Celebrated manga artist and Anime icon Hyao Miyazaki announced his retirement Saturday, just after the release of his last film, “The Wind Rises”. Koji Hoshino, the head of Mr. Miyazaki’s famed Studio Ghibli, announced the news Sunday at the Venice Film Festival, where “The Wind Rises” received its international premiere and is screening in competition, Variety reported. Mr. Miyazaki is scheduled to give a news conference in Tokyo on Friday.The announced retirement of 72-year-old Miyazaki led to mass mourning in social media circles far and wide.

What's your favorite #Ghibli film? With Hayao Miyazaki to retire, a look back at the director's spirited career: http://t.co/QPaQiikwmJ

— Lara Day (@lmjday) September 2, 2013

Studio Ghibli animation legend Hayao Miyazaki is retiring: http://t.co/UC5Kbg4Yz5 #TheWindRises will be his last film pic.twitter.com/SZE0fqoTCL

— Jameson Cult Film (@JamesonCultFilm) September 2, 2013

News: Hayao Miyazaki to Retire From Making Feature Films http://t.co/CIulgVD7qv #anime

— Anime News Network (@AnimeNewsNet) September 1, 2013

Miyazaki is the imagination behind many amazing (and some of my favorite) films like “Howl’s Moving Castle” (top of my list), “Spirited Away“, “Ponyo“, “Princess Mononoke”, “Kiki’s Delivery Service”, “My Neighbor Totoro” and many other beautiful works, and recently, “The Secret World of Arriety” and his latest,”The Wind Rises”.

Miyazaki began turning heads in the 1970s on such television anime series as Lupin III, Future Boy Conan, and Sherlock Hound. He directed his first feature film, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, in 1979. He then adapted the beginning of his Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind manga into an anime film in 1984, before he and fellow director Isao Takahata founded Studio Ghibli.

Image via twitter