The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya
A bamboo cutter finds a mysterious young girl inside a bamboo shoot. He takes the small girl to his wife and decide to raise her. She grows quickly and she is soon out playing with neighbouring family's sons. Her adoptive father believes that heaven sent her to them in order to make her a princess. What follows is a tale of how the girl faces the life of a "noble woman", with its posturing, discipline, suitors and restricting customs.
This story is based on a Japanese folktale from the 10th Century. The art style is different from the usual Ghibli style, it has a brush-stroke feel to it but it still captures the Ghibli charm. The style feels somewhat more free, more vibrant and more artistic. At one point she runs away from the palace and the ensuing scene where she ran through forests and fields was hypnotically beautiful. The story is not a particularly happy or feel-good one. It follows how Kaguya's childhood freedom is systematically replaced by the strict life of a noble. It is debateable whether it is a happy or sad ending. But hey, this is based on a folktale from the 10th Century and I can't criticise it for not satisfying my 21st Century narrative desires. Tales like this are untouchable classics and I believe it was suitably Ghiblified in such a way that even a Eastern-Culture noob like myself can appreciate it. But sorry I've gotta go to the moon. Lil' Bamboo!
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