Hayao Miyazaki’s Final Animated Film “How Do You Live?” Ignites Frenzy on Social Media

Legendary Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s latest animation, “Kimitachi wa Do Ikiru ka” or “How Do You Live?” has set the internet ablaze following its release in Japan on July 14. Fans across Japan and China have passionately expressed their excitement and admiration for the film, the director’s first feature in a decade and rumored to be his final masterpiece.

On Twitter, the film’s Japanese title trended globally, with more than 90,000 tweets. Users shared their artwork inspired by the movie, discussed the star-studded cast, and penned heartfelt reviews after watching the highly-anticipated film. Praising Miyazaki’s timeless creative prowess, Twitter user @castle_gtm noted, “I couldn’t help but admire how he could still make a film like this after reaching the age of 80.”

The buzz spread across to China’s social media platform, Weibo, where Chinese fans eagerly anticipated the film’s local release. Miyazaki, known for the 1988 hit “My Neighbor Totoro,” has a strong following in China. The inclusion of actors Masaki Suda and Takuya Kimura in “How Do You Live?” has further whetted the appetite of Chinese viewers.

The film’s promotion, or the lack thereof, intrigued fans. Information available pre-release was minimal, including a blue and white bird poster drawn by the 82-year-old director himself. Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki revealed that the decision to forgo advertising aimed to prevent interest waning due to over-promotion. However, Miyazaki reportedly expressed concern over the film’s lack of publicity.

The film’s title borrows from Genzaburo Yoshino’s popular 1937 children’s novel, but the distributor, Toho, disclosed that the film adopts a different storyline. This led to speculations that the plot might be based on “The Book of Lost Things” by Irish author John Connolly, a book admired by Miyazaki. As a result, publishers are preparing reprints of both Yoshino’s book and Connolly’s.

Miyazaki’s animation masterpieces have received worldwide acclaim, with “Spirited Away” winning the Golden Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2002 and the Academy Award for best animated feature in 2003. Despite announcing his retirement in 2013, the renowned director reversed his decision, much to the delight of his fans.

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