Miyazaki has had a somewhat uneasy relationship with Osamu Tezuka. Miyazaki honors Tezuka as among the creative artists who inspired him to become an animator, but stated that he felt humiliated when one day someone compared his style to Tezuka's; he felt he had to develop his own style apart from Tezuka's. He had also become increasingly critical of Tezuka's role in the development of anime in Japan and he criticized other animators for the reverential treatment, to the point of worship, given towards Tezuka.
