By Amy Ta
Staff Writer
For the first time in Golden Globe history, a Japanese animated movie won Best Animated Feature Film. Studio Ghibli’s “The Boy and the Heron,” also known as, “How do you live?,” globally accrued $100 million, with relatively positive reviews from both critics and audience members, and it’s not hard to see why.
Taking place during the last few years of World War II, the movie follows a 12-year-old boy named Mahito struggling to blend in a new town after the death of his mother, while also learning to accept his stepmother and aunt, Natsuko. When Natsuko disappears in the woods, Mahito chases after her, discovering the magical world hidden behind the forest. With the help of a gray heron and a magical girl, Himi, Mahito explores the hidden world, realizing the love he has for Natsuko in the process.
Each scene was a visual feast, with little details crammed into every frame, akin to a “Where’s Waldo” book. I found my eyes roaming around the screen, observing every side characters’ actions instead of Mahito’s, leading me to discover hilarious easter eggs left in by the animators. It didn’t take away from the movie at all, in fact, it broadened the mystical world Mahito fell into. It made it feel as though the side characters didn’t revolve around Mahito.
Most of the characters were well developed, with complex personalities and growth. For one, I loved seeing Mahito grow from his grief, learning to move on and enjoy life in the name of his dead mother. The side characters themselves are highly entertaining, each having a lot of personality. I found myself giggling every time a parakeet soldier spoke or when the Wara Wara, white blobs meant to represent human souls, appeared on screen.
I did find the pacing of the movie strange, with the very slow beginning leaving the rest of the movie weirdly rushed. The ending was incredibly abrupt, leaving me wondering, “That’s it?” However, in hindsight, the pacing issue makes sense, especially considering the movie is meant to be seen through a grieving 12-year-old boy’s eyes.
Many found issues with the lack of a plot in the movie, but I would argue that the point of the movie was not the plot, but the experience. Each scene has a subtle message about how we, as humans, live. Messages included how perfection isn’t what we should strive for, or about how we like to play God with the other organisms on the home we call Earth. Depending on how you live, on what perspective you have at that time, you leave the theater with a different interpretation of the movie, and a different message sticks with you. It truly leaves you asking, “How do I live?”
I highly recommend watching “The Boy and Heron.” It is visually stunning with a message that is truly timeless and sticks with you. It is a movie that anyone, at any age, can watch and feel satisfied with.