How Do You Live? review roundup

How Do You Live? – the new movie from Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki – is in Japanese cinemas now, so here’s what the critics are saying in reviews.

Rumors of Hayao Miyazaki retirement proved to be unfounded. The animation master said The Wind Rises was his last movie a decade ago. But seems he had one more masterpiece in him.

How Do You Live? has arrived with much hype, but little detail. Those who made the movie decided to release Miyazaki’s new feature without a trailer, stills, or synopsis. So audiences could enjoy the movie without preconceived notions.

The movie is also only releasing in Japanese cinemas at present. With that in mind, click away now if you don’t want to know anything about the film, as we’re going to delve into early opinions.

How Do You Live? review roundup

The following is a roundup of How Do You Live? reviews. Though if you don’t want to read them before seeing Miyazaki’s new movie, rest assured, the news is good. With praise nearly universal.

AnimeNewsNetwork had this to say: “How do You Live? succeeds at what it’s trying to be – a roadmap for dealing with the loss of a loved one couched within a fantastical tale. It’s designed to tell those suffering from such feelings that they are not alone while also showing them how to find importance in the greatly-changed world they find themselves in. While it can be predictable at times, it is every bit the visual masterpiece expected of Miyazaki’s films and will no doubt become a classic in the decades to come. In the end, while it may not be the absolute pinnacle of Miyazaki’s films, it’s still a great one – and certainly not a bad one for Miyazaki to go out on.”

Unseen Japan said this: “How Do You Live is Miyazaki’s personal film through and through. Despite the outstanding production values, it might as well be an indie film. It seems to have no desire to be a breakout hit or have mass appeal. What it does have, however, is a deeper message for an unknown world, and the young people who will have to live within it. If this is indeed Miyazaki’s final film, then I can only thank him for that message – and for his many decades of creating some of the best animated fare in the world.”

While FullFrontal wrote this: “Thanks to its ambition, variety and depth, it is difficult to think of How Do You Live? as Miyazaki’s last film, the testament that we have all been led to expect. Treading both old and new ground, it illustrates how the director’s creativity is a deep well that never seems to dry up. It might be absurd, but at this point I just want to wish for another film in that vein, that would build upon its strengths, continue to tread the new roads it opened, and correct some of its faults. It is a difficult work, and as written, I do not think that it will work for everyone – I’m not even sure it worked for me. But this difficulty and ambiguity might be its best quality, Miyazaki’s ultimate showcase of talent, nuance and imagination.”

Is there a How Do You Live? Rotten Tomatoes score?

No, How Do You Live? doesn’t have a Rotten Tomatoes score yet.

It’ll receive a rating after more reviews go live, so keep your eyes peeled.

We’ll update this article with more How Do You Live? reviews when they drop. For more anime coverage, head here.