After a 14-year absence from directing, Isao Takahata—one of the founders of Studio Ghibli—returned to present his final masterpiece The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の物語 — Kaguya-hime no Monogatari). The film draws inspiration from the oldest known Japanese narrative text, "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" (10th century), in a watercolor visual elegy that swings between the simplicity of ink lines and deep existential questions about joy and mortality.
Film Details
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Director | Isao Takahata |
| Screenplay | Isao Takahata, Riko Sakiguchi |
| Production Studio | Studio Ghibli |
| Japanese Voices | Aki Asakura (Kaguya), Takuto Shibuno (Ishtchuku/Father), Nobuko Miyamoto (Mother), Tomoka Kuroki (Court Lady) |
| Duration | 137 minutes |
| Genre | Drama, Fantasy, Folklore |
| Music | Joe Hisaishi |
| Awards | Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature (2015), Jury Prize – Annecy |
Plot Summary (No Spoilers)
An elderly bamboo cutter finds a tiny girl inside a shining bamboo stalk. She grows at an extraordinary pace into a radiant young woman named “Princess Kaguya.” Her adoptive parents move her from the quiet mountain countryside to an aristocratic palace in the capital, where court rules impose secrets and restrictions that strip her of her free innocence. Marriage proposals and impossible tasks follow, while Kaguya’s heart longs for an origin beyond this earthly life.
Techniques and Distinctions
-
Animated Sumi-e Style: Broken ink lines and watercolor-like backgrounds give the film the feel of a living painting.
-
Emotional Animation: The “Kaguya’s Night Escape” scene explodes with shattered lines and colors, dissolving the boundaries between drawing and raw emotions.
-
Joe Hisaishi’s Music: A main theme played on the Japanese koto blurs time between folklore and modernity.
-
Reflection on the Meaning of Happiness: Is joy found in rural freedom or aristocratic luxury? Are humans prepared for “happiness” that is quickly taken away?
Discussion Themes
-
Accelerated Time: Kaguya’s rapid growth as a metaphor for the fleeting human lifespan.
-
Femininity and Social Constraints: A sharp critique of court expectations of women as ornaments and political tools.
-
Heavenly Origin and Earthly Alienation: The debate between fate and choice, between the “home of the spirit” and its painful mission in the lower world.
Reception
-
Critics described it as “Studio Ghibli’s most beautiful film aesthetically.”
-
It earned approximately $25 million in Japan, modest compared to its large budget (~$49 million), but its status grew as a global artistic reference.
-
It influenced studios toward exploring unconventional animation techniques.
Official Poster
Upon release, the original Japanese poster was used showing Kaguya reaching out to falling cherry blossom petals, for example:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5a/The_Tale_of_the_Princess_Kaguya.jpg
📜 “The most beautiful moments slip through our fingers... like a dreamy light on a sakura petal.”