Almost twenty four hours after sitting down in the theater to watch The Boy And The Heron, the movie is still sitting with me. I chose to see the dubbed version so that I could concentrate on Miyazaki’s sumptuous drawings and the story. I still missed a few plot points and character connections, which I had to clear up with some background reading afterwards.

I feel that the film can be read in so many different levels, and for me some of the movies that come out of Studio Ghibli have an elemental feeling about them, touching one subconsciously.

I’d watch it again, perhaps in Japanese with subtitles, to experience it closer to its source.

The 82 year old Hayao Miyazaki has said that this is his last film, as he has said of a few times of earlier creations. I hope that it isn’t.

If you have any love or interest in Studio Ghibli’s movies, add this one to your list to see.