The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

This article is dedicated to Isao Takahata (1935-2018), may his legacy rest in peace.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (Japanese: かぐや姫の物語 Hepburn: Kaguya-hime no Monogatari, stylized as The Tale of The Princess Kaguya) is a 2013 Japanese animated fantasy drama film co-written for the screen and directed by Isao Takahata, based on the anonymous literary tale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter and produced by Studio Ghibli for Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DYMP, Walt Disney Japan, Mitsubishi, Toho and KDDI, and distributed by Toho.

Plot
Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter her, but ultimately she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) This movie has a storybook style charm to it that, despite the admittedly depressing tales swirling away in its depths, really does its best to endear itself to people of all ages, being cutesy and somewhat silly at times, while also deep with its heavier story beats.
 * 2) Excellent animation. Given how the art style (as will be explained in further detail later in WIR# 5) is completely and utterly breathtaking, to the point where it evoke the Eastern brush paintings of yore.
 * 3) This movie has a unique source of inspiration. Most Studio Ghibli films are either based on manga or novels, but this one is based on an ancient story from Japanese folklore, which makes it much more intriguing.
 * 4) Appealing character designs. Especially for the titular character Kaguya.
 * 5) The art style is also very unique in this series. The character designs and the backgrounds, everything, looks like they were drawn by water colors, and the lack of detail only adds to the unique style of the movie. Which helps this film stand out all the more in the catalogue of Ghibli films. One of the most iconic scenes that demonstrates this the most is the running scene where Kaguya fled from the palace. As it shows how absolutely breathtaking and wild action the animation can do itself, in addition that perfectly showcases Kaguya's emotion.
 * 6) Beautiful voice acting in both Japanese and English.
 * 7) The main female character, Princess Kaguya, is incredibly likable and sympathetic.
 * 8) Great soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi. With consists of musical scores like Flying, The Sprout, The Little Princess, Mountain Hamlet, Robe, Mystery of the Moon, Memories of the Village, Sorrow, Devotion, and Light among others. The entire soundtrack can be listened to here.
 * 9) It has multiple good morals that are woven into the story in a very natural way rather than being outright smushed into the audiences' faces (a common tradition with Studio Ghibli films). Which Include:
 * 10) * Money can't buy happiness. A simple and content life is better than a rich and miserable one.
 * 11) * Living a life that makes you miserable to please others will only leave you full of regrets when you reach the end of your life.
 * 12) * Giving your child a better life only works if you pay attention to what makes them happy, and give them the life they want rather than the one you think they should have.
 * 13) One of the best aspects of this movie is the story, and how it unfolds, very slowly, little by little, with its characters and dialogue.
 * 14) The end is very bittersweet (although it has a heavy emphasis on the "bitter" part) and emotional: Kaguya is taken back to the Moon, the celestial robe placed on her stripping her of all memory of everything she experienced. Although it's implied she has some sense of what she's lost, judging both by her story of the one who came before her, but she only remembers enough to know she's sad and doesn't know why, given her backwards glance at the Earth. According to Isao Takahata, the whole premise of the movie is a girl who is born and grows up but dies young.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Due to the movie's long length, it might not appeal to people who have short-attention spans.
 * 2) The ending, while emotional, is still absolutely tragic.
 * 3) Kaguya, while likable, has done a few questionable actions over the course of the film.

Trivia

 * 1) This is the last film made by one of Studio Ghibli founders Isao Takahata before he tragically passed away in 2018.

Reception
The Tale of Princess Kaguya has a 100% critic rating and a 90% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a 4.1/5 on Letterboxd, a 8.1/10 on the International Movie Database (IMDB), a 8.2/10 on MyAnimeList, a 81.55% community approval rating on Kitsu, and a 4.1/5 on AnimePlanet.

Videos
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