mentorship across generations

His films consistently explore how older characters guide younger ones toward self-discovery and moral growth, most notably in Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle.

Throughout his career, he examines the complex transmission of knowledge, values, and survival between seasoned mentors and their protégés, as seen in Raging Bull and The Irishman.

His humanistic cinema deeply explores intergenerational bonds and the quiet ways wisdom, habits, and love are passed between generations, particularly in Shoplifters and Broker.