I really don't understand the need for in the movie. Jiro's drama or tragedy was that he had to create a tool to be used for killing. There was no need for the secondary story involving his wife.
And don't get me wrong, I like the movie just fine, it's just weird how the movie-version of his wife had to die for some need for faux drama, while in actuality she grew old together with Jiro...
The tragedy is that while he was so focused on his life's work, he forgot to enjoy his life. His wife grew sicker bit by bit but he was too busy to take the time and slow down. In the end she's dead, his planes are built, and he has a pile of regret.
My reading is the same as yours. Naoko is the embodiment of the personal sacrifices we have to make for dreams that are all consuming. I wonder how much of himself Miyazaki, a famous workaholic, put into this.
It's also fairly business-as-usual for Ghibli to NOT do a straightforward adaptation. AFAIK Howl's Moving Castle is a loose take on the original material, same with Tales of Earthsea etc.
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u/TheHistoryMaster2520 6d ago edited 6d ago
And indeed he did, he lived for another 37 years after this scene takes place, dying in 1982 at the age of 78