Latest news with #TheBoyandtheHeron
Time Out
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
You can get free tickets to this weekend's Studio Ghibli film fest in L.A.—here's how
If the Venn diagram of your tastes has an overlap between Los Angeles, animation legend Hayao Miyazaki and UNIQLO clothes, it's your lucky week. "My Dear," the third collaboration between UNIQLO and Studio Ghibli, dropped Thursday, July 10 with 14 new designs expressing 'emblematic Ghibli works, along with works by Thai artist Kanyada Phatan and Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki,' according to a press release. Hardcore L.A. fans looking to grab an item from "My Dear" and willing to make the trek to the UNIQLO store at Century City or Glendale today, July 10 or tomorrow, July 11 have an additional opportunity to enjoy Studio Ghibli films: Their purchase of two items will include an exclusive free ticket (with a plus one included!) to a Studio Ghibli movie screening at Brain Dead Studios in the Fairfax District. (Note: Customers can get up to two sets of tickets each, equaling four tickets total.) The screenings begin at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 12 with Spirited Away, followed by Kiki's Delivery Service at 3:15 p.m., and Howl's Moving Castle at 5:30 p.m. Disappointingly, no word on whether wearing your new swag will score a discount on concessions. View this post on Instagram A post shared by UNIQLO UT (@ The entire collection is now available online and in stores, featuring adults and kids T-shirts and sweatshirts with art inspired by eight Studio Ghibli films: Howl's Moving Castle, My Neighbor Tortoro, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, The Boy and the Heron, and Pom Poko. The previous collaborations came out in 2022 and 2023, making "My Dear" the first drop since The Boy and the Heron won the Oscar for Best Animated Film at the 2024 Academy Awards. Founded in 1985 by filmmakers Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli has produced 25 animated feature films, including three of Japan's highest-grossing films of all time: Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and Ponyo. In 2001, the studio opened the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo, designed by Hayao Miyazaki himself.
Tokyo Weekender
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Tokyo Weekender
Grave of the Fireflies: The First Ghibli Movie To Stream in Japan Is Also Its Angriest
For the longest time, Studio Ghibli was against making its catalog available for streaming. But when Hayao Miyazaki needed funds for his third 'final' movie, The Boy and the Heron, the studio relented and Ghibli films began streaming around the world in 2020 — except for Japan, where Hayao Miyazaki preferred for Ghibli releases to be experienced primarily in cinemas. This will change on July 15, 2025, when Grave of the Fireflies comes to Netflix Japan. There are many reasons why this 1988 war anime by Isao Takahata was chosen to break the Ghibli streaming fast, but the biggest one is probably Ghibli not actually owning the rights to it. They reside with Shinchosha, the publisher of the original story the movie is based on. It's all for the best, though, since Grave of the Fireflies is the perfect movie for testing the streaming waters in Japan. After all, if people will flock to possibly the angriest entry in the entire Studio Ghibli collection, then all its other whimsical stuff should go down a treat! List of Contents: A Sad Movie That Should Make You Furious The Movie HAS Villains: Most of Its Adult Characters Children Are Not Small Adults Related Posts Image Courtesy of Netflix Media Center | © Akiyuki Nosaka / Shinchosha Publishing Co., 1988 A Sad Movie That Should Make You Furious Grave of the Fireflies is about two children who die of starvation. That's not a spoiler because the movie is almost 40 years old and, also, the film establishes the deaths of 14-year-old Seita and his 4-year-old sister Setsuko within the first few minutes. The movie may be one of the most infamously sad anime of all time, but if its goal was to make audiences cry, it would have toyed with our emotions more. It would have made us think that maybe Seita and Setsuko could've survived 1945 Japan on their own after the death of their mother in an air raid, only to then pull the rug out from under us. Instead, we know what happens to them from the get-go. So, while the two children's deaths are tragic and continue to be incredibly hard to watch, a closer look suggests that the movie wasn't aiming for tears. Rather, it seems to want our fury. But not fury aimed at war, since it wasn't war that killed Seita and Setsuko. It was a harsh, oppressive and uncaring society that utterly failed to stop its children from making a bunch of dumb, fatal mistakes. The Movie HAS Villains: Most of Its Adult Characters The vast majority of adults that Seita and Setsuko come across in the aftermath of their mother's death are horrible people. While they may not be traditional 'bad guys,' they nonetheless do function as antagonists and are ultimately responsible for two children dying of hunger. It wasn't really what they did, though, but rather what they didn't do. Seita and Setsuko's aunt, who takes them in but keeps calling them freeloaders — even after taking most of the food they bring with them and selling their mother's kimono for rice — is undeniably unkind. But her biggest sin is not stopping the two when Seita decides to move out into an abandoned bomb shelter. Yes, it was late-stage World War II and rations were dwindling — but when adults don't take care of kids, then what even is the point of society? Throughout the movie, we see many grownups who know that two children are roughing it out in inadequate living conditions, and no one lifts a finger to stop them. A farmer urges Seita to apologize to his aunt and get help from neighborhood organizations (i.e. rely on society), but it's not clear why he insists on talking to Seita as if he were an adult who has a say in the matter. Even the 'kindly' policeman who doesn't book Seita after he's caught stealing crops drops the ball because he just lets him go, doing nothing to protect the boy from his own still-developing, pride-filled, stupid brain. Children Are Not Small Adults Seita cannot be held responsible for moving out, not seeking medical attention for Setsuko sooner or waiting too long to buy nutritious food for them. Because he is a child. He does an admirable job for a lot of the movie as Setsuko's guardian, protecting her from air raids and keeping her spirits up. But that's where his 'adult' responsibilities should have ended. He should not be expected to know how to take care of himself, much less a 4-year-old, for the same reason we don't expect kids to make their own dinner every day: They'd either burn the house down or rot their teeth out of their mouths from eating nothing but chocolate. Seita and Setsuko should have been dragged, by force if necessary, back to their aunt, who should have been yelled at until she was shamed into acting like a human being. Then someone should have given Seita a serious talking to for thinking he had the right to risk not only his life, but also that of his little sister. Then another round of yelling at everyone who didn't want to get involved in the matter because it 'wasn't their place.' In the end, the bulk of Japanese society circa 1945 would get a dressing down for their astounding apathy, but maybe that was the point of the movie. Watch it for yourself when it premieres on Netflix on July 15 and see what you think. Editor's note: For those eager to delve deeper into Isao Takahata's work, an exhibition celebrating the late Ghibli director is currently running at Azabudai Hills Gallery. Check it out before September 15. Related Posts Isao Takahata Exhibition: The Man Who Planted Japanese Animation Barefoot Gen: The Unflinching Atomic Bomb Film From Japan's Perspective The Commodification of Studio Ghibli
South China Morning Post
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Study Buddy (Challenger): Studio Ghibli turns 40, but fans worry about the future of the animation studio
Content provided by British Council Read the following text, and answer questions 1-9 below [1] Japan's Studio Ghibli turns 40 this month, with two Oscars and legions of fans, young and old, won over by its films' complex plots and hand-drawn animation. But the future of the studio is uncertain. Its latest hit, The Boy and the Heron, is likely the final feature from its celebrated co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, now 84. [2] The studio behind the Oscar-winning Spirited Away has become a cultural phenomenon since Miyazaki and the late Isao Takahata established it in 1985. Its popularity has been fuelled recently by a second Academy Award in 2024 for The Boy and the Heron, featuring a voice cast that includes Robert Pattinson, and by Netflix streaming Ghibli films worldwide. [3] Before Ghibli, most anime was made for children. But Miyazaki and Takahata, both from 'the generation that knew war', included darker elements that appeal to adults, Miyazaki's son Goro said. 'It's not all sweet – there's also a bitterness and things like that which are beautifully intertwined in the work,' he said, describing a 'whiff of death' in the films. [4] For younger people who grew up in peacetime, 'it is impossible to create something with the same sense, approach and attitude', Goro said. Even My Neighbor Totoro, with its cuddly forest creatures, is in some ways a 'scary' film that explores the fear of losing a sick mother, he explained. [5] Susan Napier, a professor at Tufts University in the United States and author of Miyazakiworld: A Life in Art, agreed. 'In Ghibli, you have ambiguity, complexity and also a willingness to see that the darkness and light often go together,' unlike good-versus-evil US cartoons, she said. [6] For example, the post-apocalyptic Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind has no obvious villain. The anime, featuring an independent princess curious about giant insects and a poisonous forest, felt 'so fresh' and a change from 'a passive woman ... having to be rescued', Napier said. [7] Studio Ghibli films also depict a universe where humans connect deeply with nature and the spirit world. A case in point is 1997's Princess Mononoke. The tale of a girl raised by a wolf goddess in a forest threatened by humans is 'a masterpiece – but a hard movie', Napier said. It's a 'serious, dark and violent' film appreciated more by adults, which 'was not what US audiences had anticipated with a movie about a princess'. [8] Ghibli films 'have an environmentalist and animistic side, which I think is very appropriate for the contemporary world with climate change', she added. Animism is the belief that natural objects and the universe itself have souls. Miyuki Yonemura, a professor at Japan's Senshu University who studies cultural theories on animation, said watching Ghibli films is like reading literature. 'That's why some children watch Totoro 40 times,' she said. [9] Miyazaki and Takahata – who died in 2018 – could create imaginative worlds because of their openness towards other cultures, Yonemura said. Foreign influences included Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, writer of The Little Prince, and Canadian artist Frédéric Back, who won an Oscar for his animation The Man Who Planted Trees. Source: Agence France-Presse, June 9 Questions 1. Based on paragraph 1, a likely reason for Studio Ghibli's success could be its ... A. use of advanced computer animation techniques B. focus on simple, straightforward narratives C. unique blend of intricate storyline and traditional animation D. frequent release of new feature films. 2. What does the phrase 'legions of fans young and old' in paragraph 2 suggest about Studio Ghibli's appeal? 3. What impact did Spirited Away have on the animation studio's reputation, according to paragraph 2? 4. Based on paragraph 3, Miyazaki and Takahata's experiences likely ... A. contributed to a deeper, more nuanced portrayal of life in their films. B. limited their creative scope to only war-related stories. C. influenced them to create anime with an educational element. D. led them to avoid any sad or difficult topics in their work. 5. What emotion does Goro say is explored in My Neighbor Totoro in paragraph 4? 6. In paragraph 5, what contrast does Napier draw between Studio Ghibli films and US cartoons? 7. Based on your understanding of paragraph 6, what was the typical portrayal of women in anime prior to Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind? 8. Which of the following best describes the conflict presented in Princess Mononoke in paragraph 7? A. a dispute between two human kingdoms B. the struggle between humans and nature C. a personal journey of self-discovery D. none of the above 9. Based on your understanding of paragraph 8, what aspect of Ghibli films is particularly relevant to the current global situation, and why? (2 marks) 'The Boy and the Heron' won an Academy Award in 2024. Photo: Studio Ghibli/TNS Answers 1. C 2. It suggests that Studio Ghibli's appeal is widespread and intergenerational and that its films resonate with a diverse audience, attracting both children and adults (accept all similar answers). 3. The film played a significant role in establishing Studio Ghibli's reputation and contributing to its eventual cultural phenomenon status (accept all similar answers) 4. A 5. the fear of losing a sick mother 6. Ghibli's approach of ambiguity, complexity, darkness and light together is starkly different to that of US cartoons, which are typically 'good-versus-evil. 7. Women in anime were often portrayed as passive characters who needed to be rescued. 8. B 9. The environmentalist and animistic aspect of Ghibli films is particularly relevant to the current global situation because they reflect the need for a more harmonious and sustainable relationship between humanity and the natural world, which is desperately needed in the face of climate change (accept all reasonable answers).
SoraNews24
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Studio Ghibli adds beanbag plushies to its anime merchandise store in Japan
Beanbags with character…from My Neighbour Totoro, The Boy and the Heron, and Spirited Away. In Japan, the concept of beanbags doesn't just apply to the large varieties you see in lounge rooms, but small, palm-sized varieties known as ojami , commonly played in a traditional children's game known as Otedama. With people having grown up playing Otedama, the affection for small beanbags remains strong into adulthood, and Ghibli is now tugging on those heartstrings with a new collection of goods called the Otedama collection. Unlike the plain, round beanbags used for the children's game, though, these have a lot more character. There are 10 to collect in the lineup, starting with three from the 1988 film My Neighbour Totoro. ▼ Large Totoro (2,640 yen [US$18.20]) In Japan the titular character is officially known as the 'Large Totoro' when there's a need to distinguish it from its smaller counterparts, and that's the case here as the giant is joined by two other woodland inhabitants. ▼ The Medium Totoro (2,640 yen)… ▼ …and the Small Totoro (2,200 yen) Moving on to another Ghibli classic, we have a trio of characters from the 2001 film Spirited Away. ▼ Boh Mouse (2,750 yen) ▼ Otori-sama (2,640 yen), representing the big birds who love to soak in the baths inside the bathhouse. ▼ Pick up a few of these and you'll be able to recreate the bathhouse scene from the film. ▼ And no Spirited Away merchandise set is complete without an appearance from the mysterious No Face (2,530 yen). ▼ There must be gold about, because we've never seen No Face looking this happy. Fans of the 2023 film The Boy and the Heron will want to snatch up these three Warawara (2,200 yen each) before they disappear. With the Warawara being unborn souls without individual names, they're listed here as: ▼ Warawara A ▼ Warawara B ▼ Warawara C ▼ And finally, representing the 1989 film Kiki's Delivery Service, is black cat Jiji (2,750 yen). With each beanbag easily fitting in the palm of your hand, these won't take up a lot of space so you can stock up on a few of them, and stroke them lovingly whenever you need to de-stress from the trials and tribulations of the everyday world. Source: Donguri Kyowakoku Top Image: Donguri Kyowakoku Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Time Out
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
A ‘Demon Slayer' live concert is coming to Singapore for the first time ever, here's how to get tickets
First, we watched the original Ghibli singers perform iconic film soundtracks live, and soon, musical genius Joe Hisaishi – the legend responsible for all your favourites by Hayao Miyazaki – will be gracing the stage at The Esplanade to play tunes from The Boy and the Heron on the piano. But wait, there's more for fans of Japanese animation: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba In Concert is making its way to Singapore for the first time ever, in a one-night-only show on October 18, 2025 at the Esplanade Theatre. In this two-hour concert, you'll be watching a skilled 18-piece orchestra bust out hit after hit from the Demon Slayer's Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve arc. Expect riveting instrumental versions of iconic songs like LiSA's Gurenge and other theme songs of the popular award-winning anime series, as clips from the show are projected on a massive screen in the background for the full immersive experience. Ticketing details are already out; Tickets are priced from $71 to $179 depending on the seat category you've chosen. Get your tickets via BookMyShow from June 19, 2025, from 11am onwards. When is the Demon Slayer concert coming to Singapore? Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba In Concert will be happening in Singapore on October 18, 2025, a Saturday. The show starts at 7.30pm and will last for roughly 120 minutes. You are advised to be seated by 7.15pm. Where will the Demon Slayer concert be held in Singapore? Watch Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba In Concert at the Esplanade Theatre, which is located within walking distance of Esplanade MRT station and City Hall MRT station. How much are tickets for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba In Concert? Ticket prices for the Demon Slayer concert in Singapore are as follows: VIP Box: $179 Cat 1: $153 Cat 2: $112 Cat 3: $92 Cat 4 (Restricted View): $71 Do take note that a $6 booking fee per ticket applies, on top of the aforementioned rates. Yes. Children aged 12 and below will not be allowed to attend. Seating map for the Demon Slayer concert in Singapore The exact seat map has not been released at time of writing. Check back on this article in a couple of days – we'll be updating it with the relevant information once it's made available. Best spots to get your matcha fix in Singapore
