“I trained successors, but I couldn’t let go”: 1 Reference in The Boy and The Heron That Resembles Hayao Miyazaki’s Own Struggles
Hayao Miyazaki’s return with The Boy and The Heron enraptured Studio Ghibli fans and film buffs alike, but no one could have expected the Studio Ghibli co-founder’s inevitable return with The Boy and The Heron would have been this successful, going as far as to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The movie was clearly made with Studio Ghibli fans in mind, with a nod to Miyazaki’s previous works and sprinkling Easter eggs throughout.
Although Miyazaki announced his retirement in 2013, fans were skeptical about it. Fans of his works were naturally delighted when Miyazaki came out of retirement to drop this marvelous film that plays like a love letter to all the previous Studio Ghibli hits. Miyazaki delivers another masterpiece, drawing a rich and immersive world, utilizing familiar Studio Ghibli touchstones and otherworldly aesthetics as a backdrop for an autobiographical fantasy.
The Movie’s High-Stakes Conflict Runs Parallel To Hayao Miyazaki’s Own Struggles
In Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki, the titular subject laments his inability to find a proper heir to Studio Ghibli, among other issues. He talks about his retirement, the dying anime industry, and the taking over of computer animation. Miyazaki conceded in Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki (via CBR): “I trained successors, but I couldn’t let go,” with his voice-over playing over the imagery of a gluttonous No Face eating everything in sight in Spirited Away, before saying, “[Studio Ghibli] devours people.”
Diehard fans of Studio Ghibli, who are aware of this context, can’t help but draw a line between Ghibli’s search for a would-be-successor and the cosmic power struggle during The Boy and the Heron‘s climax.
Also Read: Hayao Miyazaki Shares His Oscar Win with the Entire World in the Most Memorable Way Possible
In the ending sequence, The Granduncle, Parakeet King, and Mahito have different ideas on how to best let the universe run freely. While some answers are more justified or better communicated than the rest, there is clearly no right answer. Mahito scolds the King and wizard, and his subsequent return to his ho,e world causes the fantasy realm to crumble, which conjures the image of Studio Ghibli’s future tangled in a tug-of-war situation and the resulting catastrophe without the presence of Miyazaki.
The Boy and The Heron Is Hayao Miyazaki’s Most Personal Work Yet
There is no doubt that The Boy and The Heron was made with Studio Ghibli fans in mind; a loving dedication to Studio Ghibli fans. With hits like Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and My Neighbor Totoro, anime fans have been eating good for years with Hayao Miyazaki serving one hit after another. As unbelievable as it seemed, Miyazaki graced his fans one more time with another masterpiece, which very much fits into the Ghibli wheelhouse. The movie feels like a warm hug; a love letter to Studio Ghibli fans with Easter eggs spread throughout the movie.
Moreover, The Boy and The Heron is based on Hayao Miyazaki’s personal life. Fans have concluded after watching the film that Mahito’s father is based on Miyazaki’s. This isn’t the first time he has explored his personal struggles and family life through movies. Ghibli characters like Jiro from The Wind Rises and Yasuko in My Neighbor Totoro draw inspiration from Miyazaki’s heritage. Still, none are as overtly based on a Miyazaki parent as Shoichi is.
Takeshi Honda, one of the lead animators of The Boy and The Heron, revealed to The Ringer:
“Shoichi is [Miyazaki’s] own father…he would only show us actual photographs of his father after we had done a little bit of work… It was very revelatory to discover what kind of person his father was.“
Shoichi is portrayed as someone who is out of touch with their child despite caring for them due to their busy career as a warplane manufacturer, similar to Miyazaki’s father. The story gives fans a heartbreaking insight into Miyazaki’s life and a clarity of his life struggles.
