Story x Story #197: Miyazaki Cinematic Universe (The Boy and the Heron)

This week, Nigel and Tazziii say goodbye to a master of storytelling with Hayao Miyazaki's last film…maybe? Either way, we get autobiographical with a deep dive into The Boy and the Heron (starting at 19:36), with manga artists Inko and Chie. It's a story that combines all that makes Miyazaki stories great, but with a message that can be a challenge to decipher for those not already familiar. We examine the narrative and pull apart why this left us feeling positive and hopeful by the end. It's a story that relies on the emotional journey of its main characters (from the cute to the absurd) over a logical plot. But it absolutely has something special to say in its themes about dealing with grief and accepting suffering as a part of life. This week's storytelling tip is about implementing a non sequitur narrative in your story. Other stories we're enjoying include: Fairy Tale (Book), How High We Go in the Dark (Book), Kaos (Netflix), What We Do in the Shadows (Hulu/Disney+), Black Clover (Crunchyroll), Bob's Burgers (Disney+), The Way of Kings (Book), Agatha All Along (Disney+), Tokyo Revengers (Crunchyroll)