Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s latest project — The Boy and the Heron (called How Do You Live? in Japan) — continues to amass large numbers.
According to Mantan Web, the anime has earned more than 6.23 billion yen (about $42.8 million) and sold more than 4.12 million tickets as of this week. The Boy and the Heron premiered in Japan on July 14 and notably set new box office records in its opening three days.
The film is the legendary director’s first major project in 10 years; though, production on the fully hand-drawn film actually began in 2016. Set during World War II, The Boy and the Heron tells the story of a boy named Mahito Maki. After spotting a talking gray heron and discovering an abandoned tower in his new town, he delves into a fantasy world and goes on a magical adventure.
Hayao Miyazaki’s big year
2023 marks an exciting year for Miyazaki. For example, his one-volume watercolor illustrated manga, Shuna’s Journey, won Best American Edition for International Substances—Asia at this year’s Eisner Awards, beating Look Back by Tatsuki Fujimoto, Talk to My Back by Murasaki Yamada, Radio PTSD by Masaaki Nakayama and Junji Ito’s Black Paradox. The story once follows the famous prince of a small mountain village, who sets out on a journey west to find a mysterious grain that can save his people from starvation. Shuna’s Journey debuted in Japan in 1983, but it didn’t receive an English release until November 2022.
Furthermore, Miyazaki’s manga is currently vying for the title of Best Manga, having been nominated at the 2023 Harvey Awards. Shuna’s Journey is competing with other standout titles like Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man, which focuses on demon hunters. of the same name, and Tatsuya Endō’s Spy x Family, depict the adventures of a colorful family made up of a psychic child, a master spy, and a deadly assassin. The previous installment won the Harvey Awards’ Best Manga category in both 2021 and 2022, and the winners for this year will be revealed at New York Comic-Con in October.
The Boy and the Heron will have its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7 and will arrive in North American theaters later this year. For the time being, fans of Miyazaki’s works can find many Studio Ghibli classics, such as Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle, on the MAX streaming platform.
Source: Mantan Web, via Anime News Network