The Boy and The Heron is in cinemas on Boxing Day (Image: Studio Ghibli)The octogenarian Miyazaki is a contradictory figure; a fuddy-duddy progressive, a cantankerous pacifist and a man stuck in his ways. Though the quality of animation has improved, for over four decades at Studio Ghibli, which he co-founded in 1985, his visual style has remained constant. The film could be the last by Octogenarian master Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki (Image: Studio Ghibli)The Japanese title “How Do I Live” is taken from a 1937 coming-of-age novel but apart from a single reference, Miyazaki's script ignores its plot. After the death of his mother in a firebombing of the hospital where she works, a young boy is sent to live with his aunt far from the city. The plot revolves around a boy whose mother is killed and is sent to the country where he discovers a fantasy world (Image: Studio Ghibli)The kid feels alienated in his new surroundings and is hassled by a heron.

Source: The Times December 16, 2023 11:00 UTC