I reckon that he (or more likely Toshio Suzuki, the real brain behind Ghibli) veered "modern" from the start, but understood after the first efforts that Ghibli as a brand must satisfy a core of conservative fans who just want more of the same. So now he's doing something close to "one for me, one for the studio", to balance out the inevitable backlash.

I think he is not as talented as his father but good enough to carry on the family business.