Kaitlyn Angeles

The Boy and the Heron is a symbolic movie that shows how the main character, Mahito, copes with his grief while going into another world finding more about his family.

Studio Ghibli movies have resulted in many fans who love the aesthetic and storyline of Hayao Miyazaki’s work; Miyazaki’s newest creation The Boy and the Heron continues his legacy. 

The trailer shows the protagonist, a little boy going on an adventure in a fantasy world, meeting a girl, and talking to a heron. Even though this movie is popular amongst previous Studio Ghibli lovers, it’s become enjoyed by a wider audience because of the visuals and the meaning behind it.

Since previous Studio Ghibli films have exceeded the expectations of audiences, many assumptions about the storyline of the new film surfaced. The Boy and the Heron follows a deeper theme where the main character, Mahito, navigates grief over the passing of his mother from a fire at a young age.  

“After watching the movie, what changed was how it was more confusing than the other Ghibli movies and had a more symbolic meaning to it,” Alexis Barrientos (9) said. “I loved it.”

The story continues when two worlds are connected by a tower that mysteriously appears from the sky. When Mahito enters some ruins in the forest, he gets transported into another world and finds some doors with the help of Himi. When Mahito and Himi opened one of the doors, it shows Mahito’s past world, but from the perspective of the tower; this door was a chance for Mahito to escape, but entering the door won’t allow him to go back to the magical world. 

“I think it’s kind of funny how the way you transition from one to another, the things that go in and out of one world they change based on which one you’re in,” Zero Respicio-Reyes (9) said. “I think that concept is really interesting because I’ve never seen something like that.” 

Along with Mahito, the creatures in the other world also have a connection to the real world. For example, when the parakeets from the other world walked through Mahito’s door, they turned into animals such as birds. In addition to birds, humans are also represented from both worlds, one being dolls, and the other being humans.

Miyazaki’s movies are each unique in their own aspect which allows the viewers to experience different feelings for each one.

“The unique thing about this movie is that it’s really sad like Grave of the Fireflies,” said Barrientos. “This film is about acceptance for death and grief while also accepting new changes and adaptations such as the step mom.”

Even though The Boy and the Heron has a significant meaning to it, some parts of the movie may confuse some viewers. There are many unexplained scenes that make the viewers think about why or how it’s happening. For example, why did the seagulls eat the souls that were going to be born besides staying hungry? Were the people in the other world the same or different versions of the people in Mahito’s world? What happened to the other world now that it got destroyed?

“You know, the part with the block, I don’t know what the blocks are, and I don’t get the resemblance of them or what they’re supposed to be for,” Respicio-Reyes said.

All in all, The Boy and the Heron is very symbolic with all the elements that are a part of the movie. Even the elderly women that are seen in some clips hold an important role, especially Kiriko who joined Mahito in the ruins in the forest.

“I enjoyed the storyline and the beautiful animation of the movie,” Barrientos said. “It was very interesting with the characters and the plot twists while also watching the amazing animation that they worked hard on.”