Part I

work: how do you (the warawara) live?

instructor: Professor Moon

by: jenna

subtitle: an interpretation of the lives of the warawara, the creatures of hayao miyazaki’s the boy and the heron

(or lit. translation: “how do you live?”

description: this work is an interactive sketch created in the javascript framework p5.js. say hello to the warawara, feed them by clicking on them, and watch what they do next.

abstract: the fantastical world of hayao miyazaki and studio ghibli is a joy–and challenge–to recreate. their latest film the boy and the heron (2023), is a fantasy adventure circa wwII with deep layers and meaningful thematic elements per-usual ghibli style. protagonist mahito is a young boy who moves to the countryside after the loss of his mother. when his stepmother then disappears, mahito’s search for her leads him to discover an abandoned tower and a mysterious gray heron that lures him into a dreamlike world where the living and the dead are reunited. the warawara reside here, representing yearning and uncertainty–but also  resilience, coping, and growth–in a world marred by painful conflict and loss. perhaps the cutest miyazaki creature to date, they are unborn human souls whose goal is to enter mahito’s world: to be born as humans. on their journey though, they are preyed upon by pelicans, and some are eaten and do not make it to the other side. madalena daleziou may have put it the best in their article for Epicstream: “if anything, the happy faces of the warawara suggest that they are content in their plane of existence despite the sad connotations.” this contrast between light visuals and timely, serious messages, is again something studio ghibli excels at.

 

images:

 

pt 2 on next page! –>