Miyazaki Hayao's Retirement Work “The Boy and the Heron”: Information Unveiled! Studio Ghibli's Silent Promotion Yields Impressive Box Office Results

Renowned Japanese anime master Hayao Miyazaki is retiring once again. It has been a whole decade since his last work, "The Wind Rises." His "final" work, "The Boy and the Heron" (original title: 君たちはどう生きるか, which translates to "How Do You Live?"), has recently been scheduled for an official release in Taiwan on 10/6. This film, one of the few from Studio Ghibli not to release trailers or stills beforehand, is directly hitting theaters. It managed to break the 2 billion Japanese yen mark within just 4 days of its release in Japan on 7/14. Today, we'll delve into this phenomenon – a blockbuster that has remained enigmatic and yet has shaken the global online community even before its release.

1. The Title is Taken from the Japanese Literary Classic "君たちはどう生きるか" (How Do You Live?)

"How Do You Live?" (君たちはどう生きるか) is a novel written by Japanese children's literature author Yoshino Genzaburo in 1937. The story follows a 15-year-old boy who, guided by his uncle's diary and letters, contemplates issues such as friendship, wealth disparity, bullying, and society, seeking to clarify the "value of being human" and the "attitude one should have as a human being." The seemingly complex themes are presented in an easily understandable manner through analogies in the author's writing. The book has been included in Japan's elementary and middle school textbooks, remaining in print for decades and becoming a profoundly influential literary masterpiece in Japan.

Originally, "How Do You Live?" was not intended as a literary work, but rather leaned towards ethical writings. Aside from being a children's literature author, Yoshino Genzaburo was also an anti-war activist. In the 1930s, Japan was engulfed in the stifling atmosphere of militarism. This book aimed to convey ideas of freedom and progress to the children of that era, emphasizing the notion that "no matter how difficult or harsh the times may be, one should live as a true individual."

2. Extremely Low-Key Promotional Approach for 'Heron and the Boy'

"The Boy and the Heron" had only one official promotion before its release, which was a hand-drawn main visual poster shared on Studio Ghibli's official Twitter account on 2022/12/13. This approach is completely opposite to the marketing strategies of most commercial films today. After that poster, there were no trailers, text updates, or related promotions. Instead, it was like dropping a stone into the vast sea of social media and letting it slowly ferment. About this, the film's producer, Toshio Suzuki, also mentioned in an interview with Bungeishunju: "Modern information overload has led everyone to watch movies just to confirm if they are as exciting as the trailers. This is actually an excessive service that seems to be taking away all the truly interesting things for the audience."

However, from another perspective, the combination of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki are in themselves the biggest promotion. The intentionally maintained sense of mystery in their marketing strategy has indeed been very successful. The social media buzz even continues more enduringly than many aggressively advertised commercial blockbusters. In terms of results, "The Boy and the Heron" both refrained from promotion and simultaneously executed the best promotion.

3. Cast and Crew

Consistent with its promotional approach, the production team behind "The Boy and the Heron" also kept their lineup a secret until just a few days before the release. Kenshi Yonezu quietly released the film's theme song "Chikyuuigi" a few days before the premiere. The voice cast was even revealed on the day of the movie's release, including Souta Yamato, Takuya Kimura, Masaki Suda, Yuko Takeuchi, Kano Koyuki, Keiko Kitagawa, Kageyama Sumire, Sawako Agawa, Karen Takizawa, Shinobu Otake, and more. The lineup is indeed star-studded.

4. What Kind of Work is 'The Boy and the Heron' Going to Be?

Currently, on Twitter, Japanese netizens have shared clear stills from the post-screening booklet of "The Boy and the Heron." It's easy to see from these images that the film maintains its consistent hand-drawn style, featuring elements of fantasy creatures, machinery, and the essential themes of youth and war. Producer Toshio Suzuki also revealed that this film is the "largest-scale production" in Studio Ghibli's history, involving 60 animators working simultaneously. Despite such an impressive workforce, under the guidance of director Hayao Miyazaki, it takes a month to complete just one minute of content. This raises even more anticipation to witness the masterpiece created by this group of skilled artisans working together wholeheartedly.

∎ Updated on 8/18: On August 18th, Studio Ghibli unexpectedly released 14 clear stills and many important details including character names and voice cast members, providing the public with the freedom to use them within reasonable bounds.

※ The following images may contain important information about the plot, please decide whether you want to continue reading.

In the images released this time, scenes featuring the main characters as well as characters like Natsuko and Heron are also unveiled. In addition, along with today's information release, the official sources have confirmed the voice cast members, including Souta Yamato, Masaki Suda, Koyuki Shibasaki, Aimyon, Yuko Takeuchi, Takuya Kimura, Shinobu Otake, Kageyama Sumire, Jun Fubuki, Sawako Agawa, Karen Takizawa, Hayato Kunimura, Kaoru Kobayashi, and Masahiro Higashide.

【Voice Cast Members】
Shinjin: Souta Yamato
Ao Saghi / Saghi Otoko: Masaki Suda
Kiriko: Koyuki Shibasaki
Himi: Aimyon
Natsuko: Yuko Takeuchi
Katsuhito: Takuya Kimura
Aiko: Shinobu Otake
Izumi: Kageyama Sumire
Utako: Jun Fubuki
Eriko: Sawako Agawa
Warawara: Karen Takizawa
Inco Daiou: Hayato Kunimura
Old Pelican: Kaoru Kobayashi
Great Uncle: Masahiro Higashide

※ Possible spoiler content ends here. Feel free to continue reading.

As for the theme song that runs through the entire film, "Chikyuuigi," created by Kenshi Yonezu, offers some details within its melody and lyrics. It can be expected that the song will be closely connected to the protagonist's life journey, their path forward, and the theme of dreams. The music video for "Chikyuuigi" was shot in the World Natural Heritage site "Yakushima," capturing the resilience of life within the vast ancient Yakusugi forest.

At the end of this article, I've also included the radio program "Chikyuuigi Radio" hosted by Kenshi Yonezu, available again on his official YouTube channel. The program includes discussions about the making of "Chikyuuigi" and the collaboration process with Studio Ghibli.

The Taiwanese title and release date for "The Boy and the Heron" have been officially confirmed. The film will be released in Taiwan on October 6th, and it's also expected to premiere in North America by the end of 2023. Soon, everyone will be able to witness the latest masterpiece by the animation master Hayao Miyazaki on the big screen.

As the film's discussion continues to grow, the original work "君たちはどう生きるか" has seen an increase in sales again. It's available on various online platforms and physical bookstores. Before watching the film, why not pick a comfortable afternoon or a tranquil moonlit night to relax your mind and delve into the content the original work aims to convey? Also, ask yourself, "How do you live?"

"君たちはどう生きるか？"