Without a single trailer, any advertisements, and nary a promo to be found — Studio Ghibli’s newest film How Do You Live? finally released in Japanese theaters today, and folks around the world are struggling to handle the lack of fanfare. I’m puzzled. I’m vexed. Flabbergasted is another word that comes to mind.
This movie dropped into our laps with no more than a whisper, and what’s worse, it might be the very last for Hayao Miyazaki. Co-creator of Ghibli and the man responsible for some of the most thought provoking cinema audiences have ever seen, Miyazaki-san is unlike any filmmaker alive today (that’s right, I’m using the correct cultural suffix for this article. Put some some respect on his name people, he deserves it).
With film finally out and about in Japan, How Do You Live? has its sights set on a North American release. Yet, there’s been a slight-ish hiccup. The film’s title has been changed, and fans are furious.
The Boy and the Heron, really? It’s alright, I guess, but I’m a bit underwhelmed. How Do You Live? is a much more thought provoking title that says so much without saying anything at all — and that’s a good thing for a film that has had literally zero marketing. Besides the poster above, that is.
Some fans have even gone as far to voice their disdain on the internet, as they’re wont to do, and I certainly see where they’re coming from.
The new name is painfully generic, please go back. "How Do You Live" is still a simple, memorable title, but so much more evocative and interesting. "The Boy and the Heron" sounds like a 90's direct-to-video movie.
— Matt BSakura Wars 2 English TL (@matto_bii) July 14, 2023
I wouldn’t go as far to say that it sounds like a 90’s direct-to-video movie, but it’s for sure not-good. Although the reason for the change was surely justified — if it wasn’t, it wouldn’t have happened.
Miyazaki-san has never been one to mess around, and in a Hollywood rumor as famous as the filmmaker himself, Miyazaki once sent Harvey Weinstein a samurai sword with a note saying “no cuts,” after being told that Weinstein was thinking about shortening his 1997 masterpiece Princess Mononoke.
Still, speculation has run rampant in the comments section of the original announcement Tweet, with many seeming to think this all came down to legalities and negotiations. Which makes sense.
I'm guessing since Hachette published the novel in English, they have rights to the title "How Do You Live?" and it wasn't worth it to negotiate when the movie doesn't adapt the book. pic.twitter.com/NnwbAh4y0S
— Blick Winkel@AX(H. Anthony Israel) (@blockwonkel) July 14, 2023
Odds are this has to do with money and North American markets, that’s it. Which isn’t fun, but a reality of the entertainment business regardless. So keep your eyes peeled for How Do You Live?, The Boy and the Heron, or whatever it’s called — frankly, who gives a crap. With the new film out in Japan, it’s only a matter of time before it appears in a theater near you. Prepare yourself for some Ghibli greatness.
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