Best Quotes From The Boy and the Heron

The Boy and the Heron is the first Studio Ghibli movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki since The Wind Rises in 2013. This could be his last one, too, which is a shame, considering the joy his movies tend to bring fans. The movie follows Mahito, a young boy who has just lost his mother in a fire.

The Boy and the Heron takes place in the heat of World War 2, and Mahito’s father, Shoichi, has remarried. The family moves to the countryside, where Mahito discovers the ruins of a mysterious tower and an odd Gray Heron that lurks around it. The movie is chock-full of memorable scenes that viewers are unlikely to forget, and the quotes featured throughout are also sure to echo in one’s mind long after the viewing experience.

This article contains spoilers for The Boy and the Heron.

8 “Oh, Salmon. I Want The Bones.”

The Maki Maids

One of the creepiest scenes in the movie takes place when Mahito arrives at his new house for the first time. All of the maids in the household are going wild over a suitcase that his father sent over. Inside are a bunch of cans of fish like tuna and salmon.

It’s said offscreen, but one of the maids seems more interested in the bones rather than the fish. This line definitely has a witchy vibe at first, but eventually, the audience will learn that these old ladies are sweet and are not menacing in any way.

7 “Daddy Will Get You Vengeance.”

Shoichi Maki

Shoichi is not in the movie much, which is a shame because he is one of the better characters. He’s also played by Christian Bale in the English dub, who played Howl in Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle and starred in other big movies like Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.

Bale aside, Mahito hurts himself at school with a rock after he gets picked on by a bunch of bullies. He presumably thinks it’s better to be injured at home than to go back to school anytime soon. That’s not what he tells his family, though, and thinking the worst, Shoichi wants names to get revenge on these bullies, which is a very Batman-esque sentiment.

6 “Please Join Us.”

Toad / Fish Spirits

One of the first real encounters Mahito has with the Gray Heron results in another wildly creepy scene. A bunch of fish and toads emerge from the pond and start chanting, “Please Join Us.” The frogs envelop Mahito like a blanket, but he is unflinching, probably because he was put under a spell. Thankfully, Natsuko, his new mother/aunt, comes to save the day with a bow.

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One of the best things Studio Ghibli does as an animation studio is convey mobs of things on-screen, from toads to old ladies. In The Boy and the Heron, this scene is a fine example, and there are several others throughout that show just how talented the animators at Ghibli truly are. The “Please join us” line just adds a little extra flavor.

5 “Take Your Shot!”

The Gray Heron

There is an even more intense encounter with The Gray Heron shortly after this, once Mahito gets into the tower proper. Even though he has a bow, the bird is not afraid of this seemingly innocent boy who is trying to act cool and collected.

He dares Mahito to take the shot because he knows the counterattack will be brutal for Mahito in a defenseless state. The way that Robert Pattison sells this character is truly impressive because The Gray Heron sounds nothing like him. The voice he uses is even more unique than the one he used to portray Batman in The Batman.

4 “We Did Not Choose This War.”

Noble Pelican

The Gray Heron sounds more like Willem Dafoe than Robert Pattison, as the voice definitely has a Green Goblin-like tinge to it. Dafoe is in the movie, though, and instead, has a big part as the Noble Pelican, who gets badly damaged in his pursuit of the Warawara.

Even though he is badly damaged, Mahito and Kiriko take pity on him because he is a defenseless creature at this point. Also, the Noble Pelican has a point in that he did not choose to be the way that he is. It’s just nature or magic, as it is never explained thoroughly in the context of The Boy and the Heron. The “We did not choose this war” line reveals that this Noble Pelican is more than what he seems to be.

3 “Mahito Has Turned Into A Parakeet?”

Shoichi Maki

Another one of the best lines in the movie has to go to Shoichi. He’s had a rough few days in that he lost his new wife and his son. He mounts a huge excavation to get his family back, leading his troops with a katana like a noble samurai to the tower. At this moment, the doors of the tower burst open, and out comes a flood of parakeets.

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In this wave, Shoichi thinks he sees Mahito turn into a parakeet, which leaves him breathless. Thankfully, he never maims any of the parakeets because they are innocent in the real world after all, even though they drop some nasty surprises all over Shoichi.

2 “Mahito, Will You Continue My Work?”

Grand Uncle

Mark Hamill is another returning actor to the Studio Ghibli universe. He was in The Castle in the Sky, which Final Fantasy fans would dig if they haven’t seen it yet. Hamill plays Grand Uncle in The Boy and the Heron, the master of the mysterious tower that can both travel through time and go to other worlds.

The magic is dying in his hands, so he tasks The Gray Heron with bringing Mahito to his side to take over. Mahito refuses, which is not surprising to Grand Uncle, suggesting that he already knew his choice.

1 “I’m Not Afraid Of Fire.”

Himi

Himi is one of the characters that Mahito encounters in the tower who looks like his age. She’s a lot stronger than him, though, as she has the power of fire. By the end, it’s revealed that Himi is Mahito’s mother, but as a young girl. She knows she has to return to her timeline so that Mahito can be born, even though she knows she will die in a fire.

She reassured Mahito before leaving that she wasn’t afraid. It’s as if to say she would gladly give her life knowing that her son would live on. It’s a mom thing to do, making her one of the strongest female presences in the movie, even if her time is short.