I hope this hits the US, because I'm a fan of Hayao Miyazaki.

It's no problem at all it if doesn't come. It'll be fan-translated for sure if that happens. And what's better... japanese voices - which are always better!

That's the kid of piracy I don't feel guilty doing (like Seiken Dentetsu 3 or Mother 3)

I'd definitely consider getting a DSi XL or waiting for a 3DS then.  Because this game is going to be so beautiful, it'll be worth playing on the bigger, crisper screens.  Much like the other Level 5 title, Dragon Quest IX.

Problem is, it took them like 5 years to finish the translation for Mother 3.  And who knows how dedicated they'll be for this game.  Some games get fan translated instantly because the team just is obsessed with them, like Jump Ultimate Stars or Final Fantasy IV (which even got translated after the US version was announced).  Then other games get dropped, like the sequel to Game Center CX (Retro Game Challenge in America) or Kumatanchi (Vanillaware's DS title).  All titles we'll never see outside of Japan, aside from FFIV.

The boy in the second photo looks like Tombo, from Kiki's delivery service

While I'll likely buy whatever this turns out to be, I'd prefer it if Miyazaki just got to work on the next film instead...

i take it you didnt like tales of earthsea?

I will get this.

I WILL GET THIS.

*can't wait*

Wait, what?! I'm so confuzzled.

Miyazaki has been moving in and out of retirement, and its a miracle he's worked on ay movies at all, with rumors of his physical conditions and state he feels the ANime industry is in.  But even now there's rumors he's starting work on another movie, aside from Ponyo, so its not like Ni no Kuni is distracting from any new movie.  Not anymore than his work on the Ghibli Museum, co-producing other Ghibli works and overseeing the major productions of Ghibli itself.

Tales from Earthsea was a movie done by Miyazaki's son, Miyazaki Goro.  And considered by many not to be up to the quality of the works of his dad.  Or even the other works produced under Ghibli by other directors such as Whisper of the Heart (Yoshifumi Kondo), Grave of the Fireflies (Isao Takahata) or Ocean Waves (Tomomi Mochizuki).  Miyazaki himself even commented he didn't want his son to make the movie because he felt 'he wasn't ready to direct a movie yet'.  But it was made...and its your opinion to its quality.

Thanks Kenryoku! I'll check it out, what is your opinion on it? You never said.

I highlighted Hayao in my original post because the OP listed him as Hideo, I mean we love Kojima and all but, different planes of existence for those two.