In 'The Boy and the Heron,' Hayao Miyazaki's Legacy is at Stake
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In Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film, The Boy and the Heron, an old wizard sits atop an impossibly tall tower, biding his time above the clouds by building a little structure out of children’s blocks. Within the walls of his fantastical, animated tower lives a kingdom of talking birds, jellybean-like creatures named Warawara, and humans inflicted with various magical curses. It’s a literal towering achievement of Miyazaki’s 60-year career as an animator. Through the vehicle of this old wizard—looking down at his creation—the celebrated Studio Ghibli head uses his final film to solidify his legacy.
Let me explain. At 82 years old, Miyazaki hasn't missed a beat. There are sequences in The Boy and the Heron, which debuted last weekend, that are miles above its peers in animation. It’s a testament to his artistry that he’s still inventing new ways to wow us. The film has received a wave of critical support heading into the 2024 Academy Awards, as it prepares to compete alongside likely hopefuls Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Elemental, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Miyazaki’s most popular film, 2001’s Spirited Away, remains the only Japanese animated film and the only hand-drawn film to ever win an Oscar. Many of his fans (including yours truly), believe it’s beyond insane that the list of his Academy-given accolades stops there. In Miyazaki’s new fairytale, the man argues that he spent his life doing all he could for the genre.
The Boy and the Heron begins with a 12-year-old child named Mahito. He loses his mother in a hospital fire during World War II—and the incident deeply scars him. His father eventually remarries, but Mahito has a tough time settling into the new arrangement. Setting off on an Alice in Wonderland-esque journey of self-discovery, Mahito runs away from home and follows a large grey heron up a tower of imagination and whimsy. Reaching to the top, Mahito meets the master of this structure: the old wizard. As the powerful elder asks the boy to rebuild his tower—as his successor—the movie’s grand metaphor is practically screaming at you. If you haven’t figured it out, the elderly, beloved man who created this fantastical tower is likely a stand-in for Miyazaki himself. The animator is passing the torch to the next generation—hoping they keep the beauty of his creation alive.
When Miyazaki first retired following 2013’s excellent The Wind Rises, his son, Goro, briefly took over Studio Ghibli and released a 3D-animated flop titled Earwig and the Witch. It was a critical and box-office failure. For those who have seen the film and felt the dread of what Studio Ghibli's future may have looked like back in 2020, I’m sorry for even bringing it up. Goro was long thought of as his father’s successor before Earwig. But after the feature’s disappointing returns, he told the press that he "declined the idea," adding that it would "be better to leave the future of Ghibli to someone else.”
As Ghibli struggles to find a successor, what’s clear after watching The Boy and the Heron is that the animation world is a scary place without Miyazaki. The field runs amok with Minions, Trolls on their fourth World Tour, and questionable sequels to beloved Pixar movies. Standing next to Miyazaki's work, one has to question just what all these mindless children's films are adding to our culture—if not just existing to distract our attention for a couple hours. As Miyazaki stated in book, Starting Point, back in 1988, he believed that Disney's animated films "show nothing but contempt for the audience."
Meanwhile, the animator has yet to publicly explain why he swiftly ended his retirement to begin work on The Boy and the Heron. It’s the second “final” film of his career, with Studio Ghibli’s troubles leading many to question if he felt he had to return and save everything he built at the animation haven. This past September, Studio Ghibli’s fate seemed increasingly uncertain, after the animation giant sold to one of Japan’s entertainment juggernauts, Nippon TV. In a joint statement with Studio Ghibli, Nippon TV promised to "permanently protect Studio Ghibli’s ‘craftsmanship’ and brand values."
But there’s a bleak picture forming without Miyazaki at the helm. The old wizard looking for an heir in The Boy and the Heron tells us everything we need to know. Miyazaki’s wonderful tower is crumbling—and it’s up to us to keep it standing.
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