The Ultimate Guide to Hayao Miyazaki's Final Masterpiece

Fans have eagerly anticipated the release of Miyazaki's supposed "final film" for quite some time now. However, this time it truly feels like the end of an era. Titled How Do You Live?, the film promises to be a fitting conclusion to the career of a true legend in the anime industry. Miyazaki's unique style and powerful messages have already left an indelible mark on the medium, and this last work may just shake things up once again and even attract new fans to the beloved Ghibli catalog. Although Miyazaki technically retired after the release of The Wind Rises in 2013, he returned to the studio in 2017 to work on what is now considered his final masterpiece.

Release Date

Studio Ghibli has taken an unconventional approach to marketing Miyazaki's latest work, How Do You Live?, with a deliberate absence of images, trailers, or any kind of promotion besides a single poster. While this may work for Japanese audiences, it leaves the rest of the world wondering if and when the film will be released. Though little is known about the film, it has been confirmed to be approximately 125 minutes long and has been in production for almost 7 years with over 60 animators working on it. With Miyazaki's creative vision at the helm, fans can be assured that the wait will be worth it.

Plot and Inspiration

The original inspiration for How Do You Live? was Genzaburo Yoshino's 1937 novel of the same name, but the producers have since distanced the film from the novel. Instead, Ghibli's work is described as a fantastical film that deviates significantly from the source material. While the title remains the same, the story is entirely different. In Yoshino's novel, the protagonist is a 15-year-old student named Junuichi Honda who leans on his uncle for advice after his father's passing. His uncle documents their relationship in a diary intended for Junuichi.

Incorporating the character of Koperu and the uncle's diary as a narrative element from the novel could potentially enhance Miyazaki's film. However, it appears that How Do You Live? will have a distinct setting, storyline and style compared to the novel. As hinted in the description of a fantastical film and based on Ghibli's previous works, it is likely that the movie will feature a vibrant fantasy world. This upcoming film may mark the end of an era for one of the most renowned anime creators in history.