loss of loved one,world war ii,education,coming of age,spirituality,poverty,teenage boy,troubled childhood,semi autobiographical,moving to a city,anime,hand drawn animation,magic world,animation,courage,absurd

The Boy and the Heron (2023)

Poster for The Boy and the Heron

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."

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Cast & Crew

Director
Hayao Miyazaki
  • Profile picture of Soma Santoki
    Mahito Maki (voice) Soma Santoki
  • Profile picture of Masaki Suda
    Gray Heron (voice) Masaki Suda
  • Profile picture of Ko Shibasaki
    Kiriko (voice) Ko Shibasaki
  • Profile picture of Aimyon
    Lady Himi (voice) Aimyon
  • Profile picture of Yoshino Kimura
    Natsuko (voice) Yoshino Kimura
  • Profile picture of Takuya Kimura
    Shoichi Maki (voice) Takuya Kimura
  • Profile picture of Keiko Takeshita
    Izumi (voice) Keiko Takeshita
  • Profile picture of Jun Fubuki
    Utako (voice) Jun Fubuki

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Keywords

  • loss of loved one
  • world war ii
  • education
  • coming of age
  • spirituality
  • poverty
  • teenage boy
  • troubled childhood
  • semi autobiographical
  • moving to a city
  • anime
  • hand drawn animation
  • magic world
  • animation
  • courage
  • absurd