Certainly the surprise that Hayao Miyazaki - one of the greatest exponents of Japanese animation ever - has decided after his official retirement to return to the studio again to take charge of a new project, has certainly struck his large group of fans with the utmost enthusiasm and those who, more simply, follow all the most interesting curiosities related to the world of cinema.
The father of "My Neighbor Totoro", "Spirited Away", "Howl's Moving Castle" and many other masterpieces that have rightfully reached the Olympus of the most representative animated works of all time, saw the official preview programming of his latest and highly anticipated work in Japan on July 14th, which on the basis of a well-defined marketing plan and only apparently left to chance, has not enjoyed any promotion with the exception of a single poster, released on social networks in recent weeks.
The first impressions that we can draw on the project come mainly from the specialized press that took part in the screenings. No news however on how GKIDS will market the film for North American release, and indeed it is hoped that the current strike of actors and writers will not create possible obstacles for the English dubbing.
According to what emerged , the film should last just over two hours and would closely resemble Guillermo Del Toro's famous cult film "Pan's Labyrinth" for its structure . As in the example of the Spanish-Mexican film, also in Miyazaki's title we go back to the Second World War, where we meet a young man named Mahito witnessing the death of his mother following the air raids on the city of Tokyo. His move to the countryside with his father and his wife will create many difficulties for him to adapt; one day, however, he comes to discover, reaching an abandoned tower where he will meet a talking heron, that his mother is still alive. The tower is also the gateway to another world; Mahito will thus decide to gather courage to come across a new and unexpected adventure.
Appreciative comments among members of the press follow one after the other: “Each frame of this film feels like a work of art in its own right, only growing larger when it is put together as part of the whole. It is a film that one could watch a hundred times and always discover new things in the background of each scene».
According to the critic Matteo Watzky, the involvement in the project of Takeshi Honda - already seen in "Rebuild of Evangelion" as designer and animation director - played a non-secondary role in the quality and novelty effect of the film: «Miyazaki's rich and rounded designs and movements remain as beautiful as they always were, but they are balanced by thinner and more elegant lines and strokes and by a freer expression than the rigorous Miyazaki we have become accustomed to. This is especially visible in the harrowing opening sequence and impressive climax of the film. This may be the most original reinterpretation of Miyazaki's style since Katsuya Kondô's wonderfully delicate drawings in Kiki's Delivery Service».
We find out today that “How do you live?” achieved extraordinary success in its opening weekend in Japan , grossing 1.56 billion yen, equal to approximately 11.3 million dollars, with its opening. At this point it would be the second best launch ever for a Studio Ghibli production, and this can only create further hype in those who tirelessly await the release even in our cinemas.
Giovanni G. Scanu