Pom Poko (1994)

A community of magical shape-shifting raccoon dogs struggle to prevent their forest home from being destroyed by urban development.

Director:

Isao Takahata

Writers:

Hayao Miyazaki (idea), Isao Takahata

Stars:

Shinchô Kokontei, Makoto Nonomura, Yuriko Ishida

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shinchô Kokontei	...	Narrator (voice)
Makoto Nonomura	...	Shôkichi (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)
Beichô Katsura	...	Kinchô Daimyôjin the Sixth (voice) (as Beichou Katsura)
Bunshi Katsura Vi	...	Yashimano Hage (voice) (as Bunshi Katsura)
Kosan Yanagiya	...	Abbot Tsurugame (voice)
Akira Kamiya	...	Tamasaburô (voice)
Rei Sakuma	...	(voice)
Tomokazu Seki	...	Male Tanuki B (voice)
Minoru Yada	...	(voice)

Storyline

As the human city development encroaches on the raccoon dog population's forest and meadow habitat, the raccoon dogs find themselves faced with the very real possibility of extinction. In response, the raccoon dogs engage in a desperate struggle to stop the construction and preserve their home.

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Plot Keywords:

raccoon | flying | testicles | golf course | park | 

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Genres:

Animation | Comedy | Drama | Family | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for violence, scary images and thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

Buena Vista International [France] Official site

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese English

Release Date:

15 December 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pom Poko

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hakuhodo,Nippon Television Network (NTV),Studio Ghibli

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

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.

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Goofs

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

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Quotes

Osho: [Osho is patiently teaching a class to the young raccoons] A raccoon fell out of the tree! Yes, that's right. Who can tell me *why* the raccoon fell out of the tree? Gonta?
Gonta: [grunts] He was a loser.

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Alternate Versions

The English dubbed version censors all references to testicles.

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Connections

References Ocean Waves (1993)

User Reviews

If you have a heart you will love this movie

I was expecting a movie about stupid little raccoons that would be boring and unoriginal. However it was far from that, it was fun, original, exciting and moving. I'm upset by how many people think it's bad! It's moved me more than any other movie has in a long time.

It's the story of a bunch of shape shifting raccoons, whose forest is slowly being destroyed by humans. I would normally assume that with that plot it would be a preachy, boring "WHY MUST WE HURT OUR MOTHER EARTH?!!!!" style story but it's not at all. It's from their point of view, not in a way that's overstated. No big sweeping scores or little raccoons finding a potato chip bag and shedding a tear.

Along with their magical powers of shape-shifting (which often includes using their testicles... I'm not making that up), they persevere and fight on. It's not an epic, it's not manipulative at all. It's set more or less in the real world, at least the imagined world where raccoons can talk is portrayed realistically.

This movie is hilarious, and a hell of a lot of fun. It's an excellent 'escape' movie. It's a cute fun filled world, the raccoons go through tough times but they don't sit around crying about it. It brought me back to that feeling as a child when I would watch Disney movies and feel the "magic" (which now that I'm grown up is just "escapism".) This movie isn't for critics. If you think that little raccoons playing with their balls and having fabulous adventures are stupid then you can go and re-watch 'Citizen Kane.' Don't go into watching this movie with a serious attitude or critical eye, just feel the fun. Don't be a critic and "compare it to other Ghibli films", who cares about how "GOOD" a movie is, if you don't enjoy it. It's not about how many fat middle-aged critics like it, it's about how it elicits emotion in you.

So don't view this movie as another "movie", it's about feeling like a kid again and just having a lot of fun watching these amazing raccoons.

An all around excellent film, a good antidote to a rainy day! 10/10.