The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

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The Tale of the Princess Kaguya かぐや姫の物語 is an animated drama co-written by Riko Sakaguchi and Isao Takahata, which is based on Japanese folktale by the similar name. Released in 2013 and directed by the legendary Isao Takahata.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya follows a bamboo cutter and his wife, who discover a baby inside a bamboo shoot. Convinced that this child was a gift from the heavens, they decided to raise her as there own. The bamboo cutter later uncovers riches and expensive clothing also inside a bamboo shoot. On a whim, he prepares to move his family to the Captial, so the Princess could live like the royalty he felt she was.

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I really enjoyed watching The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. The animation alone was enough to warrant a watch. The use of watercolor, can’t say I’ve seen anything like this before. Though, things with a similar aesthetic have followed.

Takahata and staff found a way to mesh traditional Japanese art through the inception of modern animation. You get a bit of old and a bit of new. The story that is being retold, it a folk tale, and at every moment, it really felt just like that. Had they stylized it differently, It wouldn’t hit the same. Regardless, if the story had stayed the same.
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a dope movie and comes with quite a few surprises.

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This film had your girl, reflecting on what the lifestyle of a Princess really is. To be honest, I never really thought about it until now. How much restraint and discipline reallly goes into this lifestyle. Princess struggled for this. It wasn’t even because this was something that she wanted but because she was afraid of disappointing her Father. Because of it, she was unhappy, about 75 percent of this movie.

Kaguya’s relationship with her Father was satisfying. Sanuki no Miyatsuko adored her. He wanted the best for her. The bamboo cutter got lost in the sauce, and it became more about what he wanted than about her. He went from “obeying the will of the gods” to keeping up with the Jones. Or, in this case, the other royalty. By the time he realized his mistakes, it was too late.

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Most of my favorite moments took place during Princess time in the village. The only place that ever felt like home was back with her boys. The love, joy, and encouragement were moving. So much so that she spent years reminiscing about those times, when she was free. I’m also happy that this movie didn’t feature a forced romance. It was about love, but rather than romantic love, it was about the love of family. I appreciate how she was reunited with her closest friend before being called home and forgetting everything.

This movie had quite the send-off.

What did you think of The Tale of Princess Kaguya?

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