honestly, i'm so confused w what to do w this movie lol. admittedly, i'm not familiar w miyazaki's style or direction so perhaps a person more well-versed than i would've found more joy navigating this experience. but this is only my second time, and fresh eyes along w baby media literacy skills makes me not understand the essence of this story at all. i'd like to think it's an exploration of grief, as so appears by his acceptance of natsuko as his mother. but what's w the grand-uncle, succession, balancing the world and the space-time bullshi like... what? i missed the first 3-5 minutes of the movie so i may be missing crucial information but goodness i just do NOT understand. but i also have to say, that slow start to the plot was magnificent. the introduction of the heron lives in my mind rent-free. and that signature piano note is stuck in my head. this movie felt like a cozy fantasy dream, but other than that uhh wtf tbh. the animation was good—although the 3d felt weird in some parts—the soundtrack soothing, and the voice actors did well. but can someone pls give me a detailed explanation of why this won an oscar over Across The Spiderverse? that was a robbery in broad daylight.
