The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya Photos

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Cast & Crew

Chloë Grace Moretz
The Princess Kaguya
Voice

James Caan
The Bamboo Cutter
Voice

Mary Steenburgen
The Bamboo Cutter's Wife, Narrator
Voice

Darren Criss
Sutemaru
Voice

Lucy Liu
Lady Sagami
Voice

James Marsden
Prince Ishitsukuri
Voice

Oliver Platt
Lord Minster of the Right Abe
Voice

Beau Bridges
Prince Kuramochi
Voice

Dean Cain
The Mikado
Voice

John Cho
Middle Counselor Isonokami
Voice

Isao Takahata
Director

Isao Takahata
Screenwriter

Riko Sakaguchi
Screenwriter

Geoffrey Wexler
Producer

Seiichirô Ujiie
Producer

Frank Marshall
Executive Producer

Yoshiaki Nishimura
Executive Producer

Yoshio Okubo
Executive Producer

Keisuke Nakamura
Cinematographer

Joe Hisaishi
Original Music

Kazuo Oga
Art Director

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Audience Reviews for The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

• Aug 15, 2017

  The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is an absolute stunning piece of art. Let's just take a moment to appreciate how beautiful this film is, it is without a doubt a work of art. Every paint stroke, every detail and every frame by frame animation is perfection. I've never seen such exquisite visionary qualities in a film before. Every frame is colourful, bright and absolutely delightful to admire. Not to mention several scenes have multiple layers of animation embedded within them, masterful. I'm just...in awe of how amazing the animation was, I really am. Trust it to be Studio Ghibli, they really are masters of the animation genre. This film is a re-telling of the famous Japanese folk tale "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" where said bamboo cutter comes across a glowing stalk which is revealed to contain a princess. They raise her as she grows rapidly and, with the help of a divine presence, believe she should be living in the lifestyle of nobility. There is so much to analyse, so much to take in that I just don't have enough words to detail every theme that is explored. The story is one of happiness. The contrasting lifestyles of rural village people to rich noblemen. But is anyone actually truly happy? Princess Kaguya wishes to live back in the mountains whereas her old friends are jealous of her new luxurious residence. Within this personal conflict is the never ending battle of seeking true happiness which conclusively she does not find (much like everyone else in life). The bamboo cutter gave the princess a life in his own image, a life that he wished he desired all along. While he may have been happy, his daughter was not. He was blinded by the materialistic aspirations that he yearned for. The representation of the traditional Japanese culture was wonderful and really captured the authenticity of the folk tale. I do have to warn you though, don't let the cutesy animation fool you. I do not recommend this for children. It's a long runtime, there are heavy themes and I don't think they will fully appreciate it.
  

  Luke A Super Reviewer
• Jun 26, 2015

  An exquisite and beautiful film.
  Marcus W Super Reviewer
• Mar 01, 2015

  This film is absolutely exquisitely drawn. There is no CG here and it is a joy to watch. The famous Japanese folklore tale is great to watch and you cannot help but be enthralled by all the characters. Superb.
  

  Ian W Super Reviewer
• Feb 20, 2015

  "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya" is a lovely story about a found princess that grows quickly, deals with life's hardships, downfalls, and the realistically drawn imagery really makes you buy into this story. Well-written, brilliantly-animated (as always by Studio Ghibli), it is definitely worth it's Academy Awards recognition. It may not be the best film to come from this studio, but ever since the mastermind of the studio passed, it will be a challenge to live up to. I really enjoyed watching this film, and by the end I was actually tearing up, because the maturity level of the characters and symbolism that was being shown, really stood out. "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya" is the definition of an achievement in my opinion and deserves to be seen by many around the world. This is a very original film, however, it is a tad overlong and slowly paced out, making for a less pleasant experience. It felt like it was trying to take it's beautiful story and stretch it to become a Blockbuster film, which felt very out of left field for the studio. In the end, this is a really good film.
  

  KJ P Super Reviewer

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