The Boy and the Heron limited edition steelbook is 38% off on Prime Day

All of the great anime maestro Hayao Miyazaki’s films need to be seen again and again to get the most out of them, but they rarely require rewatching as often as his 2023 masterpiece – and possibly final film – The boy and the heron. Even by its standards, it’s a mesmerizing and dense piece of work, packed with resonant themes, intricate detail, and rich (not to mention deeply strange) imagery. This is one that you will have to think about several times before it fully reveals itself to you.

Conveniently, there is a limited edition steelbook of it The boy and the heronincluding the film on both 4K and Blu-ray discs, on sale for $27.99 (down 38% from $44.98) for Amazon’s Prime Day in October. In addition to that handsome sleeve, the edition comes with an exclusive poster and an extensive range of bonus features on the disc, including interviews with several members of the film’s production crew – not least legendary composer Joe Hisaishi, whose beautiful music for the film film was by far the best score of the year and was not nominated for an Oscar. Not bothered by the nice case or the 4K drive? You can also buy the regular Blu-ray and DVD set for $19.49 (down 44% from $34.98).

The boy and the heronperhaps Miyazaki’s most personal film, it follows a boy named Mahito who moves to a remote rural estate after losing his mother in a wartime fire; there a mysterious talking heron leads him to a fantastic world. It is very loosely inspired by the classic Japanese novel How do you live?. But it is also a meditation on Miyazaki’s own childhood, on his art, and on his relationships with Studio Ghibli co-founders Toshio Suzuki and Isao Takahata, who are represented in the film (not always flatteringly) by a terrifying magician and an annoying magician. heron-goblin thing. The film encompasses all of this while doing that Miyazaki thing: collapsing a wildly surreal, phantasmagoric secret world into a meticulously studied reality that somehow feels more real than live-action.

It’s one lotand you’d be forgiven if you didn’t completely wrap your arms around it on first viewing. Do yourself a favor, buy this beautiful edition and let your relationship with The boy and the heron deepen over time.

Looking for more offers? See all of Polygon’s favorite Prime Day 2024 deals for October here and subscribe to our newsletter below to get great deals delivered to your inbox every week.