Summary
Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron received critical acclaim upon its release. The film follows Mahito, who struggles with grief after losing his mother in a hospital fire. The Boy and the Heron invites viewers to reflect on grief, loss, and family issues in their own lives.
The Boy and the Heron is the latest film from Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli. It was released in theaters in the United States on December 6, 2023, to great critical acclaim. The film's great achievements are only further proven by the awards it was nominated for and received, including the Annie Award, the BAFTA Award, the Chicago Film Critics Association Award, and most impressively, the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Miyazaki hadn't released a film in ten years when The Boy and the Heron hit theaters, leaving fans all the more eager to see a sequel to the filmmaker's beautifully imaginative work.
His award-winning Studio Ghibli films are known for their signature pastel-toned animation style, soothing soundtracks, fantastical world-building, lovable characters and Insightful looks at complex emotional topics like grief, loss, and love. Even for those who don't normally watch anime or movies, Miyazaki's films often make a strong impression, whether for their emotional depth, beautiful music, or simply for their entertainment value.
The story follows Mahito, who struggles to overcome the pain of losing his mother.
While traveling through a strange new world, he learned many life lessons that helped him cope with loss.
The Boy and the Heron A poignant story of grief and rebuilding after tragic lossfrom a young boy's perspective. Mahito, the main character, unfortunately lost his mother, who died in a hospital fire. He and his father, Shoichi, moved in with his new stepmother after losing his mother, and Mahito struggled to adjust after his old life and family were suddenly taken away from him. A heron keeps appearing, beckoning Mahito out into the nearby forest with the promise that it could reunite Mahito with his mother once more, arousing the boy's curiosity.
When Mahito's stepmother Natsuko goes missing, he follows a heron into a mysterious tower in the woods to find her. The tower leads the boy into fantastical and supernatural environments filled with magical creatures such as Warawara and talking macaws. During his time in this mysterious new place, he encounters an unexpected surprise when he meets Himi, who represented his mother when she was young. Together with Himi, Mahito travels through this new and magical environment filled with fascinating creatures and frantically searches for his stepmother, who is suffering because she is sick, lost, and pregnant with his little brother.
Mahito refuses to take over the role of a witch as ruler and returns to his world.
He refused to become the ruler of the fantasy land inside the tower, causing that world to end.
The ending of the film is somewhat confusing because of the many events that happen in the final moments of The Boy and the Heron. Natsuko's uncle, who had been missing for a long time, reappears as a powerful wizard. The wizard beckons Mahito to become the new ruler of the dream-like world inside the tower, but Mahito refuses to inherit the wizard's current role because he has a bad feeling about it and does not feel altruistic and responsible enough to build a suitable world on his own. His refusal bring the mystical world down and ended abruptly.
Fortunately, Mahito was able to save both himself and Natsuko in the nick of time, escaping the destruction and collapse of that imaginary world. Kiriko, a servant who accompanied him on his journey, also escaped the tower safely, surviving along with Mahito and his stepmother. Himi, a younger version of Mahito's mother, did not leave the castle with them, because She chose to go back to her timeline and live out her predetermined destiny.. She died in the real world, so she is still dead and did not listen to Mahito's warning in the tower, when he told her of her impending death.
The film deals with grief and the complications that strong emotions can bring.
Mahito's journey in the film helps him finally begin to overcome the loss of his mother.
After Mahito's supernatural experience, his life almost returns to normal, or at least, the new normal he has lived since his mother's death. The final moments of the film reveal the family's life two years later. They live in Tokyo and have an additional family member, the baby Natsuko was pregnant with during the events of The Boy and the Heron. There are many theories about the deeper meaning of the film and its themes, but it's pretty clear that The most important issue the film deals with is grief. and its impact.
The entire film depicts Mahito's process of overcoming the pain of losing a loved one, and truly struggling to let go and accept what happened. Many viewers of the film debate Is the imaginary world the heron took him to in the tower a real place? or a product of Mahito's imagination that allowed him to better cope with the loss of his mother. In this new environment, he was able to see his mother again and gain the closure he had previously lacked. Saving Natsuko also allowed him to develop a deeper relationship with his new stepmother.
The film's messages about pain, loss, and family can be applied to many situations.
Miyazaki's films allow viewers to make personal connections and meaningful interpretations.
The film has many similarities to coming-of-age films, as Mahito learns more about himself and his family members. Whether the world inside the tower is real or not, what really matters is the journey Mahito goes through and how it affects him, help him understand the dire situation in his life and start moving forward. Miyazaki's films often do not directly explain things to the viewer, allowing them to interpret and find personal meaning in the story, a quality that is certainly present in The boy and the heron.