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Miyazaki's Latest Film Shrouded in Mystery Until Premiere
Much was unknown about Hayao Miyazaki's latest film "The Boy and the Heron" until its debut in Japanese theaters on July 14th. The working title "Kimi tachi wa do ikiruka", meaning "How Do You Live?", was revealed in 2017 but little other information was publicly disclosed.
Studio Ghibli declined to produce a trailer or share details about the plot, voice actors, or production team with Japanese audiences. Only ten days before the release did they confirm Joe Hisaishi, Miyazaki's longtime composer, had created the score.
This secrecy seemed a deliberate promotional strategy for the film. After the premiere, Ghibli asked the public not to discuss the movie's contents on social media. No pamphlet or preview materials were made available in theaters as is typical. The first official guidebook wasn't published until early November.
Miyazaki wanted viewers to experience the story freely without preconceptions. Adapted from a 1937 coming-of-age novel by Genzaburo Yoshino, it follows a teenage boy's journey of self-discovery amid Japan's increasing wartime militarism in the 1940s.
Through interactions with friends and family, including an uncle figure, the protagonist Mahito grapples with life's big questions. He also faces personal tragedy when his mother perishes in a fire believed caused by American firebombing of civilian areas at the time.
While originally meant as an ethics text, Miyazaki was deeply fond of Yoshino's book in his youth. "The Boy and the Heron" follows a similar premise but presents an original narrative reflecting on life's meaning during a period of turmoil in Japanese history.