Even with how artistically wacky Studio Ghibli can get, The Boy and the Heron stands out as one of their most unique movies. This was very surprising to me because the film seemed pretty straightforward based on the premise that I read. I should also preface this review by saying this is yet again another amazing score.

The movie overall was definitely an experience. The first act got me hooked right away because of the emotional start and the mystery surrounding the heron. I really liked how subtle and quiet Mahito was as a character, which was obviously due to the loss of his mother at the beginning. That’s not a spoiler by the way, it’s part of the premise itself. I felt empathy for him, and the way his character acted while he was getting used to his new home and “mom”/dad’s love interest in general during the beginning added to that.

Then that’s where the straightforward storytelling approach starts to end. Once Mahito and the heron meet, it turns into a mix of fantasy and adventure throughout the rest of the runtime, and let me just say, the animation for pretty much everything in the rest of the movie is stunning, even for Ghibli. I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen because of how gorgeous everything was to look at - the environments, the creatures, the water, the lighting, everything. That was definitely what stood out to me the most by the end of it all.

What really keeps this down for me is the story though. It felt focused during the slow moments at the beginning, but once it became more fantastical, I have to say it felt a little directionless. I hate to use the saying “style over substance,” and honestly I don’t even think that’s fully accurate to describe the overall experience, but maybe that’s kind of how I felt once I finished it. Maybe a better description would be something along the lines of “art over substance,” though I don’t know if that really makes any sense.

The reason it feels a little directionless is because of how many different plot points and revelations occur in the second half, and mainly the third act. All of them feel pretty random and not like they were set up properly. Maybe I’m missing some details thematically, but what I can say is that this was what I took away from it. I really did enjoy The Boy and the Heron, just not for its story.