The Studio Ghibli Anime Fantasy Everyone Overlooks
Studio Ghibli is a famous name, even among those who aren’t into anime. Some of their films, like Spirited Away, helped make Japanese films and anime more globally famous. However, some of their films get swept under the rug, such as the movie The Tale of Princess Kaguya, whose unusual art style and sad story tend to scare away potential viewers.
The Tale Of The Bamboo Cutter
The Tale of Princess Kaguya is based on an old Japanese prose narrative called The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. A bamboo cutter discovers a small girl inside of a bamboo shoot and takes her in as his own.
Kaguya, often called Little Bamboo, grows quickly and becomes friends with the local village children.
It’s not just the girl that the bamboo cutter finds in the bamboo grove. He also ends up finding gold and fine cloth. Believing her to be divine royalty, he takes Kaguya and his wife to the capital to help Kaguya become a princess.
Forced To Abandon What She Loves
The bamboo cutter does this to help his daughter, but it changes the parents and takes Kaguya from everything she loves.
This is not a cheerful film with a happy ending. The Tale of Princess Kaguya is a heartbreaking story.
Though her parents love her, they make many wrong decisions to try and make her happy and safe. She’s taken from everything she loves several times over her life, and in the end, she’s forced to give up everything.
Isao Takahata
Though it’s a classic tale, it still has elements and themes reminiscent of today’s society, such as the draw to money and power, and the immense difference in the lives of the rich and the poor.
The story is rather slow, with very few action scenes, but it’s full of emotional moments and purposeful narration.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya was directed and co-written by Isao Takahata. This was actually his final film as director.
Besides this film, he’s also been a director, writer, producer, and musical director of several other films and series, including My Neighbors the Yamadas, Pom Poko, Grave of the Fireflies, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Lupin III and Castle in the Sky.
Unique Among Ghibli’s Offerings
Though The Tale of Princess Kaguya is an anime by Studio Ghibli, it looks quite different from other Ghibli movies like Howl’s Moving Castle or My Neighbor Totoro.
Takahata wanted to ensure that people really appreciated the story and took in all of the small details without being distracted by more colorful or realistic art styles.
This is why the art style is simple, and represents more of a traditional, hand-drawn, art style. It’s also a nod to the folktale it was based on, and the art styles found in paintings related to Japanese folktales. The film is a great example that sometimes, less is more.
Stream It Now
Though it’s not quite as popular as many other Ghibli movies, The Tale of Princess Kaguya is a beautiful tale that’s well-loved by the people who have given the movie a chance. It’s got an average score of 8.21 on My Anime List, and a popularity ranking of #1042.
If you want to check out this hidden gem, The Tale of Princess Kaguya is available to stream on Max.
