How The Boy and the Heron Reflects on Hayao Miyazaki's Late Best Friend

Over the decades, Studio Ghibli has become a symbol of all things imagination. Director Hayao Miyazaki put out hit after hit through the studio, turning him into a household name the world over. Of course, Studio Ghibli included more than just Miyazaki as co-founders Toshio Suzuki and Isao Takahata brought their own aesthetic to the brand. When the latter passed, the surviving Studio Ghibli founders were left to grapple with grief, and part of that process is reflected beautifully in The Boy and the Heron.

If you have not seen the latest Studio Ghibli film, Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron is described rather succinctly. The movie is called a "semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation in tribute to friendship". From the start, we follow a young boy named Mahito struggling with his mother's death amid World War II and his journey into an alien world with imprints of the past. Over the film's course, Mahito is left to surrender and surmount his own grief.

In a recent discussion about The Boy and the Heron, it was producer Suzuki that let fans in on the film's homage to Takahata. The co-founder stressed Takahata was a mentor to Miyazaki, and even more importantly, the pair were close friends. When the elder passed, The Boy and the Heron began to take new shape, and three of its characters started to reflect the studio's three founders.

Mahito began to embody aspect of Miyazaki while the Grey Heron took up parts of Suzuki. As for the late Takahata, the masterful director began appearing in Mahito's Granduncle. For those who have seen The Boy and the Heron, you will begin to see the threads tying Mahito to his Granduncle. Though he did not know the man, Mahito was enthralled by the Granduncle's imaginative world and learned much from the man during his travels. In the end, Mahito finds the confidence to stand apart from his Granduncle's vision to create a world for himself, and this passing of the torch becomes more emotional when you impose Miyazaki and Takahata over the characters.

Though Takahata died several years ago, his legacy and memory is integral to the latest work from Miyazaki. The Boy and the Heron is a fictional adventure that tackles loss with fantasy, but it is rooted in a real grief. The loss of Takahata is one the world will never forget, but through The Boy and the Heron, we've learned Miyazaki is slowly but surely healing from the loss of his friend.

What do you think about this bit of history behind The Boy and the Heron? 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!