Considered one of the masters of Japanese animation, Hayao Miyazaki, aged 82, co-founder of the famous Studio Ghibli, came out of retirement to make this film surrounded by mysteries.
Acclaimed Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki is back with his first animated film in ten years – and probably his last – hitting theaters in Japan on Friday, an event highly anticipated by his fans.
Its production took several years and plot details were kept secret until the end. No trailer, no promotion for the film was done except for a poster drawn by Miyazaki himself depicting a strange bird-like creature whose eye is tucked under its beak.
“A crazy mix of all the Ghibli movies”
The title of the film in Japanese is borrowed from a novel published in 1937 in Japan and published in France under the title And you, how will you livealbeit with a completely redesigned narrative by Miyazaki.
The story takes place in Japan during World War II. A boy named Mahito leaves Tokyo with his father and moves to the countryside after the tragic death of his mother. There he meets a gray heron who takes him to a fantastic universe where he gradually discovers the mystery of his mother’s death and her family history.
“It was really a typical Ghibli film”rejoices Eisaku Kimura, a student who came to attend a morning screening in Shibuya, a trendy district of Tokyo. “I saw a lot of Miyazaki in this movie, it was great”.
“It’s a crazy mix of all the Ghibli movies I’ve watched so far”says Valeriia Matveeva, a Russian professor of English at the exit of the cinema. “It was a bit scary at times but magical too. Since there was no promotion, I had no idea what to think about it but it was great”she adds.
Record
Hayao Miyazaki enjoyed global success with anime films like Spirited awayreleased in 2001, Oscar for best animated film and which held a record at the Japanese box office for nearly two decades.
Among his most famous works are also Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo on the cliff or The wind picks up (2013).
Studio Ghibli, which he co-founded with director Isao Takahata, who died in 2018, opened a vast park in Japan dedicated to his universe last November.
The release dates of the film abroad are not yet known.