The Boy and the Heron

The Boy and the Heron
is a 2023 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Produced by Studio Ghibli, the Japanese title references the 1937 novel of the same name by Genzaburō Yoshino, which appears in the film, but the film has an original story that is not connected to the novel. The voice cast includes Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Ko Shibasaki, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura, Takuya Kimura, Karou Kobayashi, and Shinobu Otake. Described as a "big fantastical film", it follows a boy named Mahito Maki (Santoki), who discovers an abandoned tower in his new town and enters a fantastical world with a talking grey heron.
Miyazaki announced his retirement in September 2013 but later reversed this decision after working on the short film Boro the Caterpillar, which was released in 2018. He began storyboarding for a new feature-length project in July 2016, and official production began in May 2017. The film's title was announced in October 2017, targeting a release around the 2020 Summer Olympics. By May 2020, 36 minutes of the film had been hand-drawn by 60 animators, with no set deadline. Production spanned approximately seven years, facing delays as it navigated challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic and Miyazaki's slowed animation pace, before nearing completion in October 2022. Financing for the project involved streaming deals for previous Ghibli films. According to producer Toshio Suzuki, The Boy and the Heron is the most expensive film ever produced in Japan. The screenplay draws heavily from Miyazaki's childhood and explores themes of coming of age and coping with a world marked by conflict and loss. Joe Hisaishi composed the film's score, while Kenshi Yonezu wrote and sang the film's theme song "Spinning Globe".
The Boy and the Heron was theatrically released in Japan on July 14, 2023, by Toho, and was screened in both traditional theaters and other premium formats such as IMAX. The release of the film was noted for its intentional absence of any promotion, with Ghibli choosing not to release any trailers, images, synopsis or casting details of the film in advance of its Japanese premiere with the exception of a single poster. The film received critical acclaim and grossed over $56 million in Japan.
Plot
In 1943, during the Pacific War, 12-year-old Mahito Maki's mother Hisako is killed in a hospital fire in Tokyo. A year later, Mahito's father Shoichi, an air munitions factory owner, remarries his late wife's younger sister, Natsuko. They evacuate to her estate in the countryside where they live with several old maids. Mahito struggles in the new town as he continues to grapple with grief, is pestered by a mysterious grey heron at the estate and endures a tense relationship with Natsuko, who is now pregnant. Pursuing the heron, he discovers a ruined and sealed tower in the woods near the house and makes himself a bow and an arrow from the heron's feathers.
On the way home from a fight with other school children, Mahito purposefully injures himself by hitting his head with a rock. Recovering at the estate, Mahito finds a copy of the novel How Do You Live? with his mother's handwriting inside, which she intended as a gift for him when he was older. His reading of the book is interrupted when the maids search for the missing Natsuko, who is ill because of her pregnancy and whom he sees on her way to the tower. Mahito and one of the maids, Kiriko, arrive at the tower built by Mahito's granduncle, a famous architect who disappeared. The heron taunts Mahito, claims that Mahito's mother is alive and tells him to enter the tower to save her and Natsuko. Once inside, the heron shows a watery illusion that looks exactly like Hisako before Mahito shoots an arrow that pierces the heron's beak and reveals the little man underneath. Feeling defeated, the heron leads them through the ground and into the tower, where they find themselves in an alternate world full of magic.
In the alternate world, Mahito encounters various characters, including a younger, seafaring version of Kiriko; Himi, a young woman with magical powers who assists Mahito and Kiriko; and Natsuko's granduncle, who rules the world as a wizard with great powers. Mahito, Himi and the heron infiltrate a castle guarded by giant man-eating parakeets and find Natsuko, who initially resists leaving with them until Mahito addresses her as his real mother. Amidst the search for the missing trio in Mahito's world, a maid tells Shoichi that the tower was formed after a meteorite struck the ground, and that when Hisako was younger she once disappeared for a year before inexplicably returning.
Himi is captured by the parakeets during their escape. While rescuing Himi from the Parakeet King, Mahito meets with the granduncle. The granduncle shows Mahito building blocks which he has used to maintain balance in the world as well as a giant floating stone which contains the granduncle's power. The granduncle asks Mahito to take control of the stone and maintain balance in the world, explaining that only someone blood-related and free of malice can control the stone. Mahito chooses instead to return to his own world and tells the granduncle that his head wound shows that he is not free from malice. The Parakeet King seeks to usurp the granduncle's power and cuts the building blocks in half, destroying the stone and causing the alternate world to collapse. While escaping, Mahito offers to take Himi to his world; however, Himi declines, revealing that she is a younger version of Hisako and that she and Kiriko must return to her own time to ensure that Mahito will be born. Mahito, Natsuko, and the heron return to their world and are reunited with Shoichi. Two years later, Mahito moves back to Tokyo with his family after the end of the war.
Voice cast
Mamoudou Athie, Tony Revolori and Dan Stevens provide the English dubbing for the Parakeets.
Themes
The Boy and the Heron has autobiographical features. The protagonist, Mahito Maki, is modeled after Miyazaki's childhood. Miyazaki's father, similar to Mahito's, was employed by a company involved in the manufacturing of fighter plane components. Additionally, Miyazaki's family had to evacuate from the city to the countryside during the war. The hospital fire at the beginning of the film evokes personal parallels with Miyazaki's own loss of his mother, who was known for her strong opinions and is believed to have been a source of inspiration for several of the director's female characters, and Mahito's emotional connection with his mother parallels Miyazaki's deep affection for his mother. The BBC defined the film as "a coming-of-age tale in which a child must overcome his selfishness and learn to live for others."
Taichiro Yoshino, the grandson of Genzaburō Yoshino, confessed to being somewhat bewildered by the film's profound messages. He also mentioned a meeting he had attended at Studio Ghibli's offices in 2017, during which Miyazaki articulated his intention to create the film and acknowledged his past works, primarily featuring cheerful and optimistic male protagonists, and contrasted them with his perception of boys as complex individuals. Miyazaki aimed to depict a protagonist who grapples with inner conflicts and insecurities, emphasizing the transformative power of overcoming personal challenges. Yoshino drew a distinction between The Boy and the Heron and Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka as separate works, yet highlighted their shared central theme—how individuals navigate and come to terms with a world characterized by strife and loss.
The film contains the message of creating "a world without conflict with your own hands." According to The Japan Times, Miyazaki's unwavering faith in children's potential to surpass previous generations under challenging circumstances is exemplified in the film's Japanese title, which offers children a choice between emulating the chaos of Japan's past war or forging a better path, and thus demonstrates the enduring optimism that serves as a testament to the director's profound imagination. The Hollywood Reporter noted that the film retains elements of the book that emphasize the theme of spiritual growth. The film, open to diverse interpretations, fundamentally conveys resilience in the face of conflict and grief, while advocating for the cultivation of meaningful friendships and trustworthy alliances, ultimately promoting progress and fostering "humanity and understanding to the world." IndieWires analysis argues that the film intricately weaves together various thematic layers and tonal elements drawn from Miyazaki's past work. It draws attention to the film's departure from the conventional children's genre, instead aligning more closely with the "violent" style of Princess Mononoke rather than the "cuddly charm" of My Neighbor Totoro, with the exception of the Warawara characters. This assessment underscores the film's diverse and nuanced nature. A review on RogerEbert.com asserts that the film's narrative explores themes of "acceptance, redemption, and the power of creation", drawing explicit connections between Miyazaki's youthful inspirations and his hopes of inspiring others over four decades. The film delves into the juxtaposition of life and death, wherein childhood and the end of life can serve as reflective counterparts. As highlighted by Unseen Japan, the film's themes make the viewer reflect on their role in a world marked by violence and uncertainty, their obligations to future generations and their connection to their ancestors. For Nikkei Asia, the primary emotional driver in the film is the yearning for a mother's presence. This emotion fuels the narrative, occasionally diverting into adventures involving fantastical creatures. Mahito's father remarries his mother's healthier sister, evoking significant Freudian undertones. Miyazaki emphasizes the child's perspective, sometimes with quasi-sexual elements, as seen in encounters with frogs. Such moments, though evocative, are brief and dreamlike. The film stands as one of Miyazaki's less textured works, focusing on Mahito's mission to save his mother and stepmother, emblematic of Miyazaki's recurring theme of worthiness.
Production
Following the release of The Wind Rises, Miyazaki held a press conference in Venice in September 2013 announcing his retirement from feature animation, saying: "I know I've said I would retire many times in the past. Many of you must think, 'Once again.' But this time I am quite serious." However, Miyazaki later changed his mind after concluding work on the short film Boro the Caterpillar (2018) and decided to come out of retirement to direct another full-length film, a decision which was captured in the 2016 documentary film Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki. He commenced storyboarding for the film in July 2016 and presented a project proposal for it the next month. This proposal included a children's novel The Book of Lost Things by Irish author John Connolly, which formed "a loose framework" for the project. Edogawa Ranpo's , which Miyazaki loved as a child, inspired the tower in the film. After Suzuki publicly announced the start of work on Miyazaki's new film in February 2017, the studio's official website posted a call for staff for the new project on May 19, 2017, and production began in earnest. With Miyazaki coming out of retirement, Studio Ghibli reopened with many of its past collaborators working on the project. At an event held at Waseda University in October 2017, Studio Ghibli announced the film would be titled Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka, after the 1937 novel of the same name by Genzaburo Yoshino. The release date was not determined, but Miyazaki voiced his desire to release the film around the time of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan. Suzuki said that Miyazaki is working on the film for his grandson as his way of saying "Grandpa is moving onto the next world soon but he is leaving behind this film".
Suzuki stated in August 2018 that the film was expected to be completed in 2021 or 2022. The film was confirmed to be 15% complete at the end of October 2019. In a December 2019 interview with NHK, Suzuki explained that the film is not to be expected anytime soon; Miyazaki in his younger age used to produce 10 minutes of animation every month, but now his speed was reduced to 1 minute per month. He contended that Miyazaki was unlikely to retire completely, as idleness would trouble him. Despite talk of Miyazaki's upcoming film being his last, Suzuki doubted it, asserting that as long as Miyazaki lives, he will likely keep making films. Unlike his previous films, Miyazaki did not oversee every single frame and focused solely on creating the film's blueprint through storyboarding, while the animation director Takeshi Honda took charge of the animation process. In March 2020, Suzuki disclosed that since the new film required a significant amount of time and money, the studio planned to finance the production by showcasing their previously released films on streaming platforms like Netflix. Miyzaki did not use a computer or smartphone and was unaware of online streaming, so Suzuki convinced him to make this deal to cover the costs, especially considering that their current project is unlike their previous endeavors.
In May 2020, Suzuki recounted to Entertainment Weekly that the film was a "big fantastical" film. He said that 60 animators were working on the film and that an estimated 36 minutes had been completed after three years of production, saying "we are still hand-drawing everything, but it takes us more time to complete a film because we're drawing more frames", and they were "hoping it will finish in the next three years". In December 2020, Suzuki stated that the production was working with no deadlines, similarly to The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013), which took eight years to make. He said that the animation was half-finished, that production was running faster due to COVID-19 restrictions requiring them to work at home, and that the film would be 125 minutes long. He also revealed that Miyazaki wanted to adapt Earwig and the Witch (2020) during development, but his son Goro, an executive-producer of Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka alongside Koji Hoshino and Kiyofumi Nakajima, directed the adaptation instead. Cinematographer Atsushi Okui introduced the idea of utilizing Dolby Cinema to Miyazaki during the production of Earwig and the Witch, which received the director's approval. Okui was particularly drawn to the technology's ability to maintain image sharpness in bright scenes while preventing dark areas from becoming overly black. In October 2021, the director conveyed to T that he was creating the film because he didn't have an answer [to the question Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka], while the producer characterized the forthcoming release as an ambitious fantasy project. In October 2022, Hoshino mentioned during a press conference that the production of the film had progressed quite smoothly, even during the pandemic, and was nearing completion. Hoshino did not specify the exact release date for the film but added that it would "indeed be Miyazaki's final film". In December 2022, Takuya Kimura, who voiced Howl in Howl's Moving Castle, "hinted" that he was in the film with a post on social media. Suzuki considered The Boy and the Heron to be the most expensive film ever produced in Japan. The production timeline spanned approximately seven years, comprising two and a half years dedicated to pre-production activities and about five years for the production phase. In June 2023, Suzuki clarified that the novel is not related to the film beyond inspiring the title.
GKIDS managed casting for the English version in collaboration with Studio Ghibli, adhering to the SAG-AFTRA Foreign Dubbing Agreement during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. The dub was directed by Michael Sinterniklaas at NYAV Post, and Stephanie Sheh wrote the English script. The English cast, unveiled on October 17, features Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson and Florence Pugh.
Music
The film score was composed by Miyazaki's longtime collaborator Joe Hisaishi. The soundtrack, consisting of 37 songs, was released in Japan on August 9, 2023, by Tokuma Japan Communications. Kenshi Yonezu was in charge of the theme song, titled in Japan, and titled "Spinning Globe" internationally. Yonezu's first visit to Studio Ghibli in 2018 led to his collaboration with Miyazaki, driven by his composition of "Paprika" for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Suzuki witnessed Miyazaki singing the song with children at Ghibli's nursery school, and the director approved the composition after reviewing a demo recording. Yonezu, shown storyboards and provided with project details, engaged in a five-year creative process with Miyazaki and Suzuki, resulting in the completion of the musical composition.
Release
On December 13, 2022, Toho declared that The Boy and the Heron has a scheduled theatrical release date of July 14, 2023 in Japan.
The film was released in Japan without any traditional marketing campaign, with no trailers nor promotional stills of the film released before its premiere with the exception of a single poster. The decision to do so came from Suzuki, who opted to eschew traditional marketing methods due to concerns about over-revealing film content, in response to what he believed to be a fundamental preference among moviegoers for a more enigmatic cinematic experience. The cast and crew were kept largely undisclosed until the release date. After the preview screening held in late February 2023, where strict confidentiality measures were in place, a message from Miyazaki was read out following the end credits, saying "Perhaps you didn't understand it. I myself don't understand it." On June 29, 2023, during the opening day of and Ghibli Exhibition Tokyo 2023, Suzuki publicly spoke on how Miyazaki is "worried" over the lack of publicity for the film, but said that he trusts the work behind it and believes it is best for the film. It is the first Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki film to have a simultaneous release on IMAX, as well as other high-end formats like Dolby Atmos, Dolby Cinema, and DTS:X.
The film was pre-sold overseas with no concrete release date. Goodfellas, formerly known as Wild Bunch, served as the sales agent for the film's distribution. Upon the film's release in Japan, the North American rights were acquired by distributor GKIDS, who plans to give it the widest release in the company's 15-year history. Internationally titled The Boy and the Heron, it will be screened in special previews on November 22 ahead of its theatrical United States release on December 8, 2023. The first photos from the film were published in the theater pamphlets distributed by Ghibli on August 11. The film had its international premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival as its opening film on September 7, becoming the first animated film in history to open the festival and the festival's "strongest opening night film in decades". The film was also shown at the 71st San Sebastián International Film Festival, the 2023 New York Film Festival, the 56th Sitges Film Festival and the 42nd Vancouver International Film Festival.
Studio Ghibli granted promotional control to GKIDS for the American release, leading GKIDS to adapt a new marketing strategy, including the release of a teaser trailer on September 6 in advance of the film's international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, to reach a wider audience while preserving Ghibli's branding and integrity. At the international premiere, where the director Guillermo del Toro introduced the film at its gala presentation, Studio Ghibli's Vice President Junichi Nishioka said that, contrary to rumors of retirement, Ghibli did not consider The Boy and the Heron to be Miyazaki's final film, and that Miyazaki is developing ideas for a new film and maintains a daily presence at his office, dispelling any notions of retirement. He said that Studio Ghibli did not envisage this film as a contender in award competitions and rejects the notion of associating films with wins or losses, and that Miyazaki's primary aim is for the audience to watch and enjoy the film. Suzuki reiterated Nishioka's statement about Miyazaki's next project in October 2023, saying that Miyazaki has already moved on from The Boy and the Heron and is thinking about his new film every day. Later in the same month, the official guidebook for the film was released, showing behind-the-scenes featurettes such as interviews, roundtable discussions and storyboards.
Reception
Box office
In Japan, The Boy and the Heron grossed $13.2 million (1.83 billion yen) in its opening weekend, becoming the biggest opening in Studio Ghibli's history and surpassing Howl's Moving Castles 1.48 billion yen debut in 2004. The film earned $1.7 million from 44 IMAX screens, setting a new 3-day record. It attracted 1.35 million viewers and exceeded 2.14 billion yen ($15.2 million) in box office revenue in its first four days. On July 24, it was reported that 2.32 million people watched the film and box office revenue exceeded 3.6 billion yen ($25.5 million). A week later, the number of viewers was reported as 3.05 million and the box office revenue exceeded 4.693 billion yen ($33.24 million). On August 7, it was reported that 3.61 million people watched the film, and it made more than 5.48 billion yen ($38.65 million) at the box office. The film had 4.125 million viewers and grossed over 6.235 billion yen ($43.014 million) in its first month of release. By August 21, it had 4.645 million viewers and grossed over 6.983 billion yen ($48.028 million). In its seventh weekend, the film garnered an audience of 143,800, generating a box office revenue of 217 million yen. Overall, it engaged a total of 4.946 million moviegoers and achieved a cumulative box office income of 7.414 billion yen ($50.629 million). On September 4, the film was reported to have sold more than 5.17 million tickets and grossed over 7.7 billion yen ($52.9 million). On September 11, the film became the 20th highest-grossing anime in Japan, grossing 7.96 billion yen ($53.8 million) within 59 days of its release. By September 18, more than 5.46 million tickets had been sold and the film's gross had exceeded 8.16 billion yen ($55 million). These figures passed 5.53 million tickets and 8.25 billion yen ($55.6 million) a week later. In its twelfth weekend, the film's gross exceeded 8.33 billion yen ($55.8 million). With a gross of ¥8.4 billion (US$56.2 million), the film dropped out of the top 10 grossing films for the first time in its thirteenth weekend. The gross amounted to ¥8.44 billion on October 15, ¥8.47 billion on October 22, and ¥8.5 billion on October 29.
Film journalist Hiroo Ōtaka noted the industry's astonishment at the rapid box office achievement for the film's unconventional "minimalist promotion" strategy. The success has evoked mixed feelings among industry insiders, with distribution representatives expressing concerns to Ōtaka, fearing the challenge of this no-promotion strategy on their livelihoods and the necessity of traditional advertising methods. In addition to this marketing strategy, Ōtaka identified two important aspects of the film's commercial success. The first is that the deliberate approach of leaving the film by itself capitalized on its existing fan base by generating discussion and interaction on social media. He also mentioned Ghibli's earlier works, regularly featured on Friday Road Show for a decade, indirectly promoted the film.
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 98% of 87 reviews are positive and the average rating is 8.6/10. The critical consensus reads; "Soulfully exploring thought-provoking themes through a beautifully animated lens, The Boy and the Heron is another Miyazaki masterpiece." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 91 out of 100 based on 23 critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".
Although initial reactions to the film were described as "mixed", with reviewers finding it abundantly detailed and laden with meaning, the film quickly garnered critical acclaim in Japan. Film site Eiga Channel praised the film as one of Ghibli's finest in terms of visuals and storytelling, but pointed out that non-Ghibli enthusiasts might find the rapid scene transitions confusing. Film and culture magazine Cinemas+ observed that the film draws on motifs and characters from throughout Miyazaki's career, embedding them in a narrative that is somewhat darker, more complex, and more personal than many of his works. Similarly, Time Out Japan hailed the film as "a mature, complex masterpiece, weaving together the director's past, present, and future – a beautiful enigma that promises to be worth the wait." Cezary Jan Strusiewicz from Polygon found the fantasy elements to be "absolutely beautiful, and they naturally include shots of the classic impossibly delicious-looking Ghibli food", and wrote that people "can watch this movie over and over, always finding something new and exciting in it". He stated that there is a nostalgic longing for the past that evokes the impression of a director reflecting on their career before stepping away, and this underlines "the makings of a perfect swan song". In his review for The Japan Times, Matt Schley awarded the film a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, expressing that while its position within his list of favorite Miyazaki works remains uncertain, there were moments that left him breathless. While acknowledging the film's complexity and potential to not resonate with all viewers, Full Frontal author Matteo Watzky regarded these qualities as its most remarkable aspects, showcasing Miyazaki's talent, subtlety, and imagination.
First international reviews were "unanimously positive". Caryn James of the BBC, who rated it 5 out of 5 stars, felt the film is the culmination of Miyazaki's career and therefore may require multiple viewings to fully absorb the narrative's unwavering pace and the rich tapestry of imagery. She opined that the film presents a narrative blending wartime tragedy and supernatural exploration through the character Mahito, characterized by Miyazaki's meticulous attention to detail, a vibrant palette, and the seamless interplay between reality and the otherworldly, with characters assuming dreamlike forms that exemplify Miyazaki's innovative storytelling and visual prowess. Tomris Laffly, writing for TheWrap, epitomized the film as a "swan song so personal, artful and ultimately timeless" and thought it was "the deepest and darkest Studio Ghibli film" since Grave of the Fireflies. David Ehrlich of IndieWire, who gave the film an "A" rating, wrote that the film "finds Miyazaki so nakedly bidding adieu — to us, and to the crumbling kingdom of dreams and madness that he'll soon leave behind — that it somehow resolves into an even more fitting goodbye [than The Wind Rises], one graced with the divine awe and heart-stopping wistfulness of watching a true immortal make peace with their own death." IGN's Rafael Motamayor reviewed The Boy and the Heron as Ghibli's "most visually complex film" and awarded it a score of 9 out of 10, where he expressed how Miyazaki has delivered an exceptional conclusion to his distinguished career through a "stunning animated adventure" that reminds audiences of their fortune to witness Studio Ghibli's cinematic creations. On a less positive side, The Guardian writer Radheyan Simonpillai, assigning the film 3 out of 5 stars, saw it as "a gentler and slower though no less soulful addition to his canon."
Accolades
Impact
After the film's release, the novel How Do You Live? became temporarily in short supply due to the "synergistic effect" of the film. It was then decided to reprint the book, while the volumes were sold one after the other in Mercari marketplace app. On July 20, Iwanami Shoten announced on its official Twitter account that the total circulation of the book had reached 1.8 million copies, making it the number one Iwanami Bunko book in history.
Notes
References
External links
The Boy and the Heron at Toho (in Japanese)
2023 anime films
2023 films
Films directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Films set in Japan
Films scored by Joe Hisaishi
Films with screenplays by Hayao Miyazaki
Studio Ghibli animated films
Isekai anime and manga
Magic realism films
Toho animated films
IMAX films
Historical fantasy anime and manga
Coming-of-age anime and manga
Anime with original screenplays
Japanese fantasy adventure films
Films about parallel universes
Animated coming-of-age films
Pacific War films
Animated films about birds