Episode 118: Studio Ghibli’s The Boy and the Heron

“Mahito, Will You Continue My Work?”

This week⁠ on ⁠ANIMATION FASCINATION⁠⁠ Stanford and Marc get lost in an abandoned tower and end up in an alternate plain of existence. Join us as we cover Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film, ⁠THE BOY AND THE HERON⁠!

Also discussed: did we go subbed or dubbed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, how many Batman is too many, metaphors and dealing with grief, plus much, much more…

(recorded on: Monday, December 11th, 2023)

News
- Critics Choice Nominations
  - Series
- Golden Globe Nominations
  - Best Picture – Animated
  - Cinematic and Box Office Achievement
- Pixar’s COVID movies coming to theaters in Q1 2024
  - SOUL on January 12
  - TURNING RED on February 9
  - LUCA on March 22

New Trailers
- MOONED | Short Film | Official Trailer
- ted | Official Trailer | Peacock Original

Recommendations/Stories –
- Marc’s
  - ONE PIECE (live-action adaptation) | Netflix
- Stanford’s
  - ELEMENTAL on Disney+
Main Topic
- The Boy and the Heron
  - After losing his mother during the war, young Mahito moves to his family’s estate in the countryside. There, a series of mysterious events lead him to a secluded and ancient tower, home to a mischievous gray heron. When Mahito’s new stepmother disappears, he follows the gray heron into the tower, and enters a fantastic world shared by the living and the dead. As he embarks on an epic journey with the heron as his guide, Mahito must uncover the secrets of this world, and the truth about himself.
    - Featuring the voices of Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson and Florence Pugh.