The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)

Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter her, but ultimately she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime.

Director:

Isao Takahata

Writers:

Isao Takahata (story), Isao Takahata (screenplay)

Stars:

Chloë Grace Moretz, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 13 wins & 37 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Aki Asakura	...	Kaguya hime / Jokan (voice)
Kengo Kôra	...	Sutemaru (voice)
Takeo Chii	...	Okina (voice)
Nobuko Miyamoto	...	Ôna / Narration (voice)
Atsuko Takahata	...	Sagami (voice)
Tomoko Tabata	...	Menowarawa (voice)
Shinosuke Tatekawa	...	Inbe no akita (voice)
Takaya Kamikawa	...	Ishitsukuri no miko (voice)
Hikaru Ijûin	...	Abe no udaijin (voice)
Ryûdô Uzaki	...	Ôtomo no dainagon (voice)
Shichinosuke Nakamura	...	Mikado (voice)
Isao Hashizume	...	Kuramochi no miko (voice)
Mirai Uchida	...	Kaguya hime (child) (voice)
Fubomichi Takazawa	...	Voice Appearance (voice)
Reigo Mizoguchi	...	Shônen (voice)

Storyline

An old man makes a living by selling bamboo. One day, he finds a princess in a bamboo. The princess is only the size of a finger. Her name is Kaguya. When Kaguya grows up, 5 men from prestigious families propose to her. Kaguya asks the men to find memorable marriage gifts for her, but the 5 men are unable to find what Kaguya wants. Then, the Emperor of Japan proposes to her.

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Plot Keywords:

bamboo | princess | studio ghibli | adoptive father adopted daughter relationship | female protagonist | 

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Taglines:

A Princess' Crime and Punishment

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Drama | Family | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements, some violent action and partial nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

It was originally set to premiere the same day as Kaze tachinu (2013), honoring the fact that Hotaru no haka (1988) and Tonari no Totoro (1988) also premiered on the same day, but delays in production forced to move the day to November.

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Goofs

While the baby princess crawls to the cutter she tosses a piece of bamboo to the edge of the floor mat. In the reverse shot as she crawls back, it is missing.

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Quotes

The Princess Kaguya: [singing] Go round, come round, come round... come round, oh distant time. Come round, call back my heart. Come round, call back my heart. Birds, bugs, beasts, grass, trees, flowers. Teach me how to feel. If i hear that you pine for me, i will return to you.

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Connections

Featured in Top 10 Best Animated Films of the 2010 Decade (2019)

User Reviews

Great use of art!

I really enjoyed watching this movie. The colour and detail in the sketches. Specific detail was added where the viewers eye was meant to go. (though I did quite enjoy laughing at the several tiny babies that were left partially drawn)

It is quite refreshing to notice the attention paid to the sketches that went over the changes of the seasons. The detail with the insects, plants, flowers and animals.

Another aspect that really brings quite an effect into the story would be the colour scheme; colourful, ocher/grey, red. The drawings alone are impressive but the additional colour REALLY brings out the emotion behind the ongoing story.

I found the story rather strange because certain parts were confusing. I think this is one film I shall keep in my list to see again.

Details

Official Sites:

Arthaus [Norway] Disney [Japan]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

23 November 2013 (Japan)

Also Known As:

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Box Office

Budget:

JPY5,000,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$54,915, 19 October 2014

Gross USA:

$974,913

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$24,706,166

Company Credits

Production Co:

Studio Ghibli, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners

Technical Specs

Runtime:

137 min

Sound Mix:

Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1