The Boy and the Heron
2023 · Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Original language: Japanese
- animation
- fantasy
- drama
The story
While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."
What it’s like
Hand-drawn watercolor backgrounds in deep greens, sea blues and sun-warmed wood, with the animation loose and breathing: wind sweeping through reeds, mist over a sprawling old estate, fire glowing orange against the dark. Scenes linger on ordinary textures like rippling water and creaking floorboards, and the camera drifts rather than cuts. The orchestral score swells gently and then drops out, leaving stretches of wind and bird calls. The vibe is dreamy, wistful and quietly eerie, like a half-remembered fable, and it suits a rainy afternoon, a late night alone, or a slow weekend when you want to sit with something strange and tender. Pacing is unhurried and dreamlike, with long silences between surreal episodes. Its emotional register is grief-tinged and reflective: a grieving teenage boy slowly learning to face his loss, his family and himself. Intensity is moderate: wartime fire and bombing glimpsed from a distance, a death in the backstory, and some unsettling, grotesque creatures, but no gore and little overt cruelty. It is for viewers who enjoy contemplative, imaginative animation about loss, identity and growing up.
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