Summary
The Boy and the Heronis Hayao Miyazaki’s most recent Studio Ghibli film. It was released in theaters in the United States on July 18, 2025, enjoying immense appreciation from audience members. The film’s monumental achievements are only further proven by theawards it was nominated for and received, including Annie Awards, a BAFTA Award, Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, and, most impressively,the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film.
Miyazaki had not released a film in ten years at the timeThe Boy and the Heronhit theaters, making fans even more eager to watch the next installment of the filmmaker’s imaginatively beautiful work.
His award-winning Studio Ghibli films are known for their distinctive pastel-hued animation style, soothing musical scores, fantastical world-building, lovable characters, andnuanced takes on deeply complex emotional topics like grief, loss, and love.Even for those who do not usually watch anime series or films, Miyazaki’s films often strike a chord, whether for their emotional depth, gorgeous music, or purely for their entertainment value.
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The Story Follows Mahito, Who Struggled to Grieve the Death of His Mother
While Traversing a Fantastical New World, He Learned Many Life Lessons That Helped Him Cope With the Loss
The Boy and the Herontellsa powerful storyabout grief and rebuilding after a catastrophic loss, from the eyes of a young boy. Mahito, the protagonist, unfortunately lost his mother, who died in a hospital fire. He and his father, Shoichi, went to live with his new stepmother after the loss, and Mahito struggled to adapt after having his old life and family ripped away from him so abruptly. A heron continually appeared over and over, beckoning Mahito outside into the nearby forest with the promise that he could reunite Mahito with his mother again, sparking the boy’s curiosity.
When Natsuko, Mahito’s stepmother, went missing, he followed the heron into a mysterious tower in the woods, in search of her. The tower lead the young boy into fantastical and otherworldly environments filled with mystical creatures like Warawara and anthropomorphic parakeets. During his time in this mysterious new place, he came across an unexpected surprise when he met Himi,who represented his mother when she was younger.Alongside Himi, Mahito traversed through this new and magical environment filled with intriguing creatures and frantically searched for his stepmother, distressed because she was sick, lost, and pregnant with his younger sibling.
Mahito Refused To Take over the Wizard’s Role as Ruler and Went Back to His World
He Refused Becoming Ruler of the Fantasy Land Inside the Tower, Causing That World to End
The ending of the film is a bit confusing because many events occur in rapid succession during the final moments ofThe Boy and the Heron.Natsuko’s granduncle, who went missing a long time ago, reappeared as a powerful wizard. The wizard beckoned Mahito to become the new ruler of the dreamlike world inside the tower, but Mahito refused to inherit the wizard’s current role since he had a bad feeling about it and did not feel selfless and responsible enough to build a suitable world on his own. His refusalcaused the mystical world to fall apartand end suddenly.
Thankfully, Mahito was able to save both himself and Natsuko in just the nick of time, narrowly dodging the destruction and downfall of that fantasy world. Kiriko, a maid who accompanied him on his journey, also escaped the tower safely, surviving alongside Mahito and his stepmother. Himi, the younger version of Mahito’s mother, did not leave the castle with them, sinceshe chose to reenter her timeline and live out her predetermined fate. She had already passed away in the real world, so she remained deceased and would not heed Mahito’s warnings in the tower, when he told her of her impending death.
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The Film Tackles Grief and the Complications the Powerful Emotion Can Bring
Mahito’s Journey in the Film Helps Him Finally Begin Processing the Loss of His Mother
After Mahito’s supernatural experience, his life pretty much returned to normal, or at least, the new normal he had been living in since his mother passed away. The final moments of the film reveal the family’s life two years in the future. They live in Tokyo and there is an additional member of the family, the baby Natsuko was pregnant with during the events ofThe Boy and the Heron.Many theories exist about the deeper meaning of the film and its themes, but it is pretty clearly evident thatthe most important issue the film tackles is griefand its effects.
The entire movie portrays Mahito moving through his grief after losing someone so dear to him, and really struggling to let go and accept what has happened. Many viewers of the film debatewhether the fantasy world the heron took him to in the tower was a real placeor a figment of Mahito’s imagination that allowed him to better cope with the loss of his mother. Within this new environment, he was able to meet his mother once more and obtain closure that he did not have before. Saving Natsuko also helped him develop a deeper bond with his new stepmother.
The Film’s Messages About Grief, Loss, and Family Are Applicable to Many Situations
Miyazaki’s Movies Allow Viewers To Make Personal Connections and Meaningful Interpretations
The film shares a lot of similarities with coming-of-age movies, as Mahito gets to know himself and his family members on a deeper level. Whether the world inside the tower was real or not, what really matters is the journey Mahito went on and how it impacted him,helping him make sense of a devastating situation in his life and begin to move forward. Miyazaki’s films often do not directly spell everything out for the viewers, allowing them to make their own interpretations and find personal meaning in the story, a quality that is definitely present inThe Boy and the Heron.
The Boy and the Heron
Cast
Billed as the final work of famed animator Hayao Miyazaki, The Boy and the Heron is a drama-fantasy film that follows a young boy named Mahito who contends with grief following the passing of his mother during World War II. Forced to evacuate to the countryside amid the war, Mahito struggles to fit into his new environment and contend with his new stepmother. However, Mahito’s life is changed after meeting a strange talking Heron - setting him on a journey of self-discovery filled with magic.
