While the likes of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Kung Fu Panda 4 ravage cinemas around the world, one particular anime film continues to push boundaries. Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron made its way to China and was welcomed with a loud uproar—executing a late overseas debut to perfection. The film, after winning at the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes, really does turn anything it touches into gold.
The Boy and the Heron premiered in China during a five-day holiday weekend where it hauled in a whopping $73 million. Before its release in the Chinese market, the anime film had already amassed $173 million globally. The hit will soon eclipse the $250-million mark after the announcement of its release in India, but only time will tell if the film performs as great as it did in its neighboring country.
Why Was The Boy and the Heron So Well Received Worldwide?
The Boy and the Heron revolves around Mahito, a young boy who struggles to find his place after the death of his mother. Although following his father and his new stepmother to the countryside, he still carries the pain of losing a loved one. Mahito meets a talking heron and informs him of an abandoned tower where he will find his mother—transporting him to a world of magic. The truly amazing events that unfold beyond this point are best experienced firsthand. We wouldn’t want to spoil all the enchanting surprises, would we?
People love The Boy and the Heron for different reasons. Some love it for the innate adventure that almost every Studio Ghibli film possesses while some love it for the laughs that it brings. Most, if not all, love the visual construction of the hit anime film. Boasting a 97% in Rotten Tomatoes, critics like Peter Travers of ABC News said: “Japanese manga master Hayao Miyazaki, 83, came out of retirement for this hand-drawn beauty about his own life growing up in wartime. The Oscar for best animated feature belongs right here since Miyazaki’s unparalleled artistry shines out of every frame.”
Studio Ghibli has given birth to many iconic anime films and The Boy and the Heron is the perfect film to represent the studio and classic anime globally with its surprising variety. It brings an array of emotions, tugging your little heartstrings just as any Ghibli film will do. The anime film is certainly not the last of the studio’s timeless lessons and animation wizardry.
Hayao Miyazaki Comes Back for The Boy and the Heron
Leave it to Hayao Miyazaki to create another masterpiece after taking time off the storyboards for over a decade. After retiring in 2013, Miyazaki came back to give the audience masterful and emotional tales of old that everyone has missed. The Boy and the Heron is no exception to that and, luckily, audiences will see more of Miyazaki’s magic in the future.
The Boy and the Heron won 28 and was nominated for 31 awards across all categories and award shows. Miyazaki’s return was met with distinctions from BAFTA, Academy Awards, and Golden Globe Awards. Success is no stranger to him, though, as he also directed the likes of Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle.
Hayao Miyazaki is more than just The Boy and the Heron. He is responsible for Studio Ghibli’s top-grossing films and is a prominent name across filmmaking, amassing a huge amount of followers along the way. Spirited Away grossed an incredible $395 million globally in 2001, Howl’s Moving Castle grossed $235 million in 2004, and Ponyo grossed $204 million in 2008—all testaments to how Miyazaki transformed the Japanese anime film scene. Millions were awaiting his comeback, and millions were greatly rewarded for their patience.