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There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning.
A quote from Studio Ghibli‘s latest film “THE BOY AND THE HERON” which is said to be Hayao Miyazaki’s last feature film. The film had a mysterious release in theaters in Japan on July 14, 2023, without any promotion, trailer, images, casting detail, or anything in general except for one poster which you can see below. Toho only announced it on December 13, 2022. It surpassed Miyazaki’s other great works Spirited Away and The Wind Rises in its opening first four days. Just a few hours ago, GKIDS Films released the first-ever trailer of the film following a teaser from a few days ago. Miyazaki’s unknown film is finally getting released worldwide in theaters.
About THE BOY AND THE HERON
If you already have seen Studio Ghibli’s other works then you know the quality of the story. It’s best to go in blind and experience the mythical world from Miyazaki’s mind. THE BOY AND THE HERON is no different. You’ll be crying in tears before you know it. The story is about life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship. It’s inspired by Miyazaki’s own childhood life and the Japanese title is a reference to the 1937 novel of the same name, Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka by Genzaburō Yoshino which gets a cameo in the film. It’s sort of an autobiography but with its mystical twist.
Joe Hisaishi, Miyazaki’s long-time associate, composed the film score, and there are a total of 37 tracks. Kenshi Yonezu, who is known for the songs “Lemon” and Chainsaw Man’s OP “KICK BACK”, performed the film’s official-theme-song-by-kenshi-yonezu-released/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener nofollow” data-penci-link=”external”>theme song titled “Spinning Globe.
Voice Cast of THE BOY AND THE HERON
- Soma Santoki as Mahito Maki
- Masaki Suda as The Grey Heron
- Aimyon as Himi
- Yoshino Kimura as Natsuko
- Shōhei Hino as the Great-Uncle
- Ko Shibasaki as Kiriko
- Takuya Kimura as Shoichi Maki, Mahito’s father
- Jun Kunimura as The Parakeet King
- Kaoru Kobayashi as Dying Pelican
- Keiko Takeshita as Maid #1
- Jun Fubuki as Maid #2
- Sawako Agawa as Maid #3
- Karen Takizawa as Maid #4
- Shinobu Otake as Maid #5
Release
On September 7, the film will be premiered internationally at Toronto International Film Festival 2023. The European premiere will be on September 22 at the 71st San Sebastian Festival in Spain and the US one will be from September 29 to October 15 at the 61st New York Film Festival. The details of the home release and streaming platforms of the film are yet to be confirmed.
Conclusion
This is honestly a surprise for many as Hayano Miyazaki despite saying he’ll retire, gave us one more of his masterpiece. And the fact that the film received so much praise without needing any promotion is jarring these days. I guess you don’t need to over-sweeten your words to sell something if it’s that good. I’ll be waiting for its home release since theatrical isn’t accessible for me. Check out more latest anime/manga news and updates here. I wish you all the best.
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