The Boy and the Heron, Hayao Miyazaki's last film?

pixelburp

I hadn't even realised this was already released in Japan over July - grossing $38 million - but then Hayao Miyazaki's supposed last film has had a bizarre run-up: namely, intentionally publishing zero promotion, trailers or anything official to push the film. Not sure if a reason has been given - but it would certainly explain why Miyazaki's  final feature-film has gone completely under the radar thus far with almost zero buzz.

Maybe that'll change once - or even if - it gets international distribution? Miyazaki's probably famous enough in Japan that word alone could shoulder a film's release - not sure that'd be true worldwide mind you. Some images have surfaced recently, to give some flavour of the thing. I presume nobody here has actually seen it yet?

https://twitter.com/catsuka/status/1689782383682191360

geotrig

at least "supposed" although with advancing years , tbh I think it'll do well without promotion in the west ,ghilbli is cult like as can be seen with how much we can see of it around the place these days.

johnny_ultimate

Maybe just the more Japan-centric internet quarters I frequent, but I’ve heard nothing *but* buzz for this pre and post release :) The lack of info paid off handsomely locally, but there are few others who’d get away with such an audacious approach.

The film is due out in the US before the end of the year, and is getting its international premiere in Toronto next month. But no confirmed UK / Ireland release date or even distributor last I checked. It’s Miyazaki, though - guaranteed international distribution!

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120977196#Comment_120977196

I think it does speak to personal wanderings cos I've seen nothing about this and when I do, it's spoken with a real sense of surprised remembrance it even exists - then curiosity why the strategy is to have no conventional publicity.

pixelburp

Looks like this will premiere at the New York Film Festival; and we get another look at the thing by way of that announcement - so that suggests the international releases will get some degree of promotion. We might even get a trailer at some point, lol.

https://twitter.com/GhibliUSA/status/1692167237870727535

johnny_ultimate

Ghibli's Japanese website now has a bunch of official stills there so the pre-release secrecy is very much over. That they managed to keep it all under wraps for several weeks after a general release in Japan is pretty good going, tbh.

https://www.ghibli.jp/works/kimitachi/

pixelburp

So that answers that: there will be traditional promotion for this in the US; a full trailer to drop on September 6th, and in the meantime ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g_6eXi1hq0

pixelburp

And here it is, the first proper trailer for this - ever, lol.

Yes please, I shall have some of that.

https://youtu.be/f7EDFdA10pg?si=4uLhvBYhhqRXqERN

TheIrishGrover

Uuuuuuuu. That looks pretty. Yeah. Can't wait. Of Miyazaki's latest(hah) outings, wasn't overly gone on Wind Rises or even Howl but Ponyo was delightful. In in Japan in October. Hope to go to the museum again and see if the storyboard book is available in the bookshop there. It's getting harder and harder to get tickets to the museum so fingers crossed. The storyboard books are expensive (anywhere between 20-40 euros depending on rates, size etc) but they are great. I have Ponyo, Totoro, Porco, Spirited Away, Mononoke, Laputa, Kiki and Arrietty.

If I do manage to get a ticket to the museum I will post here in case someone wants one of the books (In Japanese of course) or trinkets. First Come, First Served, I'm afraid. Luggage limited.

johnny_ultimate

Never change, Miyazaki-san.

https://x.com/glasneronfilm/status/1699947036882198735?s=46&t=nwvJe3fJtU0siJ7wj5mjTA

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121085309#Comment_121085309

Shocked, I say. SHOCKED...

pixelburp

Next you'll be telling me that Final Fantasy game had sequels...

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121085521#Comment_121085521

Not this year, there wasn't :)

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121085636#Comment_121085636

Haha, true.

as to the news, I'm actually a bit disappointed. A lot seemed to have been made about this being Miyazaki's last. And while he had made threats before, this time it felt "real"?

TheIrishGrover

OK. So I got my ticket for Ghibli museum. You used to be able to buy them from an online agent 1-3 months in advance but that option is no longer available. I get it, they don't want to overpopulate it with tourists. Want to limit it to people who are genuinely interested, but jeez do they make it hard now. The last time I went, with friends, I was acting as a bit of a tour guide as I'd been there before and of course, knew the movies. I turned around and found about 3 other people craning in to listen. lol. For those interested, they release tickets at 10AM Japan Standard Time on 10th of the month before the entry date. So, for example, it took me 2 hours from 02:00 - 04:00 last night/this morning to get my ticket for next month (And they were all gone an hour late) Just in case anyone else is thinking of going. You CAN sometimes get "tours" but these only guide you to the museum as no tours are allowed inside and they are usually over 100 Euro........ The ACTUAL ticket to the museum is about 7 euro

Anyway, I will be there in October and, as promised, I am offering to buy some trinkets and smaller items for the first person who contacts me. The books are not as expensive as I thought. About 3200 Yen with tax at least that's what the last one was 6 years ago). Ornaments are small, high quality but expensive and I'd rather not be responsible for purchasing something like that but pins, papercraft cards, phone danglies/keyrings, a book (heavy), a small plush (Can be expensive), no problem. Last time I did this I basically said "if you want a book, give me a list in order of preference as they often don't have what you want and then I'll get ya some souvenir-type pins, cards etc." with a budget of say 50-80 Euro.

First come, first served though, folks.

Below is an example (Not my pic) of some of the cards. I THINK somewhere around a fiver each. This person seems to have cut the back off to let light through. I use a cheap battery tea-light thing with tinfoil behind to reflect

Slydice

I keep seeing this thread show up but after seeing Your Name without a trailer, I have a sense this might be a similar one to avoid trailers for.

johnny_ultimate

Some good news I'd missed when it was announced a week ago - it has been picked up for Irish/UK distribution. Will be released in cinemas by Elysian, a relative newcomer to the scene that also distributed Earwig and the Witch, the Studio Ghibli CG film that everybody has quietly decided to collectively forget actually exists.

No firm release date, but 'later this year' sounds promising, as there's not much year left to go.

https://deadline.com/2023/09/hayao-miyazaki-the-boy-and-the-heron-uk-elysian-film-group-anonymous-content-bleecker-street-1235544303/

TheIrishGrover

OK folks. One last offer (I'll offer it here rather than in a general chat as Ghibli fans are most likely to read this rather than making it a free-for-all).

I'm off to Japan next week. I can bring back some smaller items if people want. First Come First Served. Might be handy for Christmas. I can then post or meet in person (I North West Dublin-based). As per my previous post:

Anyway, I will be there in October and, as promised, I am offering to buy some trinkets and smaller items for the first person who contacts me. The books are not as expensive as I thought. About 3200 Yen with tax at least that's what the last one was 6 years ago). Ornaments are small, high quality but expensive and I'd rather not be responsible for purchasing something like that but pins, papercraft cards, phone danglies/keyrings, a book (heavy), a small plush (Can be expensive), no problem. Last time I did this I basically said "if you want a book, give me a list in order of preference as they often don't have what you want and then I'll get ya some souvenir-type pins, cards etc." with a budget of say 50-80 Euro 80-100 Euro

emo72

If you can get me 2 of those cards at about a fiver each I'll collect them from you get back. They look beautiful.

johnny_ultimate

Not officially confirmed by the distributor as far as I can see, but the source is usually a reliable indicator - looks like the film might just about squeeze into 2023 in the UK/Ireland, with a Stephen's Day release.

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-10-04/the-boy-and-the-heron-listed-for-u.k-cinema-release-on-december-26/.203118

johnny_ultimate

Saw this last week and what a wonderous thing it is. It's every bit a Miyazaki film, in fact seemingly including a range of nods and allusions to his own work. Spirited Away is an obvious comparison given some of the fantastical story stuff, but definitely also strong hints of Totoro, Mononoke, Laputa and others. That ranges from some callback character designs to some thematic echoes and variations. It's definitely a master looking back on his career and ruminating on it, but also feels very fresh in some of the tonal stuff going on - it's a much more bittersweet affair at times than many of his past works, but also erupts with moments of colour and energy throughout. Although perhaps the most surprising thing is Joe Hisaishi's score, which feels quite a bit more serene and minimalist than his best-known Ghibli work.

And nobody does animation quite like Miyazaki and his Ghibli team just draw worlds that feel like nothing else. The sheer volume of incredible detail here - spectacular character design, idiosyncratic movement, flashes of more expressionist stylings - just makes it a treat to watch. And there are several sequences - a nighttime ritual, a starlit library, a flock of colourful birds - that really capture that sense of otherworldly awe that only Miyazaki at his best can manage. It's just as comfortable when imagining the grotesque as when imagining the transcendent.

It is a film heavy with ideas, and sometimes a bit more cryptic with its themes and deeper meaning than some of Miyazaki's classics. But it's overall a thing of real beauty. If it's Miyazaki's last work, one couldn't imagine a more fitting swansong. If he has more gas in the tank, then I'll once again be first in line for whatever he has to offer.

pixelburp

How and where did you get a chance to watch it Johnny?

johnny_ultimate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121244779#Comment_121244779

It’s doing the festival rounds at the moment and I was lucky enough to have a weekend away that coincided with a festival screening :)

pixelburp

Yeah it's an English dub, but this trailer gives a good account of the fantasy we can expect.

https://youtu.be/t5khm-VjEu4?si=hIm1LYFu7h6OeU_b

LeeroyJ.

https://www.lighthousecinema.ie/film/the-boy-and-the-heron

lighthouse has 2 showings, book fast. I will be away over the holidays and miss it unfortunately

johnny_ultimate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121377024#Comment_121377024

I wouldn’t worry - there’ll be many more screenings. Light House usually just releases a couple of opening day / weekend screenings for pre-booking but it will fill out normally when the full week’s schedule is released closer to the time.

pixelburp

Number 1 at the box office opening weekend in the US and highest for an anime in America; Noice.

sammyjo90

Is this gonna be shown anywhere else other than dublin?

TheIrishGrover

Playing in Blanch Imax this week. Sweet!

sammyjo90

Yeah looks like its released everywhere from Friday :)

Exclamation Marc

Saw it in the IMC in Dun Laoghaire last week. Absolutely loved it, it's a treat.

pixelburp

Boo, no showings for my local Vue <sad-panda>

Opened in the Odeon yesterday. Seen the Japanese version. Amazing stuff. Might check out the English one as well.

TheIrishGrover

Saw this on Friday. Did enjoy it a lot but (IMHO) not as much as other Miyazaki work. I think it just took a little longer to kick in and was a little bit episodic.

There is absolutely nothing WRONG with it. Maybe I was just a bit too over-hyped by all the buzz and maybe I was just a bit tired (9PM on IMAX in Blanch on Friday after long tough day at work). I'll probably enjoy it a lot more once I rewatch.

All the characters are really engaging as one would expect from a Miyazaki film and it is definitely a "companion piece" to Spirited Away (There is no overlap. It is not a sequel/prequel/whatever. Just the general tone.). While I prefer subtitled editions (And this is what I saw), the dubbed voice cast does look great and I can imagine them doing a bang up job (I actually preferred the European dub of Arietty but not the US dub).

Now that I type I think my only real "Problem" with it (And it is minor) is that I thought it was a little bit unfocused in the first 3rd.

I think I was just tired :)

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121585702#Comment_121585702

I would echo this, terrific still but not peak Miyazaki.

Spoiler Warning

I will never look at parakeets in the same way! I enjoyed how the constant bird pooing was never mentioned.

p to the e

I stayed away from everything about this so I went in completely cold. I really enjoyed it even if I was left with the usual Miyazaki mind melt afterwards. It's definitely in the same tone as Spirited Away and, as usual, the score hits hard at the right times. Mixed in with some unexpected violence, it's a real rollercoaster of emotion.

Overall not as good as Spirited Away but I'd still put it in top 5 of his work. I enjoyed it way more than Howl's Moving Castle. FYI I saw the English dubbed version and didn't feel anything was taken away. If you're going in without reading anything see if you can guess Robert Pattinson's voice. Strange that Bautista got second in the billing when he's in it for about 5 minutes.

ShaneU

This was just added to Netflix. Really enjoyed it. I've only watched Spirited Away so I need to check out the others.