If The Boy and the Heron really is Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, I’m not going to cry. I’m not going to mourn. I won’t scream into the void about him leaving. Because, come on, this man has already given us more than we deserved.

In an industry where so many artists have adopted fan service, wardrobe malfunctions, and ‘oops she fell over on him’ moments, Miyazaki presented us with something entirely different: dignity. For over four decades, he has given us beautifully told stories with complex, well-developed female protagonists without objectifying them. That’s a big thing in anime.

Real girls, real stories, no weird camera angles

Honestly, we have to admit it: anime’s pretty messed up when it comes to how it handles girls. Whether it’s the ‘shy girl with big boobs’ trope or the ’14-year-old with lingerie armor,’ it’s like some creators just can’t resist.