Sarah Coffey - The Boy and the Heron

 The Boy and the Heron was my favorite movie out of the three we watched in class. I have always enjoyed watching Studio Ghibli movies; they all hold so much meaning and it's clear that a lot of thought and effort are put into them. The Boy and the Heron was unpredictable, but that's a part of grief and what Mahito was experiencing. That aspect was the most moving for me while we were watching the movie; the representation of Mahito's grief. In the beginning of Mahito's journey, he was angry, sad, and confused, wanting nothing but closure. His memories were full of fire and showed his trauma. As the story progressed, there was more and more water, a healing and calming element. Also, in the beginning, the heron was a weird-looking creature that Mahito didn't particularly like, but the heron later became someone who stuck with Mahito. He stuck around as a friend, not as a creature that is trying to throw him off. The heron represents Mahito's grief in a way, showing how grief is ugly and unwanted in beginning, but it later becomes something that you accept. It's not something that will go away; it will stay with Mahito but he has accepted that.

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