The Boy and the Heron - Review 

I just watched the movie and I have mixed feelings about it. The art and animation looked great, but story wise I was left confused and just was wondering what was going on the entire movie. I was questioning why did this happen? Why did that happen? Why are they showing this? And in the end the payoff wasn’t satisfying as I hoped. I hoped all my questions would just be answered, but realized I need to research and watch reviews to understand what happened.

I also love the way he portrayed boyhood in Mahito. He's not a rambunctious/trouble maker like most boys are represented. He's quiet, introspective and cautious, which is a really beautiful character that I think will resonate with so so many in the audience.

Just here to permanently petition for everyone to watch Porco Rosso, my personal favorite Miyazaki movie.

I just got back from watching this movie. Without watching a single trailer I still held the movie to high standards and it met every single one of them. Though it isn't my favorite out of the studio Ghibli movies it's still up there with the ones before it. I loved this movie and I couldn't stress it enough to check it out especially if you're a fan of the studio or Miyazaki.

I'm seeing this with my parents this afternoon. Can't wait to enjoy the world of Miyazaki again.

I wasn't a fan of The Boy and the Heron. Maybe I'll like it more after I sit with it for a while, think about some of the themes and metaphors, and maybe rewatch a time or two once it's on streaming. I just didn't feel particularly invested in any of the characters in this movie in a way that I am for every other Ghibli movie I've seen, and it just got too surreal for me (something I would never have thought I'd say for Ghibli).

Saw this today with my son and we loved it! Weird, beautiful, still stuck in my brain, all the things you would come to expect with Ghibli/Miyazaki. So far, nothing has bumped Princess Mononoke out of my number one slot, but I would still highly recommend Boy and the Heron 👍

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 is a symbol of the movie itself, a powerful reminder that we have the power to create something beautiful.

We just saw the film a few hours ago. Everybody will have their own impression of the film, but mine is this: I had never realized how beautiful their world was, nor how much pain they endured when they burned, bled and died. We destroyed everything they had, and them as well. The Boy is the Spirit of Japan, shell shocked and numb, dazed and bewildered, facing an impossible situation. The Boy was all of that, and I am sure Miyazaki was as well (he was the Boy, after all), but the one thing he was not was defeated. He never gave up. The Spirit of Japan lives on.

the best praise I can give this film is that I travelled to NYC to watch it weeks ago and in an hour I'm watching it a third time in IMAX. it has a lot of mature imagery and pacing but it really feels like Miyazaki is not just making a film about his own place in the world, he's also making a film to help young kids understand concepts like mortality and death in a healthy way. I know the Best Animated category is always cooked at the Oscars, bc voters just pick whatever their kids tell them to choose, but I really hope The Boy and The Heron wins this year, especially considering my actual favorite Animated film this year, Suzume, likely won't even be nominated (this is especially wild for me bc I don't even like anime 😅).

I‘m a huge fan of all the Miyazaki movies - but I’m also living under a rock. So, before watching this video I had no idea that this movie was coming and now I’m very excited. I‘m so grateful that you exist as my reliable source to good movies. Because of you I‘m not only going to the cinema much more often - I’m also having a much better time doing so because I almost never get disappointed. Thank you so much Dan! Greetings from Germany

Hayao Miyazaki is one of my favorite directors/ animators; his worlds are so creative and surreal. I can’t wait to see this one!

Miyazaki's work will always be an inspiration 💯

Miyazaki is not anime. He’s basically his own genre.

Happy to see a Ghibli/Miyazaki fan in the making. Great review, thank you!

I really agree with you that all Miyazaki's films have this magical charm that pull you into their worlds. The Boy and The Heron is undeniably his most complex film but I think that's why the surreal is so effective for me this time. It's part fantasy, part metaphor for how Mahito is feeling at that moment, how he experiences grief of losing a mother and being in a situation that life still needs to continue even if the world is messy. It's contemplative, mature and subtle work of art.

I know you are still fairly new in your anime journey Dan but strongly recommend watching any of the movies by Satoshi Kon. He died fairly young but his filmography was phenomenal.

Very much looking forward to this. Big Ghibli and Miyazaki fan. Love all his stuff but for whatever reason I always find myself going back to Kiki's Delivery Service as probably my fave. Just adore it.

I’m a HUGE fan of Studio Ghibli but I was disappointed with Boy and the Heron. Miyazaki’s movies have always been confounding, but this took it to the next level. There were narrative aspects that left me thinking I had fallen asleep for ten minutes and missed something, especially with the random Parakeet King character at the end.

Took my son to watch it today. We both had a great time. It has some Spirited Away vibes. Studio Ghibli has such a great collection of movies.

Robert Pattinson deserves an Oscar for his role as The Heron

I'm seeing it either this weekend or next week. I've seen every Miyazaki film since Princess Mononoke on their first run in US theaters (I missed some of the other Ghibli movies like Princess Kagura, which weren't given the same theatrical push and never played in my area), so I've been waiting for this movie since it was announced Miyazaki had yet again reversed his retirement from feature films in 2016.

I'm happy to see people enjoying it so much! I saw it and thought it was a mixed bag compared to his other films. It just did not resonate with me. However, this is just in comparison to his other work. All of his work is majesty and beauty in so many different ways. And seeing Miyazaki smash a box office and get so much love and recognition always brings a huge smile to my face.

I was lucky enough to see it on the 2nd last week in IMAX. Absolutely incredible, a lot going on with the sub stories so it's definitely worth a rewatch

My first Studio Ghibli film is Howl's Moving Castle dub version and I was really blown away of the animation and outstanding performances including Christian Bale and Billy Crystal but I already bought tickets for the dub version of the boy and the heron on Tuesday because later today I'm excited to see Godzilla Minus One on AMC theater.

Studio heads : Mr Mayazaki, how crazy do you want to go? Miyazaki: Yes. It was a wild ride, and I loved it.

Appreciate you going to bat for animation in all its forms, Dan. I work in the animation industry and while most of my peers are big Disney/Pixar nuts, I'm more of a '86 Transformers, Song of the Sea, Summit of the Gods guy. The one thing we can all agree on though, is Ghibli movies. I live in a town with a disproportionate number of animators and when The Boy and the Heron eventually comes here, it's gonna be an event, I guarantee it.

im so glad you could tell me about the film without spoiling it so i can watch it my self in the cinema my self

3:33 "Not many animators working in the hand-drawn medium." - I'm sorry, I have to heavily disagree on that statement. Maybe in the US, but hand drawn animation very much alive in other countries. Japan obviously leads the pack. I'm not just talking about Miyazaki, there are other talented animators and directors who have also made a name for themselves in the hand-drawn medium. I recommend you check out the works of Mamoru Hosoda, Mamoru Ooshii, Makoto Shinkai, Masaaki Yuasa, Satoshi Kon, Takeshi Koike, Hideaki Anno etc.

As with so many of Miyazaki’s movies, he is great at delivering amazing visuals, interesting characters and emotional themes, but falls flat most of the time by the time the third act comes by. My biggest complaint with the movie is the central plot of loss not being resolved (and please don’t come saying that the ending was left open because loss is never closed, that’s just a poetic way of excusing weak plotting) What I mean by this is that, by scene one we know the biggest challenge the main character Mahito is gonna face is accepting his mother’s death. So grieve and loss are placed at the center of the story at the very beginning. Then his father marries another woman Natsuko whom Mahito cannot accept because he’s still in grieve for his actual mother (represented by the continuous nightmares) So there it is challenge number two: accept this new woman in his life and open emotionally to her. So the very thing the Heron clues at is that Mahito’s mother is in this other magical world, that’s motif number one, motif number twi is that Natsuko herself is lost to this world. So the natural rythm of the story is that Mahito enters this new world to find his mother who might be alive and Natsuko who is pregnant with his future brother. But then after a long wandering in this world we are presented with a third plot, the one of the world builder being Mahito’s great great father or something and Mahito needing to become the heir to the old man’s creation. So by this time the movie was really tiresome cause there was no progress in the two first plots and there is already a new plot introduced almost in the middle of the movie. So honestly the movie feels like it drags itself for ages with no clear progress towards any of the plots it presents. The girl that appears with fire powers was clearly her mother, almost everyone got that as soon as she appeared. And Natshuko is prehnant and sick at a. nursery room Mahito cannot enter. The pieces for great story are there, a mystery girl who is Mahito’s death mother, and Natsuko in labor pain hating him and the world she left behind. But no, we are stuck with the third plot as some more wandering is made, till the movie must come to an end. The world crumbles apart, Natsuko for some reason is out of the nursing room, she no longer hates Mahito and is no longer in pain. Mahito must cross the door to his world and only then is it revealed that the girl was his mother all along, almost like “Oh, by the way I’m your mother.” He tries to stop her and warn her of her death, but she refuses, and each one goes to their respective timeline. It all happens in less than a minute, right on time for the movie to end. I really hated that the grieve for his mother plot was rushed like that, being that it was supposed to be such an important part of Mahito’s character arc. It would have been nice to see him struggle accepting his mother is death during his trip, and with the help of this girl come to terms with the loss. But no, that plot was forgotten till the very end and rushed off like it was nothing. Then with Natsuko and Mahito not being able to accept her. I mean come on, that’s golden material, there is a palpable emotional barrier that Natsuko cannot surpass. Mahito is cold to her throughout the whole of the first act, then she goes away and Mahito decides to rescue here. In the magic world she is in a nursing room and Mahito must find her. That was a beautiful scene in which we see the two of them struggling emotionally, Natsuko full of rage and despair, and in evident child pain, Mahito reliving his mother’s death in the fire through all the flying papers. They even surround the two like flames. How can we surpass these barrriers that keep them from reaching one another? The movie decides it’s not important, we go again to the plot of the great grand father, we skip to the end and Natsuko is there ready to leave with Mahito, like that previous scene never occured. That’s what enrages me about so many of Miyazaki’s films, he is great at introducing plots and themes, but not so great at developing, and definitely bad at wrapping things up. He makes a lot of promises in his movies, but barley and progress or pay off. And I repeat, the themes this movie explores are great, but from a storytelling stand point, Miyazaki has never been great at plotting and structuring plots.

Just watched it and it really blew me away. Excellent film.

I'm hoping Dan will make his way through the Ghibli filmography and make a video on The Grave of the Fireflies. I watched that movie once 20 years ago and was absolutely devastated by it. Haven't had the strength to ever watch it again, but man is it incredible...

It’s weird. I really admired it but for some reason it left me at a bit of a distance. Maybe the structure of it just wasn’t my wavelength?

Been a fan of Ghibli for a long time so I saw the first screening available in an IMAX theatre. Go see it, it's visually stunning and worth the effort. This might be a minor spoiler, but I know enough Latin to say the script over the portal tunnel entrance is, "I was made by the divine."

Love the sponsor of the video and loved the review. I’m going to watch the Japanese version with English subtitles tonight but will probably watch the English dub with my family cuz we love ghibli.

We adored this movie. So very much to think about--and so beautifully drawn. (Go for the subbed version.)

One of the rare times im gonna watch the dub over the sub title

Hey I have search for your single past lives review video but I can’t find it

Within 30 minutes of the film, I felt it was personal to Miyazaki. The first memory he had as a child was his village burning. He lost his mother at a young age and his father was a working machine. I saw the boy as a young Miyazaki, the heron as the cranky, uncooperative but good at heart artist and the great uncle as Miyazaki now, readying for someone to step into his world and preside over it. I also felt he was asking us to question our perceptions of good and bad. We are shocked when we see the new souls on their journey to the surface, eaten by the pelicans. We instantly put them in the 'baddy' category. Then we learn the pelicans are suffering and starving. The same applies for the heron, he's obnoxious and seems hateful, but in the end he saves Mahito. Miyazaki did the same with No Face. He wants us to see that good people can behave badly if they are isolated. I also feel he was conveying a message about the 'fairness' of life and that ultimately, its all down to chance. A roll of the dice, or a stack of stones and that ultimately, the force that controls that, does not make decisions based on our behaviour, that the wonders and horrors of life happen, just by chance.

Beautiful film, however i didnt really understand why create a whole alternate world of importance if it can apparently fall down without any reprecussion. And why the master was focused on buulding a stable world but sorta imprissioned those birds and forced them to starve... why, why the birds??

Perhaps I’m not as smart as everyone else, but unfortunately, this movie was completely unwatchable.

It was a visual tour de force! That ending was super abrupt though 😅

Going to see it again this Sunday! I loved it

Can someone explain what this movie was? I saw it just today. Watching it is was feeling 3 things. Confusion. Boredom. Frustration. At one point in the movie i thought “huh this has been going on for awhile. Must be ending soon” then looked at my phone and it had only been 40 minutes of this 2 hour movie

I liked it but didn't love it. It might be one that I need some additional viewings to fall completely in love with. It also doesn't help that expectations are higher but found that it is one that builds up and you start to enjoy it more. It was a slow beginning for me, even though you sort dive into things. As the film progresses I found myself really becoming more absorbed and questioning things about 'how do you live' essentially. Definitely mature themes and concept that not everyone will appreciate right away. There were two highschoolers sat near me and they were confused (as per their whispers). So I think themes and such will go over some ppl especially after 1 viewing. Art/animation beauitful as always though. I wanted to add that the dub was a bit hit and miss. Usually dubs for his films are on point but I think I'd prefer this in Japanese. I was thrown off by Christian Bales sort of American accent making Miyato's dad sound as if he come from New York or something. It was a odd choice since the setting and all.

The narrative reminded me a lot of some of The Chronicles of Narnia. The Magicians Nephew and The Silver Chair particularly

Absolutely loved it. Gorgeous on the big screen.

5:26 I've always loved dubbed versions (over original audio) in Miyazaki films, which make the works so well-performed & perfect. There is always controversy in Japan with his films where he prefers "natural, non-"amime" voices (of voice actors) " and/or casting "famous" actors (who may not necessarily be great at acting, especially for voice acting). As a Japanese I always go for dubbed versions ^^

Wondering if you will a Past Lives review? It recently had a digital release (U.S.), and for me its one the best movies to come out this year.

Get ready to be blown away. This movie is a Masterpiece. The music, the story, the characters are unforgettable. If you’re are a fan of Miyazaki you’re going to like this one.

I found this film so beautiful and sad in a way only a movie about the reflection and passing of one's life through the lens of his body of work can be. I do wonder how general audiences will view it though because it's hard NOT to think about autobiographical books or documentaries like "Starting Point," "Turning Point," or "Never-Ending Man" if you've seen them vs going in blind. But at the same time even having that supplementary material doesn't make the film any less contemplative or open to interpretation, which was a joy. I don't even want to get into too much to avoid spoiling anything in the comments, but it was really interesting how my initial thoughts on certain story elements (particularly the character of the Grand Uncle) completely differed from what producer Toshio Suzuki talked about in interviews. This is also the first Ghibli dub from NYAV Post and ADR director Michael Sinterniklaas, and they have a terrific track record in recent years for anime dubs in my book across genres (see Promare, A Silent Voice, BELLE, Pompo the Cinephile, Great Pretender, etc...). I think the intent will be present no matter what language you watch while also getting something unique out of each viewing experience.

IMO not the biggest fan, the themes and messages aren't explored particularly strongly and doesn't feel like it stands out compared to his other films (high bar but still). The score is good and visuals are great as usual, but it still suffers from main characters that are hard to connect to. For a movie that was renamed from "How can you live" to "boy and the heron", the heron plays a very forgettable role (apparently its a symbol for miyazakis producers or something). The previous title also feels more profound and matching with the film. I just find it hard to connect with this more "biographical" film of his, when I don't really feel what he is trying to convey like his other films.

I'm like you, my journey with Anime is still ongoing, but Miyazaki transcends the genre

Miyazaki may be my favorite single creator and director. Btw, if you have the chance, maybe read the original Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind manga. I’m positive Viz or someone has translated it into English. The Japanese version is available in 7 large volumes, not sure what the English version is.

I just got an ad for this movie before the review and it looks right up my alley in the ghibli spear !! Family loss and witty old magical beings totally seeing this!!

Hey Dan! (Off Topic) Did you get a chance to catch Waitress the Musical in theaters? It was a 5 day in theaters situation, I just got back from watching it and loved it!

My theatre has Godzilla on the IMAX and The Boy and The Heron on the XD screen. Complete Japan takeover.

Fuck it I’ll say it! me and my fiancé went to go watch it and we both didn’t enjoy it at all. I was so close of walking out but didn’t really want to judge before watching it til the end so we forced ourselves to finish it. I don’t recommend it at all.

Ha ha ! It must have been the first time I saw a movie before Dan did 😂 It’s been in the cinemas in Europe for a few weeks. Glad you saw the original with subs !

Like this a lot having seen it twice in IMAX with subtitles. Looking forward to seeing it again tonight with Dub just to hear it. Hopefully Bale not using his Batman voice like he did in Howl’s Moving Castle 😁. This has a dash of Spirited Away with sprinkles of The Wind Rises and a lot of pseudo biopic theme of Porco Rosso 🙏🏼.

IMO, Hand drawn will always be better than computer animated. there is some connotation of innocence and joy that hand drawn has that computer animation will never achieve. I hope Disney goes back to hand drawn for their movies, or at least some of them

It was visually beautiful but it felt like 30% of the script had been cut. The plot was meandering and things just happened because they needed to. The 'first third' was half of the movie, and the final act felt like it was given a whole 5 minutes. Visually gorgeous but the weakest Ghibli film by far when it comes to substance

The movie was awsome. For anyone that was confused its a very symbolic movie but most of his films are you must put much thought into the meanings.

I want to see this movie so bad! It's just a terrible time for me to get to the theater. To Dan's point regarding animation. I would highly recommend tracking down the films by Cartoon Saloon. They've picked up the 2-D mantle in the last 15 years, and they deserve way more attention from the broader public. I highly recommend all three of their Irish Trilogy (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, and Wolfwalkers). And I think they just won an Emmy for their segment of Star Wars Visions Season 2 (which I also highly, highly recommend).

This film is very slow, much like older Ghibli films. It feels like it's building towards a payoff that doesn't land for me, as the film lacks any real epic finally to speak of. The film rather takes us on a short journey filled with interesting characters, and doesn't feel the need to explain all of it. The animation is absolutely gorgeous. The music is minmum but effective. (Sadly the XD theater we watched it in had booming base bleeding in from the room adjacent which disrupted some of the quieter scenes early in the film. I was pissed!) Unlike many of Miyazaki san's films, this one isn't as easy to follow. There are at least two pieces of the narrative that didn't immediately make sense to my wife and I. The film Perhaps it will be better upon a second viewing on Blu-Ray later. A charming film but not one of his best.

Saw this and Godzilla Minus One in the past week. Thanks Japan 🇯🇵

Dan do you think this film will do the same box number as other anime?? Do you think were getting Demon Slayer's number????

I dove right into this animated film which began in a series of touching scenes. As much as I admired the movie's originality, its incredible technology and its unexpected and odd twists and turns, I was disappointed in the meandering offbeat story line. It was overlong, I grew impatient and realized the flaws were in the development of the story, the script and the irrationality of the denouement. The villains turned into friends and vice versa, totally confusing to me, and surely to kids, who might think this movie was intended for them.

I saw this last night and I think it's my favorite of the year.

did you finish watching Attack on Titan? Review coming??

More melancholy and grieving in this one compared to Miyazaki’s other films. I also see a couple of Takahata’s influences from Pompoko and Kaguya Hime. I’m happy if this is truly Miyazaki’s swansong because The Wind Rises was a bit of anti-climax and slice of life for me. I do hope we can get one more film from the great maestro.

This movie was just mind-blowing. It especially got me at the end when he realized he was talking to his mom in the pre existence and that those dolls were the people in his life who love and care for him.

any streaming platform that shows this?

I am looking forward to it.

I feel bad for not really liking Miyazaki movies. The only one I love is Spirited Away

Japan movies showing up big to end the year, can’t wait for this movie. Saw Godzilla twice and it’s one of my favourites this year.

Watched it with my partner this past Valentine’s Day and really enjoyed it, I can understand why some people would be a bit disappointed with the pacing of the film and I definitely feel like it needed a few more minutes to add in some narration Exposition during the first half of the film as well as the epilogue but besides that the rest of the film was absolutely fantastic from narrative, VA and animation. For anyone who has ever been a fan of the older Ghibli movies your in for a treat

All of his work is beautiful this is one of his best beautiful (:

Imax/Dolby is totally worth it! I'm stunned by how visually captivating it is!

Studio Ghibli is a mixed bag for me. I love certain films and think others are slow and boring. Unfortunately I thought the boy and the heron was slow and boring due to its bad pacing and buildup that didn’t really lead to anything.

Danny, did you see with subs or dubs????

Thanks for this review Dan! A chance to watch a Hayao Miyazaki film in IMAX? You bet Im going!

I hope smiley Dan thumbnail is a good sign

Miyazaki films are: magical, amazing, dark, fun, and imaginative. Taking you to places that feel like a dream, but also have many layers. Each film Studio Ghibli has released, is made with heart, and soul. That is the amazing part about anime. It is an experience, that is art, and something you can share with others

I wanted to love the movie. I just felt a little underwhelmed by this film. I didn’t hate it but idk how I feel about it.

😎👍 looking forward to it!

I'm confused. His assessment of the film here is pretty positive but on Letterboxd, he gave it 2 stars out of 5. I'm not even mad, just curious as to what changed.

It feels like a Japanese Alice in Wonderland

Must watch "grave of the fireflies" if you've watched the other miyazaki films.

Seeing this film tonight. I’m so excited.

We are flat broke at the moment, but really want to see this movie!

Would love you to review Princess Mononoke

Never seen one of his films. Happy with Godzilla Minus One, so I’ll give this a chance since US films have been held up by strikes and the quality is down.

Like living in somebody elses dream for a couple of hours... Stunning.

I hope you'd watch more Ghibli Movies in the future 👍👍

Yeah, My boyfriend and I were so pumped to see this movie, but walked away completely lost. It felt half baked and emotionless. I have usually loved his work but this was not it for me. He and I are debating going to see the dub next to see if maybe we missed something and maybe a second viewing would make it better. We were waiting for a great impact with strong emotional connection, but I couldn’t have been further from the film.

I’m very shocked people didn’t like this movie, in my opinion it was one of the best sturdy ghibli movies I’ve seen, then people who thought it was eh, I can see why you say that atleast for the beginning because it was to fast and confusing, like way to many things happening without explanation, obviously later in the movie everything starts to make sence, but yeah after the beginning I thought it was a masterpiece

This movie doesn't have the usual *sparkle* that Miyazaki's films normally do, but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. It's definitely more of an adult film in the way that it doesn't lean to a younger audience. It's about grief as an action. How it feels, and the action of working through grief.

Let me plant a thought in your brain. Miyazaki is the character, the great uncle. Dig deep what the movie message is with that thought in your head. Think of these messages: The great uncle disappeared one day with all his book opened. Those opened books are Miyazaki masterpieces animated work. The disappearance meaning Miyazaki stay silent for years. Miyazaki trying to find a successor for his lineage/legacy. Thus, the boy is the metaphor. Could be his grand children, a successor or the viewer (us). The great uncle was building a beautiful world with the building blocks, meaning Miyazaki unique world. He is hoping to find a successor to continue his legacy but disappointed that he couldn’t. Mahito doesn’t want to continue. Maybe meaning Miyazaki cannot find a successor. The beautiful world crumbles. Metaphor Miyazaki accepting his final retirement. The end of the movie, the boy took a fragment of the world home with him. Metaphor Miyazaki want viewers to have hope, memories and maybe can one day carry on his legacy again. The movie is very deep. You have to dig deep around. Rewatching it a couple of times to understand it.

compared to his other stuff I thought it was kinda weak