The Boy and the Heron

The ThawedCast: Conversations About Animation

Hayao Miyazaki directs the latest film from Studio Ghibli, 'The Boy and the Heron' (2023). This Oscar-winning film serves a magnum opus for a venerated animator nearing the end of his career, reflecting on his early life in this quasi-autobiographical fantasy. Mahito Maki leaves his home in Tokyo following the death of his mother in a World War II firebombing. Raised in a wealthy family, Mahito struggles to get along with his peers at his new rural school. He spends his time exploring his maternal family's palatial estate, including an abandoned tower that holds a profound secret. A mysterious gray heron beckons him to enter the tower, and when it appears his aunt-turned-stepmother has gone to the tower as well, Mahito hurries after her, plunging headfirst into a glimpse at destiny itself. Join Philip, Jodi, and Bridget as they discuss this animated epic. Follow The ThawedCast: Conversations About Animation: twitter.com/thawedcast and instagram.com/thawedcast. instagram.com/jodipolasky, instagram.com/bridget5246, instagram.com/philipehlke. Visit thawedcast.com