It is hard to believe that there is less than 24 hours standing between us and a new Hayao Miyazaki film. Studio Ghibli has been working hard on its next feature for years, and we have eight hours to go before How Do You Live debuts. The movie is slated to drop in Japan on July 14th to great curiosity as How Do You Live has kept hush-hush about its plot. So as the film's premiere countdown ends, a viral trend has gone live that imagines what Miyazaki's movie could be about.
After all, How Do You Live has been notoriously quiet. The movie was first announced several years ago before the 2020 pandemic was a thought. Miyazaki went on to tell fans How Do You Live would be his next title and his first since he left retirement. Not long after, a single poster for the movie was shared featuring a white-blue bird with a long yellow beak, and that is all we know so far.
Seriously, that is it. How Do You Live has put out no other stills or posters ahead of its launch. Studio Ghibli chose to forego trailers for the movie in hopes of letting How Do You Live speak for itself. This is a bold move to say the least that Studio Ghibli can do given its stellar reputation. However, that has not stopped fans from speculating about the movie.
As you can see below, artists across Japan and the world are now drawing speculative promos for How Do You Live. They all feature the bird shown in Studio Ghibli's singular poster, and artists are running him through the gambit. From archery trials to chibi makeovers, this art trend has done it all, and the viral campaign has given Miyazaki's movie some much-wanted marketing.
For now, there is no telling how Miyazaki's film will settle with international crowds given its secrecy so far. The movie will be blown wide open in a few hours once audiences in Japan sit through the premiere. We can only hope the mysterious film lives up to all the hype. Fans all over are eyeing How Do You Live as its debut nears, and if we know Miyazaki, his masterful vision will far from fail.
What do you think about these takes on Ghibli's mystery film? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!