The Boy And The Heron Trailer Proves That Traditional Animation Will Never Go Out Of Style

The master has returned. A decade after the release of his would-be swan song "The Wind Rises," the lovably grumpy Japanese animation maestro Hayao Miyazaki is back with a new film titled "The Boy and the Heron" (or if you live outside the U.S., "How Do You Live?"). And while the film premiered in Miyazaki's native Japan earlier this year with virtually no marketing, a handful of trailers have been unveiled for its debut in the States — including the one above, which offers a sneak peek at the film's English dub.

Honestly, whichever side you tend to fall on in the "subs vs. dubs" anime debate (I tend to be pro-"subs" myself, although I have seen some excellent anime dubs), it's hard to get too hung up on the voice acting here when the visuals are so breath-taking. The latest "Boy and the Heron" footage is chock-full of distinctly Miyazakian imagery, from the spirits and elderly women who recall the fantastical guests at Yubaba's bathhouse in "Spirited Away" to the gorgeous natural environments and more surreal flourishes (like the titular heron and its human-like teeth). For all the wonders that computer animation is capable of conjuring, it's nice to have a reminder of what makes traditional animation timeless and something that can never be fully replicated by purely digital means.

If there's a consistent trait to Miyazaki's work (other than my man's love of flying objects, nature, and delectable foods), it's that he's never been concerned with visual realism. From waves that reshape into fish in "Ponyo" to the larger-than-life animals that populate the forests in "Princess Mononoke," his films are full of magical beings and places that require a specific impressionist touch — the kind that only traditional animation can achieve — to avoid coming off as uncanny or artificial. There's been a welcome move away from realism in American computer animation of late with movies like "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" and the "Spider-Verse" franchise, yet even they look worlds apart from "The Boy and the Heron" stylistically. It just goes to show: no matter how sophisticated it becomes, CGI is never going to be a truly satisfying replacement for old-school animation (nor should that be its goal).

The personal touch afforded by traditional animation also makes it ideal for "The Boy and the Heron," which has been described in early reviews as one of the most soulful films that Miyazaki has ever made and very much the creation of an older filmmaker ruminating on the issues that are most meaningful to them in their twilight years (death and what it even means to live a good life). Thankfully, despite the finality of all that, it was recently announced that "The Boy and the Heron" will not, in fact, be Miyazaki's final movie as originally announced, which should come as a surprise to ... precisely nobody on the planet. But all ribbing aside, we're fortunate to have him out there constantly un-retiring and keeping traditional animation alive and thriving.

"The Boy and the Heron" hits U.S. theaters on December 8, 2023.