The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

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|height = 2.2 |max width = 20
|tab1 = Overview |link1 = The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
|tab2 = Characters |link2 = :Category:The Tale of the Princess Kaguya characters
|tab3 = Gallery |link3 = The Tale of the Princess Kaguya/Gallery
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{{Infobox film
| name           = The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
| image          = 
<gallery>File:The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.jpg
</gallery>
| caption        = Japanese theatrical release poster
| kanji          = 	かぐや姫の物語
| romaji         = ''Kaguya-hime no Monogatari''
| director       = [[Isao Takahata]]
| producer       = [[Yoshiaki Nishimura]]
| writer         = 
| screenplay     = Isao Takahata<br>
Riko Sakaguchi <small>(ja)</small>
| story          = 
| based on       = ''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter''
| narrator       = 
| starring       = Aki Asakura <small>(Wikidata)</small><br>
Kengo Kora<br>
Takeo Chii<br>
Nobuko Miyamoto
| music          = [[Joe Hisaishi]]
| cinematography = Keisuke Nakamura
| artdirector    = 
| editing        = Toshihiko Kojima
| studio         = 
| production     = [[Studio Ghibli]]
| distributor    = [[Toho]]
| released       = 23 November 2013
| runtime        = 137 minutes
| country        = Japan
| language       = Japanese
| budget         = ¥5 billion<br>
(US$49.3 million)
| gross          = ¥2.5 billion<br>
(US$24.2 million)
}}

'''''The Tale of the Princess Kaguya''''' (Japanese: かぐや姫の物語 Hepburn: ''Kaguya-hime no Monogatari'' ) is a 2013 Japanese animated fantasy drama film produced by Studio Ghibli and directed and co-written by [[Isao Takahata]], based on the folktale ''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter''. It is Takahata's fifth film for [[Studio Ghibli]], and his first since ''[[My Neighbors the Yamadas]]'' (1999). It was released on November 23, 2013.

The film received critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 87th Academy Awards.


== Plot ==
[[File:Baby Kaguya.gif|thumb|152x152px|Princess [[Kaguya]] as a baby trying to lie down on tummy]]
A bamboo cutter named Sanuki no [[Miyatsuko]] discovers a miniature girl inside a glowing bamboo shoot. Believing her to be a divine presence, [[Miyatsuko]] and his wife decide to raise her as their own, calling her "Princess". The girl grows rapidly and conspicuously, marveling her parents and earning her the nickname "Takenoko" (Little Bamboo) from the other children in the village. [[Sutemaru]], the oldest among [[Kaguya]]'s friends, develops a particularly close relationship with her.
[[File:Kaguya and friend.jpg|thumb|152x152px|''Princess [[Kaguya]] wrapping cloth around [[Sutemaru]]'s wounded arm.'']]
[[Miyatsuko]] comes upon gold and fine cloth in the bamboo grove in the same way he found his daughter. He takes these as proof of her divine royalty and begins planning to make her a proper princess. He soon

relocates the family to the capital, forcing her to leave her friends behind. She finds herself in a mansion, replete with servants and fine clothes. She is also saddled with a governess who is tasked with taming her into a proper noblewoman. She struggles with the restraints of nobility, arguing that life should be full of laughter and struggle.
[[File:Running.gif|thumb|219x219px|''Princess [[Kaguya]] fleeing the capital'']]
When the girl comes of age, she is granted the formal name of "Princess [[Kaguya]]" for the light and life that radiates from her. [[Miyatsuko]] holds a celebration in commemoration of [[Kaguya]]'s naming. At the celebration, [[Kaguya]] overhears party-goers 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 other friends, but discovers that they have all moved away. [[Kaguya]] passes out in the snow and awakens back at the party.
[[File:Suitors.jpg|thumb|220x220px|''Suitors of Princess [[Kaguya]]'']]
[[Kaguya]] grows in beauty, attracting scores of would-be suitors. Five men of noble standing court her, comparing her to mythical treasures. Not wanting to marry any of them, Kaguya tells them she will only marry whoever can bring her the mythical treasure mentioned. Two suitors unsuccessfully attempt to persuade her with counterfeits. The third abandons his conquest out of cowardice, and the fourth attempts to woo her with flattering lies and a promise of life in the countryside. When one of the men is killed in his quest, [[Kaguya]] falls into depression. Eventually, the Emperor himself takes notice of her. Taken with her beauty, he makes advances toward her, revolting her. [[Kaguya]] then demonstrates the ability to disappear at will, surprising the Emperor. Understanding that he has been too forward, the Emperor takes his leave, determined to still make [[Kaguya]] his.

[[Kaguya]] reveals to her parents that she originally came from the Moon. When the Emperor made his advances, she silently begged the Moon to help her and learned the truth: Once a resident of the Moon, she broke its laws, hoping to be exiled to Earth, so that she could experience mortal life. Now having heard her prayer, the Moon will reclaim her during the next full moon. [[Kaguya]] confesses her attachment to Earth and her reluctance to leave.
[[File:Princess Kaguya flying in air.gif|thumb|225x225px|''Princess [[Kaguya]] embraces [[Sutemaru]] whilst flying in the air'']]
[[Miyatsuko]] swears to protect [[Kaguya]] and begins assembling defensive forces. [[Kaguya]] returns to her hometown in the mountains once more. She finds [[Sutemaru]] and tells him she would have been happiest with him; [[Sutemaru]] vows to protect her, and they fly through the air together. When the Moon shines upon [[Kaguya]], she begs [[Sutemaru]] to hold her tightly. Despite [[Sutemaru]]'s best efforts, [[Kaguya]] is torn from his grasp out of the sky. He awakens alone in a field, and convinced that it had been a dream, returns to his wife and child.

On the night of the full moon, a procession of celestial beings descends from the Moon, and [[Miyatsuko]] is unable to stop it. An attendant offers [[Kaguya]] a robe that will erase her memories of Earth. [[Kaguya]] begs the attendant to grant her a last moment with her parents.
[[File:Celestial beings.PNG|thumb|224x224px|''[[Celestial Beings]]'']]
The attendant assures her that upon returning to the Moon, she will be free of Earth's impurities. [[Kaguya]] rebuffs her, saying that Earth is full of wonder and life. The attendant then drapes the robe around [[Kaguya]], and she appears to forget about her life on Earth. The procession ascends to the Moon, leaving [[Miyatsuko]] and his wife distraught, as [[Kaguya]] looks back one last time with tears in her eyes.

== Voice Cast ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Character
! Japanese cast
! English dub cast
|-
| Princess [[Kaguya]]
| [[Aki Asakura]]
| Chloë Grace Moretz<br />Caitlyn Leone (young)
|-
| [[Sutemaru]]
| [[Kengo Kora]]
| Darren Criss
|-
| The Bamboo Cutter
| [[Takeo Chii]]
| [[James Caan]]
|-
| The Bamboo Cutter's Wife
| [[Nobuko Miyamoto]]
| [[Mary Steenburgen]]
|-
| Lady [[Sagami]]
| [[Atsuko Takahata]]
| [[Lucy Liu]]
|-
| [[Menowarawa]]
| [[Tomoko Tabata]]
| Hynden Walch
|-
| [[Inbe no Akita]]
| [[Tatekawa Shinosuke]]
| George Segal
|-
| Prince [[Ishitsukuri]]
| [[Takaya Kamikawa]]
| James Marsden
|-
| Lord Minister of the Right Abe
| [[Hikaru Ijūin]]
| Oliver Platt
|-
| Great Counselor Otomo
| [[Ryudo Uzaki]]
| Daniel Dae Kim
|-
| The Mikado
| [[Nakamura Shichinosuke II]]
| Dean Cain
|-
| Prince Kuramochi
| [[Isao Hashizume]]
| Beau Bridges
|-
| Middle Counselor Isonokami
| Tamaki Kojo
| John Cho
|}

== Production ==
[[Studio Ghibli]] revealed that [[Isao Takahata]] was working on a feature-length film in 2008. [[Isao Takahata|Isao&nbsp;Takahata]] announced at the 62nd Locarno International Film Festival in 2009 that he intended to direct a film based on the Japanese folktale ''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter''.

The release of ''The Tale of the Princess Kaguya'' was finally confirmed by [[Studio Ghibli]] and distributor [[Toho]] on 13 December 2012. That same month, it was announced that [[Shin'ichirō Ikebe]] was to compose the film's score.

On 4 February 2013, it was also announced that [[Joe Hisaishi]] would write the film's score, effectively replacing [[Ikebe]] as the film's composer. This is the first time that [[Joe Hisaishi]] has scored a film by [[Isao Takahata]].

In May 2013, it was announced [[Kazumi Nikaidō]] (二階堂和美 ''Nikaidō Kazumi''<sup>?</sup>) would perform the film's theme song, "[[Inochi no Kioku]]" (いのちの記憶<sup>?</sup>, Memory of Life).

== Release ==
''The Tale of the Princess Kaguya'' was initially announced to be released simultaneously with ''[[The Wind Rises]]'', another [[Studio Ghibli]] film by [[Hayao Miyazaki]] in Japan in the summer of 2013, which would have marked the first time that the works of the two directors were released together since the release of the films ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]'' and ''[[Grave of the Fireflies]]'' in 1988. However, in February 2013, distributor [[Toho]] announced that the release of ''The Tale of the Princess Kaguya'' would be delayed to Fall 2013, citing concerns that the storyboards were not yet complete.

On March 12, 2014, independent distributor [[GKIDS]] announced that it had acquired the US rights for the film and that it would release an English dub version produced by [[Studio Ghibli]] and [[Frank Marshall]]. [[Chloë Grace Moretz]] is the voice of the title character in the English dub. It was released in select theatres in North America on October 17, 2014 and was also released on DVD and Blu-ray in Japan on December 3, 2014.

The film was selected to be screened as part of the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. Its North American premiere took place at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the festival's "Masters" program.

== Reception ==
=== Box office ===
The film debuted at first place during its opening weekend in Japan, producing ¥284 million (US$2.8 million). By February 2, 2014, the film had produced ¥2,313,602,733 (US$22,613,153) at the Japanese box office. The total production of the film worldwide was $24,149,665.

=== Critical reception ===
In February 2014, ''The Tale of the Princess Kaguya'' placed 4th in both Kinema Junpo's Best Ten and their Reader's Choice Awards.

Reviews timed with the North American release have been overwhelmingly positive. David Ehrlich of ''The A.V. Club'' gave the film an A, deeming it "the best animated movie of the year," adding that it is "destined to be remembered as one of the revered [[Studio Ghibli]]’s finest achievements." Nicolas Rapold of ''The New York Times'' praised the artwork calling it "exquisitely drawn with both watercolor delicacy and a brisk sense of line."

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes assigned the film a score of 100% with an average rating of 8.3/10 based

on 78 reviews. The critics' consensus says, "Boasting narrative depth, frank honesty, and exquisite visual beauty, ''The Tale of the Princess Kaguya'' is a modern animated treasure with timeless appeal."

=== Accolades ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! style="width:4%;" | Year
! style="width:25%;" | Award
! style="width:33%;" | Category
! style="width:33%;" | Recipients and nominees
! style="width:5%;" | Results
|-
! rowspan="3" scope="row" | 2013
| rowspan="2" | 64th Blue Ribbon Award
| Best Film
|
| nominated
|-
| Best Director
| Isao Takahata
| nominated
|-
| 68th Mainichi Film Awards
| Mainichi Film Award for Best Animation Film
|
| won ✔
|-
! rowspan="19" scope="row" | 2014
| 8th Asia Pacific Screen Award
| Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Animated Feature Film
| Yoshiaki Nishimura
| won ✔
|-
| rowspan="2" | 37th Japan Academy Prize
| Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year
|
| nominated
|-
| Outstanding Achievement in Music
| Joe Hisaishi
| nominated
|-
| Kinema Junpo Awards
| Best Film
|
| nominated
|-
| rowspan="2" | 67th Cannes Film Festival
| Art Cinema Award (Directors' Fortnight)
| Isao Takahata
| nominated
|-
| Prix SACD (Directors' Fortnight)
| Isao Takahata
| nominated
|-
| [antastic Fest
| Audience Award
|
| won ✔
|-
| 62nd San Sebastián International Film Festival
| Audience Award
|
| nominated
|-
| 39th Toronto International Film Festival
| People's Choice Award for Best Drama Feature Film
|
| nominated
|-
| 47th Sitges Film Festival
| Best Animated Feature
|
| nominated
|-
| 36th Mill Valley Film Festival
| Audience Award for Best Animated Film
|
| won <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'LucidaGrande','LucidaSans',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:15px;text-align:center;">✔</span>
|-
| 18th Oslo Films from the South Festival
| Best Feature
|
| nominated
|-
| 35th Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
| Best Animated Film
| Isao Takahata
| won <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'LucidaGrande','LucidaSans',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:15px;text-align:center;">✔</span>
|-
| 40th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film
| Isao Takahata
| won <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'LucidaGrande','LucidaSans',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:15px;text-align:center;">✔</span>
|-
| Chicago Film Critics Association
| Best Animated Feature
|
| nominated
|-
| San Francisco Film Critics Circle
| Best Animated Feature
|
| nominated
|-
| Toronto Film Critics Association
| Best Animated Feature
|
| won ✔
|-
| rowspan="2" | 18th Online Film Critics Society Awards
| Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Animated Film
|
| nominated
|-
| Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Foreign Language Film
|
| nominated
|-
! rowspan="4" scope="row" | 2015
| rowspan="3" |42nd Annual Annie Awards
| Annie Award for Best Animated Feature
|
| nominated
|-
| Annie Award for Directing in an Animated Feature Production
| Isao Takahata
| nominated
|-
| Annie Award for Music in a Feature Production
| Joe Hisaishi
| nominated
|-
| 87th Academy Awards|87th Academy Awards
| Academy Award for Best Animated Feature
| Isao Takahata, Yoshiaki Nishimura
| nominated
|}

== External links ==
*[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_tale_of_the_princess_kaguya/ The Tale of the Princess Kaguya] on ''Rotten Tomatoes''
*[https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-tale-of-princess-kaguya-2014 The Tale of The Princess Kaguya] on ''Roger Ebert.com''
*[https://www.theverge.com/2014/10/17/6992413/the-tale-of-the-princess-kaguya-review The Tale of the Princess Kaguya] review on ''The Verge''
*{{wp|The Tale of the Princess Kaguya}}
*[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2576852/ The Tale of the Princess Kaguya] on ''IMDB''

{{Films|collapsed}}
{{Isao Takahata|collapsed}}