Heisei tanuki gassen pompoko (1994)

Director:

Isao Takahata

Writer:

Isao Takahata (writer)

Release Date:

16 July 1994 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

A community of magical shapeshifting raccoons desperately struggle to prevent their forest home from being destroyed by urban development.

Plot Keywords:

Talking Fox | Maneki Neko | Tokyo Japan | Animal | Transformation

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Shinchô Kokontei	...	Narrator (voice)
Makoto Nonomura	...	Shoukichi (voice)
Yuriko Ishida	...	Okiyo (voice)
Norihei Miki	...	Seizaemon (voice)
Nijiko Kiyokawa	...	Fireball Oroku (voice)
Shigeru Izumiya	...	Gonta (voice)
Gannosuke Ashiya	...	Inugami Gyobu (voice)
Takehiro Murata	...	Bunta (voice)
Beichou Katsura	...	Kincho Daimyoujin the Sixth (voice)
Bunshi Katsura	...	Yashimano Hage (voice)
Kosan Yanagiya	...	Abbot Tsurugame (voice)
Akira Kamiya	...	Tamasaburo (voice)
Rei Sakuma	...	(voice)
Tomokazu Seki	...	Male Tanuki B (voice)
Minoru Yada	...	(voice)

Also Known As:

Pom poko (USA) (dubbed version)
The Raccoon War (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for violence, scary images and thematic elements.

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

English | French | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:PG | France:U | Canada:G (Ontario/Quebec) (DVD rating) (2005) | Canada:G (Manitoba) (video rating) (2001) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) (DVD rating) (2005) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Singapore:G | USA:PG

Company:

Hakuhodo

Trivia:

Creatures shown in order of appearance during project poltergeist: - Shadows of hungry spirits. - Inari upon fox. - Foxes (Kitsune) performing Fox Wedding. - Lantern-spirit. - Skeleton. - Umbrella. - Fire breathing tiger. - Oni. - Shoki the Demon Slayer. - Agyo. - Tiny people performing funeral rights. - Raijin (God of Rain). - Fuujin (God of Wind). - Various squids and a fish. - Lantern. - Tengu. - Bulbs. - Bowing child-like samurai. - Maneki neko faced bowing samurai child. - Goblins. - Colorful beetles. - Wife spirit. - Spider. - Multi-headed woman. - Flame. - Skeleton. - Monkeys. - Rabbits. - Frogs. - Ryuu (dragon). - Train. - Dancing flames of white. - Man with reversible face. - Further indiscreet goblins. - Blue goblin. - Snake-like creature with man's face. - Purple spirit. - Camel-faced woman. - Four-legged cyclopic creature. - Mouth-creature. - Two oni. - Seven lucky gods (Benzaiten, Ebisu, Fukurakujo, Hotei, Daikoku). - Blue and flesh-colored goblins. - Walking stone legs. - Animated telephone poles. - Skeleton. - Fire & Firemen. - Tops. - Pill-like structures with eyes. - Flood. - Flying tanuki in flames. - Skeleton. - Seven lucky gods with goblins. - Amida Nyorai with Bodhisattva attendants.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The English-dubbed version incorrectly refers to the tanuki as "raccoons". Tanuki are actually "raccoon dogs" - they are in the canid branch of mammals.

Quotes:

Additional Voices: [turning around] I have no face!

Movie Connections:

References Kurenai no buta (1992)

The other side of urban expansion.

Certainly one of the lesser-seen Ghibli features (only 950 votes to date), but for fairly obvious reasons. In terms of quality (animation, story, and voice acting), it's quite good. But it's very Japanese in outlook, and much less accessible than most of Miyazaki's films. Like "Nausicaä", this film deals quite a bit with ecological issues.

Takahata takes a very interesting approach to his characters, and takes it slow when it comes to emotional scenes. There is never any compromise with serious issues, whatever comedy there may be. The voice dub is adequate, but I quite prefer the Japenese version. About half of the dialogue is spoken by the narrator (Kokondei Shinchou), who, fortunately, is perfect for the job.

7.6 out of 10