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74% Critic Match
The Boy and the Heron
“Where death comes to an end, life finds a new beginning.”
7.4 / 10• 2023• 2h 4m•PG-13• Japanese
AnimationFantasyDrama
Storyline
While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."
Cast & Crew
Soma Santoki
Mahito Maki (voice)
Lead
Masaki Suda
Gray Heron (voice)
Ko Shibasaki
Kiriko (voice)
Aimyon
Lady Himi (voice)
Yoshino Kimura
Natsuko (voice)
Takuya Kimura
Shoichi Maki (voice)
Keiko Takeshita
Izumi (voice)
Jun Fubuki
Utako (voice)
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Hayao Miyazaki's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. The Boy and the Heron is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
