Bring Home the Best Animated Feature Trophy, Here are the Facts of 'THE BOY AND THE HERON' Victory at the 2024 Oscars You Need to Know

Kapanlagi.com - Written by: Lily Ariani

THE BOY AND THE HERON by Hayao Miyazaki successfully brought home the Oscar trophy in 2024 for the Best Animated Feature Film category. The animated film managed to defeat ELEMENTAL and SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE at the Academy Awards held on March 10, 2024, local time. This victory also marks the animator's second experience winning an Oscar.

However, Hayao Miyazaki was unable to attend the event held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Presenter Chris Hemsworth became the representative to accept the award. Nevertheless, a representative read a statement on behalf of Suzuki, the producer of the film THE BOY AND THE HERON.

"As the producer of THE BOY AND THE HERON, I feel honored to receive the Academy Award for Best Animated Film. This film was truly difficult to complete. I greatly appreciate that the work created after overcoming these difficulties has been seen by many people around the world and received recognition," said the representative in the Oscar Press Room Speech.

1. Second Oscar Cup

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THE BOY AND THE HERON became Studio Ghibli's second film to win Best Animated Feature at the Oscar Awards. Previously, Miyazaki brought home an Oscar trophy for the same category through his work SPIRITED AWAY in 2003. The Japanese animator and director also received nominations for HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE in 2006 and THE WIND RISES in 2014.

Although his work THE WIND RISES did not win an Oscar, Miyazaki received an honorary trophy at the 2014 Academy Awards. The animator gave a speech and shared stories about his journey as a young artist. He admitted to feeling lucky to be able to create various films with just a pencil and paper.

2. Victory at the Golden Globe and BAFTA

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Previously, THE BOY AND THE HERON also won at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards. Through this victory, Studio Ghibli brought home a Golden Globe trophy for the first time. The victory of THE BOY AND THE HERON feels even more special as it became the first non-English animated film to win a Golden Globe for the Animated Feature category.

In addition to winning the Golden Globe, THE BOY AND THE HERON also won the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards. THE BOY AND THE HERON achieved this victory a month after the Golden Globe Awards. Once again, Hayao Miyazaki's film made history by becoming the first Japanese film to win the Best Animated Film category.

3. The Only Hand Drawn Film

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Most Studio Ghibli films are hand-drawn, including THE BOY AND THE HERON. The stunning visuals in this animated film are actually the result of Miyazaki's own hand-drawn illustrations. This is why the production process of THE BOY AND THE HERON took a long time.

It is this distinctive hand-drawn quality that sets THE BOY AND THE HERON apart from its competitors at the 2024 Oscars. This film is the only hand-drawn animated film to receive a nomination and win an award at the prestigious ceremony. The victory of THE BOY AND THE HERON follows the success of SPIRITED AWAY, which was also hand-drawn by Hayao Miyazaki.

4. A Gift for Miyazaki Before Retirement

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Victory in the Academy Awards 2024 became a special gift for Hayao Miyazaki. Because, the animator is rumored to retire soon. Many rumors say that THE BOY AND THE HERON is Miyazaki's last legacy before he withdraws from the world of animation.

Miyazaki himself has announced his retirement plans several times, most recently in 2013. However, the Vice President of Studio Ghibli denies the news. He revealed that Miyazaki is busy with ideas for a new film.

5. Animator's Comment on SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER VERSE

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Although defeated by THE BOY AND THE HERON, one of the animators of SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER VERSE actually praised Hayao Miyazaki's film. Eric De Carolis, animator of SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER VERSE, wrote on his Twitter account, "We have done our best, but you should not be too disappointed when losing to the greatest of all time."

This response is contrary to what Shameik Moore, the voice actor of the main character in SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER VERSE, expressed. Following the victory of THE BOY AND THE HERON, Moore felt cheated at the Academy Awards 2024. His tweet received a lot of criticism. Moore then apologized and expressed appreciation for the winner.

(kpl/lly)