If you read the novel and have watched the film, it's no secret that Ready Player One has a clear love for Japanese pop culture and anime. There are nods to Akira, Gundam and Cowboy Bebop readily on display and likely a ton more easter eggs that will be discovered once the film drops on home video.
While out promoting the film in Japan (which didn't see Ready Player One released until April 20), director Steven Speilberg fielded a number of questions from aspiring Japanese film students as part of his press tour.
When asked about his favorite Japanese character in the film, Speilberg joking replied, "I think my favorite Japanese character is the motorcycle from Akira. I love that machine," before following up with, "the runner-up for me, I gotta love MechaGodzilla."
When asked about his thoughts on Japanese pop culture, Speilberg steered the conversation towards his love of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki in particular. "I especially, you know, admire the whole world of Miyazaki, and his taste and his storytelling abilities. His Spirited Away is one of the greatest animated films ever made, might be better than any Disney film I've ever seen. He was a real influence I got."
He continued, "I got to meet him. I brought my daughter here to Tokyo and I had a chance about eleven or twelve years ago to meet with him. We talked about the process of what comes first, the story or the characters. And he was expressing the fact that the story is the character. For him, the characters are the story."
Check out the full video interview below. While Ready Player One didn't open in Japan until April 20, it's been out in most territories since March 29. It currently sits at $521.5 M USD worldwide after being produced from an estimated budget of $175 million and marketing budget of $150 million USD.