Vincent Walden's Not So Professional Reviews: The Tale of Princess Kaguya

It's that time again, where I make a stab at something passionately and write like a 12 year old!

The Tale of Princess Kaguya – Studio Ghibli's first feature release since the retirement of animation legend, Hayao Miyazaki. He did in-fact retire, then un-retire, then become a member of the board and now I assume he's breeding cats in space or something like that.

Anyway, Studio Ghibli is always a firm favourite of mine, and I am yet to find a company that has produced so many great films that have both made me look on in awe and wonder, whilst wondering why there are small woodland creatures flying using their testicles. I think their films are fantastic and aside from a few films (My Neighbours the Yamadas, Ocean Waves) I would say that their portfolio, or rather collection is almost god-like in quality.

So, with that in mind I was excited to watch their latest release—as directed by Isao Takahata. I was excited to see what he would do; as he has directed feature Ghibli films before, but he almost seemed more of Miyazaki's understudy, and now that he has full freedom due to Miyazaki's retirement I knew this would be the film for him to truly spread his wings.

I haven't read anything about the story or the film, and this review is going on only what I saw and experienced, so I hope it doesn't read like a cubist painting.

The film was fucking fantastic! The art style was very much making it obvious that they keep the tradition of hand drawn animation alive, and it was in such a way that allowed the film to flow rather than you constantly thinking "Wow, that's hand drawn" of which I was very impressed by. You do notice it's beauty at first, but once the story starts you are just inevitably drawn in and follow the images on screen as a tale acted before you rather than drawings on paper.

I found the animation even more pleasing when I realised this style hadn't really even existed in the Studio Ghibli archive; although it was an old technique it really brought a fresh feeling to the film – I know that 'the film that we shall not speak of yamadas' was in a hand drawn style, but that and this were world apart in quality and suitability. The animation also allowed the art style to change for certain sections throughout the film; jumping to a sketchy, rough look when the princess was running furiously through a dense area of undergrowth—which by the way, is possibly some of the best animation I have ever seen in my life.

Now not wanting to just waffle on about the animation; I will also say, the story, oh my. The story is just as bloody insane as some of their other Takahata films, but it works in a way that makes me look at the screen thinking; that baby just came from a bamboo, I haven't a clue what the context of that is, but I bloody love it.
I believe the story is based on an old folk tale, though I could be wrong. But if it is, then I applaude you fine ladies and gentlemen even more. Usually folklore tales are very straight to the point, allow for little expansion in story and always hold a message – but this film has moon people and a resonating feeling of a strange family tension that Studio Ghibli seem to grasp really well.

I realise at this point, I've written a lot here and well, I feel none of it works towards explaining how much I really did enjoy this film. So it's a strong 9.5/10 for me Bruce, and the only reason that I didn't give it full marks was the fact I wish I knew more of the original tale to understand it better.