041Animation columnist Faziela Harris-Davids shares her views on The Boy and the Heron , Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli and the legendary director of Studio Ghilbi Hayao Miyazaki.
IF you love the world of Studio Ghibli, then you need to be familiar with Hayao Miyazaki’s constant retiring, maybe retiring, then coming back and producing outstanding films. Not that anyone is complaining, however The Boy and the Heron has been a long awaited installment in the world of Studio Ghibli due to it not having any marketing material prior to its release.
The films title, How Do You Live? (Kimitachi wa do Ikiruka) has been attributed to it throughout, however The Boy and the Heron has become its international title. With nothing but a glimpse of a Heron poster being released in December 2022, the studio noted that as this would be the final feature film for its co-founder (with him being happy about the poster) they decided not to do any marketing or tv ads. Particularly as they found that they did not want to over release information, thus giving out spoilers and ruining the movie to the viewers.
With a Japan release on July 14, 2023, the film managed to make a whopping 1.83 billion Yen on its opening weekend, making it the biggest opening for Studio Ghibli, well surpassing Howls Moving Castle’s opening weekend.
The film is inspired, but not based on, the Japanese title How Do You Live? which was created in 1937 by Genzaburo Yoshino. With no known release dates for the international audience as yet, we wait with baited breath and anticipation at the hopes of it reaching the South African shores. Opinions on line vary between a possible December 2023 or February 2024 release date.
You can see the trailer here that was release on Nov 02, 2023, which only invites you further into the fantastic world and mind of Studio Ghibli. Bursting with color and creatures that are strange and wonderful, I will definitely be first in line to watch it once it hits the big screen.
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