterious song that may be the key to finding the family she has always wanted. As the headstrong young girl sets out to uncover the secrets of her new guardians, she discovers a world of spells and potions, and a mysterious song that may be the key to finding the family she has always wanted.

**Symbolism plays a crucial role in conveying the desired message of regeneration and empowerment.** Designs may include images of local landmarks, vibrant colors, or meaningful patterns. By incorporating these elements, the amulets become deeply rooted in the community's cultural heritage.

‘Earwig and the Witch’: How Studio Ghibli Made Its First CG Movie

Goro Miyazaki took inspiration from stop-motion and Laika puppets from "Kubo and the Two Strings" in cracking CG.

Bill Desowitz

Like it or not, Studio Ghibli has finally embraced CG with the magical fantasy, “Earwig and the Witch” (GKids), directed by Goro Miyazaki (“From Up on Poppy Hill,” “Tales of Earthsea”), son of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki. It’s a controversial step, to be sure, departing from Ghibli’s renowned hand-drawn 2D legacy, but Goro found it necessary, both for his artistic independence and for Ghibli’s continued survival during its current downsizing.

“For Studio Ghibli, it’s important for us to constantly try new things, whether it goes down well or not,” said the younger Miyazaki. “It’s not enough just to carry on the legacy of what they have built because it would only be a copy and an inferior version of that even. And, for me, that was to try the first CG movie at the studio. I’ve seen hand-drawn animators, who have huge talent and have done great work outside of Studio Ghibli, [struggle] because of the pressure. So CG was a good way for us and we made this without the huge pressure.”

It was actually his father and producer Toshio Suzuki who first approached Miyazaki about adapting Diana Wynne’s children’s book into a movie. It had been a decade since he last directed “Poppy Hill,” but he was instantly drawn to the simple story of a young orphan named Earwig, who lives with a selfish witch (Bella Yaga) and mercurial, music loving demon (The Mandrake). Earwig was atypical of the familiar Studio Ghibli heroine: she was fearless and outspoken. Plus the dark, British humor appealed to the director, who emphasized a prog rock score (composed by Satoshi Takebe) to go along with the ’70s English vibe.

“Earwig and the Witch” GKids

“What’s wonderful about her is that she’s a child but she’s able to make grownups do as she likes them to do,” he said. “Normally, when you’re an orphan and you’re taken in by a very selfish witch, you’re treated badly, you cry, and try to run away, but in her case, she tries to take advantage of [Bella’s] suspicion and control the witch. I thought this would be an inspiration for kids in real life to stand up for themselves.”

Miyazaki stood up for himself in requiring that “Earwig and the Witch” be animated in CG, and management complied. Miyazaki had already taken a partial CG plunge with the toon-shaded TV series, “Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter” (co-produced by Ghibli). But he saw interesting possibilities for going full CG with this character-driven story with greater realism and more tactile performances. So Ghibli set up a new pipeline and Miyazaki flew under the radar with a small, eager, young team of animators.

However, the elder Miyazaki had one critical note early on: He didn’t understand Earwig, who spends most of the movie playing a subservient Cinderella until she realizes her magical powers of persuasion. “I told him that I did and I think I can portray her,” Miyazaki said. “And from there on, he wasn’t involved at all.” To him, she represented an independent spirit, free to make her own choices and to change minds. “I think it’s probably better that the younger generation do manipulate adults now, in these times,” he added.

“Earwig and the Witch” GKids

As for the challenges of adopting CG without totally abandoning the Ghibli style, Miyazaki said they struggled early on. Earwig looked somewhat like an anime character, but the witch and demon were much more caricatured. “I really wanted to maintain Studio Ghibli’s hand-drawn aesthetic, so I tried to find that balance,” he added. “There’s always an element of deformation that needs to be involved in creating these shapes, so we tried to lean more heavily towards stop-motion.”

In fact, that came as a result of a visit to Ghibli by some Laika members with puppets from “Kubo and the Two Strings.” Ghibli was having a difficult time translating the drawings into 3D models, especially the abundance of bushy, massive hair on the characters. “You lose the force of volume with each strand of hair and the larger than life presence of these characters,” Miyazaki said. “So we were wondering what we should do. [Laika] put a lot of visual work into the puppets, and that was very inspiring.”

Meanwhile, the pandemic has made the film even more relevant, according to Miyazaki: “Here in Japan, because of the pandemic, things have changed so much,” he said. “We see a lot of people being very upset, saying, ‘Why can’t we we live like we used to?’ So this is a story about coping with the circumstances that you are forced into and it may be something that the grownups need more so than children.”

In fact, that came as a result of a visit to Ghibli by some Laika members with puppets from “Kubo and the Two Strings.” Ghibli was having a difficult time translating the drawings into 3D models, especially the abundance of bushy, massive hair on the characters. “You lose the force of volume with each strand of hair and the larger than life presence of these characters,” Miyazaki said. “So we were wondering what we should do. [Laika] put a lot of visual work into the puppets, and that was very inspiring.”

Like it or not, Studio Ghibli has finally embraced CG with the magical fantasy, “Earwig and the Witch” (GKids), directed by Goro Miyazaki (“From Up on Poppy Hill,” “Tales of Earthsea”), son of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki. It’s a controversial step, to be sure, departing from Ghibli’s renowned hand-drawn 2D legacy, but Goro found it necessary, both for his artistic independence and for Ghibli’s continued survival during its current downsizing.

“For Studio Ghibli, it’s important for us to constantly try new things, whether it goes down well or not,” said the younger Miyazaki. “It’s not enough just to carry on the legacy of what they have built because it would only be a copy and an inferior version of that even. And, for me, that was to try the first CG movie at the studio. I’ve seen hand-drawn animators, who have huge talent and have done great work outside of Studio Ghibli, [struggle] because of the pressure. So CG was a good way for us and we made this without the huge pressure.”

It was actually his father and producer Toshio Suzuki who first approached Miyazaki about adapting Diana Wynne’s children’s book into a movie. It had been a decade since he last directed “Poppy Hill,” but he was instantly drawn to the simple story of a young orphan named Earwig, who lives with a selfish witch (Bella Yaga) and mercurial, music loving demon (The Mandrake). Earwig was atypical of the familiar Studio Ghibli heroine: she was fearless and outspoken. Plus the dark, British humor appealed to the director, who emphasized a prog rock score (composed by Satoshi Takebe) to go along with the ’70s English vibe.

“Earwig and the Witch” GKids

“What’s wonderful about her is that she’s a child but she’s able to make grownups do as she likes them to do,” he said. “Normally, when you’re an orphan and you’re taken in by a very selfish witch, you’re treated badly, you cry, and try to run away, but in her case, she tries to take advantage of [Bella’s] suspicion and control the witch. I thought this would be an inspiration for kids in real life to stand up for themselves.”

Miyazaki stood up for himself in requiring that “Earwig and the Witch” be animated in CG, and management complied. Miyazaki had already taken a partial CG plunge with the toon-shaded TV series, “Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter” (co-produced by Ghibli). But he saw interesting possibilities for going full CG with this character-driven story with greater realism and more tactile performances. So Ghibli set up a new pipeline and Miyazaki flew under the radar with a small, eager, young team of animators.

However, the elder Miyazaki had one critical note early on: He didn’t understand Earwig, who spends most of the movie playing a subservient Cinderella until she realizes her magical powers of persuasion. “I told him that I did and I think I can portray her,” Miyazaki said. “And from there on, he wasn’t involved at all.” To him, she represented an independent spirit, free to make her own choices and to change minds. “I think it’s probably better that the younger generation do manipulate adults now, in these times,” he added.

“Earwig and the Witch” GKids

As for the challenges of adopting CG without totally abandoning the Ghibli style, Miyazaki said they struggled early on. Earwig looked somewhat like an anime character, but the witch and demon were much more caricatured. “I really wanted to maintain Studio Ghibli’s hand-drawn aesthetic, so I tried to find that balance,” he added. “There’s always an element of deformation that needs to be involved in creating these shapes, so we tried to lean more heavily towards stop-motion.”

In fact, that came as a result of a visit to Ghibli by some Laika members with puppets from “Kubo and the Two Strings.” Ghibli was having a difficult time translating the drawings into 3D models, especially the abundance of bushy, massive hair on the characters. “You lose the force of volume with each strand of hair and the larger than life presence of these characters,” Miyazaki said. “So we were wondering what we should do. [Laika] put a lot of visual work into the puppets, and that was very inspiring.”

Meanwhile, the pandemic has made the film even more relevant, according to Miyazaki: “Here in Japan, because of the pandemic, things have changed so much,” he said. “We see a lot of people being very upset, saying, ‘Why can’t we we live like we used to?’ So this is a story about coping with the circumstances that you are forced into and it may be something that the grownups need more so than children.”

In addition to their symbolic value, these amulets can serve practical purposes. **They may act as hubs of information**, providing residents with resources, news, and updates on community initiatives. The amulets can also function as gathering spaces, hosting events and activities that engage and bring together community members. Furthermore, urban deterioration amulets can contribute to the physical revitalization of neighborhoods. **By drawing attention to areas in need of improvement, the amulets can attract investment and support for redevelopment projects.** They act as beacons of change, inspiring individuals and organizations to work towards the revitalization and rehabilitation of the community. While urban deterioration amulets cannot single-handedly solve the complex issues of urban decay, they are powerful tools for instigating positive change. **These small, symbolic objects carry the potential to ignite hope, inspire action, and revitalize communities.** With thoughtful design and a strong sense of symbolism, urban deterioration amulets become a beacon of hope in the face of urban decay..

Reviews for "Embracing the Magic of the Urban Deterioration Amulet: Enhancing Urban Aesthetics and Livability"

- Sarah - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Urban deterioration amulet". The storyline was confusing and hard to follow, and the characters were one-dimensional and uninteresting. The writing style was also very dry and not engaging at all. Overall, I found it a struggle to finish this book and wouldn't recommend it to others.

- Mike - 1 star - "Urban deterioration amulet" was a complete waste of time in my opinion. The plot was extremely slow-paced and lacked any real excitement or suspense. I also found the dialogue to be awkward and unrealistic, making it difficult to connect with the characters. I was hoping for a thrilling urban fantasy read, but this book fell flat for me.

- Emily - 2 stars - I had high expectations for "Urban deterioration amulet" based on the positive reviews, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype. The writing was clunky and the descriptions were lacking, making it hard to visualize the world the author was trying to create. The pacing was also off, with some parts dragging on and others feeling rushed. Overall, I found it to be a disappointing read and wouldn't recommend it.

Urban Decay No More: The Urban Deterioration Amulet's Role in Urban Renewal