The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (film)

• 1. Origins And Adaptation History

  ›

  In 1960, Isao Takahata prepared a potential adaptation of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter for Toei Animation. That project never came to fruition. Decades later, he reread the ancient text and realized its emotional core could resonate with modern audiences if viewers understood Princess Kaguya's inner life. Studio Ghibli announced in 2008 that Takahata was working on a feature-length film based on the anonymous Japanese literary tale. He confirmed his intention at the 62nd Locarno International Film Festival in 2009. Nippon TV financed the project, with late chairman Seiichiro Ujiie contributing approximately 3 billion yen. Ujiie died on the 3rd of March 2011, after viewing some storyboards but before production concluded. The release date was finally confirmed by Studio Ghibli and distributor Toho on the 13th of December 2012.

  182033

• 2. Plot And Narrative Arc

  ›

  A bamboo cutter discovers a small scale girl inside a glowing bamboo shoot. He and his wife raise her as their own, calling her "Princess". Village children nickname her Takenoko. Sutemaru, the oldest among Takenoko's friends, develops a close relationship with her. The bamboo cutter finds gold and fine cloth in the bamboo grove and decides to make her a noble princess. He relocates the family to the capital, forcing the girl to leave her friends behind. A governess tames her into a noblewoman while she yearns for her prior life in the countryside. When she comes of age, she receives the formal name Kaguya. She overhears partygoers ridiculing her father's attempts to turn a peasant girl into a noble through money. Kaguya flees the capital in despair and runs back to the mountains, seeking Sutemaru and her friends, only to discover they have all moved away. She passes out in the snow and awakens back at the party.

  567

• 3. Feminist Themes And Social Critique

  ›

  Kaguya's move to the capital and her father's insistence that she adopt the life of a noblewoman run counter to her wishes. Her mother's limited role in decision-making highlights the lack of female agency in the household. Yalcinkaya points to a dream sequence in which Kaguya breaks through a series of doors as a metaphor for the barriers imposed by family and society. The film critiques ideals of beauty and propriety during the Heian period. Kaguya's training in court etiquette required her to suppress emotions, amounting to a painful renunciation of humanity. Her decision to set impossible tasks for suitors has been read as a depiction of female resistance within a male-dominated hierarchy. Both rural and aristocratic life are portrayed as tragic: peasants constrained by poverty while aristocrats bound by class rigidity. Shi observes that her vitality fades as the story progresses, culminating in a scene where she overhears men mocking her origins; her shrinking figure against a backdrop of darkness underscores her sense of isolation.

  252627

• 4. Visual Style And Artistic Technique

  ›

  To make sure the audience emotionally connected with the film, it was important to Takahata that viewers were able to imagine or recall the reality deep within the drawings. Osamu Tanabe provided character designs and animation while Kazuo Oga drew watercolor backgrounds. The countryside is shown through muted colors and soft lines emphasizing simplicity and joy. The capital is rendered with bolder hues suggesting indulgence and confinement. In one sequence, Kaguya flees the palace in a style animated with rapid, unrestrained brushstrokes, visually expressing her frustration and despair. The contrast between rural life and the palace serves as a central motif throughout the narrative. Her mother and handmaiden take her back to the country where a blooming tree stands not far from her old hut. Reveling in its bursting forth with life, she happily whirls amid petals but stumbles into a child whose family begs for forgiveness.

  142958

• 5. Production Challenges And Final Film

  ›

  The Tale of the Princess Kaguya had a budget of US$49.3 million, making it the most expensive Japanese film at the time. Studio Ghibli announced in 2013 that the release would be delayed until November 23rd due to incomplete storyboards. Isao Takahata died in April 2018, making this his final directed work. It was also the last film featuring Takeo Chii, who passed away in June 2012. The production faced significant financial struggles despite support from Nippon TV and other partners. A documentary titled Isao Takahata and His Tale of the Princess Kaguya covered the making of the film. The release was initially planned alongside Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind Rises but was postponed to ensure quality completion. Independent distributor GKIDS acquired US rights on the 12th of March 2014, releasing an English dub version produced by Studio Ghibli and Frank Marshall.

  193441

• 6. Musical Score And Sound Design

  ›

  In 2012, Shin-ichiro Ikebe was announced to write the film's score. Joe Hisaishi replaced him as composer in 2013, marking their only collaboration together. The theme song When I Remember This Life was written and performed by Nikaido Kazumi. Music from the original soundtrack released on the 20th of November 2013. The deities descending to return Kaguya to the Moon appear in bright hues accompanied by joyful music, contrasting with darker tones of Earth and family sorrow. The Buddha-like figure evokes Pure Land tradition beliefs about guidance to a realm of peace after death. The Moon represents a place free from earthly pain and longing, paralleling divine solitude. This musical juxtaposition reinforces themes of suffering coexisting with beauty before her departure.

  313250

• 7. Critical Reception And Legacy

  ›

  The Tale of the Princess Kaguya debuted at first place during its opening weekend in Japan, grossing ¥2,313,602,733 ($22,613,153) by the 2nd of February 2014. It became the eleventh top-grossing Japanese film of 2014 worldwide. The film received critical acclaim, earning a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the highest-rated films of the 2010s. David Ehrlich of The A.V. Club called it "the best animated movie of the year". Nicolas Rapold of The New York Times praised artwork as "exquisitely drawn with both watercolor delicacy and a brisk sense of line." Carlos Aguilar for IndieWire placed it among the greatest Japanese films of the 21st century. In July 2025, it ranked number 279 on The New York Times list of The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century. The film won multiple awards including the Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 87th Academy Awards.

  555759