Studio Ghibli’s newest film, penned by Hayao Miyazaki, now has a trailer we in the West can watch and enjoy. The Boy and the Heron (Kimi-tachi wa Dō Ikiru ka / How Do You Live?) sees a boy discover how fantastical and dangerous his world can be. We’ll be able to follow his journey when the film premieres on December 8th, 2023. We’re lagging after Japan on this one. Toho distributed the movie there on July 14th, 2023.
Like many other famous works by Studio Ghibli, The Boy and the Heron takes some inspiration from the novel of the same name. It is not a faithful adaptation, and the book even appears in the movie.
Yuzo Yamamoto originally authored the novel as one of the final publications for Nihon Shoukokumin Bunko. Yamamoto’s illness prompted fellow author Genzaburo Yoshino to complete his work and see How Do You Live? published in 1937. The book underwent several changes, such as vocabulary, and Mira-sha Publishers republished it in 1945 after the conclusion of World War II.
Like Studio Ponoc’s cast for The Imaginary, The Boy and the Heron has several live-action actors taking on voice roles.
Soma Santoki, who voices Mahito Maki, could be seen in live-action roles such as Saotome Keigo in Kono Hatsukoi wa Fiction desu. Masaki Suda has portrayed Philip, one-half of Kamen Rider Double in Kamen Rider W. Famous singer and songwriter Aimyon is voicing Himi.
Fans and potential viewers can follow Studio Ghibli’s Twitter account in English and Japanese. The promotional page for The Boy and the Heron is in English, while its official home page is in Japanese. The movie posters are on those sites.
Hayao Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli Continue to Spin Magic
To start, Studio Ghibli VP Junichi Nishioka stated publicly that The Boy and the Heron is not Hayao Miyazaki’s final movie. In fact, he’s still going to the office to create ideas. Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki, and Isao Takahata founded Studio Ghibli on June 15, 1985. Miyazaki himself chose the name. The word comes from the Italian noun based on the Libyan Arabic word for “hot desert wind.”
Their earliest works are true masterpieces. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind sees the titular character explore a toxic world, and Laputa: Castle in the Sky follows a girl and some bandits as they find a mythical castle. My Neighbor Totoro is their most iconic film, so much so that Totoro became their mascot. Some claim that The Boy and the Heron is the culmination of Miyazaki’s previous work.
Follow the Heron, Find Your Mother
The Boy and the Heron follows Mahito Maki as his world burns around him. Literally! The movie is set in 1943, during the Pacific War. Mahito loses his mother in a fire, which is especially devastating. His father remarries his late wife’s younger sister and evacuates to her countryside estate. Once there, a heron and the local kids at his new school bother him. Mahito finds a book titled How Do You Live? and discovers that the annoying heron can talk.
The heron invites Mahito to an unknown town and insists that Mahito can save his deceased mother. Mahito finds new dangers and strength within himself in this fantastical place where the dead walk among the living.
If you’re looking for a more immediate Studio Ghibli fix, J-List can help you. The Spirited Away — Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi Blu-ray is available, which comes with several bonuses that will surely make any fan happy.
Are you looking forward to watching The Boy and the Heron? Do you think it’s a fitting movie for Miyazaki’s return to film after ten years? What is your favorite Studio Ghibli movie? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: Movie Web
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