How Do You Live? (July 14, 2023 Japan)

**BWYuko** · 2023-06-30 01:52

How Do You Live?

Director / Writer Hayao Miyazaki
Producer Toshiyo Suzuki
Music Joe Hisaishi

Produced by Studio Ghibli / Distributed by Toho

The final film of Hayao Miyazaki.

No trailer, no press besides the two posters, no international release yet announced, no official synopsis or log lines. It debuts in 2 weeks.

It's a "big fantastical film" about a teenage boy's psychological growth. Now 82, it's meant to be Miyazaki's parting gift to his grandson.

Ghibli's films have had an immeasurable impact on my life, and I can hardly believe we'll now finally see Miyazaki's last. The first time he retired was after Mononoke in 1998; but here we are, 25 years and 2 oscars later, finally saying goodbye. When it ultimately makes its way stateside, I will gather good company and a mountain of kleenex to the best theater in town. I posited The Wind Rises as his swan song and magnum opus; one hopes this will supplant it and give us something indelible to celebrate for years to come.

**BWYuko** · 2023-07-16 05:46

The film has been renamed The Boy and the Heron for US release, which is slated for, vaguely, "later this year".

It grossed nearly ¥1B (USD ~$7M) domestically in its first two days with no marketing campaign.

**Salodin** · 2023-07-16 11:21

Is...is 7mil a lot for an animated movie of this quality?

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

**BWYuko** · 2023-07-16 11:52

Japan has about 1/3 the population of the US, so perhaps scale it to a $21M domestic opening. But, as they've made abundantly clear, no energy in this film's production went toward making it a marketable, lucrative product. No press, no merch, etc. This is a rarity: a renowned artist at the end of his life sharing his true, final work with the world, unadulterated by studio influence.

But it sounds like when GKIDS got ahold of the finished product stateside, they examined the rights of their distribution agreement were like "pfffft fuck that, we want a bigger ROI" and altered the US name.

**BWYuko** · 2023-09-06 17:32

The Boy and the Heron releases internationally Dec 8, 2023.

**BWYuko** · 2023-09-24 12:29

Not directly related to this film, but...

Studio Ghibli sold to Nippon TV after finding no successors for Hayao Miyazaki

The two companies’ board of directors met on Thursday and approved a resolution for Nippon TV to acquire shares of Studio Ghibli, making it a subsidiary of the television network, the companies said in a joint statement. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“With director Hayao Miyazaki now 82 years old and producer Toshio Suzuki also 75, Studio Ghibli has long been struggling with the issue of their successors,” the statement said.

Nippon TV will “permanently protect Studio Ghibli’s ‘craftsmanship’ and brand values,” and “intends to honor Studio Ghibli’s autonomy” so it can “focus on filmmaking.”

It added that Miyazaki’s eldest son, himself an animation film director, had been “repeatedly” suggested as a possible successor to his father — but he had “declined the idea, claiming that it would be difficult for him to take over Ghibli on his own and that it would be better to leave the future of Ghibli to someone else.”

Goro never wanted to be an animator. He was a landscaper and park designer. They asked him to help with some storyboarding on Earthsea, and Suzuki used that to coerce him into the director's chair, making him an unwilling, incidental nepo baby who'd always be compared to his father. It makes total sense for him to decline. He's doing work he's actually suited to now: designing Ghibli Park.

**Rulke** · 2023-09-24 12:53

As with all Miyazaki films, I will be going into it as ignorant as possible on plot. Having no true media hype (save whatever is coming out now) has been great. Being surprised by everything increases the value of his films 100 fold i feel.

**Bombur** · 2023-11-02 21:01

New English Dub trailer.

The English dub will feature voices from: Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson, and Florence Pugh.

**-Zer0-** · 2023-12-08 22:38

Anyone see this yet?! Just getting my bearings after Thanksgiving and trying to find time to see this along with Godzilla Minus One.

**Cantih** · 2023-12-08 23:58

I'm going tomorrow or sunday. Depends on if I can get groceries and laundry done before the matinee showing.

**Rulke** · 2023-12-09 00:32

I'm thinking of taking my wife on Sunday. Will report after.

**Tomiko** · 2023-12-09 02:20

Originally Posted by -Zer0-

Anyone see this yet?! Just getting my bearings after Thanksgiving and trying to find time to see this along with Godzilla Minus One.

I'm going Saturday morning. Going for the subbed version first. If I like it enough to see it again, I'll do the dubbed version since the cast looks good.

Also in the same boat about making time to see Godzilla. lol

**Tomiko** · 2023-12-09 18:28

I did end up seeing it this morning. I'm not going to be a good source for a review since I saw it after 1 hour of sleep after working overnight.

For me, the pacing felt slow and there wasn't a lot of action keeping me excited. Towards the end, I caught myself nodding off due to the lack of sleep and slow pacing. I don't think it's a bad movie, it just didn't feel as exciting as previous movies.

**Cantih** · 2023-12-09 20:15

Saw it this afternoon. It's fine.

Go in expecting something on the tier of Tales from Earthsea or Arriety.
If you expect Spirited Away, Mononoke, or Howl, you'll be disappointed.

**Rulke** · 2023-12-10 19:42

So we're back. Went in blind aside from a few random media screen caps. It's an entertaining movie with more magical elements than The Wind Rises but its not nearly as solid a tale as previous Miyazaki work. We felt there were just too many story elements that never really fit together properly. The idea was there but execution was lacking. Caught it at a matinee price so def worth.

**Tomiko** · 2023-12-10 21:58

Originally Posted by Rulke

We felt there were just too many story elements that never really fit together properly. The idea was there but execution was lacking.

This is in line with my opinion of it. Reading about it on Wiki is making some of it make better sense, but I still have questions. I think I might like it more after rewatching it at some point.

Spoiler: show

**Stilzkin** · 2023-12-11 14:26

Originally Posted by Cantih

Saw it this afternoon. It's fine.

Go in expecting something on the tier of Tales from Earthsea or Arriety.
If you expect Spirited Away, Mononoke, or Howl, you'll be disappointed.

I think it was better than Tales from Earthsea and Arriety.

It felt very dream like. Which is both good and bad.

Originally Posted by Tomiko

This is in line with my opinion of it. Reading about it on Wiki is making some of it make better sense, but I still have questions. I think I might like it more after rewatching it at some point.

Spoiler: show

**Tomiko** · 2023-12-11 17:12

Originally Posted by Stilzkin

Spoiler: show

**NotGreyheim** · 2023-12-11 17:32

Haven't actually read anything here yet, but yeah.. don't think I'm gonna be able to bring myself to see this anytime soon...

**Rulke** · 2023-12-11 21:15

Originally Posted by Tomiko

Spoiler: show

My take was:

Spoiler: show

Stilzkin's idea could be correct though, as I said I felt there were a lot of unclear plot points.

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