Kimitachi wa Dou Ikiru ka

Three years into the war, Mahito Maki loses his mother in a tragic fire at the hospital. Shortly thereafter, his father marries Natsuko, the younger sister of Mahito's mother. They take Mahito out of Tokyo to seek refuge in his late mother's rural family home. There, Mahito is constantly taunted by a strange gray heron, who seems to have taken an interest in him.

Unable to come to terms with his loss and struggling to adjust to a new life in an unfamiliar place, the boy is shocked to discover that Natsuko is pregnant. To make matters worse, the pesky heron can speak—and claims that Mahito's mother is still alive. Luring him into a mysterious tower near the residence, the heron says that Mahito can save her from death, but the boy is not easily swayed.

When Natsuko disappears one day, however, Mahito watches her walk into the tower and becomes compelled to venture in to rescue her. He soon finds himself falling into another world below his, where life and death seem to be entwined. As he navigates through this foreign realm to find Natsuko, Mahito must understand what it means to live if he wants to safely return home.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Maki, Mahito Main

Santoki, Souma Japanese

Heron Man Main

Suda, Masaki Japanese

Warawara Supporting

Takizawa, Karen Japanese

Kiriko Supporting

Shibasaki, Kou Japanese

Himi Supporting

Aimyon Japanese

Parakeet King Supporting

Kunimura, Jun Japanese

Old Pelican Supporting

Kobayashi, Kaoru Japanese

Great Uncle Supporting

Hino, Shouhei Japanese

Aiko Supporting

Ootake, Shinobu Japanese

Kazuko Supporting

Suzuki, Toshio Producer

Miyazaki, Hayao Director, Storyboard, Screenplay, Original Creator

Kasamatsu, Kouji Sound Director

Nakazawa, Shintarou Episode Director

Reviews

Nov 15, 2025

ertiis

Recommended

My candid reaction to this film was wonder, confusion, and then a bit empty at its end. It's a treat for the eyes, as Miyazaki films go, and definitely plays with the surrealism of its themes. I'll tell you straight up that I'm not the sharpest tack in the box, so having my friend explain to me what they got from the film allowed me to connect the dots immediately and appreciate what it was trying to convey. So if you're that person that picks up on all the little things, you'll love to pick this thing apart because there is A LOT to unpack ... here.

With that said, I'm going with the biased stance of, "it won't be for everyone, but for diehard Ghibli fans––or specifically Miyazaki–– it's a must-see." That's the TL;DR.

Characters are simple, but because they really aren't the point of the film. The overall presentation is a little jarring, what with slow and quiet moments, and then sudden chaotic scenes that leave too quickly to really hold impact. The atmosphere would have been perfectly nailed if it wasn't for the piano soundtrack. I personally found it distracting in a lot of moments where therer could have been more a ominous sound, but that's just me (love Hisaishi's work; no hate here).

The true joy, I believe, is reading into everything knowing who Hayao Miyazaki is and where he is right now in his career. I haven't said much specifically about the film because I think it really needs to be seen with as little knowledge as possible to not be ruined the realization of what you're actually watching. But if you're anything like me (or even if you aren't), you'll have a blast reading or watching analyses that explain why the movie was presented in the way that it was. So take what anyone says with a grain of salt if you have even an inkling of how interpretative work [i]works[/i]. Face value viewing is not the recommended angle for this one.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Oct 10, 2025

elumizu

Mixed Feelings

Grief has a way of building worlds inside us. It is vast, strange, and full of echoes we can’t quite silence. The Boy and the Heron unravels like a dream half-remembered, balancing personal pain with fantastical wonder in a way that is both mesmerizing and disorienting. The story follows Mahito, a boy navigating loss in a world teetering between reality and the surreal, where the boundary between the living and the imagined bends and reshapes itself. Plot-wise, it begins with sharp emotional clarity but gradually drifts into abstraction, favoring metaphor and atmosphere over linear storytelling, which can either feel profound or alienating depending on the ... viewer. The plot line mirrors Mahito’s grief. It is fragmented, nonlinear, at times unclear, but it is intentionally constructed to reflect emotional chaos rather than narrative neatness. Its complexity is layered in symbolism: war, loss, and legacy intertwine with fantastical elements that don’t always offer explanation, and that deliberate opacity can be both its strength and its weakness. Mahito is a protagonist defined more by quiet resilience than loud heroism, his internal struggle often carried through silent glances and hesitant steps rather than direct dialogue. Side characters serve as enigmatic forces guiding, confronting, or reflecting parts of his emotional state. Some deeply memorable, others fleeting and underdeveloped. The worldbuilding is rich and imaginative, especially in the parallel world that blends decay and beauty, but the internal logic of that realm is deliberately loose, leaning into allegory rather than strict coherence, which may frustrate those seeking clarity. Thematically, it grapples with grief, generational weight, and the act of choosing to live in spite of pain, weaving a moral core that is quiet but undeniably present. Visually, the animation from Studio Ghibli is exquisite. It is fluid, painterly, and often breathtaking in its surreal transitions. Each frame feels meticulously crafted, with visual storytelling doing much of the heavy lifting where the script stays opaque. The score by Joe Hisaishi is restrained yet piercing, elevating moments of tension and melancholy with haunting precision. Voice acting carries subtle emotional weight, particularly through Mahito’s quiet expressions and the heron’s unsettling yet magnetic presence. Ultimately, The Boy and the Heron is less concerned with telling a story in a traditional sense and more intent on making you feel the labyrinth of grief. It is beautiful, fractured, and unfinished, leaving behind not answers, but a lingering unease that feels achingly human.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Dec 15, 2024

ogblynz

Not Recommended

Rating: 5/10

"How Do You Live?" was a disappointingly mediocre and fake feeling experience. The film was overwhelmingly quiet for roughly 85% of the runtime, which could have been effective if the silence had served a purpose. Instead, the lack of dialogue and explanation felt frustrating. The film presented ideas and events with little to no context, leaving everything for the audience to interpret. While ambiguity can be a powerful narrative tool, here it just felt like the story was being intentionally vague to the point of annoyance.

The protagonist barely spoke and seemed to move through the story as if guided by the wind rather than ... his own decisions. There was no internal monologue, no moments of reflection, and no attempts to ask essential questions like "What is that?" or "Why is this happening?" His passive approach made it difficult to connect with his journey or understand his motivations.

Emotionally, the film fell flat. The drama didn't resonate, and the conflicts were resolved in unsatisfying, almost random ways, with only one plot point having a decent buildup. Even that moment was overshadowed by the film’s weak presentation.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Jul 14, 2023 4:54 PM by DatRandomDude | Discuss (6 comments)

	Poll: Kimitachi wa Dou Ikiru ka Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) __potato__ - Jul 14, 2023	118 replies	by lucjan »» Nov 19, 9:18 AM
	ED: Kenshi Yonezu - Spinning Globe perseii - Jan 6	3 replies	by JVskunkape »» Sep 24, 8:31 PM
	Arriving on Netflix Aryu1410 - Mar 23, 2024	6 replies	by JVskunkape »» Sep 24, 8:30 PM
	Why is this movie called "The Boy and the heron" in west? tuvofi - Oct 28, 2023	7 replies	by JVskunkape »» Sep 24, 8:24 PM
	Poll: Sub or Dub? nirererin - Jun 28, 2024	11 replies	by JVskunkape »» Sep 24, 8:22 PM