MovieBias

See all results for ""
BrowseAnalyticsAbout

The Boy and the Heron (2023)

The Boy and the Heron poster

The Boy and the Heron (2023)

Overview

While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."


Starring Cast


Where to watch

HBO Max logoHBO Max
Apple TV logoApple TV
Google Play logoGoogle Play
Powered byJustWatch

Rating & Dimensions

Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Moderate

Viewer Rating
8.4

Overview

While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."


Starring Cast


Where to watch

HBO Max logoHBO Max
Apple TV logoApple TV
Google Play logoGoogle Play
Powered byJustWatch

Detailed Bias Analysis

Analyzing...
Leans Progressive

Primary

The film's central thesis explicitly promotes a progressive ideology by critiquing imperialism, militarism, and authoritarianism as self-destructive systems, advocating for a break from oppressive legacies and a renewal based on historical truth and self-criticism.

The film's casting is culturally authentic to its Japanese setting, featuring characters that are diverse within that context but without explicit race or gender swaps of roles traditionally associated with Western identities. Its narrative explores universal themes of grief and resilience, focusing on a personal journey rather than explicitly critiquing traditional identities or centering DEI themes in a confrontational manner.

Secondary

Based on available information, 'The Boy and the Heron' does not feature identifiable LGBTQ+ characters or themes. The film's narrative primarily focuses on existential, political, and familial themes, leading to a classification of N/A for LGBTQ+ portrayal.

The Boy and the Heron does not explicitly feature transsexual characters or themes within its narrative. While some thematic interpretations exist, the film's direct content does not depict or focus on transsexual identity or community, leading to an N/A rating for portrayal.

The film features strong female characters like Lady Himi and Natsuko, but none engage in direct physical combat against male opponents. Lady Himi utilizes magical fire abilities, which do not fit the criteria for physical combat victories.

The Boy and the Heron is an original story by Hayao Miyazaki. All characters are new creations for this film and do not have pre-established genders from prior source material, making gender swaps inapplicable by definition.

The Boy and the Heron is an original animated film with new characters, not an adaptation of pre-existing material or a biopic. Therefore, there are no established characters whose race could be swapped.


Viewer Rating Breakdown

8.4

Viewer Rating

Combines user and critic ratings from four sources

User Ratings

IMDB logo
7.4
The Movie Database logo
7.4

Critic Ratings

Rotten Tomatoes logo
9.6
Metacritic logo
9.1

More Like This

Castle in the Sky poster
Leans Progressive
8.3
Castle in the Sky
 (1986)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Princess Mononoke poster
Leans Progressive
8.4
Princess Mononoke
 (1997)

Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Female Combat: Yes
Howl's Moving Castle poster
Leans Progressive
8.4
Howl's Moving Castle
 (2004)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind poster
Leans Progressive
8.4
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
 (1984)

Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Female Combat: Yes
Ponyo poster
Leans Progressive
8.3
Ponyo
 (2008)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island poster
Leans Progressive
6.8
Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island
 (2018)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur poster
Leans Progressive
7.0
Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur
 (1980)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life poster
Leans Progressive
6.7
Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life
 (2009)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Doraemon: Nobita and the Knights on Dinosaurs poster
Leans Progressive
6.8
Doraemon: Nobita and the Knights on Dinosaurs
 (1987)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Fate/Grand Order: Divine Realm of the Round Table - Camelot Wandering; Agateram poster
Leans Progressive
6.7
Fate/Grand Order: Divine Realm of the Round Table - Camelot Wandering; Agateram
 (2020)

Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Neutral
Female Combat: Yes
Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle poster
Leans Progressive
6.8
Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle
 (2020)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Afro Samurai: Resurrection poster
Center
7.0
Afro Samurai: Resurrection
 (2009)

Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
Female Combat: Yes
Assassination Classroom poster
Center
6.7
Assassination Classroom
 (2015)
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
Fate/Grand Order Final Singularity – Grand Temple of Time: Solomon poster
Leans Progressive
6.8
Fate/Grand Order Final Singularity – Grand Temple of Time: Solomon
 (2021)

Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Neutral
Female Combat: Yes
Crayon Shin-chan: Honeymoon Hurricane ~The Lost Hiroshi~ poster
Center
6.7
Crayon Shin-chan: Honeymoon Hurricane ~The Lost Hiroshi~
 (2019)

Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
Female Combat: Yes
Attack on Titan: THE LAST ATTACK poster
Progressive
9.0
Attack on Titan: THE LAST ATTACK
 (2024)

Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Female Combat: Yes
Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku poster
Center
7.7
Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku
 (1990)

Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
Female Combat: Yes
Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa poster
Progressive
7.3
Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa
 (2005)

Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Moderate
Female Combat: Yes
Inuyasha the Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass poster
Center
7.5
Inuyasha the Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass
 (2002)

Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
Female Combat: Yes
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya poster
Leans Progressive
8.7
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
 (2013)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
MovieBias

Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceCookies PolicyAI Policy

Copyright 2025 © moviebias.com