MORE SPOILER-FREE MINI-REVIEWS @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/mini-reviews-2023-edition THE BOY AND THE HERON is a visually captivating film that struggles to balance all of its storylines and themes. Technically, no faults. The visuals are nothing short of breathtaking, with each shot meticulously detailed and rich in storytelling. The animation is a true work of art, drawing viewers into a world of…
Where death comes to an end, life finds a new beginning.
While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."
Top Cast
Soma Santoki
Mahito Maki (voice)
Masaki Suda
Gray Heron (voice)
Ko Shibasaki
Kiriko (voice)
Aimyon
Lady Himi (voice)
Yoshino Kimura
Natsuko (voice)
Takuya Kimura
Shoichi Maki (voice)
Keiko Takeshita
Izumi (voice)
Jun Fubuki
Utako (voice)
Sawako Agawa
Eriko (voice)
Karen Takizawa
Warawara (voice)
Shinobu Otake
Aiko (voice)
Jun Kunimura
The Parakeet King (voice)
Kaoru Kobayashi
Noble Pelican (voice)
Shōhei Hino
Granduncle (voice)
Reviews
Maybe it's sacrilegious to say, but I didn't love this latest from the marvellously imaginative mind of Hayao Miyazaki. It follows the adventures of "Mahito" who arrives at the home of his factory-owning father amidst WWII. We appreciate quickly that his mother has died and that he is to have a new, expectant, mother in "Natsuko". When she mysteriously disappears and "Mahito" finds his presence "requested" by an…
Good little adventure for this young man who... has a bit of a strange situation with his dad. What a crazy bugger his dad is and what kind of family dynamic is going on? Is the younger sister pregnant with the dad's kid? Maybe it's cultural and I'm not sure why the old man changes intention so quickly or what the bird motivations are. Perhaps will read a book about it one day. It's fun. There's cool animation. I…
Gorgeous animation as always from Ghibli, but the movie was a mess. It's like 3 different movies mashed together, none of which have any synergy or feel like they have anything to do with the overall plot. Compared to their other movies which were genuinely whimsical, all the magic and beautiful scenes here felt forced. Like they had to add pretty scenes to hide how nonsensical the story is. A lot of it is meant…
FAQ about The Boy and the Heron
What is The Boy and the Heron about?
While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new…
When was The Boy and the Heron released?
The Boy and the Heron was released in 2023.
What genres does The Boy and the Heron belong to?
The Boy and the Heron is categorised as Animation, Fantasy, Drama.
Who stars in The Boy and the Heron?
The cast of The Boy and the Heron includes Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Ko Shibasaki, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura.