Hayao Miyazaki’s final film is equally challenging and beautiful.

Cover photo: Promotional poster for Studio Ghibli’s latest film How Do You Live? on display at Theatre Cinq in Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture, Japan (2023). Photo by Danny With Love.

WARNING: This review includes a basic synopsis, plot details, and thematic spoilers.

★★★★☆

4/5 Stars

Studio Ghibli’s latest film Kimitachi wa Do Ikiru ka (君たちはどう生きるか) [How Do You Live?] was released yesterday. It is likely to be the final film directed by the 82-year-old legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎 駿), with the laborious hand-drawn production spanning an entire decade.

How Do You Live? is perhaps director Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal project ever, deeply influenced by his own childhood and dedicated to his grandson. The film is loosely inspired by a classic 1937 young adult novel of the same name, written by leftist author Genzaburo Yoshino (吉野 源三郎).

Set in World War II, How Do You Live? follows young Mahito (マヒト), who loses his mother in an air raid. Struggling through trauma and grief, Mahito is tormented by a wild heron — the very same from the only released promotional image — who leads him into a mysterious new world.

In a daring move, the movie debuted with no advertising. Studio Ghibli is relying on brand recognition alone to generate a word-of-mouth campaign. Though generally well-attuned to pop culture, my own junior high school coworkers weren’t aware of the film.

Initial reviews have been mixed, with some viewers stating they would have skipped the film had they seen previews, even speculating that the lack of marketing was a sign of low-confidence, in effort to limit additional financial losses.

I was eager to see the film for myself. Despite my poor Japanese skills, I chose to attend a release-day screening. Luckily for me, the film’s dialogue proved rather sparse.

How Do You Live? is Miyazaki at his most abstract, fully embracing a poetic vision over commercial entertainment. It’s slow and sleepy, with some genuinely beautiful moments interspersed. Movie-goers expecting a fun family film may leave disappointed. On Instagram, contemporary artist Takashi Murakami (村上 隆) warns, “I recommend this work for those who like to go to art museums, not movie fans.”

Indeed, despite gorgeous visuals, How Do You Live? is not a perfect film. The pacing is slow. The score is unmemorable. Character designs range from bizarre to hideous. Voice acting is largely flat and, worst of all, I didn’t find Mahito — one of Miyazaki’s rare male protagonists — particularly compelling.

At times, How Do You Live? reads less like a story than a disjointed moodboard. The atmosphere is overly eerie and sad, often lacking the charm and joys of peak Ghibli. I was left confused for much of the runtime, as were many native Japanese viewers.

I spent much of today reflecting upon the eclectic collection of images: burning cities, flocks of vicious pelicans, and armies of man-eating parakeets. Early in the film, frustrated Mahito beats himself with a stone, crimson blood gushing from his head. Again and again, Miyazaki revisits violence.

Like Mahito, Miyazaki’s own family escaped the bombing of Tokyo and his father worked as a warplane engineer. His pacifist views are famous, with Miyazaki having publicly denounced both Japanese and American militarism on multiple occasions.

With a provocative title like How Do You Live?, many fans — including myself — wondered if the film would serve as Miyazaki’s ultimate sermon, a distillation of his personal philosophy. In a 2021 interview with The New York Times, Miyazaki teased, “I am making this movie because I do not have the answer [to such a question].” But he always has.

By the film’s conclusion Miyazaki’s message is clear, challenging both Mahito and viewers to “create a world without conflict” (お前の手で争いのない世を作れ). Freed of malice, humanity can break cycles of violence and achieve peace. It’s a perfect legacy and a fitting end to the master animator’s career.

Otsukare-sama deshita (お疲れ様でした). Thank you Mr. Miyazaki, for your tireless work.

How Do You Live? is set to be released in North America by distributor GKIDS as The Boy and The Heron before the end of the year.