Westall Gensou: Tynemouth e no Tabi

In this illustrated travelogue, celebrated animator Hayao Miyazaki recounts a journey to Tynemouth, an English town he visited to deepen his understanding of British aviation history and of the novel Blackham's Wimpy. The piece first appeared in 2006 in a new Japanese edition of that book. Its subject, the late British author Robert Westall, had published Blackham's Wimpy in 1982—a tale of bomber pilots during the Second World War. When a Japanese translation followed in 1990, it caught the attention of a certain famous filmmaker. Already an admirer of Westall's other novels, Miyazaki found this story of airplanes and war irresistible and became a devoted fan. The work blends travel narrative with heartfelt tribute. Miyazaki reenacts one of Westall's scenes, offering running commentary along the way, only to cut away at the very moment the British plane is spotted by the Germans, urging readers to discover the complete story for themselves. He shares his impressions upon first discovering the novel, as well as his childhood feelings toward World War II and his own country's involvement in it. Detailed cutaways portray the bombers—affectionately nicknamed "Wimpys" by the British—accompanied by further commentary. In the final act, Miyazaki, drawn as a pig, at last meets Westall, depicted as a Scottish Terrier, and the two share a conversation.