2024 Oscar Winning Anime The Boy and The Heron
The Boy and the Heron is the 22nd film by the famous director Hayao Miyazaki, made by Studio Ghibli. Released in Japan on July 14, 2023, this film tells a touching story about a boy dealing with loss and finding himself through a magical adventure.
As a fan of Miyazaki’s work, The Boy and the Heron was a wonderful experience. Mahito’s journey is both sad and uplifting, showing a young boy’s struggle to deal with great loss while finding his way in a confusing world.
The animation is amazing, with every scene beautifully drawn. The music matches the visuals perfectly, adding to the film’s emotional impact.
What I loved most was how the film mixes reality with fantasy. Mahito’s world is full of magical creatures and strange places, but the story’s emotions feel very real. This mix makes the film exciting and easy to relate to, Showing you a world of wonder while connecting with your feelings.
Story Summary
The film is set in 1944, during the Pacific War. It follows a boy named Mahito Maki. After his mother dies in an air raid on Tokyo, Mahito and his father move to the countryside where his father works at a fighter plane factory. Mahito struggles with his grief and has a hard time accepting his new stepmother, who is also his aunt and pregnant with his father’s child.
Mahito’s life changes when he meets a talking grey heron. The heron tells Mahito that his mother is still alive and waiting for him. It leads him to an old Western-style house in the garden, which belonged to Mahito’s great uncle. This starts Mahito’s incredible adventure, filled with magical creatures and challenges.
Themes and Execution
The Boy and the Heron explores deep themes like grief, acceptance, and finding one’s place in the world. Miyazaki, known for creating detailed and emotional stories, shines again. The film is beautifully animated, with Studio Ghibli’s hand-drawn style bringing the magical and war-torn worlds to life.
The talking heron, with its wise comments about life, adds an extra layer of thoughtfulness to the story, making viewers think about important life questions. Although the story is new, it shares some ideas with the 1937 novel How Do You Live?, which inspired the film’s Japanese title.
