Summary
The Boy and the Heronwill most likely be Hayao Miyazaki’s last movie for Studio Ghibli. It took over a decade to make and he’s not getting any younger. It’s a swan song, that’s for sure, but there’s no reason to be sad. It was a mighty note to end on, which touched on various themes he’s explored throughout his career.
There are plenty of other directors out there who have great anime careers too. The following recommendations are tales of childhood adventures, family ties, isekais, and dreams. These are some of the core themes ofThe Boy and the Herontoo, so let’s hop to it.
Studio
TMS Entertainment
Case Closed: The Phantom of Baker Streetis one of the movies based on the popular anime,Case Closed. The main anime follows teen detective Shinichi Kudo who gets turned into a kid after a mysterious organization slips him a mysterious drug. With the help of a local professor, he’s still able to solve cases under the guise of Conan Edogawa, who is framed as a fake relative to Shinichi.
The movie follows Conan and his friends after they get invited to a game convention where a new VR pod is being displayed. After jumping into the tubes, it’s revealed that someone has purposely trapped them in there, and they can’t escape until they solve the mystery, which is set in England during the time of Sherlock Holmes. While it’s only VR, it is Isekai-related, more so than any of Conan’s other murderous adventures.
Tokyo Movie Shinsha
Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberlandis not just a gamemade by Capcom, which most probably remember it as. It was an anime movie too, one that was based on a comic strip. The movie follows Nemo in the titular Slumberland, a dreamscape, where he goes on various adventures.The Boy and the Heronis sort of a dream, so it makes sense to recommend this one. It’s lighthearted and full of wonder, which is perfect for any fan of Ghibli content.
Going back a bit, Capcom made two games in this series. The NES game was a platformer where players could dress up as various animals and gain their powers. The arcade game was more action-based and linear. There is a Kickstarter game in the works too,Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland, but Capcom has nothing to do with it.
Sony Pictures Japan
Paprikais another dream-based anime movie, but it is a lot more adult and bizarre thanLittle Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland. It follows Paprika, a therapist who uses an experimental form of therapy with her clients. There’s a gadget that can fuse minds, allowing one person to invade another’s dreams. Also, Paprika can use this device to record dreams, which she uses to help walk patients through their various traumas.
The movie involves Paprika helping a detective solve a murder case, which turns into a plot involving individuals trying to change reality through dreams. Fans of Inception will truly get a lot out of this one, along withThe Boy and the Heronfans looking for something more mature. It’s a movie that shows how inventive a director Satoshi Kon was and, sadly, he passed away many years ago.
Spirited Awayisthe Studio Ghibli movie that most fans ofThe Boy and the Heronshould see. It follows a young girl named Chihiro who is on her way to a new house with her family. Along the way, they get lost and find themselves in an abandoned village. Her parents get turned into pigs, and Chihiro has to try and find a way to turn them back as she is transported into a world of imagination.
There are evil witches, cute little blobs, magical creatures, and so on. It’s one of the most celebrated anime films of all time, but it may have slipped through the cracks for some. It’s a perfect accompaniment toThe Boy and the Heronand one that is more lighthearted and not as depressing.
Madhouse
Summer Warsis a digital adventure in the online world of Oz. A young boy, Kenji, is a frequent user and moderator of Oz. He gets invited to a friend’s family house in the country, which is celebrating a momentous birthday for their grandma. What starts as a warm film about the importance of family turns into a hacking adventure.
A rogue AI is threatening Japan inside of Oz and Kenji is at the heart of it all. He must fight the AI in a game of wits.Mamoru Hosoda, the director, has a lot in common with the visions of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. BesidesSummer Wars, anime fans may also enjoyThe Boy and the Beast.
Your Nameissort of an isekai, but it covers a different interpretation of the concept. Two high schoolers, Mitsuha Miyamizu and Taki Tachibana, switch bodies one day out of nowhere. It begins as a wacky rom-com where the two are discovering what it’s like to be the opposite gender. As they’re discovering their bodies, they’re also trying to communicate and figure out why this is happening.
The reason is one of the biggest shockers in the film, and it will not be spoiled here. Hopefully, the ending hasn’t been spoiled for viewers already as it has been a few years since it was released. It was so popular as a film that it was even parodied in aYakuzagame.
