Netflix has gone all out in terms of streaming high quality animated films and the latest addition to that list is The Boy and the Heron. The 2024 Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature film has finally made it’s way to Netflix from 7th October, but did Netflix fumble it’s official release on their platform?
A masterwork of animation, The Boy and the Heron is set in wartime Japan. When Mahito, a young boy who lost his mother in a fire, relocates from Tokyo to the countryside to live with his mother’s family, he is drawn into an enigmatic realm where death and life are intertwined by a talking heron, the seven elderly women who reside in the house, and other intriguing figures.
The main problem with the latest release is that it is being streamed in two audio languages, English and the original soundtrack Japanese. Given the overall market of such films, one can call this a bold move by Netflix to not provide any regional dub of the film.
However, taking a look at the things from the other side can really maintain the integrity of the film and have an originality towards viewers.
Christian Bale, Gemma Chan, Robert Pattison, Mark Hamill, Florence Pugh, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Dave Bautista, Mamoudou Athie, Tony Reveolori, and Dan Stevens were among the actors that provided the English-language voice cast.
The well praised movie has also taken home Golden Globe and Bafta prizes. With recognition from all around the world, viewers can stream this masterpiece on Netflix with English and Japanese audio tracks and enjoy the brilliance of The Boy and the Heron.