Anime Eiga Review: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Film Synopsis

While out harvesting, an old bamboo cutter (voiced by Takeo Chii) sees one particular stock glowing bright. Inside he finds a small girl; almost like a doll. The old man is captivated and he believes the heavens have bestowed upon him a princess.

The old man takes the girl to his home and shows her to his wife (voiced by Nobuko Miyamoto). Suddenly the girl transform into an actually baby. Overjoyed, the elderly couple gladly takes in the child and raises her as their own.

The girl quickly grows larger and larger, and within a short time she becomes a beautiful young woman (voiced by Aki Asakura).

In their hearts, the old couple knows their daughter is indeed a princess. Therefore they take her to the capital city where to learn how to be a proper lady of court. Although sad to leave her home, the girl tries to make the most out of her new surroundings. As talk of her beauty grows, she is given the name Kaguya as an official seal of her status.

Many suitors try to win Kaguya's heart, but she turns them all away. She knows all who call are only interested in her appearance, not her. As time goes on, Kaguya yearns for the simple, peaceful days of her old life.

Perhaps only there she can find her true happiness.

Film Positives

I have to, I just have to say it. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is one of Studio Ghibli's most visually breathtaking films. It's absolutely stunning. There's no denying, this is a pinnacle achievement in animation’s history.

And the film itself is good too.

The Story

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is based on the old Japanese folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. I’ll let you in on a little secret, I don’t know a damn thing about that story. So how close the film’s take on it is, I couldn’t tell you. Frankly though it doesn’t matter.

This version of the story, regardless to how faithful it is, gets what it wants to say across. And it’s not a happy message.

We already know director Isao Takahata can do tragedy; thank you Grave of the Fireflies, a month later and my eyes are still not dry. I wouldn’t call Princess Kaguya a tragedy, but it’s not going to leave you smiling.

As the film progresses, you can just feel the weight being placed upon poor Kaguya. She doesn’t want to be here. Her palace is a glorified prison. She didn’t ask for this, she didn’t want any of this. Is it therefore a surprise she would fight against it?

Every time Kaguya would push back, it was uplifting. That’s why it sucked whenever she lost heart. There was only so much she could take before breaking down.

The first time this happened was actually a little terrifying. When Kaguya ran it was as if the world had turn to chaos. The further and faster she went, the more disheveled and weak she would become. But it was all in her head. She was still locked away in her gilded cage.

She would never stay this way. Kaguya would find hope, she would find inspiration, and she would hit back. She use her mind to manipulate those who were only after her pretty face. She was able to bend a bunch of high ranking nobles to her will; including the Emperor himself.

Sadly, the harder she pushed, the harder the situation pushed back.

One suitor pledged his undying love to Kaguya. He spoke in poetry and with heart. His only gift was a simple unnamed flower. He promised to take her away from her confinement, to be free once again. Kaguya was moved and was on the verge of accepting. However the man’s words were lies.

You could hear the crush of Kaguya’s heart. This person toyed with her happiness and ripped her to shreds.

It was a weary cycle of give and take until eventually everything was taken and there was no longer anything left for Kaguya to give. She was pushed across a line she couldn't come back from. During that moment she realized what it was she always wanted.

Too bad it was too late.

Happiness is the theme of this movie. It wasn't so much about what happiness is, but more about not forcing perceived happiness onto someone else. Some people find pleasure in grandeur, some in simplicity. One is not inherently better than the other. Yet if one is not for you it can never work.

Imagine for a moment you're a person who loves roses. Beautiful and red, they make you feel at peace. Around them you are at your most tranquil. Now imagine you're in a sea of bright, crimson roses. You're elated; laughing and crying out of sheer bliss.

Finally, imagine you’re with your most precious person. You would do anything for them. To have them smile is you’re only goal in life. Where better a place to take them then your ideal happiness. But unbeknownst to you, you're most important person is allergic to roses. Suddenly your paradise has become their hell.

That is what I saw happening to Kaguya, that’s what I got out of this film.

Film Negatives

I feel a little bad about this because I totally ruined the moment for myself.

Kaguya told a group of high ranking men, one of them being the dick muncher I mentioned earlier, if they wished to win her heart they would have to find the rare item they compared her to. She knew this was an impossible task since none of these items existed; which to me is a little weird to have fictitious items in story where the main character was born out a stick of bamboo, but what are you going to do.

Each of these men thought they could be cleaver and try to forge their respective item. Something always went wrong and their shams were always exposed. The last guy was legitimately trying to obtain his gift, but he was being a total ass hat about it.

The man ends up falling into a pile of garbage. Joking I thought to myself, “This S.O.B. just got himself killed”. Literally the very next scene, “He’s dead.” What the fu…really? I was taken off guard and began laughing hysterically.

I know I wasn't supposed to do that.

Now does any of that have to do with a mistake done by the film; maybe not. I suppose I probably shouldn’t have found this set up to be humorous anyway.

There was something else about the film that didn’t sit quite right with me. Kaguya was blatant in her distain toward being a princess. Why then did she not mention anything to her father? I can't accept the idea it was out of some form of respect or expected decency. She proved many times that she didn't really give a crap about what a princess should do.

I don’t know, but I think a tiny mention might have done a lot of good.

Final Thoughts

The “issues” I had with The Tale of the Princess Kaguya are petty at best; I’ll be the first one to admit it. This movie’s great.

Spectacular to look at, this is a story that has a lot to say and does exactly what it needs to do to say it. This is a film that's going to strike many emotions and end in such a way that will leave you sad because of how preventable everything could have been. 

Like it was for Miyazaki and The Wind Rises, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya was the last time the world saw Isao Takahata in the director’s chair. As the man who gave us Grave of the Fireflies, My Neighbors the Yamadas, and Only Yesterday, if this is to be his last feature, he ended on a high note.

Ghibli Month will continue tomorrow with 2014’s When Marnie Was There.

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