This is exactly what I needed after watching It. I’m still confused though on the background story of the old ladies because they knew everything from the beginning and as to how they got there 😐
My take on it is that, if we saw Mahito's mom's (himi) younger self, it means this has happened before in the past with Mahito's first mom disappearing before she got married and had him. hence the maids witnessing it when they were younger and maybe even others disappearing too. The tower itself is a family rumor passed down as well. They just couldn't hear the tower's voices like mahito and natsuko did because they aren't blood related to the old man who originally founded the tower/space rock. Hence why family legacy was so important as a theme!
And the mother was called to the tower by the Great Uncle from a different time to help her future son overcome the mother's own death and she probably smiled knowing her future son would be able to overcome her death and accept her younger sister as his new mother and therefore be able to live a life with a complete family and be ok.
I also felt that Miyazaki was addressing his struggle to pass on the torch to a new generation, but I also feel he is accepting it, coming to an understanding that each generation inherits a different world, each with its own struggles and traumas that shape their dreams. When the tower crumbled, I became extremely emotional with the realization that Miyazaki is abandoning the concept of holding onto a legacy and allowing the new generation to have their own voice and to interpret his work (represented by the brick) however they will. We can only hope there will be another filmmaker as great as the old master Miyazaki.
Your comment is still applicable to me as an artist who is having a hard time at what day should i draw after doing some college work. I will try to improve my own artworks in the future
Imo, this movie is the deepest Miyazaki movie. On the surface, it's a mix of Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. but to me, it's a love letter from Miyazaki to us. He's telling us to create beautiful worlds untainted by malice. That block that Mahito kept at the end represent the movie itself, a powerful reminder that we have the power to create something beautiful.
Absolutely, first watch through I watched too light heartedly and was a bit jumbled. Went home and reflected for four hours. Have been back a second time since and about to go a third. Once you fully understand what this film is and think about it, it’s one of the deepest pieces of art I’ve seen created. It really is so compact
I personally felt it was more Howl's Moving Castle, largely due to how Western-inspired the fantasy world was. I was definitely confused by the plot, but the film was still beautiful regardless. I felt something, I just didn't know how to explain it. Flash forward to the next day, after reading various analyses and pondering myself, I finally understand the movie. It's such a deep piece of work and I feel like it deserves a 2nd view for most. Outstanding work; you can really feel the love Miyazaki and the Ghibli studio put into it.
I like to see Ghibli’s creations far from just a movie. If you can’t really understand it that well, try seeing it through different perspectives. Ghibli is more than just a moving picture, it’s a whole story no matter how boring you may find it. For instance, The Wind Rises didn’t connect with most of the audience because not everyone dreamed of planes. But that doesn’t mean you can’t see through the characters eyes, feel what they feel, experience everything. So instead of criticizing a story because you didn’t understand it, try seeing in a different way; I guarantee you the experience will be beyond words.
The Messsage is in part for Miyazaki's son. The main character refused to take his elderly relative's legacy, like Goro Miyazaki decided not to follow his father's tradition. The film is Hayao Miyazaki's message to his son, saying he understands and loves his son.
Given how complicated the whole business between the two was in reality, I wonder if a film scene can help at all ... if I remember correctly, Goro didn't want to take over the animation studio at first, and when he did to animate a movie, his father was all but helpful.
After reading and learning Dune by Frank Herbert, I guess Brian is the definition of the parakeet king trying to copy and milk Frank's work instead of making his own series.
@@Take_it_E-z Yes, I agree. To me that movie is the best one that Goro Miyazaki directed (and that I have watched). I think his first movie was "Tales from Earthsea", though. At least that's the one I remember having to do with the father-son-quarrel ...
Yes, Hahito is basically Miyazaki Haya herself (father who worked in a weapons factory, mother who died young). I don't know if anyone had noticed this before, but the birds (including the heron) are all metaphors for fighter planes (flying in the sky but never knowing the true purpose of flying, a weak person hiding in the body of a bird, etc.). For me, this movie is a closure to two of Miyazaki Haya's most important themes throughout his artistry, which are anti-war and motherhood. It feels like a farewell towards his beautiful creations throughout the years❤.
Fair point and they kept showing the father producing the glass that covers the cock pit if I'm not mistaken. And the birds eating the bubbles represent bloodlines or potential birth from war . This movie made me think about a graveyard for fireflies
My first Ghibli movie in theater, and i felt like i was on acid. Everything went over my head. Its like the meme "never let them know your next move" made into a movie.
Exactly, I had my expectations so high about this movie from all the reviews. Felt like the plot was weak, the ending was not that great. Though the musics and the animations were just fabulous
I was like: Me at 25% of the movie: Eyyyy Mahito's got a new MILF Me at 40% of the movie: Eyyyy Kiriko's a baddie Me at 50% of the movie: Ahhh so this is the female lead! Mahito x Himi! Me at 75% of the movie: Himi is your Mom!?! But still, Mahito x Himi along the wayyyy Man if I was mahito, I'd be downbad
I need to watch it again. I hate to say it, but I felt no emotional connection to this film. Beautiful and full of symbolism, the message was so hidden amongst overloaded visuals that really came across like randomness for random sake. I love the opening 20 minutes but the otherworld didn't work for me. I felt excited and interested during Spirited Away and here I felt ready for the movie to end. And that sucked for me. I have been a Ghibli obsessed fan for all my life. Maybe my expectations were wrong. Will watch this again sometime and see how it hits. Thanks for the insight!
Sometimes that makes the best films. When you come back and back again throughout your life and pick up more and more from it. Those are the movies that’ll deeply touch you one day. When a movies this complex with this many layers, it’s not meant to be enjoyed from just one watch
I’m a huge Studio Ghibli fan and I found myself fighting to stay awake about half way through the movie. I’m use to the deeper meanings of his movies and enjoy searching them out while watching however It couldn’t keep my interest throughout. I’m surprised and a bit perplexed given the reviews and my excitement for the movie. I definitely need to watch it again to sort my feelings out about the movie. In the past I’ve never had to do this to understand one of his movies. I just rewatched them for the enjoyment and love of the stories.
Mahito was representing hayao miyazaki and the heron was representing miyazaki's friend nizo yamamoto who died of stomach cancer. He was a good friend to miyazaki and im guessing thats why he made a character to represent him. Even though he was a background artist he still put in detail for us to enjoy the movie a bit more. Reast in peace nizo yamamaoto
I saw mahito as us and old man as miyazaki, but it's so multidimensional and has so many interperations, that this is a cool take too! Rest in peace nizo yamamaoto
@@KitoSenpainah like miyazaki has straight up said what this commentator said. The grand uncle is based off his mentor too he said he took like a 2 year break i think when making this movie because it was so hard to draw and write the grand uncle for him. He was actually supposed to have a much bigger role. No hate and i like how you perceive the film as art is in the eye of the beholder and it’s really abt what it means to you
@@KitoSenpai Me at 25% of the movie: Eyyyy Mahito's got a new MILF Me at 40% of the movie: Eyyyy Kiriko's a baddie Me at 50% of the movie: Ahhh so this is the female lead! Mahito x Himi! Me at 75% of the movie: Himi is your Mom!?! But still, Mahito x Himi along the wayyyy Man if I was mahito, I'd be downbad
to me, it showed the many messy faces of grief. she knew she could never replace Mahito's mother. She also knew, to an extent, what he was going through, Mahito's mom was Nazuko's sister. She wanted to be there for him, but he wouldn't let her in. Mahito & Nazuko's interactions up until that point were very one sided. Nazuko trying very hard to fill in that maternal role, & Mahito being stone faced & short. While understandable, I'm sure that hurt her. Grief is ugly. In the surreal world, she may not have even known if it was the real him/been confused on where she was too & just unleashed all the resentment built up. Overall, it showed that he wasn't the only one hurting
I have been a fan of all Miyazaki films. I even read ‘How do you live’ before watching this movie. There was a lot of symbolism in this movie which can be confusing if you don’t understand the meaning behind it. The visuals and music was stunning but the movie was hard to follow. This movie felt like a glimpse into his private journal, it becomes a pleasure and a treat to watch when you understand his past. Will watch again.
It's like life man, messy and sometimes without meaning. But also if you understand symbolism like Miyazaki as the tower master choosing to let go of his kingdom, and the boy learning to gain courage and deal with grief, reality. There's plenty to tie threads together. 2nd half in surreal world a bit confusing elements all thrown in, but if it's Miyazaki's last movie I'll gladly take it. Animation+music enough for me. And the characters are top notch too.
Heron = symbol of your emotions who will always haunt you if you do not face them. He followed mahito until he was willing to face his feelings and in the end he even made piece with his inner self aka was good friends with the heron (who didn‘t turn out to be that bad after all if you get what im sayin) Magician = symbol of your choices and opportunities in life and that you have the power to create your own world and influence others in it. Also the magician died in the tower and was obsessed with it and couldn’t let go.(could be a meaning for being stuck in one place and not moving on/ or even more: suicide) Stones of death = mahito doesn’t chose the stones because he was not willing to die or give up. He chose life and found a purpose - he wants to create a better world on his own. Birds in the movie = unable to read their emotions, (people wear a mask to cover their emotions in real life). Symbol for the bad things in the real world/ hate/greed/war. Many doors: could be the many worlds the ghibli boss made Ghosts got eaten: unfairness in the world. The ghosts would be born as babies but some got eaten by the birds. If you take that literally then it symbolizes unborn babys in the real world (cruelty) In the end the main messages are to move on in life, to let go, to find purpose and that you have the ability to change the world around you to a better place you desire. Ofc these are my own interpretations and perspectives but maybe it helped someone think about it differently. I am sure that you don‘t feel emotionally attached is because you can’t relate to it that much. But i want everyone to watch the movie a second time and try to interpretate the scenes and meanings shown in this masterpiece. Final rating: 9/10.
This movie really resonated with me in that I'm looking for the strength to let go of these sad depressive thoughts and move on with purpose in my life.
I watched this in theatres a week ago and it was intense! I went in without seeing the concept art or trailers for a full blank slate. Absolutely wild, funny and horrifying. I’m gonna need a rematch for sure tho LOL Also the first Ghibli movie I’ve seen in a theatre; totally worth it!
That is one strange coincidence, I recently watched this film a few weeks back too. I went into it fully blind as well, and found myself shocked at how much symbolism was packed into the story, I admit I almost fell asleep at several points while watching the film, but one thing I will say is that the animation was stellar. That opening scene, the visuals were just wow. Also this was my first Studio Ghibli film that I’d seen in a movie theater too, and I have to say I don’t regret it, the animation was amazing. Though the message didn’t quite hit me as hard as I’d hoped. I plan on rewatching it sometime in the future. Probably once it comes out on streaming services.
Anime is no mistake. I love it. There are so many great stories ranging all the way from the early stuff like Astroboy, Gugantor, and 8th man to the modern My Hero Academia, Dr. Stone, One Piece, Yashahime, Demon Slayer Mugan Train, and a host of others. I just saw The Boy and the Heron a couple of hours ago and had a great time. The story is bizarre but imaginative, fun, and powerful. The art is absolutely beautiful. I strongly recommend going to see this.
Anime is the cheapest medium of visual storytelling. Stories like Evangelion, hxh, attack on titan would cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make in a live action setting
@@sailingadventurer and yet I would rather watch an anime than a live adaption sorry but live adaptions suck look at Disney and all their crappy remakes
Anime is never a mistake anime these days is way more divers but i would rather stick with anime than sticking with american Show that is 90 percent of them are green eco enviromentalistic pandaring propaganda and sometimes i feels it goes to hardly in the politicals sphere rather than telling a beauitiful story
Anime is one of the most efficient medium of storytelling. Movies and live action shows cost so much to make, but things like Evangelion, Attack on titan, hxh won't be possible without having a budget of 200 million dollars in a live action setting. Books, Video games, anime are superior mediums of storytelling than movies and tv shows imo
That's 100% how I felt it too. I hoped for Mahito to return from this chaotic and kind of brutal world. You couldnt trust the creatures/birds there and it was never clear what exactly is going on
Miyazaki preserve the true beauty of Anime for his entire life. They never use latest technology and literally still making Anime from scratch. They keep the beauty of Key Animation which is I actually agree. Abayo Miyazaki Sensei!
It’s a beautiful film that summarizes Miyazaki’s whole career and the importance, to him, of not losing himself in his own fantasy worlds and grounding himself in reality. A very very deceptively simple film
I had so many deja vu moments throughout this movie, seeing references from past ghibli movies, but the biggest deja vu for me was seeing a reference to the painting I learned about just literally yesterday, the isle of death by Arnold Böcklin. It gives the same whimsical, yet ominous curiousity.
Miyazaki is one of the best filmmakers out there, I don't think he gets the recognition he deserves like Scorcesse and Kurasawa did, but ig that's a part of the movie, learning to move on and make a new path in life, truly the best "final" film that there will ever be
TW When Mahito said "come with us and you can live" and lady Himi says "I'd rather stay to become your mother" 😭😭😭 I think the warawara were a metaphor for pregnancies that don't reach full term, which is why Lady Himi was so protective of them, because she knows the power of love for ones child. ❤
The movie had me crying in the first 30 seconds because I knew what was coming and I'm very close with my mother who was sitting next to me it has become my new favorite film it just feels personal as an artist myself it just felt real
I watched the movie yesterday and i felt very confused. I am a studio Ghibli fan and I’m showing my husband more movies of this fantastic studio. However yesterday we felt disappointed. We felt it was an acid trip. Now with this explanation and some others from RU-vid, probably i will watch it again in a year or two and see how my experience and perspective of the movie changes
I loved the first half of the movie, I liked the way the mystery was slowly unraveling and was gradually revealing the fantastical elements of the world. But the second half left me with more questions than answers. When I heard that Hayao Miyazaki's friend and colleague Isao takahata passed away half way through making this movie, it all made sense. The change in vibe, the chaos, the more questions than answers, the grim and horror, the afterlife nature of the world, exploration of human souls, contemplation of the end of everything he's built... my heart breaks for him actually. It made me appreciate the clarity that the monotheistic Abrahamic faiths bring to these concepts and we see some elements of those here. Such as the garden of paradise full of fruit trees and rivers - where we can meet our ancestors only every one is younger, even the same age as us. The fact that our own malice can create a bad fate for us in the afterlife or otherwise a beautiful world of our own creations - it's the quality of or good deeds that creates it... I also felt that the bird king that destroyed the balance and harmony of the 'tower' out of selfishness, rage and arrogance regarding their 'empire' was a metaphor for imperialism, political corruption and greed in the world. Like the Zionist occupation and apartheid state of Israel that has destroyed Gaza and all it's beauty that the people worked so hard to create under difficult circumstances. They destroyed it in just three months for the sake of their capitalist greed (to gain control of the off shore gas reserves of Gaza) but it is masked as 'concern' for the defense of their illegal blood thirsty state.
when the old ladies said his mother disappeared and reappeared with a huge smile on her face makes me incredibly sad. that was her part in the ending of the movie they were talking about, she got to love her son before she even knew who he was.
If the movie had explained literally any other of that while I was watching it, it would have been great. As it was I got to the parking lot and started asking what the heck I had just watched.
i watched this movie last night. What you have explained on this video is so true. The movie is very emotional. Full with messages from Miyazaki and something really personal. Thanks for doing this.
Im glad you mentioned Dante's divine comedy. My interpretation was this story was about a boy's journey into the many hell realms and 2 different forces of deities trying for his capture. The seemingly good natured sect of old woman and the seemingly malicious demons. I also noticed how the boy was revered throughout the hell realms for some reason, every place he went all the creatures and people showed reverence of him, as if they knew he was going to be offered the God position.
How you picked it from this angle is beyond me. To be honest, if you had not done this, I would have hated it. I came here after watching the movie and wanted closure/clarity and you helped make me hate it a little less. So thank you.
I am so thankful for this man his films are treasures of creativity that dare us to dream and see the beautiful things in life, when life can be cruel and tragic ❤
This movie is about grief and how much life changes after the loss of a loved one. It also shows how life can get weird and a bit paranormal when you just lose someone and you are trying to understand death. I believe you see abnormal things happen around you. Everyones grief is different. But when I lost someone real close myself after their death I went through alot of different emotions and believe I saw or heard things that no one around me could. Grief is not fun, and it can get weird and scary . This movie really gave justice or closure, at least to me, when it comes to grief.
I still believe that if Goro Miyazaki stops trying to be just like his father, he'll finally be able to make a good film. He's probably been pressured from a young age to live up to that legacy, but it's just not him. Who knows, maybe someone new will take up the reigns of Ghibli once Hayao is gone, but just maybe Goro will learn to be himself. When Hayao is gone, there will never be anyone like him again. But good films will continue to exist. We just have to cherish the time we had with his films and enjoy different kinds of films made by different people. For example, Goro.
Me and my girlfriend just watched this movie. I thought it was absolutely amazing. Kept my attention the entire time. She seemed a little bit uninterested as she’s more of our Kardashian watcher. 😢 but she did agreed watch it again and we’re going again this weekend. 🎉😊
this movie is not like the ones before. this movie has depth. first few minutes had mahito live inside darkness (depression, grief, loss) and he had a hard time to adjust with his step mom. then at the end he accepted his new mom, let go of his past, and set to a new beginning with his family instead of living in a dream that his grand uncle created as it is not the reality. i think it depicts most of our lives where we feel lost and depressed but over time we learn to accept it. mizayaki's concept is really good. the visual were utterly pleasing and beautiful. bgm was really was also nice. the dream world that mizayaki created was also worth watching. except for the (bit) slow pacing and some parts which i was a bit confused, like the scene where mahito gives no reaction on meeting his mother again, i really loved and enjoyed this movie. i dont know if this is mizayaki's last film but the ending when the tower falls got me sad to realise that mizayaki is old and he is passing the genre to the next generation.
This movie is like Ghibli's Inland empire. So many scenes seems so random and as the story progressed, it gives you more question than answer. I love the surreal element and atmosphere though. The scene of Mahito's mother's melting, reminds me of Dali's "Persistence of memory".
I may have my info wrong but I heard that Miyazaki’s family was well to do which meant that they were relatively safe during the war and that was something he resented. So I felt like I saw a lot of similarities about the father (in the movie) who aided in constructing planes and also told the factory workers to continue working once they couldn’t initially find the stepmother
I LOVED this movie!!! The story, the visuals, the music. I myself have ptsd so i was really surprised how it was captured in the movie. I love all the studio ghibli movies, probably my favorite honestly. I DONT KNOW WHY SHE SAID SHE HATED HIM THOUGH that confused me and the end when he walks back with his mom????
This was a very good analysis. I was actually let down a lot by the movie, with one of the reasons being the super-power space rock theme. However, the way you related the elements of the movie to themes from Miyazaki’s life made it make a lot more sense. And, I agree that the score is excellent. Again, very good job.
Wow, when I watched the movie the message went way over my head but. Now I’m significantly less confused but also disappointed that I didn’t understand without help. Well, c’est la vie.
@@ZeroTheEyedKingA lot of animes are nice and some are not like most things in this world. And also, what do you mean the humans?!! So you're basically calling all the other anime fans out there (also humans) mistakes? Look, people have different opinions, some people like anime and some people don't, now I personally am not interested in anime and neither is this guy but that doesn't mean that every human in the world hates them. Although, one thing we can all agree on is that Studio Ghibli is amazing!
I absolutely LOVED this film. This is definitely one of Miyazaki's best and also one of the deepest movies he has ever made. I went in with great expectations and I came out more than satisfied. If this is supposedly his last film, it was definitely worth it. From the message to the characters and the stories and OH MY GOD, the animation, everything about this movie was just mind blowing. This man is a genius and one of my most favourite film producers and animators. He deserves all the love he can get. I salute you, Hayao Miyazaki. Studio Ghibli is like mature and grown up Disney. You know what? It's even better than Disney.
I watched the movie when it first released and it was so good. I tell my friends to watch it because it is so good, especially Joe Hisaishi music background. Some parts it so hard like when the piano notes hitting the lower notes. I hope The Boy and The Heron win the Oscar awards for best animation.
Hayao Miyazaki is a freaking legend goat for beated three giants animation corporation which is Illumination, Sony Animation and Disney. Imagine Suzume will win Oscar, it a double win for anime community if that happens
i watched the movie yesterday and i have some questions about the endig 1. When the grand uncle world was destroyed (tower collapsed) does that mean the pelicans are now free? since they were stuck on the island starving and thus lead them to eat the wara wara and they weren’t native to the magic world ? Does that mean they returned to their real world 2. himi burns and kills some wara wara trying to protect the majority of them and some wara wara get eaten doesnt that mean the dead wara wara also reincarnate again? since the wara wara are a reference to how souls are created and the the movie theme is about life and death and reincarnation? and kiriko says that himi killing some of them with her fire will help the majority to be reborn doesnt that also imply that these souls also regulate anyways even if they get burned or die?
After watching the movie in the cinema i always go thru youtube to watch these kind of explaination vid and with your explaination some of my initial speculatio as well as confussion actully been answered and confrim so thanks for the explanation vid And also with those explanation vid helps me appreciate the movie more
The visuals were crazy… that’s what I was so excited about when seeing the film. Something about the settings always invoke an emotion in me. Most of the settings presented are places id wish to be in as emotionally, I feel that it would bring me peace and happiness. The setting also reminded me of my home country, and how the environment I used to live in was covered in forests and bushes… almost like the in the film. The part that had me almost in tears was when Lady Himi said he’d rather be Mahito’s mother than to live. It was such a short moment but that quote alone made me feel more appreciation for my mother. Pregnancy is one hell of a trip after all. The fact that she would rather birth a beautiful child than to live KNOWING she would die…
This is my first Studio Ghibli film and, I believe, my first Japanese animated film as well. My expectations were very high, but by the end of the movie, I felt unsatisfied and confused. The first few minutes really got me invested in the story, but it went all over the place after that. I've tried watching many explanation videos, but most of them talk about Miyazaki himself or compare the film to other movies, which I have no knowledge of. I plan to watch it again, but I doubt it will change my mind.
I KNEW there was a book like "The Boy and the Heron", that title just sounded familiar. I liked this but not his best in my opinion. But I definitely see the effort given the artistic styles of watercolors, the fire scene and I'm sure there are other painting styles there I missed. I want Miyazaki to do one more picture in partnership with Don Bluth! Imagine what those two men would create together, definitely a Swan Song. Interesting that the actual Japanese title is really "How Do You Live?". Honestly I liked Kaguya Hime and especially "The Wind Rises" much better.
The movie was good but I feel it’s getting higher ratings than it deserves. I’ve seen all of the movies multiple times but even some of the less popular ones have a more magical feel and plot line than this movie. I may need to watch it a couple more times tho
It's like every ghibli studio films in one I'll definitely watch later Spirited away scared the living shit out of me when i first watched it I hope this film doesn't make me shit my pants again
This was my first ghibli film. I dont understand anything but the animation and suspense was great. Though I wish it had an easier to understand storyline, but maybe that's not what Miyazaki was aiming for in the making.
*WARNING* *Trigger warning to those who have experienced self harm* *There is one scene in the movie that might make some audience members uncomfortable*
I can totally understand where this movie came from, Mr. Miyazaki's perspective and all his emotion rumbling through the vain of this movie Keeping all these in mind, respectfully I think I did NOT enjoy a little bit of the movie I can rant about things over and over and ask about different plot points and maybe I'd get some legit or fantheory answers but at the end of the day from a very normal vewers perspective I think A) If you have to be knowledgeable about other medias to understand the hidden meaning of a movie, its a failure for the movie B) If a protagonist so roackheaded forcing his way though the story blindly without asking questions it definitely is creats OVER-complications for the viewers C) If human values need to be woven with a fantasy story, it needs a strong worldbuilding or it looks like a a theme park ride rather than a coherent narrative D) If there are so many elements to cover, there should be time to explain them all which the movie not only lacks but kills the little time it had with its first half E) And if the music is doesn't ring in your ears and you don't search for the OSTs in Internet, you did not create a masterpiece sorry but the so called inferior movie 'Weathering With you' still holds the crown
Im way to dumb to understand this movie, i felt like a kid looking a shiny bright colors, the music and animation was so good but the story completly went over my head
It felt incomplete. There were scenes where it feels like it skips through with no explanation and then saying things the MC didn’t know with no time taken to acknowledge it.
I absolutely adore everything that Miyazaki has created, however I have to say that this particular anime really overwhelmed me. I might sound silly for this, but I genuinely couldn’t follow the story. I’m sure that every single thing shown there has a reason, like in any other work of his, but still, I have so many questions…
Thank you so much! I was so irretated and kinda disturbed after watching that movie! Loads and loads of birdpoop and the conviction that its not a good Idea to mix all subdtances and create a movie. Now I have a more clear Idea of the backrounds and I can appreciate that work so much more!
