Kenshi Yonezu performs the theme song for Studio Ghibli’s How Do You Live; The cast has been revealed

Hikari Mikadzuki15/07/2023

30 1 minute read

Japanese singer and composer Kenshi Yonezu performs the theme song for Studio Ghibli’s latest film How do you live? (licensed as The Boy and the Heron by GKIDS). The song is titled “Chikyugi” and the official release date is still unknown. The film opened in theaters in Japan on July 14.

How you live theme song — How you live movie – Visual

The cast for the film includes Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Ko Shibasaki, Aimeon, Yoshino Kimura, Takuya Kimura, Kaoru Kobayashi, and Shinobu Otake. Details about the characters have not been revealed as the film has not had a promotional campaign. Joe Hisaishi returns to compose the score for the film.

How do you live was previously reported as Hayao Miyazaki’s “last work” as she came out of retirement in 2016 to work on this film. The film is based on Yoshino Genzaburo’s novel of the same name, first published in 1937. The novel was republished in 1945 by Mira-sha after World War II.

A queue of moviegoers at a cinema in Japan after the premiere of *How do you live* – Photo courtesy of Anika Osaki Exum via Japan Times

Barnes and Noblepublished an English version ofHow do you livenovel, describing it as:
How do you live? it is told in two voices. The first belongs to fifteen-year-old Koper, who after the death of his father must face an inevitable and overwhelming change, including his own betrayal of his best friend. Between episodes of Koper’s emerging story, his uncle writes to him in a journal, sharing knowledge and offering advice on life’s big questions as Koper begins to face them. Over the course of the story, Copper, like his namesake Copernicus, looks up to the stars and uses his discoveries about heaven, earth, and human nature to answer the question of how he will live.

In a previous interview by Bunshun editor Manabu Shintani with producer Toshio Suzuki, the previously released teaser visual forHow do you livewill remain the only promotional material left. Suzuki later confirmed in another interview with Oricon that while Miyazaki was initially skeptical about the lack of a promotion, Suzuki assured him that everything would be fine. He then added that in this age of information, lack of information is entertainment.