The first new work in 10 years, a world that transcends time and space
Released in Japan in July, #1 in box office popularity
The original novel of the same name, published in 1937, is also popular.
The domestic release of Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki’s new film, “How Will You Live”, has been confirmed. As it is a new work released 10 years after 2013 and is also known for a while as director Miyazaki’s retirement work, the novel on which the film is based also attracts attention.
Daewon Media announced on the 21st that director Hayao Miyazaki’s new film “How Will You Live” will be released on the 25th of next month. This is the first new film from director Miyazaki in 10 years, who created internationally beloved Studio Ghibli works such as “Spirited Away,” “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “Ponyo on the Cliff.” .
“How Will You Live” is the story of Mahito, a boy who lost his mother in a fire, accidentally enters a mysterious world that transcends time and space and meets a mysterious heron. It is notably known as the autobiographical story of director Miyazaki and as the culmination of his original artistic universe.
As it is a new work from a master of Japanese animation, it attracts worldwide attention. When it was released in Japan last July, it not only dominated the box office in the first week, but also surpassed the box office performance of “Spirited Away” within 4 days of its release.
Especially, when director Miyazaki announced that he would retire with this work, it was rumored that it was the director’s “retirement work” and attracted a lot of attention. However, on the 17th of this month, Studio Ghibli vice president Junichi Nishioka revealed that director Miyazaki was canceling his retirement, saying, “He is preparing a new work.”
As it became known that the title of the film “How Shall You Live” was borrowed from Kenzaburo Yoshino’s young adult novel of the same name, interest in the original novel also grew. At 26th place, the novel ranked 3rd in the bestseller list of the children’s section of the online bookstore Kyobo.
Director Miyazaki said: “The moment I read this book, I felt like electricity was running through the wiring buried in my memory. » However, the film only borrows the title and theme of the novel and has nothing to do with the content.
The novel “You, How Shall We Live” tells the story of the main character, Koper, seriously contemplating the world with his uncle. Koper experiences a lot at school and at home and asks himself the question: “How should I live?” » Koper’s questions cover topics such as concern for neighbor and society, friendship with poor friends, hero worship and cowardice revealed by the inability to overcome fear. In each chapter of the novel, Koper’s uncle answers Koper’s questions in a conversational journal, helping Koper’s worries and wanderings move in the right direction.
This book, published in 1937, is still considered a classic in the theory of youth life in Japan.
Mr. A (31), who read the book before the film was released, said: “It was rumored that director Miyazaki’s work was a retirement film, so I bought the book and watched it read it thinking I had to see it. There was also feedback that the movie was a bit difficult in Japan, so reading the book made it easier to understand. “I thought it might work,” he said. “It was helpful because the principles of the world that my uncle gave to Koper seemed to give me, as an adult, direction on how to live in the world. It was an opportunity to return once again more about my life.