“The Boy and The Heron?” The Hayao Miyazaki Finale (again)

The name Hayao Miyasaki should always draw moviegoers' attention. In addition to his renowned work directing anime films under Studio Ghibli, including Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, The Wind Rises, and My Neighbour Totoro, the 81-year-old director has generated media attention by repeatedly declaring his "retirement." But he went back to directing films after the news.

This return is no exception. One of Hayao Miyazaki's most recent animations, "How Do You Live?" is regarded as the director's final creation.

When Miyazaki announced that he was retiring, it caused quite a commotion. He then went on to win the 2003 Oscar for Best Animated Feature with Spirited Away.

A trailer for the animated feature The Wind Rises, which tells the story of Jiro Hirokoshi, who dedicated his life to designing fighter jets, was published ten years after Miyazaki once again proclaimed his retirement. However, his devotion ultimately backfired on him. Miyazaki's heartache from creating animation is reflected in the movie's sentence, "Because the wind is strong, we live against the wind."

Following his announcement of retirement and the release of The Wind Rises, moviegoers were certain that Miyazaki would not make another movie until a few years ago when it was revealed that he was working on a project titled How Do You Live? (君達はどう生きの?). This prompted inquiries like "Didn't you say you retired?" and "Why did you come back?" but in a New York Times interview, Miyazaki stated, "I just wanted to make this film." Furthermore, I'll just urge people to stop talking if they claim that I'm retired.

The boy and The Heron had an endearing beginning since Miyazaki wanted to create a movie for his grandson, telling him, "Grandpa is going to the next world, but I made this film to represent him so that he can stay with him." The primary reason Ghibli Studio producer Toshio Suzuki brought up Miyazaki and forced him to resume filmmaking was for this reason. However, this might be his final function as a director. Given his advanced age of 80 and deteriorating health, it might not be wise for him to dedicate his entire being to produce a piece.

A 15-year-old boy who unexpectedly loses his father and must navigate this difficult stage of life alone is the subject of Genzaburo Yoshino's novel of How do you live?, which served as the inspiration for this movie. In 2D animation, the plot is easier to follow, and the hand-drawn lines will undoubtedly bring back memories of Ghibli's golden age.

"As someone who has been here for a long time, over the years Studio Ghibli has wanted as many people as possible to watch the films we have made in different forms," Toshio said in response to the studio's complete lack of promotion for this movie. We don't want to do it like we always do, though, this time. If you keep doing the same thing, you'll grow tired of it. We therefore wanted to give something new a shot. And what kind of animation is the movie going to have? remarked Miyazaki, "Watching and observing oneself, becoming enlightened about all of this, including those selves that overlap inside one's heart." When the movie comes out on July 14, 2023, Hayao Miyazaki, will be a lovely conclusion once people have seen, experienced, and been moved by it.