This film is a comprehensive collection of dreams and reflections that encapsulates the world of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki. As a result, it is complex and chaotic, leading to an overwhelming amount of content to discuss. We had no choice but to produce the video in two parts. I shared reviews and impressions in the previous video, so if you're curious about my thoughts, please check out part one. For those who want to fully understand what the film aims to convey, as well as the metaphors and meanings embedded in it, please buckle up and get ready for a ride. Since there's a lot to cover, let's pick up the pace a bit. I’m Hyun from the Hyuniverse channel. Before we begin, please make sure to hit the subscribe button! 

The film starts with an air raid in Tokyo, Japan. The protagonist, Mahito, hears that there has been a fire at the hospital where his mother is, and he rushes out. However, he doesn't go straight away; he comes down to the first floor.

He goes back up to change his clothes and puts on a hat before leaving the house. While running like crazy, he holds onto his hat, afraid it might fly off. For a human being born without a single thread on, returning to the earth, clothing symbolizes a worldly obsession. Mahito, even in the moment when his mother was about to pass away, clung to it tightly and never let go. This boy, Mahito, reflects a character projected by Hayao Miyazaki. From a young age, he disliked Japan for its imperialistic actions and the war crimes of invading other countries. He hated his father, who became wealthy by running a munitions factory that supported such invasions, yet he himself enjoyed a privileged and prosperous childhood without ever trying to adhere to his beliefs or break away from them. What Hayao Miyazaki chose was not to fight back but to cowardly remain silent.

This can also be confirmed through Mahito's respectful greeting to the Japanese officer he saw on the street. Therefore, this scene was a depiction of Hayao Miyazaki's childhood, illustrating his first contradictions and cowardice. The director mentioned that through this childhood experience, he resolved to create animations featuring just and courageous boys and girls, contrasting with his own cowardice. Thus, the film begins with this scene, marking the start of Miyazaki Hayao's beliefs, which are directly linked to the birth of Studio Ghibli. Although Mahito's mother has passed away, Miyazaki Hayao's mother lived until the age of 72. The character that embodies him, his mother, is depicted as having died, symbolizing the absence of a mother who could not care for him due to tuberculosis throughout his childhood.

the desire for motherhood has significantly impacted her life. Mahito's mother, Himi, wields the power of fire. While this may seem like an unexpected cheat code, there is a well-thought-out setting behind it. Fire has the ability to melt hardened objects and create new forms. It possesses qualities that are the opposite of the hard, stubborn, and unchanging nature of stone, and ultimately, only fire can melt stone. Thus, the contrast between the grandfather, who used the power of stone to create the world, and Himi, who utilizes the power of fire, highlights a juxtaposition of unchanging stubbornness and creativity. Himi’s energy actually represents a force that is stronger than her grandfather's power. Creation is an essential part of our lives, as well as in the realm of creativity. In Japanese mythology, there is the goddess of flowers, Konoha-nano-Sakuya-hime, who, to prove her innocence after being suspected of conceiving a child in just one night by her husband,

There is a story about giving birth in a pit of fire. The child is born healthy, proving the mother's innocence, but this myth often compares the strength of women, including the power of motherhood, to fire. It is frequently referenced even today. When entering the mountain womb, Himi said that she could not use her strength here, but at the moment Mahito was in danger, she unleashed an enormous fire that burned away the restraints of stone and the consequences. Therefore, Himi's power can also be viewed as a form of maternal love. The phrase It's okay to burn to death. Giving birth to you is a wonderful thing symbolizes Himi's maternal love, but from the creator's perspective, it can be interpreted as It's fine to die for the sake of creation. Thus, this can be seen as a device and design that expresses both Miyazaki Hayao's longing for motherhood and his beliefs about creation. In the book that serves as the motif for this film, How Will You Live?

There is a phrase that says, The most valuable thing in life is to create something. After his mother's death, Mahito heads to the neighborhood where his mother lived, called Saginuma. The name Saginuma means heron's swamp. This hints that Mahito will explore an unknown world guided by the heron and face adversities. Next, he meets Natsuko, who reveals that she is pregnant with his father's child. As explained in a previous video, this is part of a Japanese culture known as sororate. It is a custom where if a married woman is infertile or dies, her sister is held responsible and must bear a child to preserve the family ties and assets. Mahito then enters Natsuko's house without taking off his shoes. Although he corrects his behavior after being admonished, his expression does not reflect that change.

This is the first act of malice from Natsuko, filling the void left by her mother and carrying her father's child, expressing her hatred and anger with minimal resistance. Eventually, she shows a self-destructive side to express her rage and isolates herself from all these situations, fleeing. The immature Mahito prioritized his own wounds, completely disregarding the pain Natsuko would endure. However, unlike Mahito, Natsuko was a good person and a mature adult. She accepted the man her sister loved as her husband and their child as her son. Leaving behind Japanese customs, she acted without any malice or resentment, genuinely soothing her sister's husband, Mahito's wounds, which would be impossible without love. Therefore, after conveying her sincere apology to Mahito,

Great-grandfather's stone tower is a way to encourage oneself in the mountain hut. The 'mountain hut' mentioned by my aunt refers to 'ubuyah' in Japanese, a space where expectant mothers are isolated before giving birth and where mothers who have given birth stay. This was a place that the Japanese, who viewed blood as ominous, avoided and considered a taboo area, especially forbidding men from entering. Therefore, Natsuko entered the mountain hut to ensure that Mahito would no longer be harmed by her ominous influence and that she herself would not be hurt while giving birth. So, Natsuko did not get captured; she entered of her own accord. The image of my aunt walking into the forest wearing a mountain robe was not an illusion; it can be seen. The walls of the mountain hut are filled with papers known as 'shide' in Japan, which express the wish to protect someone from evil and bring good fortune in business.

The paper that is hung up carries the meaning of prosperity for descendants. However, these Shide attack Mahito, who has invaded the sanctum. Mahito, not wanting to be hurt by himself, ran away, but upon seeing him get hurt again because of himself, Natsuko had to send him away with harsh words, expressing, I don't like you. Natsuko's words were not genuine but stemmed from love, and through this, Mahito was able to feel Natsuko's true feelings. The wounds he received in place of his mother were healed by her love. This part connects to what Aosaki said earlier: Only the person who caused the wound can heal it, emphasizing the theme of the work. The symbolic meanings of wounds and possession are further underscored through the presence of the heron, which has been following Mahito since he entered the house.

In Egyptian mythology, the heron is born in the morning, dies at twilight, and is reborn the next morning, symbolizing reincarnation. It also plays a role in managing the timeline, which explains why there were doors leading to various times in this tower. In Eastern culture, the heron is a spiritual being that traverses between the world of the living and the afterlife. However, in the film, the heron's name is Aosagi, a well-known Japanese yokai that lures people with its blue-winged appearance. Although it is depicted as a beautiful and divine being, the unsettling feeling evoked by this creature, which bears an ominous name, symbolizes the duality of humanity. Alongside the contradictions, malice, and greed previously described, it begins to create a heavy atmosphere in the film. The heron lies to Mahito, saying that his mother is alive and suggesting they go to the stone tower together. The way it lures people with such an obvious lie is...

It may seem cunning and cowardly, but it resembles our own nature. Mahito's heart begins to waver, but at first, he rejects this and attacks the heron. He raises his weapon and swings it, but when it proves ineffective, he creates a stronger bow to attack the heron. His struggle with friends, self-harm, and the blood flowing from his wounds are depicted as clumsy yet rough, dark, and lonely. Thus, the heron becomes Mahito's second enemy, manifesting malice and amplifying the psychological pain, loneliness, and despair that Mahito feels from the sorrow of losing his mother. In the introduction, the heron is established as a being that tears open Mahito's wounds and inflicts extreme pain. However, after entering the tower and overcoming numerous adversities together, they fight and save each other, growing closer and playing a crucial role in healing each other's wounds.

The one who inflicts wounds must embrace and heal them. Just as Mahito healed the wounds inflicted by the heron, the heron also goes through the process of healing Mahito from the wounds it caused. Therefore, the heron's statement, The one who causes the wound must also heal it, suggests that, as seen in the earlier interactions between the aunt and Mahito, giving and receiving wounds in relationships is truly painful. However, it emphasizes that the process of overcoming and healing those wounds leads to greater maturity in the relationship. While we cannot prevent the infliction of wounds, hiding them does not solve the problem either. The protagonist of the book that inspired this story also matured into adulthood by resolving conflicts with friends, and similarly, Mahito will go through a process of overcoming numerous relationships surrounding him.

I was able to gain true friends and family. Therefore, the disorganized list of events in this movie is not about which events were significant; rather, it symbolizes the miserable and difficult reality they faced together. It serves as a reminder of the importance of having someone to share life with for those of us living in such realities. Mahito learns about the existence of the stone tower because of the heron. The story goes that this tower is not of this world but fell from the sky, and a building was constructed to cover it up. It is said that many people died while workers were mobilized to build the tower to hide the stone. There are no empty words in this movie. It depicts how the uncle, driven by his own malice, sacrificed workers to maintain control over the tower. This reflects the imperialist tendencies during militaristic times, when countries invaded others for their own agendas.

This criticizes the Japanese regime that invaded various countries and created colonies while committing massacres during the militaristic era, comparing it to the soldiers who were sacrificed as a result. Thus, the world created by the great-grandfather is not actually filled with goodwill but rather started with contradictions and malice. To build the kingdom he desired, countless lives were sacrificed, and he brought parrots and pelicans to create a convincing world. However, he only provided a few fish as food and left them unattended. In a world where the dead outnumber the living, the starving pelicans and parrots rush to devour everything alive. Therefore, the grandfather's claim of a world without conflict and disputes is incorrect. He was blinded by his own ideals and did not observe how the world he created operates or how the beings living there survive.

However, Mahito faced the murderous intent that attacked him while navigating countless life-threatening crises in his great-grandfather's world. Because of this, he was able to realize that something was wrong with this world and sensed his grandfather's malice. He could say that the wooden tower his grandfather was building was not made of wood, but of stone. Wood symbolizes vitality, energy, creativity, peace, and prosperity, while stone represents solidity and eternity. At the same time, it serves as a metaphor for the stubbornness and fear of change inherent in humanity. Thus, his grandfather built the tower in his own space, following his own thoughts. He prioritized his established standards over observing how the world operates and how the living beings around him are leading their lives and designing a direction. Therefore, the stone tower can also be interpreted as a device that criticizes the blind folly of human malice, similar to Japan's militarism.

And as I will explain later, the stone tower symbolizes Studio Ghibli itself, which means that Ghibli was not established solely by the goodwill of Hayao Miyazaki. While it has a purposeful goodwill, it can also be interpreted as a subject that acknowledges and accepts the coexistence of various contradictions and evils. Mahito discovers a book left by his mother, titled How Will You Live? The year 1937, when the message is inscribed, marks the onset of the Second Sino-Japanese War, during which Japan invaded China, and it is also the year this book was published. Hayao Miyazaki stated that he borrowed only the theme and title of this book, which was banned due to its criticism of militarism and fascism of the time, as well as the author's intention to convey a message against the era of violence. However, this was one of the most impressive books Miyazaki encountered during his childhood.

Hayao's childhood had a profound impact on his life, particularly the fact that his father was a war collaborator, which influenced the formation of his beliefs criticizing militarism. This background deeply informs his motivations and philosophy in creating animation today. Therefore, this film incorporates elements that critique Japan's imperialist wars and militarism throughout. However, it is not solely created to criticize Japan, which has this historical background. The content and themes of the film also tell a story about living rightly, expressing anger at one's contradictions and cowardice, and ultimately confronting these issues to grow into adulthood. Thus, the nuances of war history are satirized to best depict the extreme nature of humans who, out of malice and selfishness, harmed each other while only presenting their own sense of justice and justification. This portrayal invites an objective confrontation with these realities.

As mature humans, we hope to move forward with the ability to make the right judgments. Therefore, only the grandfather himself could know whether the intentions he was building upon were good or evil. The systems of specific groups or the intentions of individuals cannot benefit everyone, and the judgment of whether this world is a just one or not lies in the lives of those who live in it. Thus, in order to distinguish all this malice and live in this world as a true adult, one must first confront their own malice and cowardice. This is the theme of this book and the reason why Mahito did not inherit his grandfather's world. The words inscribed at the entrance of the tower read, The power of the gods created me, a quote from Dante's Inferno. This phrase is widely referenced in various works. Therefore, what this tower symbolizes is hell. Miyazaki Hayao, during his lifetime, about drawing manga...

The statement For me, animation is a cursed dream reflects the struggles of creation, and this tower can be seen as a symbol of Hayao Miyazaki's hellish Studio Ghibli itself. Thus, the stone imbued with divine power that fell in front of Mahito's mother's house symbolizes his cursed talent and creativity, while the castle built to hide it represents Ghibli. All the creations in this world metaphorically refer to the ideas from Ghibli animations and the creators who produce them. The characters in the actual film are inspired by Ghibli staff, such as the heron, the great-grandfather, Mahito, and Kiriko, who are all figures from the director's surroundings. Additionally, the seven elderly women serving in Natsuko's house were included to honor and mourn the actual Ghibli staff. Thinking about it that way, the image of these grandmothers' dolls protecting Mahito is quite poignant.

It feels like a truly moving scene. This place was designed based on Arnold Böcklin's representative work, Isle of the Dead, which Hitler loved. The stone tower and the inner world symbolize hell. Here lies a grave with the inscription, He who learns about me dies. This grave is where the history of human malice and evil deeds lies dormant. To compare it to Japan, it reflects militarism and the various ideological intentions and beliefs behind the invasions and massacres they committed. It is a place where the ugliness of humanity itself sleeps. Therefore, the phrase to learn about this is to die can be interpreted as a warning that if we learn from the maliciousness of humanity and its history, we ultimately lead ourselves to destruction. For this reason, the grave was constructed from unrefined stones, representing the unchanging shackles of human malice, thoughts, and ideas.

It symbolizes that it has continued to harden like stone, and then the character Kiriko appears, dressed in a robe adorned with the Dharma Wheel, which represents the Buddhist cycle of reincarnation. Kiriko expresses to Mahito that there is a smell of death, which reflects Mahito's state of being filled with malice due to his resentment over his mother's death and his father. This expression suggests that he smells like the malice of the dead in a grave. Kiriko shouts at Mahito not to look back when trying to save him. This grave symbolizes the hell of all hells, a place that destroys all concepts and thoughts, representing the eightfold path of reincarnation and the hellish realms. The warning not to look back implies that if one does, they will be drawn back into that place, borrowing from the myth of Orpheus, where looking back during an escape leads one to be pulled back into hell. Additionally, there is the act of wielding fire or drawing circles with fire on the ground to create a barrier.

The act of shooting fire into the sky, like fireworks launched by Himiga, is akin to Japan's Himatsuri, which, similar to our country's traditional rat fire play, embodies the desire to burn away misfortune and calamity. This is a part of Eastern culture that ignites fire with such wishes. Kiriko, along with Mahito, escapes from this place, resembling Charon, the ferryman of the River Lethe. This symbolism borrows heavily from various hell metaphors from both Eastern and Western cultures, indicating that this grave and the world itself represent a true hell. The characteristic of a parrot is to mimic others, and here, the parrot is depicted in a form closer to that of a human rather than a bird, behaving like a human and using tools. This clearly symbolizes blind imitation and the ugliness of humans who have lost their subjectivity, embodying characters that replicate this behavior. The historical events that best illustrate this aspect of humanity are referred to as fascism.

Japan's militarism, Germany's Nazis, Benito Mussolini, and Stalin's dictatorial regime are notable examples. The parrots serve the king, holding symbols of Nazism and Mussolini's slogans, cheering enthusiastically. This imitation and emulation, born from selfishness and ugliness, represent a weak aspect of humanity that must be guarded against in groups, but it is also something creators should avoid in their work. The parrots symbolize both a condemnation of fascism, which we must be wary of in our society, and the imitation and emulation that creators should also be cautious of. When one becomes accustomed to imitation, they can easily lose themselves, their judgment becomes clouded, and their creativity fades away. The pelican symbolizes unconditional love and sacrifice, but in this context, it rushes to devour humans and even preys on the new life represented by the wara wara. This is not the true nature of the pelican. What is reflected through this is...

In extreme situations like war, or in the unavoidable gloom of our daily lives, the frail nature of humanity is revealed. At first, we resist, trying to escape somehow, but soon we compromise with reality and continue to live. Thus, the pelicans' words—no matter how much they flapped their wings to escape, they ultimately had to return to this place—reflect weakness and the excuse of having started to eat the 'compromise' of no longer having prey. The statement that the young birds have forgotten how to fly symbolizes 'imitation,' portraying us adults as parts of a system or society, living like cogs in a wheel. It satirizes the children who grow up without even knowing how to dream while witnessing this. Through Mahito's careful burial of the pelican, the director seems to be seeking understanding and forgiveness.

The selfishness and compromises of adults have created a society that lacks dreams. Kiriko observes the Warawara and expresses that they are reborn as humans. However, the pelicans eat these Warawara. Himi seems to attempt to stop this by sending out flames, but even the Warawara gets burned in the process. Mahito, surprised, tells Himi to stop, but Himi appears to have no sense of guilt, and Kiriko, having had his fill, resigns himself to the situation. If the Warawara were indeed the seeds of new life and the pelicans and Himi were responsible for their deaths, they would not speak so indifferently. Furthermore, the aging pelican described this world as a closed one before dying, stating that no matter how much it flies in search of food, it ultimately returns to this place. Therefore, the notion that the Warawara ascend to the sky and become human means that...

It feels like a setting error. This place is another world that is not connected to the real world, and the door to reality was managed separately by a stork. However, if we relate this setting to the vision of Studio Ghibli as advocated by Hayao Miyazaki, there are aspects that become understandable. I believe in the power of animation. It plays a crucial role in 'human formation,' stimulating, surprising, and inspiring those who listen. Therefore, Kiriko's statement that warawa represents the ascent to becoming human means that constructing our humanity does not solely refer to our physical appearance. As the saying goes, People create books, and books create people, it pertains to the conceptual and spiritual. Just as Miyazaki built his beliefs and drew inspiration from books to create films, we gain the energy to live and excitement for fantasy by watching Ghibli movies, all of which contribute to forming our humanity.

The phrase Wara Wara Rara symbolizes the idea of content for the proper formation of humanity. It represents the countless pains of creation that Hayao Miyazaki experienced, as he diligently thought, nurtured, fought, and sometimes faced the walls of reality, leading to moments of erasure. The words of his great-grandfather, advising him to stack 13 stones every three days, carry significant meaning. This number corresponds to the films directed or planned by Miyazaki among Studio Ghibli's works, suggesting it could be a metaphorical device. Numerically, the number 13 symbolizes the end of the universe, upheaval, and new beginnings, following the number 12, which represents perfection, completion, universal truth, order, and cycles. Therefore, these stones represent Miyazaki's effort to create a world filled with goodness.

symbolizes the world view he created and the stones built with goodwill. He stated that only those filled with goodwill can properly fight with this stone, expressing his hope that Studio Ghibli's 'good influence' continues. It also signifies the end of the universe he created and the beginning of a new Ghibli. The phrase about stacking one stone every three days can be interpreted religiously, much like the Trinity in Christianity or the Three Paths in Buddhism, symbolizing completeness and ultimate perfection. It is said that creating a single Ghibli animation typically takes about three years. Therefore, the advice to stack one stone every three days meant to do so with full heart and belief, akin to a practice of dedication. He advised his son, Hayao Miyazaki, saying, Even if you can't change the world with animation, create your works with the determination to change the world.

It makes me think. However, unfortunately, there are no successors to carry on Studio Ghibli due to this firm and high wall of belief. Yoshifumi Kondō, who was pointed out as a promising successor, has passed away, and his son, Gorō Miyazaki, was not recognized as a successor after several failures. Therefore, Ghibli sold its management rights to Nippon Television. The president of Nippon Television stated that they would fully support the production of animations that continue the spirit of Ghibli, but I wonder how well they can support animation production that costs billions per episode in a broadcasting station driven by commercial interests. Mahito brings out a stone sculpture that forms the world of his great-grandfather. He has kept the book given to him by his mother and this stone, and the heron tells him that because of this stone, he has not forgotten the memories of that place. The stone symbolizes...

It is a precious memory of encountering true friendship while confirming Natsuko's sincerity and her mother's love, which are part of a world created by good and evil, contradictions, and facing one's own malice in a time of self-reflection. If this time of realization, where Mahito looked back at himself and understood how to move forward, had not existed, he would have forever struggled to overcome his wounds and remained stagnant. Therefore, this serves as a device to illustrate how important it is for us to confront and remember our scars rather than hiding and tabooing them, while also emphasizing the value of friends and family in navigating a harsh world, akin to a talisman we can cherish and feel. Thus, this film, How Will You Live? is like the stone Mahito brought out and the book he received from his mother, a piece of goodness given to us by Hayao Miyazaki.

I hope that we can cherish this stone sculpture for a long time and feel the director's heart as we grow. Isn't it the director's sincere wish that we remember this for a long time, given the difficult questions and reflections that lead us to self-doubt? When else in our lives would we have such deep thoughts if not through this kind of film? This concludes the prepared video. If you found the video helpful, please subscribe and like it. See you in the next video. Goodbye! Subscribe!!!!

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