Review: Miyazaki's New "How Do You Live" (The Boy and the Heron) Marks an Eerie Return
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- Опубліковано 13 лип 2023
- After a decade, master director Miyazaki Hayao is back with a full-length animated film. How does Studio Ghibli's mysterious" How Do You Live" (Kimi-tachi wa Dou Ikiru Ka) stack up?
(Note: "How Do You Live" is not currently the official English title of the film, which has just been announced as "The Boy and the Heron")
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Original source article on Unseen Japan: unseen-japan.com/review-miyaz...
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How do you live is such a better title than boy and the heron. Still a strange decision to not advertise it at all imo
He explains his decision well over here: ua-cam.com/video/0m9kFDAt7HU/v-deo.html
It's beautiful actually, about slowing down, giving a few extra moments to what you're seeing and using your imagination to fill the rest and hopefully create anticipation for the movie too.
Why can’t you just accept that the MAKER of the film decided to name their movie. Don’t be an idiot.
I feel like he couldve not marketed it because he its just art for him. Hayo Miazaki definatly strikes me as the kind to not care about fame, plus he's probably very content with how much he has now. He's getting old, he's been making films his entire life, Wind rises was said to be his last and he changed his mind because he loves what he does and he has alot of insite and the ability to translate that insight in his own lauange of art is pretty much his own lauange. You can see in his movies how he sees life and what he values most and the way he stays to himself and doesnt market his films all that much (anymore) really fits his characters and probably his standards. Honestly, who knows his true reasoning, but its definatly an intentional one and not a mistake. He's getting old and he's dedicated his entire life to this so this is certainly a passion project and less of a money maker for him. It alredy looks to be his most unique film yet
I actually watched another review from someone who lives in Japan, their opinion was that the film may not have had proper marketing because a large portion of the Japanese audience would refuse to see it. Apparently the movie is largely about the importance of individualism vs collectivism, which many conservative Japanese viewers would be opposed to. According to the reviewer I watched many people in the audience left the moving seeming displeased and apparently there are some negative reviews on Japanese twitter pages because of the movies overall message.
I have to disagree! "How Do You Live" comes across extremely esoteric, while "The Boy and the Heron" is an unassuming and simple title. The film begins slowly, unassuming, and slowly works its way up to something profound and meaningful, so having a simple title keeps the viewer's expectations with the film's pacing.
13:20 I loved how Ghibi Fans are the ones who campaigning and advertising Hayao’s final movie
Annnd should have known that the official English title would be announced pretty much as soon as this was published. According to Ghibli USA, "How Do You Live/Kimi-tachi wa Dou Ikiru Ka" will be known as "The Boy and the Heron" in English.
I watched the movie, The boy with Heroin i should say
@@iyuki_boy with Heroin 😭
Hey! Your review, it seems, was the the first English-language one to appear online, and I'm very gratefull you did it in such a delicate, intriguing and respectful way. It was an emotional affair for me, as, I'm sure, for many Miyazaki fans, to find out the first reactions to his new work. Turns out, your review was just what I needed! Thank you!
Hey again 皆！Was quite the journey getting two videos out within around 48 hours, not to mentioned seeing this movie, writing the review, and putting together this vid all within the same day. Hopefully the result is worth it! This is a new format for me, doing the whole talking head thing - was enjoyable to try this style out. We'll see if I use it again in the future.
I've been waiting to see How Do You Live for so long - it's surreal to have finally seen it, and to have done so without really any concept of what sort of movie it would be. Right now, I wouldn't count it among my favorites by Miyazaki, but I am very excited to see it again. It's a bit like the whole Cinemascore thing - people can be frustrated when a movie isn't like what they expected. I'm interested to see what the film is like when you know what you're getting into.
Thanks for watching, everyone!
I appreciate your carefully chosen words. He has made a lot of smash hits, but I’m finding even the non smash hits memorable. I think Miyazaki’s unique qualities became even more clear when Studio Ponoc made their seemingly 100% looking Ghibli movie, which felt empty in comparison, in my opinion. Looking forward to watching this! I suspect down the line we will get art books and stuff too.
Thanks! I certainly agree regarding how interesting Miyazaki is even when not at his narrative best. He brings a worldview, inspired by his own wartime and post-war experiences, imbued with an old-school craftsman's work ethic, that's just very hard for any other modern creator to replicate. Certainly, Mary and the Witch's Flower didn't quite grasp what makes a Ghibli movie great, despite its beautiful animation. (Which is unfortunate, since I do like both of the Ghibli films made by the same director - Arrietty and Marnie). IMO, Ponoc's short film collection, Modest Heroes, had a bit more of that Ghibli magic.
@@noahoskow4551yes
great non-spoilery review! thanks so much for making this, i’m so excited to see this film
You are arrestingly articulate and the bgm to this video is scintillating. Just earned a new subscriber, thank you for this review, I could see it was a bit of a tightrope walk getting the right amount of detail but also capturing the enigmatic quality of the movie. Ghibli movies take me back to the happiest, most carefree time of my life so this release means a lot to me.
I'm very excited to see this film now. Thank you for the review Noah. I think there is importance in us younger people learning from our elders. Miyazaki is now at the end of his road as a filmmaker, and this is his final message to the new generation. Can't wait to see it!
Really I've been finding this movie review , especially in English. Thanks for making this , hope they will release movie soon in India.!!
First-time visitor to your channel, and instant subscriber. What a refreshingly erudite and well-thought-out review!
Welcome! Hope you enjoy the rest of our videos - although if you're looking for erudition, our Crying Freeman video might be one to avoid! 😅
“The girl and the giant bugs”
“The boy and the girl that fell out of the sky”
“The pig and the plane”
“The Sisters and the Tree Troll”
“The Boy and the Goldfish”
“The Witch and her Cat”
“The Prince, The Princess, and the Wolves”
“The Girl and the Dragon”
@@jediindyfan98 "The Office Lady and Her 5th Grade Self"
"The High Schooler and the Toxic Friendship"
"The Raccoon Dogs and the Radical Protest Movement"
@@noahoskow4551 The Children and Suffering
@@nanashi7779These are all awesome! I’m going to test my kids on these alt titles and see how many they get. I’m sure we’ll be referring to them this way all the time from now on 😄
Thank you for the review! I didn't even know the movie existed so this review had me very interested, also explained it very well
Ok, so just got back from my second viewing! I'll say that I had a much more enjoyable time this go around. Knowing what I was getting into allowed me to feel less, well, jerked around by the plot and pacing, and I was able to embrace the movie more for what it is. I'm not sure it really helped all that much with full comprehension of the plot or themes, though. I'm appreicating the movie more, and am happy it's a part of the Ghibli catelogue.
is there any Ghibli film in the past that you can relate this one to? i'm incredibly curious 😅
@@myao96 It has elements that echoe many of Miyazaki's previous films, and even some from Ghibli films from other directors, but feels pretty different tonally. If I had to pick two that it most superficially resembles, they would definely be The Wind Rises and Spirited Away - but it ends up being quite different from either of those, too.
Between the first and second time I saw it, as I was thinking about it, I realized that (SPOILERS)
The great uncle is Miyazaki himself. He has built a world around pure magic itself, and has gathered 13 stones from 13 different journeys - Miyazaki has 12 feature films under his name, and I think the number being almost that is representative of the worlds he has created. He asks Mahito to carry on his world, but the boy wants to live his own life, and the world is destroyed. I think this is Miyazaki presenting the message that we should let his legacy be untouched and to end here, and allow new directors and new worlds to emerge in Ghibli after him. "Don't be tied to me, let my world die", he's saying. Maybe. That's how I see it, and that's why on my 2nd viewing the ending made me tear up.
I felt the need to go rewatch it a few times as well after processing what I first saw.
English title reminds me of "A Horse and His Boy"
The decision to not market this film has to be the most sincere thing the movie industry has ever seen. I'll follow the creators' decision and steer clear of any and all spoilers until it arrives in my country. Listening to your impressions though gives me the hope that this movie has turned out to be the kind of experience that I was expecting it to be.
Those who are here for the typical Ghibli spectacle will be disappointed. Those concerned with the state of the world on a far deeper than just political level will find an honest opinion by a flawed but experienced elder. Instead of blinding the audience, it's trying to awaken something within them. Instead of telling a story, it's asking a question. Turning spectator into actor.
I LIOVE HIS STYLE!
I NEED TO SEE THIS MOVIE!
I love Howl.which is filled with meaning idk what Ebert was talking about.I never felt Sophie was just a viewer.
I agree - Sophie has plenty of agency. She's a great character and one of my favorite Ghibli protagonists.
Agreed! I don't trust Ebert's review of Howl's Moving Castle
I think if he rewatched Howl's Moving Castle, he would've given it a positive review
Howl's Moving Castle is one of those movies that really improve with rewatching
I really liked it, it felt like it tied all the movies I'd ever seen with a direct Miyazaki touch, including even Porco Rosso and Nausicaa. It featured experimental film-making and animation techniques I had never seen from the studio, including a water-color-like sequence. I enjoyed the emotional beats, the horror-comedy and the weaving of the fantastical with feelings of loss and gradual acceptance of a new figure in the MC's young life. I won't say more, only that the bird character is a bit of a "Hoggle", isn't he?
Great video! Subscribed
Welcome!
I loved it and I cried throughout.❤❤❤
I’m just listening through the Narnia-audiobooks and just watched this movie, and I found that there are sooo many similarities! A magical old uncle lol, a place that leads to different worlds that you seemingly forget living in afterwards, anthropomorphism, war and death/afterlife etc.
That’s an astute observation! There are some major parallels.
I was so excited going in day one without a single expectation for a brand new Ghibli movie. It left me very very pensive.
Miyazaki quoted similar scenes from his past works. It is like a compilation of his past works.
Watched the movie today and I feel like going into this blind made me feel very overwhelmed 😅
I certainly experienced a bit of that too. I feel like having no idea what you're in for does sort of leave you open to feeling overwhelmed or even a bit jerked around by the story. Was an interesting experience.
@@noahoskow4551 an interesting experience indeed! I definitely need a rewatch to give it a proper opinion. The initial watch gave me too much whiplash personally.
Just wondering if there's english subtitles when you watch this movie in Japan now?
Afraid not! There will be some showings in the coming weeks with Japanese subtitles for the hard of hearing, but so far no plans for English-subbed showings. (Not sure there’s even a translation yet.)
@@UnseenJapan Apparently there is. I saw on Twitter someone said that they translated it. And Ghibliotheque Retweeted it.
Hmm, they've announced eventual North American showings later this year and the English title, but not seeing anything on their feed that would imply that the movie has already been fully translated or will be shown subtitled here in Japan. Please feel free to point us to the tweet in question, though!
@@UnseenJapan It was from @ryuganji. In his reply to his tweet about the films English title he said that he translated the script and provided the subtitles. Hope you can find it.
Ah, found it! Thanks for pointing that out! Very cool.
I want to watch this
How do you live >> as a title
The Larry David pop up fully took me out
I'm not sure why I switched out Ebert's Illinois accent for Larry David/Bernie Sanders level of Brooklyn, but I guess it comes more natural?
@@noahoskow4551 pretty…pretty…pretty good
awesome
Thx
where can i see a freaking trailer...are there none? I love some of stufio gibli movies and hate the others...i would like to know which one this falls into
As explained within the video, Ghibli purposefully has not engaged in any marketing for this movie beyond a single teaser poster, so there isn't any trailer as of yet. I'm sure one will come out eventually (especially once the release in foreign markets gets closer).
❤
Is it really his last movie?
There’s no official confirmation as such. Logistically, this movie took Miyazaki around seven years to make, and he’s currently 82 years old. Making another movie is a tall order, but it is possible that he’ll want to start working on something anyway.
I wanted to go in completely blind, but Gkids made thet impossible in the United States. Understandably though. But im glad i avoided as much info and imagery as possible, it was a great film.
Where to watch this, anyone knows?
Only at theaters in Japan so far.
@@UnseenJapan any approx time for digital release ? I can’t find any info about it
I’d guess it’ll be a while before we know. The movie’s box office is doing quite well here in Japan, and they’ll likely want to keep it in theaters only for some time. Ghibli’s also usually pretty slow with getting out the physical releases (but their last movie was before quick digital releases were a thing, so maybe things will be different).
is the movie good and why its impossible to watch clip from the movie?
The answers to both of those questions are in the video you're responding to lol
😘♥️
I'm a big fan of Miyazaki movies. This advertising strategy is a bit risky, I think the announcement of the new movie should have been made in a one-minute video with exciting scenes from old Ghibli movies. Not having an announcement video is not a strategic move, it's laziness. I love Hayao Miyazaki and all the Studio Ghibli staff, I hope they advertise. It doesn't have to be scenes from the movie, even I can prepare a simple announcement video in a short time.
Stop with your cut paste comment...if you are interested just watch else leave
Ok?………no advertisements
At THE MOTHER FEET🇮🇳🙏❤
英語ではなく日本語で申し訳ないです。
公開日朝10時ぐらいに見に行ってそんなに情報が出てこない状態で期待して見に行ったんですが映像はジブリとしてはいつもの事だが中身が意味不明すぎて不倫の所とか頭抱えながら見てましたよ…
千と千尋の神隠しやもののけ姫は大好きだった自分にはパヤオ(宮崎駿)の性癖には刺さなかったようでした
もちろん日本語で全然大丈夫ですよ！やはり「君たちは」は宮崎監督の前の作品より分かりづらいかもしれませんね。中身の意味がちょっと分からない視聴者はまあまあいるらしいです。
あれは不倫じゃないです。
@@kumoniukabu 完全情報無しで観ると複雑な気分になりますけどねそれだとしても。
@@takeongai2012N性癖とかそういう解釈になっちゃうなら仕方ないね
@@user12328g うーんそうなるよね…
Over time, my relationship with Ghibli movies has become more complicated and strained. Many of the films have pacifist messages which isn't bad in and of itself per se. However, Japanese pacifism specifically is incredibly distasteful. Saying "war is bad! we all should do better" is not really a functional framework to deal with the sins of the past. Compare this to a society like Germany which has tried (in my opinion to the best of its abilities) to take accountability for what they did during WWII. Conversely, Japan has done little if any to confront the skeletons in their closet.
With that in mind, how is any reasonable person to feel about the end of the movie? The father who literally owns a weapons manufacturing company supporting the conquest and ethnic cleansing that the Japanese empire carried out across Asia gets to live happily ever after as a family man with a wife and two kids? What exactly are we supposed to be rooting for?
Miyazaki's recent movies are bad. His last good movie was Howl's Moving Castle. Then I don't know what happened to him. His magic is gone. I didn't watch his last movie because I don't live in Japan, but I don't think it will be at the level of his old movies.
The boy and heron was a 10year long project. All recent movies were not done by him. The last movie he release was 10 years ago called The Wind Rises. Which was a damn good one. And to called movies like Arriettie and Ponyo bad is just being ignorant.
All of the recent is by his son
Can't agree. The Wind Rises is one of his best.
@@KKOITOO Goro directed Earwig, but the most recent Ghibli film prior to that was Marnie, which was directed by Yonebayashi Hiromasa (who also directed Arrietty).
No. His recent is The Wind Rises which is epic and superior to disney's Frozen trash
audio is desynced and makes it impossible to follow