A breathtaking, emotionally devastating animated folktale that turns a classic legend into something intimate, human, and visually singular. Its hand-drawn watercolor-and-sketch style, lyrical pacing, and final act make it one of the great animated films of the century.
94% ★★★★★ (339,956)
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
Where to watch: Max
Movie · Animation · Drama · PG
2013 · 2h 17m · ★ 94% (340K)
A princess's crime and punishment.
Director: Isao Takahata
Starring: Aki Asakura, Takeo Chii, Nobuko Miyamoto
Overview
Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthrals all who encounter her. But, ultimately, she must confront her fate.
Director
Isao Takahata
Production
Studio Ghibli, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, KDDI, Mitsubishi Shoji, Nippon Television Network Corporation, TOHO
A breathtaking, emotionally devastating animated folktale that turns a classic legend into something intimate, human, and visually singular. Its hand-drawn watercolor-and-sketch style, lyrical pacing, and final act make it one of the great animated films of the century.
Best for
Viewers who want animation as fine art
Fans of melancholy fairy tales and folklore
People drawn to films about freedom, duty, and womanhood
Audiences who appreciate quiet, reflective dramas
Viewers looking for a visually inventive alternative to mainstream fantasy
Skip if
You prefer fast-paced plotting and constant incident
You want light, comforting family animation
You dislike tragic or bittersweet endings
You need conventional character arcs and clear-cut villains
Overview
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya is one of those rare films that feels both ancient and startlingly new. Takahata strips the folktale down to its emotional core, then rebuilds it with brushstrokes, empty space, and movement that seems to breathe. The result is less like watching an animated movie than like witnessing a memory, a dream, and a lament at once.
Worth noting
What makes it so powerful is the tension between beauty and constraint. Kaguya’s brief life is filled with wonder, but the film is just as interested in the cost of being cherished, possessed, and made into an ideal. That emotional pressure gives the story real bite, especially as it moves toward its aching final stretch.
Bottom line
This is a film for viewers who want animation to do what live action often cannot: make feeling visible. It is delicate, sad, and formally daring, but never cold. Even when it hurts, it feels alive.
Top Letterboxd reviews
James (Schaffrillas) (5★) · 4931 likes
I didn't even know movies could be this good.
James (Schaffrillas) (5★) · 4053 likes
With you, Sutemaru, I might have been happy. Absurd that Isao Takahata's name does not carry the same level of reverence and awe from the general populace as Hayao Miyazaki's. I suppose it comes down to his masterpieces being fewer in number and far less marketable. Regardless, this is the ethereal, untouchable magnum opus of an artist at the pinnacle of his career. The best animated film I have ever seen in my entire life, and quite frankly, it isn't close.
Joe (4.5★) · 3294 likes
Dying isn't a tragedy, not living is.
davidehrlich (4.5★) · 3117 likes
top tier Ghibli. Takahata's devastatingly great watercolor and charcoal folklore feels at once both ancient and alive. a little bit of flab in the middle (though it suits the fable-esque nature), but the last 20 minutes make up for the screechy first 20 and any pockets of trouble in between. and omg that scene where she runs away from the palace and the image practically decomposes.
Felipe F. (5★) · 2467 likes
This movie is pure beauty. The scene where she runs away in the middle of the night is one of the most stunning pieces of animation I have seen in my entire life. Perfect from beginning to end. Some of My Favorite Movies