Miyazaki directed Yuki no Taiyou Pilot, a notable work in his early career as a solo director. The series was adapted from a 1963 shoujo manga by Tetsuya Chiba, which followed the story of a 10-year-old orphan girl being adopted into a family. Chiba's work was characterized by more mature themes than other manga of the time, such as Osamu Tezuka's.