The Boy and the Heron
Hayao Miyazaki stood before a press conference in Tokyo on the 14th of September 2013 and declared his retirement from feature animation. He told reporters that he was serious about this decision despite having announced it many times before. The director had just finished work on The Wind Rises, which released earlier that year. Many industry observers believed he would never return to the craft again. However, Miyazaki later reversed his stance after completing the short film Boro the Caterpillar in 2018. He began storyboarding for a new project in July 2016 and officially started production in May 2017. Studio Ghibli reopened its doors as past collaborators returned to work alongside him. Producer Toshio Suzuki approved the project only after seeing Miyazaki's commitment and storyboard materials. The studio posted a call for staff on their website on the 19th of May 2017. This marked the beginning of what would become the most expensive film ever produced in Japan according to Suzuki.
Mahito Maki loses his mother Hisako during a fire at a hospital while the Pacific War rages outside. His father Shoichi owns an air munitions factory and marries Hisako's sister Natsuko shortly afterward. The family evacuates to her rural estate where Mahito encounters a peculiar grey heron leading him toward a sealed tower. The protagonist's childhood mirrors Hayao Miyazaki's own experiences during World War II. Miyazaki's father worked for a company manufacturing fighter plane components just like Shoichi. His family also evacuated from the city to the countryside during the war years. The hospital fire scene evokes personal parallels with Miyazaki's loss of his mother who was known for strong opinions. Taichiro Yoshino recalled that Miyazaki intended to differentiate Mahito from joyful protagonists of previous films. He felt boys are less pure and swirl with all kinds of things. Mahito's emotional connection with his mother reflects Miyazaki's love for his own mother. The narrative draws heavily from these autobiographical elements throughout its runtime.
A school fight leads Mahito to deliberately injure himself before following the speaking heron into danger. The bird promises to help him find his mother but instead entices him with false hope. A swarm of creatures nearly kidnaps him until Natsuko saves him with a whistling arrow. Mahito crafts his own bow and fletches it with the heron's feather to gain true aim. An ill Natsuko disappears into the forest after reading a book left by Hisako. Mahito enters the tower with an elderly maid named Kiriko only to be deceived by a watery imitation of his mother. The illusion dissolves at his touch so he pierces the heron's beak with his arrow revealing a flightless Birdman inside. They sink through the floor into an oceanic world where pelicans attack them relentlessly. A younger Kiriko rescues them using fire from a magic wand while Himi protects bubble-like Warawara spirits from predation. The dying pelican explains their species is desperate to survive without other food sources in this realm. Mahito plugs the Birdman's beak restoring his flight before being separated by man-eating parakeets. Himi shows him a counterpart tower containing doors to many worlds including one leading back to Natsuko's estate.
Production spanned approximately seven years with delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Miyazaki's slowed animation pace. By May 2020 sixty animators had completed thirty-six minutes of hand-drawn footage with no set deadline. Miyazaki used to produce ten minutes of animation monthly but now created only one minute per month. Studio Ghibli released previous films on streaming platforms like Netflix to finance the project since Suzuki did not use computers or smartphones. Half of the estimated one hundred twenty-five-minute runtime was complete by December 2020 despite restrictions. Cinematographer Atsushi Okui suggested using Dolby Cinema technology during production which maintained image sharpness in bright scenes. Takuya Kimura voiced Howl in Howl's Moving Castle hinted at his involvement via social media in December 2022. The timeline included two and a half years for pre-production activities plus five years for actual production phases. Suzuki stated the film would approach completion in October 2022 though he did not specify an exact release date. Financing required selling rights to older titles while maintaining traditional hand-drawing methods throughout the entire process.
Toho declared the film would release theatrically in Japan on the 14th of July 2023 without any traditional marketing campaign. No trailers promotional stills cast details or synopsis appeared before its premiere except a single poster. Producer Toshio Suzuki preferred avoiding conventional methods due to concerns about revealing too much content. He believed moviegoers wanted a more enigmatic cinema experience rather than spoiled surprises. Miyazaki expressed concern about limited publicity but affirmed confidence in the production quality. It became the first Studio Ghibli film released simultaneously on IMAX alongside formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Film journalist Hiroo Otaka noted industry surprise at rapid box office success despite unconventional promotion strategies. Distribution representatives worried their livelihoods were threatened by abandoning traditional advertising methods entirely. The deliberate approach capitalized on existing fan bases generating discussion across social media platforms. Friday Road Show broadcasts of earlier works indirectly promoted the film over a decade-long run. This decision marked a significant departure from standard industry practices for major animated releases globally.
The film received universal acclaim with ninety-six percent of two hundred sixty-nine critics giving positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Metacritic awarded it a weighted average score of ninety-one out of one hundred based on fifty-five critic reviews. CinemaScore gave English-dubbed versions an average grade of A minus on an A plus to F scale. Eiga Channel praised visuals and storytelling while noting non-Ghibli enthusiasts might find scene transitions confusing. Time Out Japan hailed it as a mature complex masterpiece weaving together past present and future elements. Caryn James rated it five out of five stars calling it the most expansive Miyazaki film ever made. Tomris Laffly described it as a swan song so personal artful and ultimately timeless compared to Grave of the Fireflies. David Ehrlich wrote that Miyazaki was nakedly bidding adieu to us and his crumbling kingdom of dreams. IGN called it Ghibli's most visually complex film awarding it nine out of ten points. The film won Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards BAFTA Awards Golden Globe Awards and Japanese Academy Film Prize. It became the sixth highest-grossing Japanese film of all time after earning over eight billion yen domestically.
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Common questions
When did Hayao Miyazaki announce his retirement from feature animation?
Hayao Miyazaki announced his retirement from feature animation on the 14th of September 2013 during a press conference in Tokyo. He stated he was serious about this decision despite having made similar announcements many times before.
What is the plot summary of The Boy and the Heron film by Hayao Miyazaki?
The Boy and the Herion follows Mahito Maki who loses his mother Hisako during a hospital fire while the Pacific War rages outside. Mahito encounters a peculiar grey heron that leads him toward a sealed tower where he enters an oceanic world filled with creatures like pelicans and Warawara spirits.
How long did production take for The Boy and the Herion directed by Hayao Miyazaki?
Production spanned approximately seven years including delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Miyazaki's slowed animation pace. The timeline included two and a half years for pre-production activities plus five years for actual production phases.
When was The Boy and the Herion released theatrically in Japan?
Toho declared the film would release theatrically in Japan on the 14th of July 2023 without any traditional marketing campaign. No trailers promotional stills cast details or synopsis appeared before its premiere except a single poster.
Did The Boy and the Herion win any major awards after its release?
The film won Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards BAFTA Awards Golden Globe Awards and Japanese Academy Film Prize. It became the sixth highest-grossing Japanese film of all time after earning over eight billion yen domestically.