Today 16 of December 2023 I have watched the new ghibli movie. The movie has a deep meaning in it.
Spoilers ahead,
The story tells about life, death and in between. As the novel titled how to live your life.
Mahito has lost his mom in a war which gave him scars in his heart. His father moves on after few years and marries his wife’s younger sister. Mahito never accepted her as his new mom since he still remembers his mom in that fire scene.
There were so many scenes showed how much mahito wanted his father to notice him like when he was waiting for him to come back home and even hurting himself in the process.
Mahito never accepted the change into his new life as he’s past was hunting him.
The relationship between his aunt and him were unstable at the beginning. He’s aunt was showing him care since his arrival but he never returned her feelings to him.
The story moves a bit quicker when his aunt disappears into the woods and every one searches for her including mahito.
A heron bird comes to him and lure him to the tower which he begins a journey to find his aunt and understand about life death and the struggle to survive in hard situations.
Mahito along the way meets with characters of that world who makes him understand more about this world and help him to find his aunt.
Until he reaches his aunt in the delivery room which is prohibited to visit. In this scene, I think actually his aunt was between life and death the room seemed like a white room in a hospital with paper charms around the room for protection.
She speaks with mahito in a hurtful way I feel maybe she was frustrated with him when she felt he cannot return back her feelings until he calls her “mother” in that instant she tries to protect him and persuading him to leave fast to save his life. Mahito tries to grab his aunt and calling “mother” constantly but he runs and faints in hime arms.
Hime tries calling the aunt but she got banished along with mahito.
After few events we learn more about the king of the world and that he’s related to mahito and he wished to make him his successor until a bird destroys everything and the uncle decides to free them all from their chains.
Mahito along with his aunt leave the tower by magical door and returns back to the real world .
Saying goodbye to young kiriko and hime.
After 2 years mahito and his family the father, the aunt and his baby brother leave the place to Tokyo. Mahito carrying a big bag filled with so many items compare to his first time coming to the house with a small bag which indicates that he lived after the incident and collect many things and memories along the way.
Things to notice while watching the anime . The aunt eyes staring at mahito when he was sleeping we’re just eyes staring at him with no emotions at all.
Fire was shown in the anime could mean representing life or the fire that killed his mother.
All creatures need to feed which is essential to live there is no good or evil about it’s just living and surviving in the world.
The small clouds of soul needs nutrition to be stronger which some not all get to reborn might actually means birth or miscarriage.
There are so many forms of life and death depicted in the story.
Mahito face these facts and decides in the end to live a real life along side his family and friends in the real life instead of becoming a creator of a world he desires.
At the end it shows overcoming his struggle and regain his will to live again.
