The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)

[Talal86]

Just finished watching this.. sadly couldn't view it all in one go, because I kept falling sleep, should've saved it for the weekend, I guess

anyway, I thought it's the best Ghibli movie in recent years, so magical

[Mandalorian]

Finally nabbed a copy. Fry's has it for $19, in case anyone was waiting for a sub-$20 pre-tax price.

[SilentDawn]

Originally Posted by Mandalorian

Finally nabbed a copy. Fry's has it for $19, in case anyone was waiting for a sub-$20 pre-tax price.

Enjoy, It's possibly Studio Ghibli's best.

[Makarov]

Man the animation is awesome and worth buying for that alone... but I'm not really sure about the story.

MAJOR spoilers and rant ahead. Only read if you've seen the film:

[Show spoiler]
I found it very depressing with not much counteracting that in the story...

Kaguya knew she wanted to be in the country her whole life but did nothing about it. Her old friend meets her and she watches him get beat up - does nothing about it. Then she gets pulled back up to the moon before she actually accomplishes anything. While her parents watch in horror. Pass me the Zoloft.

Her parents, childhood friends, and random suitors try to make her happy for her entire life, yet she spends her whole life in misery. The most happy and freeing moment of the movie (flying scene) turns out to be a dream. Could the movie be any more depressing? I know it's meant to be based off some folklore, am I missing some point of it?

All I can think of is a meditation on death... but all the characters cherished her anyway and she was still miserable. So I'm not sure on what the message is meant to be.

Interested in what any fans of the movie think of those points.

[Mr.F]

Originally Posted by Makarov

Man the animation is awesome and worth buying for that alone... but I'm not really sure about the story.

MAJOR spoilers and rant ahead. Only read if you've seen the film:

[Show spoiler]
I found it very depressing with not much counteracting that in the story...

Kaguya knew she wanted to be in the country her whole life but did nothing about it. Her old friend meets her and she watches him get beat up - does nothing about it. Then she gets pulled back up to the moon before she actually accomplishes anything. While her parents watch in horror. Pass me the Zoloft.

Her parents, childhood friends, and random suitors try to make her happy for her entire life, yet she spends her whole life in misery. The most happy and freeing moment of the movie (flying scene) turns out to be a dream. Could the movie be any more depressing? I know it's meant to be based off some folklore, am I missing some point of it?

All I can think of is a meditation on death... but all the characters cherished her anyway and she was still miserable. So I'm not sure on what the message is meant to be.

Interested in what any fans of the movie think of those points.

Although it's not specifically made to be depressing, the film is meant to be a critique on the Japanese customs of the time

[Show spoiler]She was happy in the country, but could not do anything about it, because daughters had to obey their fathers no matter what. When she sees her friend being beat up, she does nothing about it because she is a princess, and intervening would be unladylike and put of place.

As for the ending, I think the flying wasn't a dream, but she couldn't really run away with him because they were coming to get her anyways. And while I did not completely understand the reason why she was sent to Earth, I believe it was because she also felt caged in the moon, so she asked to be sent to earth, where she went on to live a similar life, but she didn't realize she could truly be happy on Earth until it was too late.

So, the point is, women had it rough back then and basically still have it rough everywhere no matter how many pretty kimonos they have or if parades are thrown for them

[Herry Dunston]

It's not a happy story, but it's rather important that our lives are rather limited and we should appreciate the life we have while it lasts. Granted, the experiences Little Bamboo experienced are merciless, most accidentally by the insistence of her father, but when she made her ultimate decision, that was the part she regrets the most.

[Show spoiler]It's basically a prolonged suicide for her once she made the decision to go back to the moon; it's only through her irreversible action that she ultimately learns about the good memories she had.

It's like the old saying, "you don't know what you got 'til it's gone".


Speaking of the flying scene, that part always bothers me even after a rewatch.

[Show spoiler]Particularly that her childhood friend is willing to leave his wife and child behind to be with Little Bamboo, whom she doesn't know he's already hitched. Giving she experienced this experience before with one of her suitors, to her discomfort, there's this uncomfortable irony invovled.

And the scene treats it like it's majestic, which aesthetically it is but that's it.

[Bandit Tajomaru]

Originally Posted by Makarov

Man the animation is awesome and worth buying for that alone... but I'm not really sure about the story.

MAJOR spoilers and rant ahead. Only read if you've seen the film:

[Show spoiler]
I found it very depressing with not much counteracting that in the story...

Kaguya knew she wanted to be in the country her whole life but did nothing about it. Her old friend meets her and she watches him get beat up - does nothing about it. Then she gets pulled back up to the moon before she actually accomplishes anything. While her parents watch in horror. Pass me the Zoloft.

Her parents, childhood friends, and random suitors try to make her happy for her entire life, yet she spends her whole life in misery. The most happy and freeing moment of the movie (flying scene) turns out to be a dream. Could the movie be any more depressing? I know it's meant to be based off some folklore, am I missing some point of it?

All I can think of is a meditation on death... but all the characters cherished her anyway and she was still miserable. So I'm not sure on what the message is meant to be.

Interested in what any fans of the movie think of those points.

[Show spoiler]I see it as a class thing. Kaguya's father would never let her be with Sutemaru because he was a peasant. Kaguya wasn't respected by the aristocrats because her father basically paid for her title. All Kaguya wanted in her life was to be with Sutemaru

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by Herry Dunston

Speaking of the flying scene, that part always bothers me even after a rewatch.

[Show spoiler]Particularly that her childhood friend is willing to leave his wife and child behind to be with Little Bamboo, whom she doesn't know he's already hitched. Giving she experienced this experience before with one of her suitors, to her discomfort, there's this uncomfortable irony invovled.

And the scene treats it like it's majestic, which aesthetically it is but that's it.

[Show spoiler]I think it's different because he was leaving his wife and kid to be with his true passion. Where as that suitor was just trying to get a younger wife and he didn't really care about who she really was. I still would find it a happier ending if he ditched his wife and kid to be with her in reality, rather than it being a dream and she floating up to the moon leaving everyone grieving.

[jlk5844]

Originally Posted by Mr.F

[Show spoiler]And while I did not completely understand the reason why she was sent to Earth, I believe it was because she also felt caged in the moon, so she asked to be sent to earth, where she went on to live a similar life, but she didn't realize she could truly be happy on Earth until it was too late.

[Show spoiler]I thought when I had seen the movie that she had been sent by the Moon people to Earth to be treated as royalty and when she didn't want that life she was reclaimed as punishment. So I'm kind of confused by the fact that she actually wanted to be there but then was bored of her high class status, yet still spoke highly of her experience on Earth and the people.

[Herry Dunston]

Originally Posted by Makarov

[Show spoiler]I think it's different because he was leaving his wife and kid to be with his true passion. Where as that suitor was just trying to get a younger wife and he didn't really care about who she really was. I still would find it a happier ending if he ditched his wife and kid to be with her in reality, rather than it being a dream and she floating up to the moon leaving everyone grieving.

See, this is where we have different morals here.

[Show spoiler]First, we don't know much of anything about Sutemaru between him being pummeled and his married life, and neither does Little Bamboo. For all we know, he's very content with his wife and child, and Kaguya being there pushes his chivalry to the point of immorality. Not like we have any perspective on his wife to say he's better of with Little Bamboo, although her perspective doesn't matter because it's about Kaguya's reunion with a familiar face. Which begs the question why bother having him married in the first place? Why not just have him be initially single and do the same scene without that moral hanging in the background?

Again, this is my personal set of principles that clashes against the scene. Taking that away, I get what Takahata's trying to say with the scene, and I understand what you wish would happen in that scene. But personally, it being fleeting is what makes it so powerful; it's a last rite of happiness, and she wishes to embrace what could've been as long as she can. It would be a total cheat to the film's vision if it went the other (and personally morally repugnant) path.

[Bandit Tajomaru]

Originally Posted by Herry Dunston

See, this is where we have different morals here.

[Show spoiler]For all we know, he's very content with his wife and child, and Kaguya being there pushes his chivalry to the point of immorality.

Again, this is my personal set of principles that clashes against the scene. Taking that away, I get what Takahata's trying to say with the scene, and I understand what you wish would happen in that scene. But personally, it being fleeting is what makes it so powerful; it's a last rite of happiness, and she wishes to embrace what could've been as long as she can. It would be a total cheat to the film's vision if it went the other (and personally morally repugnant) path.

[Show spoiler]I think it is obvious he settled on his wife but Kaguya is the one he really wants to be with. Also those 5 nobels that wanted Kaguya lots of them were also married at the time they were trying to get Kaguya to be theirs.

[Herry Dunston]

Originally Posted by Bandit Tajomaru

[Show spoiler]I think it is obvious he settled on his wife but Kaguya is the one he really wants to be with. Also those 5 nobels that wanted Kaguya lots of them were also married at the time they were trying to get Kaguya to be theirs.

[Show spoiler]Didn't we, or rather Kaguya, only knows one of them is married? Has it been established that all five of the nobles have spouses? I know that the head honcho in the end had many wives, but that's all I remember. Was she ever given a hint that she's about to be a consort? I don't know.

As for Sutemaru, as I said, the longing scene would've been just fine had he be a single man, or at least currently siding with someone but not engaged or impregnated.

I don't wish to drag this needlessly over my personal peeves, so let's leave it at that.

[Makarov]

Did I miss the explanation for...

[Show spoiler]why she shows up in bamboo in the beginning? Near the end of the movie they drop the bombshell that she's from the moon and it seems to come out of nowhere. Wouldn't it make more sense for her to fall from the sky or something?

[Bandit Tajomaru]

Originally Posted by Herry Dunston

[Show spoiler]Didn't we, or rather Kaguya, only knows one of them is married? Has it been established that all five of the nobles have spouses? I know that the head honcho in the end had many wives, but that's all I remember. Was she ever given a hint that she's about to be a consort? I don't know.

As for Sutemaru, as I said, the longing scene would've been just fine had he be a single man, or at least currently siding with someone but not engaged or impregnated.

I don't wish to drag this needlessly over my personal peeves, so let's leave it at that.

[Show spoiler]I remember 2 of the nobels were married. The one with the Flower who got caught by his wife. The one with the jeweled branch moved his wife out of his palace in anticipation of Kaguya moving in.

[Herry Dunston]

Originally Posted by Bandit Tajomaru

[Show spoiler]I remember 2 of the nobels were married. The one with the Flower who got caught by his wife. The one with the jeweled branch moved his wife out of his palace in anticipation of Kaguya moving in.

[Show spoiler]I'm aware the flower guy, which is the referential irony I mentioned. Completely forgot about the jeweled branch fellow. But that's it, just two, and I think the jeweled branch guy point attention to his separation. It doesn't seem widely-expressed enough to make the whole consort-like relationship to have any cultural understanding.

[Mandalorian]

Originally Posted by SilentDawn

Enjoy, It's possibly Studio Ghibli's best.

I wouldn't say it's their best film, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. It truly is a thing of beauty, and the maturity of the story is remarkable.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by Herry Dunston

Speaking of the flying scene, that part always bothers me even after a rewatch.

[Show spoiler]Particularly that her childhood friend is willing to leave his wife and child behind to be with Little Bamboo, whom she doesn't know he's already hitched. Giving she experienced this experience before with one of her suitors, to her discomfort, there's this uncomfortable irony invovled.

And the scene treats it like it's majestic, which aesthetically it is but that's it.

I don't remember if it is clear whose point of view we get before the Dream sequence,

[Show spoiler]but based on the previous dream of Kaguya, it could be argued that she is the one dreaming, so it wouldn't be the childhood friend fault.

[monorail91]

How has Amazon's slipcover situation been on this title? I see the price has dropped to $19.99 but need to feel confident I'm getting the full package.

[cakefactory]

It's inside the shrinkwrap.

[jlk5844]

Originally Posted by monorail91

How has Amazon's slipcover situation been on this title? I see the price has dropped to $19.99 but need to feel confident I'm getting the full package.

I ordered mine last week and it came with one. It released on Feb 17 and it's not like it's a super popular title so I don't see why the slip would disappear any time soon.

Originally Posted by cakefactory

It's inside the shrinkwrap.

No it's not. No copy I've come across has been like that.