Tale of the Princess Kaguya review

Well, today, I watched the movie "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya", another film by the always fantastic Studio Ghibli, for the first time. Now that I've watched it, I feel it's only fair to give it a review. I shall do my best to avoid spoilers. So first, let's start with the synopsis.

'The Tale of the Princess Kaguya' is a retelling of the story of 'The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter' that is expanded upon to include more to the story, such as other characters, more emotion, and, of course, that Studio Ghibli magic we've come to love and expect. One day, a bamboo cutter comes across a shining bamboo shoot, cutting it open to find a tiny girl inside. This tiny girl, who he believes to be a princess, soon becomes a baby girl, over time quickly growing into a beautiful young lady, following her as she goes from peasant to princess and the hardships that she goes through.

And now to talk about what I considered good about the movie. First and foremost, the animation was absolutely phenomenal. This story looks like it came straight out of an old Japanese painting. If there was ever a movie that showed how good hand drawn animation still is today, it would have to be this movie. The scenery is gorgeous, the characters are distinctive and interesting, and the mood is wonderfully set every single time. The music as well is simply gorgeous and fits with every scene as well, whether joyous, sad, peaceful, or tumultuous. The English voice acting fit perfectly for each character, with special props going to Chloe Grace Moretz for her lovely role as the titular Kaguya. Whether she's joyfully playing with her friends, stoically taking on the role of Princess, or miserably screaming as her life takes a beating, she always does a great job giving it her all. And speaking of the characters, they were really good as well, with perhaps one of my favorites being the relatively minor character of Me no Warawa, a servant who ends up being one of the only friends Kaguya has while she is a princess. I've heard that there are people who felt Kaguya was not a good character, but I would disagree. Yes, the point that she's selfish is a fair one, but I don't feel it's without good reason. Rather than being an unlikable character, I think of her as a sweet, interesting, and tragic one.

And now for the bad, and boy, is it a big one for me. Now as an avid movie viewer and lover of media, I understand that not all stories are going to have happy endings. Some of the greatest works are stories that have sad or even depressing endings. But it is rare that I have seen a movie that felt so consistently sad. While I understand why this story couldn't have a happy ending and I know that the events that occurred made plenty of sense, it doesn't make me feel any better about it. Part of what makes it so sad is the main character, Kaguya, who despite having a good character is, honestly, a fairly helpless heroine at times. Many of her attempts to be free and do what she would like to are quickly stopped and she is forced to conform and do as she is told. In a time when so many female characters are becoming stronger and more capable, this may come as something of a slap in the face to these heroines.

All in all, this film is a visual and auditory masterpiece with a great, albeit unhappy story. If you can make it through these moments of sadness, then I definitely recommend you give it at least one watch. If not, don't put yourself through the sadness. You'll feel better.