Why Studio Ghibli changed The Boy and the Heron’s title

Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron is the new title requested by the Studio Ghibli producer – here’s why he decided on this title.

Originally titled ‘How Do You Live?’ for its Japanese release, the movie’s title was changed to The Boy and the Heron. It was supposed to be Hayao Miyazaki’s last film, but the director decided to continue his career after its success.

The Japanese title references Genzaburo Yoshino’s 1937 novel of the same name, which appears in the film, but the film contains an original tale that is unrelated to the novel. The film was critically acclaimed and made over $97 million worldwide. 

It received numerous nominations, including Golden Globe Awards for Best Animated Film and Best Original Score. Even months after the film’s success, the reason behind the title change remained unknown until recently. Delve deeper to find out why Studio Ghibli co-founder and producer Toshio Suzuki requested a title change for the worldwide release.

Why was the title of The Boy and the Heron changed?

Studio Ghibli

In an interview with IndieWire, GKIDS President Dave Jesteadt explained: “There was a total press blackout on the film in line with the release in Japan, but because of our long relationship with Ghibli, we asked if we would be able to announce that we had the rights, as we needed to be able to set up a big fall release.

“It was at that time that Suzuki asked for a title change. The call came from inside the house. I can’t speak to the exact reasons for the title change, but I think there was a desire to move away from the name of the book, as people were constantly mistaking the movie for an adaptation.”

The film has the same title as the 1937 novel that inspired Miyazaki. However, since the story is different, Studio Ghibli decided to change the title. In the same interview, Jesteadt also spoke about how they went through several potential titles. “We talked about ‘The Tower Master’ or ‘The Grand Uncle’, and our feeling was that they felt a little too much like hard fantasy.

“We tried a lot of different permutations of ‘How Do You Live?’ but ended up choosing the option closest to Suzuki’s original suggestion.” He also revealed there’s a hidden meaning behind the new title: “Miyazaki based the characters in this movie on people in his life…and the heron is based on Suzuki. To me, there’s something very meta and very funny about this heron — this trickster — inserting himself into the situation and suggesting we give the movie an international title [with his name in it].”

The Boy and the Heron is in cinemas now. You can check out our review here.

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