The Tale of Princess Kaguya

**The Tale of Princess Kaguya** is a historical, dark fantasy, drama, coming of age, dark comedy Japanese anime film

    from 2013.  It was directed by Isao Takahata, written by Isao Takahata and Riko Sakaguchi, musically composed by Joe Hisaishi, cinematography by Keisuke Nakamura, edited by Toshihiko Kojima, distributed by Toho, produced by Yoshiaki Nishimura and Studio Ghiblil, and starred Aki Asakura, Kengo Kora, Takeo Chii, and Nobuko Miyamoto.  It's based on The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, which is a s a 10th-century Japanese *monogatari* (fictional prose narrative) containing Japanese folklore. It is considered the oldest extant Japanese prose narrative  although the oldest manuscript dates to 1592.

## Plot

A bamboo cutter named Sanuki no Miyatsuko discovers a miniature girl inside a glowing bamboo shoot. Believing her to be a divine presence, he and his wife decide to raise her as their own, calling her "Princess". The girl grows rapidly and conspicuously, causing her parents to marvel and earning her the nickname "Takenoko" (Little Bamboo) from the other village children. Sutemaru, the oldest among Kaguya's friends, develops a close relationship with her.

Miyatsuko comes upon gold and fine cloth in the bamboo grove in the same way he found his daughter. He takes these as proof of her divine royalty and begins planning to make her a proper princess. He relocates the family to the capital, forcing her to leave her friends behind. She finds herself in a mansion, replete with servants. She is also saddled with a governess who is tasked with taming her into a noblewoman. She struggles with the restraints of nobility, arguing that life should be full of laughter and struggle.

When the girl comes of age, she is granted the formal name of "Princess Kaguya" for the light and life that radiates from her. Miyatsuko holds a celebration in commemoration of her naming. At the celebration, Kaguya overhears partygoers ridiculing her father's attempts to turn a peasant girl into a noble through money. Kaguya flees the capital in despair and runs back to the mountains, seeking Sutemaru and her other friends, but discovers that they have all moved away. Kaguya passes out in the snow and awakens back at the party.

Kaguya grows in beauty, attracting scores of suitors. Five men of noble standing court her, comparing her to mythical treasures. Kaguya tells them she will only marry whoever can bring her the mythical treasure mentioned. Two suitors attempt to persuade her with counterfeits. The third abandons his conquest out of cowardice, and the fourth attempts to woo her with flattering lies. When one of the men is killed in his quest, Kaguya falls into depression. Eventually, the Emperor takes notice of her. Taken with her beauty, he makes advances toward her, revolting her. Kaguya then demonstrates the ability to disappear at will, surprising the Emperor. Understanding that he has been too forward, the Emperor takes his leave.

Kaguya reveals to her parents that she originally came from the Moon after it spoke to her. Once a resident of the Moon, she broke its laws, hoping to be exiled to Earth so that she could experience mortal life. When the Emperor made his advances, she silently begged the Moon to help her. Having heard her prayer, the Moon will reclaim her during the next full moon. Kaguya confesses her attachment to Earth and her reluctance to leave.

Miyatsuko swears to protect Kaguya and begins assembling defensive forces. Kaguya returns to her hometown in the mountains once more. She finds Sutemaru and tells him she would have been happiest with him; Sutemaru vows to protect her. The two run around the grass field and Kaguya demonstrates the ability to fly. However, she loses it when they fly by the Moon, and the two drop into the water. Sutemaru wakes up on the grass field, thinking it was a dream, while Kaguya is seen in a carriage going back to the palace.

On the night of the full moon, a procession of celestial beings led by the Buddha descends from the Moon, and Miyatsuko is unable to stop it. An attendant offers Kaguya a robe that will erase her memories of Earth. Kaguya begs the attendant to grant her a last moment with her parents.

The attendant assures her that upon returning to the Moon, she will be free of Earth's impurities. Kaguya rebuffs her, saying that Earth is full of wonder and life. The attendant then drapes the robe around Kaguya, and she appears to forget about her life on Earth. The procession ascends to the Moon, leaving Miyatsuko and his wife distraught. Kaguya looks back one last time, and tears run down her eyes as she recognizes the love from her parents. The film ends with an overlay of baby Kaguya over the moon, hinting the possibility of her memory remaining with her.

## Why It Rocks

1. This movie has a storybook style charm to it that, despite the admittingly depressing tales swirling away in its depths, really does its best to endear itself to people of all ages, being cutsey and somewhat silly at times, while also deep with its heavier story beats.
2. Excellent animation.
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 intriuging.
4. Appealnig character designs.
5. The art style is alaso 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.
6. Good voice acting.
7. The main female character, Princess Kaguya, is incredibly likable and sympathetic.
8. Great soundtrack.
9. 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.

## 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.