Current Events > Why did The Boy And The Heron win best animated feature of 2024?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Finally watched it, and as someone who typically enjoys most Studio Ghibli films, this one felt extremely underwhelming. Don't get me wrong, the animation quality was as fantastical as always and I think they did a wonderful job building the world and settings. However from a narrative standpoint, I felt it fell very flat. Both myself and my gf thought "wtf did we just watch" once the credits started rolling.

Like the themes were very clear; coming of age, embracing change, loss, grief, letting go and saying goodbye yada yad yada. It still just felt... very poorly put together. The pacing.. there was just something about it that made it hard to follow in an engaging way. Some of the dialogue felt forced and lacking in explanation.

I understand the film made a major shift mid production because of the death of Takahato and it's supposed to be a more personal film than other Ghibli films, but I don't think it absolves it from any of the flaws. Just seemed way too forced, not quite pretentious, but contrived to the point where it didn't have much of a flow. I honestly don't get the hype. I was expecting more from the "best animated film of 2024". This isn't even the best Miyazaki film, let alone best Ghibli. On the contrary, I'd say it's one of the bottom tier ones just a couple of spots above Tales from Earthsea

Gurifisu posted...

Just seemed way too forced, not quite pretentious

Gurifisu posted...

I was expecting more from the "best animated film of 2024"

so i take it you're new to the academy awards, then?

I thought it was Miyazaki's best effort since Spirited Away.

I also thought it was amazing

Awards shows never choose the best of anything. They just play favorites.

sabin017 posted...

I thought it was Miyazaki's best effort since Spirited Away.

Same, I'd put it around the 3-5th best Ghibli film. Though I do agree that it's a "wtf did we just watch" kind of movie, maybe needing a second viewing to fully digest everything.

It's pretty to look at, but what else is there? The musical score wasn't very memorable, nor were the characters very fleshed out or interesting.

I think they peaked with howl tbh

GuerrillaSoldier posted...

so i take it you're new to the academy awards, then?

2001: Shrek
2002: Spirited Away
2003: Finding Nemo
2004: The Incredibles
2006: Happy Feet
2007: Ratatouille
2008: WALL-E
2009: Up
2010: Toy Story 3
2011: Rango
2012: Brave
2013: Frozen
2014: Big Hero 6
2015: Inside Out
2016: Zootopia
2017: Moana
2018: Coco
2019: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
2020: Soul
2021: Encanto
2022: Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
2023: The Boy and The Heron

I guess when I look at this list I shouldn't be too shocked. There are certainly worse picks than 2023 on here.

I read that as The Boy and the Heroin.

That's a pretty solid list tbh

Guide posted...

That's a pretty solid list tbh

Don't get me wrong, they're all really good movies, but there's a few on there that I probably wouldn't call the best of their respective year.

Boy and Heron included. I found Across the Spiderverse way more enjoyable.

Not exactly sure which other nominee deserved the win over The Boy and the Heron

Smashingpmkns posted...

Not exactly sure which other nominee deserved the win over The Boy and the Heron

i take spiderverse 2 over it easily

ssb_yunglink2 posted...

i take spiderverse 2 over it easily

I disagree. The first was significantly better and the second really wasn't a complete story like the first was.

TBatH's (dumb acronym) story was incredibly powerful in comparison.

Smashingpmkns posted...

I disagree. The first was significantly better and the second really wasn't a complete story like the first was.

TBatH's (dumb acronym) story was incredibly powerful in comparison.

Spiderverse 2 just really hit me. I actually like it better than the first. I really really liked the focus on gwen

I haven't seen The Boy and the Heron, but I thought that Spider-Verse 2 was better than the first one.

both are a couple of some of my favorite movies, though, so I still hold the first in very high regard.

Gurifisu posted...

It's pretty to look at, but what else is there? The musical score wasn't very memorable, nor were the characters very fleshed out or interesting.

I remember doing a bit of research after first watching it (was originally a bit confused) and it's quite deep in terms of including many underlying allegories and characters relating to Miyazaki's own life (one major theme being a journey to overcome grief/trauma).

Agree that the score wasn't amazing, though this song is pretty great:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9doHRoynwo

Yeah I didn't think the movie was all that good either. Spiderverse did more stuff to impress me than this movie.

I personally thought the first Spiderverse was better as it felt more focused. The second one felt like it was more concerned with setting up the third movie than telling its own story

Also as a 2099 fan I hated how my boy Miguel was portrayed as a psychopath

TBATH is the for real, this time for sure last Miyazaki movie, so they may have given the movie the award mostly for that.

BlueBoy675 posted...

I personally thought the first Spiderverse was better as it felt more focused. The second one felt like it was more concerned with setting up the third movie than telling its own story

Also as a 2099 fan I hated how my boy Miguel was portrayed as a psychopath

I dont feel it was setting up a third movie as much as trying to tell a story that doesnt fit in a 2-3 hour block.

I feel like it was the perfect middle ground to bridge the two movies but well see if the third delivers.

i say nimona shoudl have won

The Boy and the Heron was an absolute snooze fest, it absolutely did not deserve to win. But of course the Academy was going to glaze the Studio Ghibli/Miyazaki film.

Both Across the Spiderverse and TMNT Mutant Mayhem were much better animated movies that came out that year that deserved the win over The Boy and the Heron.

AceMos posted...

i say nimona shoudl have won

The animation style didn't really catch my eye, but maybe I'll look past it and give it a watch

maybe just based on which one looked the coolest

havent seen it yet

I thought it was pretty good, but I would also agree it's on the lower end of the Miyazaki films for me. I didn't watch any of the other movies nominated for Animated film, so no comment there.

BlackScythe0 posted...

Awards shows never choose the best of anything. They just play favorites.

In this case though they did choose the best.