“The Boy and the Heron” (Japanese: 君たちはどう生きるか, Hepburn: Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka, lit. ‘How Do You[a] Live?’) is a 2023 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Produced by Studio Ghibli, the film’s Japanese title references Genzaburō Yoshino’s 1937 novel of the same name, but it is not an adaptation of the novel. The Japanese voice cast features Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Ko Shibasaki, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura, Takuya Kimura, Kaoru Kobayashi, and Shinobu Otake. Described as a “big, fantastical film,” it follows a boy named Mahito Maki who, after his mother’s death, moves to the countryside, discovers an abandoned tower near his new home, and enters a fantastical world with a talking grey heron.
| Japanese name | |
|---|---|
| Kanji | 君たちはどう生きるか |
| Literal meaning | How Do You Live? |
| Transcriptions | |
| Directed by | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Written by | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Produced by | Toshio Suzuki |
| Starring | Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura, Shōhei Hino, Ko Shibasaki, Takuya Kimura |
| Cinematography | Atsushi Okui |
| Edited by | Takeshi Seyama |
| Music by | Joe Hisaishi |
| Production company | Studio Ghibli |
| Distributed by | Toho |
| Release date | July 14, 2023 |
| Running time | 124 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Box office | US$294.2 million |
Voice cast:
| Character | Voice Actor (Japanese) | Voice Actor (English) |
|---|---|---|
| Mahito Maki | Soma Santoki | Luca Padovan |
| The Grey Heron | Masaki Suda | Robert Pattinson |
| Lady Himi | Aimyon | Karen Fukuhara |
| Natsuko | Yoshino Kimura | Gemma Chan |
| Shoichi Maki | Takuya Kimura | Christian Bale |
| Granduncle | Shōhei Hino | Mark Hamill |
| Kiriko | Ko Shibasaki | Florence Pugh |
| Noble Pelican | Kaoru Kobayashi | Willem Dafoe |
| The Parakeet King | Jun Kunimura | Dave Bautista |
| Izumi (Maid #1) | Keiko Takeshita | Denise Pickering |
| Utako (Maid #2) | Jun Fubuki | Barbara Rosenblat |
| Eriko (Maid #3) | Sawako Agawa | Melora Harte |
| Aiko (Maid #4) | Shinobu Otake | Barbara Goodson |
| Warawara | Karen Takizawa | Leah Lewis |
| Parakeets | Mamoudou Athie | |
| Tony Revolori | ||
| Dan Stevens |
Release:
On December 13, 2022, Toho announced that “The Boy and the Heron” would be released theatrically in Japan on July 14, 2023. The film was released without any traditional marketing campaign—no trailers or promotional stills were released before its premiere, except for a single poster. This decision was made by producer Toshio Suzuki, who wanted to avoid over-revealing film content and believed that audiences preferred a more enigmatic cinematic experience. The cast and crew details were largely undisclosed until the release date.
After a preview screening in late February 2023, where strict confidentiality measures were enforced, a message from Hayao Miyazaki was read out following the end credits: “Perhaps you didn’t understand it. I myself don’t understand it.” On June 29, 2023, during the opening day of Friday Road Show and the Ghibli Exhibition Tokyo 2023, Suzuki publicly addressed Miyazaki’s concerns about the lack of publicity, expressing his trust in the film and belief that this approach was best.
“The Boy and the Heron” is the first Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki film to have a simultaneous release on IMAX, as well as other high-end formats like Dolby Atmos, Dolby Cinema, and DTS:X.
Release india: The much-awaited release date for the film in India has been confirmed. According to listings on the official websites of BookMyShow and PVR Cinemas, the film is set to hit Indian theaters on May 10, 2024. Academy Award Winner, THE BOY AND THE HERON releases in Cinemas in India on May 10
