Studio Ghibli's The Boy and the Heron is one of the best anime films in recent years, telling an emotionally provoking story of growing up while handling grief. Every scene in the film has Hayao Miyazaki's unforgettable touch, but one moment in particular stands out to the filmmaker himself as the best.

Masaki Suda, the voice of the titular Heron, revealed in an Oricon News interview which of the film's scenes director Hayao Miyazaki appreciates the most. Miyazaki's favorite scene of all involves Suda's character, the Heron, and is one of the most tear-jerking parts of the entire film.

The Heron is the Star of Miyazaki's Favorite Scene

The Mysterious Heron Acts as a Guide for Mahito Through the Fantastical New World

The Boy and the Heron, the mysterious Blue Heron calls Mahito, the young male protagonist of the film, into a new environment that is hidden away from most people. He guides Mahito through this fantastical world beyond his wildest dreams, as he processes the unexpected death of his mother in a hospital fire and reunites with her younger self in the surprising new environment the Heron leads him into. Many aspects of The Boy and the Heron are unbelievably magical and otherworldly, but the film's deep messages about powerful emotions are all too relatable in a real-life context.

Mahito's challenges of coming to with the loss of his beloved mother, Himi, his struggles to accept Natsuko, his new stepmother, and the general hardships that come with growing older all stand out as understandable plot points that humanize these characters well. Miyazaki possesses an extraordinary talent for using fantasy elements and legendary worlds to convey common human experiences, and The Boy and the Heron is one of his most profound works of art yet. It is difficult to spotlight one scene as the best, but Miyazaki himself has an answer to this puzzling question.

Miyazaki’s Favorite Scene Is the Heron’s Departure at the End of the Movie

The Heron’s Final Goodbye Was Even Filmed Multiple Times in the Hopes of Getting It Perfect

At the ending of The Boy and the Heron, the Heron bids adieu to Mahito, leaving him behind to live his life with a new perspective on the grief he feels after his mother's death. Although Mahito never forgot or became less saddened by the loss of Himi, as losing a family member is a painful wound that always lingers, his experiences with the Heron and this new world helped him finally process his repressed feelings towards the difficult situation. Miyazaki's favorite part of the movie, that he was "emotionally attached to," was this goodbye scene.

“I later heard Miyazaki didn’t want that scene to end—he was just emotionally attached to it." - Masaki Suda, The Boy and the Heron

Suda notes that "Miyazaki didn't want that scene to end," viewing it as one of the best moments in the film. Suda's last line as the Heron, "Well, everyone forgets anyway. See ya, partner," was even refilmed multiple times, so he could get the tone and delivery absolutely perfect. The Heron leaves Mahito and urges him to "forget" the experiences he had, which may seem counterintuitive, but even if Mahito does not the specifics of his time with the Heron, Natsuko, and Himi, the feelings and lessons he learned will always remain. It is no surprise Miyazaki prefers this The Boy and the Heron scene over all others, since it perfectly encapsulates the difficult nature of grief and the non-linear, often confusing, act of processing those feelings.

Source: Oricon News