I just watched the movie yesterday and couldn't wait to see you video to better understand the movie!!❤ I didn't know what to expect from The Boy and the Heron, people told me it was very different from the other Miyazaki's movies, but i really enjoyed it and now, after your video, i love it even more!😄

First, this is a really great video. I'm glad you recorded it with your voice and updates. I do have a question, though: Do you recall where you saw the comments Miyazaki made about 8½? I was trying to find it but the only thing I found was an interview with Suzuki talking about showing Miyazaki another Fellini film, Amarcord: "We would stay overnight at the hotel, and one time I showed Miyazaki-san a movie - who’s not watched a movie in 20 years - he was hesitant to watch it. However, he got shocked after watching the movie, and the first thing he said was, ‘This is not the movie I made!’ It was by the late Federico Fellini. He has been thinking over and over again why I wanted to show him this film. The film is ‘Amarcord’, which is ‘I Remember’ in English. I thought this director Fellini shares a lot of similarities with Miyazaki-san; I just knew it when I saw this film. After that trip together, Miyazaki-san has been telling a lot of people about this film." I don't speak or read Japanese, though, so if he mentioned the 8½ connection in an interview/documentary/art book or something like that I'd be interested to know where.

Where to watch the full movie

AMAZING ANALYSIS!!! ♥

When watching this movie I felt really bad for daijin he just has guided suzume and cares for her but had to give his freedoms up again so that sota can be brought back. It makes the movie seem more like a one sided love story because suzume does all this for a guy she met on street and learns a bit of his backstory during the movie (that's my main issue with the movie) Personally I would've kept the cat. (Just my opinion about the movie) Also thanks for explaining the myth and references in this movie

Is this for Zuijin???

I loved this movie sooo much! The cuteness, the scenes, the storyline, the sadness abiut Daijin and Suzume's mother....what an amazing movie <3 Thank you for explaining! Much love from Malta ^_^

Thanks! This video really helped!

The inscription by Dante is written in Italian, not French...

He has directed 12 feature films including this one so the connection to 13 building blocks might be a stretch.

thank you for the detailed explanation, needed some clarity after the ending left me reeling. cheers! 💚

The inscription is in Italian not in french

Well now I know about izanagi, izanami, amaterasu, susanoo, tsukuyomi from Naruto. Wonderful mythological references

I saw a comment a while ago about when she was leaving Souta's apartment Suzume put on his shoes. Literally and figuratively walking in his shoes. Timestamp: Around 1:20:10

as a french who discovered this movie and then this video. You've bring light on many thoughts. Thank you!

i watched the movie yesterday and i have some questions about the endig 1. When the grand uncle world was destroyed (tower collapsed) does that mean the pelicans are now free? since they were stuck on the island starving and thus lead them to eat the wara wara and they weren’t native to the magic world ? Does that mean they returned to their real world 2. himi burns and kills some wara wara trying to protect the majority of them and some wara wara get eaten doesnt that mean the dead wara wara also reincarnate again? since the wara wara are a reference to how souls are created and the the movie theme is about life and death and reincarnation? and kiriko says that himi killing some of them with her fire will help the majority to be reborn doesnt that also imply that these souls also regulate anyways even if they get burned or die?

A few more things I noticed 1. The movie was released in Japan 11.11.22 mirroring the earthquake - 3.11.2011 (11s!). 2. at the end of the movie, Suzume looks like a Japanese shrine priestess (Miko) with her red and white outfit. Thoughts?

Finally some educated observations about the symbolism of the gate, cyprus trees, hungry pelican spirits, parakeets… wow thank you! I think it’s the best explanation I’ve ever heard.

I do atleast hope that the two of them visit and pray to daijin regularry, and the other keystone too though I don't think it matters as much to him. Daijin may have not gotten to spend his life as a cat with suzume for long but he got to spend time with and be apreciated by the people he protected for so long and be reassured of the meaning his eternal dutie has. Also he got to reunite with the other spirit, their cuddling on the car seat was soo adorable. So eventhough I feel bad for him I do think he is happy in the end, I just wished they added a scene at the end were suzume prays at his keystone and offers him some fish, the poor little cat deserves it.

actually in an interview it was said the heron was inspired by his own experience of a heron frequently flying around his porch

WOW YOU ARE VERY OBSERVANT!! あんな細かいこと気づいてませんでした!

It's nice to hear your voice in this one!!

Most helpful explanation video! Thank you

id keep the kitty and let the guy be the chair forever. cats over guys

Hehe, anybody else hearing the tales of Izanami and Izanagi and hearing about Amatseru and Susanoo... just instantly think about Naruto??? Just me?? haha i'm such a weeb!

Lovely film just saw it April 19th one day after my birthday. Robert Pattinson absolutely killed it as the grey heron. All I have to say and I’m pretty sure all of you will agree, please honor your parents.

Bru i thought daijin was suzumes mother turned to keystone and wanted to reunite with her

Japanese culture and language are just so fascinating, Garden of Words is one of my favorite anime movies and it deserves more recognition 🙏🏻🙏🏻

I would have adopted Daijin in heartbeat! 😭💔💔💔💔

I spent the movie thinking Daijin was Suzume’s mom.

Excellent analysis and very helpful cultural context for a non-Japanese audience, thank you for your work!

This explains so much!! I was so confused when Daijin became so sad that Suzume was upset at him. I was like, "what did you expect? You were hurting her by opening those doors and wanting to sacrifice Sota." Now i get it! Thank you for the explanation!

❤❤❤❤❤

So much symbolism of God in this anime . Life, decisions, the demons on earth we can’t see.. all to be closed by a key . Or Key of Life the free gift Yahweh gives us . Just whn we think we are being lead thru the worst situations think like God is jst leading us daily down a path of chaos..HE was leading us exactly where we needed to be. Back to self . The innocent us that he still loves us so much to heal us . Like wow .. can’t believe I’m jst watching this . I knew that cat was more than wht it seems . Whn Daijin turned Sota into a chair I almost fell out of mine !! 🫠😂😂😂 Stay blessed 🕊️🙏🏽

The thing I like about japanese animated movies is they appreciate cats more than western media. Like they still treat them as aloof, but they don't portray that as bad or any reason why people wouldn't want one as a pet.

Its cool to hear yin yang coming froma a native speaker. Yang makes sense in the english translation but in was be closer that yin but you pronouce the i more like ill, really stretching you cheeks back. Y was probably easiest to go.

So many great observations! Thank you for the insights.

Thank you so much for shedding some light on this movie from a Japanese perspective! I just finished watching it for the first time, and while I loved it and was emotionally moved by it, I was left with many questions and knew I had to be missing something culturally that would be more obvious to a Japanese audience.

anyone else interpret the main message of the movie to be overcoming grief and childhood trauma. suzume walked through the door which is the understanding of the “afterlife” as a kid after her mom went missing and died during the great earthquake in japan. so being on the other side, she was exposed to the “worm”=reality of the dark feelings that could arise from grief and when the keystones are removed (things that keep people grounded and prevent ppl from absolutely breaking down), it feels like their entire world is collapsing. she removed the keystone that turned into daijin but the entire time, it was tryna lead suzume back to her door indirectly to get over the other side of grief. overall this story resonates w lots of japanese ppl especially considering the great esrthquake that affected millions of lives but the power in the film comes from the delicacy brought to address how much power trauma can play on you. hence, is why she speaks to her younger self in the end and tells her that everything eventually gets better with time and it may feel like the whole world is turning on her and the dark “worm” is out to ruin her entire world, but sometimes in order return to peace and get over it, you gotta take it head on

This is a great video and explainer! I have concerns that the film maker was unable to communicate these sentiments throughout the film on it's own. I really wish someone was able to tighten up the storytelling a little more.

Super thanks!

Thank you! This helped me understand so much that didn't make sense to me at first 😅

Did anyone else get the feeling the keystone (white cat) was the spirit of her mother? I definitely thought that was going to get revealed near the end.

I just saw the movie with my sister and my little girls. Thank you for making this review and explanations. As non-Japanese we felt that there were a lot of meanings in the film that needed to be explained to us. Despite the huge number of ambiguities, two hours in the film were perfect! The calmness of the film was spilled over to my daughters and my sister and me. Thank you!

I watch movie to be entertained not to interpret..there is nothing new in this movie..

Cool

Cat is not a Evil

Thank you for this. I have seen this film twice now, once in Japanese, which I have difficulty understanding, and yesterday in the English dub. Your analysis has truly entriched my appreciatino of this masterpiece.

This is by far the best analysis of The Boy and the Heron. Thank you so much for this insightful video. I think your narration voice is great.🌸

The was no link between Abe and this corruption case. It's was a US/Endowment for Democracy/Soros attempt to tarnish Abe's reputation. They hate him so so much, that they financed and brainwashed a mentally ill Japanese to kill Abe when he tried to run again. You swallowed hook and sinker the very well crafted, financed, and planned CIA/Endowment for Democracy propaganda, and VOLONTARY destruction of Japan economy and the hand of an "allies" the US. "Being the enemy of the US is dangerous, being it's friend is mortal" Henry Kissinger. If you understand English .... watch TheNewAtlas on youtube, he explains very well all NGO working to undermine all Asian countries including Japan.