Everything We Know About Studio Ghibli’s How Do You Live

Studio Ghibli’s renowned auteur, Hayao Miyazaki, has come out of retirement to direct another anime feature film titled How Do You Live, which is an adaptation of an eponymous novel. There is a lot to admire about Studio Ghibli’s films. From their offbeat humor to their rich world-building elements, the films take viewers on a mystical journey that combines fantasy and realism. But more than anything else, it is their depiction of human triumph, spirit, empathy, and sensibility that stays with viewers long after the credits start rolling.

Hayao Miyazaki has several anime feature films under his belt, with one of them being the highly acclaimed Academy Award winner, Spirited Away. After directing his 11th feature film, The Wind Rises, Miyazaki announced his retirement at Italy’s Venice Film Festival. However, soon after, the veteran director couldn’t help but stay away from animating films and commenced the animation work for How Do You Live in 2016.

Owing to their gorgeous hand-drawn animation and exceptional storytelling, Studio Ghibli films have garnered fans from all over the world. How Do You Live will definitely tread a similar path and put Miyazaki’s forte on full display. However, as some of the latest details on the film suggest, it will be unlike any other Studio Ghibli film out there and will serve as a gateway into Miyazaki’s life and career.

Is How Do You Live Hayao Miyazaki’s Last Movie?

Although How Do You Live has been acknowledged as Hayao Miyazaki’s last feature film, Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki believes otherwise. In an interview, he quoted (via Anime News Network), “I don’t believe it. As long as he lives, [Miyazaki] will probably continue to make films.” He further added that he is asking Miyazaki, “Just please don’t make a second retirement announcement.” In another interview (via New York Times), when asked about his return after retirement, Miyazaki simply responded, “Because I wanted to.” Considering that the director has made no official announcement regarding How Do You Live being his last feature film, he may direct other films in the future. For now, though, the mere prospect of experiencing Studio Ghibli’s magic on the big screen all over again is exciting enough.

How Do You Live’s Story: What The Studio Ghibli Movie Is About

Described as “fantasy on a grand scale” by Toshio Suzuki, How Do You Live is based on a 1937 novel by Genzaburo Yoshino. It tells the story of a 15-year-old who navigates through the trials and tribulations of growing up after his father’s death. Explaining how the film will be a lot more than a direct adaptation, Suzuki shared that Miyazaki “recognizes himself in one of the characters, who is not human.” He also described the movie as a gift for Miyazaki’s grandson saying (via Indiewire), “It’s his way of saying ‘Grandpa is moving on to the next world, but he’s leaving behind this film.‘”. From the looks of it, the film seems to have a lot in common with Spirited Away and Ponyo, but there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye

How Do You Live Release Date Prediction

Toshio Suzuki has mentioned that Studio Ghibli is adopting a new style of production for the film that is bereft of fixed deadlines. A similar modus operandi was used for  The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, which took eight years to make. In the most recent update in December 2020 (via Nippon.com), Suzuki also revealed that the film’s animation is half-finished and the Studio will likely take another three years to finish the second half of How Do You Live. Since no other official announcements regarding its release have been made yet, fans will have to wait till 2023 at least to get a glimpse of Miyazaki’s presumed swan song. Till then, fans should check out the original How Do You Live novel and wonder how it aligns with Miyazaki’s fantastical vision.

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