Studio Ghibli's The Boy and the Heron Is One of the Top Films of 2023

The Boy And The Heron is making its long-awaited debut in North American theaters this week. While anime fans in the West have had the opportunity to check out trailers prior to the film's release, as Japanese anime fans went into the film almost completely blind, Ghibli's latest movie is receiving some major accolades. A major outlet hasn't just given The Boy And The Heron a positive review, but named it one of the best films of 2023 so far.

Studio Ghibli took a massive risk initially with The Boy And The Heron, which is dubbed How Do You Live in Japan. Outside of releasing a single image hyping the film, Ghibli's higher-ups decided to not release any trailers or promotional material for the anime movie before it hit Japanese theaters. Luckily, North American fans have been able to see footage and receive a breakdown of what The Boy And The Heron's story will cover.

The Boy And The Heron: Top 2023 Film

Studio Ghibli's latest film was ranked as one of the top films of the year by the National Board of Review, the organization that remains a major one in the world of film. First founded in 1909, the Board added The Boy And The Heron to their list which includes some heavy hitters for 2023. Joining Ghibli's latest include Barbie, Ferrari, The Holdovers, The Iron Claw, Maestro, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, and Poor Things.

The National Board of Review has named Hayao Miyazaki's THE BOY AND THE HERON as one of the top 10 films of the year.

Thank you for this tremendous honor! 🌟 https://t.co/4brRSEFmPC

— GKIDS Films (@GKIDSfilms) December 6, 2023

If you wanted to learn more about Studio Ghibli's latest, here's an official description for The Boy And The Heron, "Mahito, a young 12-year-old boy, struggles to settle in a new town after his mother's death. However, when a talking heron informs Mahito that his mother is still alive, he enters an abandoned tower in search of her, which takes him to another world."  

The latest from Ghibli was originally touted as being the last from legendary director Hayao Miyazaki, who has certainly earned his retirement. Shockingly, Miyazaki stated that the movie fueled his creativity and has him back at Studio Ghibli, thinking of new ideas for future projects. Despite being in his 80s, it seems that Hayao is far from finished when it comes to making anime movies. 

Will you be checking out Ghibli's latest in theaters? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Studio Ghibli.