Thoughts On How Do You Live?
On What It Means To Be Human
This article contains spoilers.
INTRODUCTION
This article is different from the rest of the articles in this publication because the inspiration behind it is not an anime. At least, not yet.
How Do You Live? is a 1937 novel by Genzaburo Yoshino, and it is the inspiration behind Hayao Miyazaki’s upcoming final feature film. Miyazaki retired from film-making multiple times but came out of it once again to work on this movie. Art never dies, as they say.
Without knowing the book’s plot or theme, the title alone moved me.
How Do You Live?
I felt compelled to purchase and read it because it spoke to me. For the past few years, I always felt existential. I constantly examined myself, wondered if I made the right choices, or lived a good life at all.
According to Penguin Books, producer Toshio Suzuki said Miyazaki is working on the film for his grandson as his way of saying “Grandpa is moving on to the next world soon but he is leaving behind this film.”
Aware that in his old age, death might come at anytime, Miyazaki wanted to leave something behind. So should the time come when he’s no longer around, his loved ones would have something from…
