In October of 2017, the director of Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, announced his final work: “The Boy and the Heron.” Due to his studio’s past successes, the film was highly anticipated amongst many.
Released in December 2023, the film received exceptional box office results and multiple awards, with six years of Ghibli’s stunning animation, powerful sound design, a wide voice cast including actors such as Christian Bale, Dave Bautist and Robert Pattinson behind it.
Mahito Maki, voiced by Soma Santoki, is the main character of Miyazaki’s latest movie. Only a few minutes into the film, his mother passes away during World War II in a Tokyo hospital bombing, depicted with abstract cinematography and nightmare-like effects.
Following his mother’s death, Mahito and his father relocate to the countryside, though it has a somewhat eerie feeling to it. Mahito begins to continuously notice a heron, voiced by Masaki Suda, tempting him towards a mysterious tower and teasing him with forbidden knowledge. Though he has been warned otherwise, Mahito eventually goes to the tower, where the heron claims that Mahito’s mother is still alive. This leads to the core conflict of the movie as Mahito attempts to find her.
The tale of “The Boy and the Heron” has a familiar feeling to fans of Miyazaki’s works, as it references common themes and scenery from his previous works. The distinctive feature of Miyazaki’s films, including “Howl’s Moving Castle,” “My Neighbor Totoro,” and “Spirited Away,” is their ability to offer glimpses into the subconscious. Miyazaki explains in interviews that he believes in a universal desire for a past world, which he does not label as nostalgia as it is experienced by children as well. He delivers this feeling through his creative art style, which is expressive of fairy-tale abstraction, yet sensible and realistic at the same time. In conjunction with exceptional sound design, the movie immerses viewers into a distinct, eccentric setting.
At the age of 82, Miyazaki is widely adored. His films, which are both magical and beautiful yet unsettling at the same time, are cherished by children and adults alike. Miyazaki’s work has a dreamlike style, evoking complex emotions that only deepen as viewers grow older. Having an exceptional rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, and receiving the 2024 Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Film, the success of the film is a true reflection of Miyazaki’s contribution to animation and a high note to end his legacy.
