Kimitachi wa Dou Ikiru ka

Three years into the war, Mahito Maki loses his mother in a tragic fire at the hospital. Shortly thereafter, his father marries Natsuko, the younger sister of Mahito's mother. They take Mahito out of Tokyo to seek refuge in his late mother's rural family home. There, Mahito is constantly taunted by a strange gray heron, who seems to have taken an interest in him.

Unable to come to terms with his loss and struggling to adjust to a new life in an unfamiliar place, the boy is shocked to discover that Natsuko is pregnant. To make matters worse, the pesky heron can speak—and claims that Mahito's mother is still alive. Luring him into a mysterious tower near the residence, the heron says that Mahito can save her from death, but the boy is not easily swayed.

When Natsuko disappears one day, however, Mahito watches her walk into the tower and becomes compelled to venture in to rescue her. He soon finds himself falling into another world below his, where life and death seem to be entwined. As he navigates through this foreign realm to find Natsuko, Mahito must understand what it means to live if he wants to safely return home.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Maki, Mahito Main

Santoki, Souma Japanese

Heron Man Main

Suda, Masaki Japanese

Himi Main

Aimyon Japanese

Warawara Supporting

Takizawa, Karen Japanese

Kiriko Supporting

Shibasaki, Kou Japanese

Parakeet King Supporting

Kunimura, Jun Japanese

Old Pelican Supporting

Kobayashi, Kaoru Japanese

Great Uncle Supporting

Hino, Shouhei Japanese

Aiko Supporting

Ootake, Shinobu Japanese

Kasuko Supporting

Suzuki, Toshio Producer

Miyazaki, Hayao Director, Storyboard, Original Creator, Screenplay

Kasamatsu, Kouji Sound Director

Nakazawa, Shintarou Episode Director

Reviews

Feb 22, 2025

KIN3critic

Recommended

When you cook Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke together:
A very difficult Miyazaki film based on the philosophy of "How Do You Live?" It's animation is actually very gorgeous as every frame is different from one another. Very few people will notice this but yaa!
If you think that the film is boring, you're actually not getting it right. I also found the themes of the film very complex so I'm gonna re-watch it for better understanding of the film. And the blend of Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke is actually real. Some scenes are the tribute to the previous works of Miyazaki.

"You have to let go ... some precious things from your life and live happily without it."

Sometimes, you don't have to understand the film completely, just feel it bro :)

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Jan 9, 2025

lakotrop

Mixed Feelings

it was as if miyazaki had a dream. it felt real. and intense. emotions greatly heightened. then he woke up. and decided to share it.

but it just didn't feel the same anymore and made hardly any sense

it was more like a walk through his filmography rather than a new world to explore. it would have been an appropriate way to finally say goodbye for real if only the plot was a little more...engaging. i was trying to find a glimpse of miyazaki's genius more than actually enjoying myself.

characters were unexpectedly dull. felt no sympathy at all. i actually feel worse for having to ... write a negative review for a ghibli movie.

sound and art were peak per usual. fire almost felt real. although the animation seemed weird at times (few funny proportions here and there).

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Dec 15, 2024

ogblynz

Not Recommended

Rating: 5/10

"How Do You Live?" was a disappointingly mediocre and fake feeling experience. The film was overwhelmingly quiet for roughly 85% of the runtime, which could have been effective if the silence had served a purpose. Instead, the lack of dialogue and explanation felt frustrating. The film presented ideas and events with little to no context, leaving everything for the audience to interpret. While ambiguity can be a powerful narrative tool, here it just felt like the story was being intentionally vague to the point of annoyance.

The protagonist barely spoke and seemed to move through the story as if guided by the wind rather than ... his own decisions. There was no internal monologue, no moments of reflection, and no attempts to ask essential questions like "What is that?" or "Why is this happening?" His passive approach made it difficult to connect with his journey or understand his motivations.

Emotionally, the film fell flat. The drama didn't resonate, and the conflicts were resolved in unsatisfying, almost random ways, with only one plot point having a decent buildup. Even that moment was overshadowed by the film’s weak presentation.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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North American Anime & Manga Releases for July

Here are the North American anime, manga, and light novel releases for July. Week 1: July 2 - 8 Anime Releases Bungou Stray Dogs 4th Season (Bungo Stray Dogs 4) Comp...read more

Jul 1, 2024 3:21 PM by Aiimee | Discuss (1 comment)

'Kimitachi wa Dou Ikiru ka' Anime Movie Announces Cast, Staff, Theme Song

The screenings of Hayao Miyazaki's Kimitachi wa Dou Ikiru ka (The Boy and the Heron) anime movie revealed the cast members and theme song on Friday. The movie o...read more

Jul 14, 2023 4:54 PM by DatRandomDude | Discuss (6 comments)

	Those who loved this movie, Arise Sch4n - Jan 31	42 replies	by justmaya »» Feb 13, 4:10 PM
	Poll: Kimitachi wa Dou Ikiru ka Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) __potato__ - Jul 14, 2023	109 replies	by Tyon »» Feb 12, 3:34 PM
	Disappointed Yeetyus - Feb 7, 2024	32 replies	by Joshhhp »» Jan 25, 9:08 AM
	ED: Kenshi Yonezu - Spinning Globe perseii - Jan 6	2 replies	by Batmankoji »» Jan 6, 5:57 AM
	Poll: Sub or Dub? nirererin - Jun 28, 2024	10 replies	by V1P3R0P »» Sep 19, 2024 1:53 AM