Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron feels like a puzzle, an intricate dream woven with profound themes that invite both wonder and contemplation. The Japanese animation maestro has long been known for blending surreal landscapes with deeply personal storytelling, and this final cinematic chapter, announced as his swan song, is no exception. The film, complex and often enigmatic, carries a message that challenges conventional interpretation. However, as with any great work of art, understanding it requires patience, introspection, and a willingness to explore its multifaceted layers. In this article, we’ll break down seven key insights to help you navigate Miyazaki’s intricate world.
1. The Book: And You, How Will You Live?
A pivotal moment in the film occurs when the protagonist, Mahito, discovers a book left to him by his late mother. The book’s title? And You, How Will You Live? by Genzaburô Yoshino. This novel, first published in 1937, is not only significant to Mahito’s development but also to understanding Miyazaki’s own worldview. The book, an ode to humanity’s core virtues—freedom of thought, compassion, and justice—was controversial in its time, especially under the growing influence of militarism and nationalism in Japan. Its author was even imprisoned for his anti-patriotic stance.
Miyazaki was introduced to this book in his youth, influenced by his own mother, and it left a lasting impact on him. In The Boy and the Heron, Mahito’s journey mirrors the protagonist of Yoshino’s novel. As Mahito learns to navigate loss, embrace friendship, and understand the complexities of human behavior, he becomes a reflection of the book’s central message: it is not enough to have functioning eyes and ears—one must also open the heart to truly see and hear. In many ways, this book serves as Miyazaki’s personal guide to life, one he shares not only with his grandson but with the world.
2. Miyazaki and the Characters: Reflections of the Creator
As we dive into The Boy and the Heron, it’s clear that the film is deeply personal for Miyazaki. The protagonist, Mahito, shares several parallels with the director’s own life. Much like Miyazaki’s childhood, Mahito experiences the trauma of war, the illness of a beloved parent, and the dislocation of moving from Tokyo to the countryside to escape air raids. But the most intriguing connection lies in the character of the great-uncle, who is also deeply reflective of Miyazaki’s own persona.
The great-uncle is a man consumed by his creative pursuits, isolated in his tower, gradually losing touch with reality. This resonates strongly with Miyazaki’s own work ethic—his obsession with crafting worlds so detailed and immersive that they sometimes pull him away from everyday life. As Miyazaki once shared in an interview, the creative process for Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was so exhausting that he found it difficult to reintegrate into society afterward. In the film, the great-uncle’s struggle to find a successor feels like Miyazaki’s own search for a successor at Studio Ghibli—an ongoing question that fans and colleagues alike have been grappling with for years.
3. The Search for a Successor
The theme of succession runs like a thread through The Boy and the Heron. The great-uncle, who has dedicated his life to building a fantastical world, is now searching for someone to continue his legacy. Initially, he hopes Mahito will be that heir, but Mahito’s refusal to take on this burden ultimately leads to the destruction of the great-uncle’s world. This abrupt ending carries an important message: there is no true successor in creativity. Each artist must forge their own path, their own world.
This theme is particularly poignant given Miyazaki’s own struggles with succession within Studio Ghibli. When his son, Goro Miyazaki, joined the studio, he was often seen as the heir apparent. However, Hayao was notably critical of Goro’s early films, particularly Tales from Earthsea. The tension between father and son, as captured in the documentary 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki, suggests that Goro’s journey has been shaped by the pressure to step out of his father’s shadow. This father-son dynamic seems to echo the one between Mahito and the great-uncle in The Boy and the Heron, as both characters attempt to navigate the complexities of legacy and creation.
4. The Symbolism of the Heron
At first glance, the heron in The Boy and the Heron may seem like a straightforward antagonist, an adversary to Mahito’s growth. However, as the story unfolds, the heron becomes a more nuanced figure. It is a symbol of the tension between creation and destruction, control and freedom. The heron’s relationship with Mahito reflects the ambivalence Miyazaki often feels towards the forces shaping his own creative life—whether it be the studio system, his peers, or the expectations placed on him.
Interestingly, the heron’s Japanese name, sagi, is a homophone for “deception” or “lie,” and in the film, it’s suggested that the heron’s role is not just to serve as a mentor or a guide, but also to challenge Mahito’s understanding of reality. The heron’s shifting role—from adversary to ally—mirrors the way Miyazaki himself has navigated the complex relationships within Studio Ghibli, where professional tensions often blur with personal ones.
5. The Birds and Their Metaphorical Significance
Throughout The Boy and the Heron, birds play a prominent role, each species symbolizing a different aspect of Miyazaki’s worldview. Pelicans, for example, are depicted as victims of an increasingly scarce world, driven to extreme measures to survive. This can be interpreted as a comment on environmental issues, a topic Miyazaki has long been passionate about. The pelicans may also represent the way some individuals or societies are forced to engage in ruthless behaviors due to the conditions created by human actions—be it through environmental degradation or social inequalities.
On the other hand, the parakeets in the film are portrayed as embodying the dangers of authoritarianism, militarization, and the concentration of power. These birds, with their abundance and disregard for critical thought, could be seen as a critique of capitalist excess and the perils of a society that prioritizes consumption over compassion.
6. The Art of Creation: A Hidden Message
At its heart, The Boy and the Heron is also a meditation on the act of creation itself. The film subtly draws parallels between the birth of a child and the birth of an artistic work. Mahito’s mother, in her isolation, brings forth a new life, mirroring the solitary process many artists, including Miyazaki, undergo when creating. The metaphor is clear: to give life to something new, one must often retreat from the world, just as Miyazaki has often done in his own creative process.
This theme of creation is also tied to the film’s broader exploration of personal growth and acceptance. Mahito’s journey, much like Miyazaki’s own, is a process of moving from a state of confusion and isolation toward a fuller, more conscious engagement with life and art.
7. The Role of Grief
Grief is another central theme in The Boy and the Heron, a subject that has been present in many of Miyazaki’s works. From Princess Mononoke to Spirited Away, loss and the process of mourning have been explored in various forms. In The Boy and the Heron, Mahito’s journey is, in many ways, a rite of passage through grief. His mother’s death sets the stage for the emotional and psychological challenges he must face, and his journey through the magical world is an exploration of the stages of mourning: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and ultimately, acceptance.
The film’s resolution, where Mahito comes to terms with his loss and embraces his new reality, serves as a poignant reminder of the necessity of moving forward, even in the face of profound sadness. In this way, the film offers a quiet meditation on the nature of life, death, and the human capacity to heal.
The Boy and the Heron is a film that resists easy interpretation, but that is precisely what makes it so compelling. By drawing on themes of succession, grief, creation, and the search for meaning, Miyazaki invites viewers to reflect not only on his own legacy but also on the broader questions of what it means to live, to create, and to understand. As his final work, it stands as a testament to his artistic vision—one that continues to inspire, challenge, and enrich audiences worldwide.