La storia della principessa splendente

With the exception of the energetic The Lego Movie, this year has been a disappointment for the animated genre. What a relief then it is that Isao Takahata's (Grave of the Fireflies) new film is a triumphant success.

Based on a 10th century Japanese folktale, The Tale of Princess Kaguya is a bittersweet coming of age story. Our protagonist is Kaguya-hime who is discovered as a baby in a bamboo stalk by an old peasant man. He and his childless wife raise her as their own, providing the best they can as she rapidly ages. While her mother is fearful of change and just wants a comfortable life for her adopted daughter, her father envisions great things. He sees Kaguya as part of a divine plan and after fine clothes and gold come shooting out of bamboo stalks he concludes that the heavens want her to become a proper princess. He assumes this is the best way to make his daughter happy instead of asking her what she wants.

A sharply observed feminist critique of traditional Japanese culture as well as a cautionary tale of the burdens we place on our children, The Tale of Princess Kaguya has a wealth of complex themes and archetypes hidden beneath the surface of its fairly straight- forward story. This is one of the rare films that are both easily accessible to a young audience and one that film students can write thesis papers on.

The final word should be reserved for Studio Ghibli's animation. The style used invokes something between impressionist paintings and water-colours while employing a muted palette. Ghibli moves away from traditional anime and the results are breathtaking. The hand drawn frames could each stand alone as a portrait and yet the film feels fluid. At times the animation blurs into expressionism; the brush strokes matching the characters inner- turmoil.

Easily the best animated film of the year, it's a must see for fans of the genre. Luckily North America will get a theatrical release; the English-dubbed version will be out October 17 and will star Chloe Grace Moretz as Kaguya.

I was a bit anxious before seeing this movie because it is not from Miyazaki but after seeing it I can say that there was no reason to be anxious about this movie. It's probably the most beautiful movie I've ever seen and it is equally as good, if not even better as spirited away and princess mononoke. The story is wonderfully told and it has some extremely sad moments. But probably the best thing about this movie is the breath taking animation. It's just incredibly beautiful and just so unique that you just won't forget it. As always for a Ghibli movie the movie has an eye for detail and you just feel the passion which was put into this movie. This movie was one of the best anime I have ever seen and probably also one of the best movies I have ever seen.

I liked this to a good extent, and my rating goes up because of the last 15 minutes, which are so magnificent. Those last several minutes and the first act are truly brilliant, but for some reason, the film sort of lost me in its middle and a little more than that. Not completely lost me, but it did get a little too much and it got to less interesting overall. I can't say I completely agree with the critical acclaim it's gotten, but I think it's a good, sometimes very good, film, definitely made stronger because of certain scenes. The sound mixing here is incredible, and the voice acting (in its original language) is pretty fantastic as well. Overall, still recommended but with reservations, yeah.

Like many other Ghibli fans I didn't like the Yamadas back in the day but Takahata Isao has returned with a blast.

The film is beautiful. The animation is simple yet exquisite, reminiscent of old Japanese watercolours. Special kudos go to Joe Hisaishi for his superb soundtrack - the final scene and its music left me almost in tears.

The only problems lie in the sometimes slow development of the plot and a few loose ends. There are also tiny deviations from the original story, but I felt that it was as true to it as possible. All in all a beautifully drawn, beautifully crafted movie, solid voice acting (for a Japanese movie at least) and, again, the beautiful music. Excellent job, Ghibli.

Hats down to Mr. Takahata as well.

One of Studio Ghibli's last feature films before the legendary animation studio went on an indefinite break, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is Isao Takahata's first picture in over 15 years and happens to be an eloquently narrated, gorgeously animated & patiently paced cinema that attempts to bring on screen one of the oldest tales in Japanese folklore.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya tells the story of its titular character who was found in a bamboo shoot by a bamboo cutter who, believing her to be a divine presence, brings her home to his wife. Although this mysterious tiny girl grows rapidly into a young lady, dazzling all who encounters her, she eventually is left with no alternative but to confront her own fate.

Co-written & directed by Isao Takahata (best known for Grave of the Fireflies), this tale is crafted with precision care & elegance plus how all of it is animated brings an artistic vibe of its own. The use of colour palette, sketch-like animation & minimalist approach leaves a lasting impression, the voice performances are spot-on while Joe Hisaishi's score nicely compliments the whole narrative.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya also covers the various restraints women find themselves in every facet of life, no matter what society they happen to be part of, and exposes that without preaching. However, its 137 minutes of runtime feels a tad too long, the final act is stretched, and although its creativity is undeniably impressive, the whole story kind of lacks that immersive element, much like Takahata's earlier works.

On an overall scale, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya brims with some truly astonishing images and is another winning marvel from the acclaimed studio. It's aesthetically pleasing, artistically fulfilling & emotionally gripping and there are going to be many who will have nothing but endless praise for the manner in which this ancient Japanese folklore is illustrated on the film canvas. As for me, I do admire a number of things about Takahata's latest but don't feel any love for it. Still, I've no qualms in recommending it to anyone for it is worthy of a broader audience.