The Tale of The Princess Kaguya(2014)
GKIDS Oct 17, 2014 | Limited
Kaguya is a beautiful young woman coveted by five nobles. To try to avoid marrying a stranger she doesn't love, she sends her suitors on seemingly impossible tasks. But she will have to face her fate and punishment for her choices.
Releases
Original Release | Oct 17, 2014
2019 Re-release (Fathom Entertainment) | Dec 16, 2019
Studio Ghibli Fest 2024 (Fathom Entertainment) | Nov 25, 2024
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Technical Specifications
Sound Mix: Datasat,Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1
Other Details
Country of Origin: Japan
Language: Japanese
Summaries
Plot Summary
- One day while working amid a grove of bamboo near his home in the countryside, an old bamboo cutter comes across a glowing tree. Moving closer, a bamboo shoot sprouts before him, revealing a girl within, mere inches high! The woodcutter, taking in the strange sight, assumes that she is a divine being, and decides to take care of her. Carefully taking her back to his home, the cutter and his wife are soon shocked when the miniature girl turns into a baby before their eyes, and over the course of days (or weeks), grows into a young girl!Some village children near the couple also take note of the young girl's appearance and growth, and given her penchant for growth, nickname her 'little bamboo.' However, the cutter and his wife refer to her as 'princess.'The little girl is enamored with much of the countryside, and soon befriends the children, including an older member of their group, named Sutemaru.The cutter continues to collect bamboo, but one day just like before, he comes across a glowing bamboo shoot.Cutting into it, he is surprised to find it contains gold! Another shoot he cuts down, brings forth several billowing robes. Taking them, the woodcutter tells his wife that he believes they are signs from above, that are directing them to raise the princess in a proper manner.Over the course of several years, the cutter takes the gold into the capital, until one day, he and his wife declare to their daughter that she is to come with them, and leave their home.On their journey, the princess is placed into a covered carriage, and soon awakening from sleep, finds herself in a grand palace within the capital, where her mother and father claim, she is to be raised as a Princess! Though she is at first happy and enthralled with the new place and her things, she is soon set upon to carry herself like a Princess.Taking lessons from Lady Sagami, the Princess treats her lessons almost as a joke, but when her parents inquire as to them, she seems to do what she is asked with no signs of these transgressions.Eventually, the wood cutter is informed by his wife that the Princess has 'come of age,' and delightedly, sends for a royal priest to give her a proper naming. The girl's father is at first upset when the priest's first impression of the girl, is of her crawling around, playing with a cat, but the priest claims his viewing of the girl without all the necessary garb, has allowed him to come up with a proper name for her. Given the demeanor and playfulness he saw in her, the priest dubs her, Princess Kaguya.Her father then calls for a party to celebrate her naming, though Kaguya grows bored that even though it is a party for her, she can't be seen. As well, her thoughts to maybe invite some of the children from her old village is denied by her father.The party lasts over 3 days, while Kaguya is confined to her chambers. As several of the partygoers continue to drink on into the latter days, a look desperation passes over her face hearing some claim she and her parents are not nobility.Suddenly, she bolts from her room, her expensive robes flying off, as she runs back towards the small mountain area where she grew up. However, she finds another family living in the hut she grew up in, and the forested area now all gone. She finds a man sealing up a hovel, claiming that those who once lived there have moved away, with plans to come back in 10 years. The belief is that 10 years should be enough time for the forest on the mountainside to replenish from the woodcutting that took place. Kaguya then trudges back towards the capital, but in the fallen snow, she passes out......only to awaken back in her room, unsure if what she experienced was real, or a dream.Following her party, the Princess is soon set upon by numerous invitations to marry, but she does not return the favor to any. Eventually, the royal priest who gave her her name, is in counsel with several noblemen. Though they of course scoff at her seemingly country 'heritage,' the priest's description of her beauty and charm, soon sends 5 of the noblemen tearing towards her palace, eager to wed her. Kaguya is prepared to reject them as well, but is talked into hearing each of them out by her father, and Lady Sagami.Each man is given a chance to speak to Kaguya (who sits behind a blind, hidden from view). One-by-one, they compare her (unseen) beauty to rare treasures. Among these, are the stone bowl of Buddha, a jeweled branch from the island of Horai, a robe of fire-rat fur, a jewel from the dragon's neck, and the cowry shell of the swallows.Kaguya listens to all these things, and then decrees that if she is as beautiful as these things, then her suitors should bring them to her. Each of them balks at this, but the Princess decrees this is how she will decide. This leads each of the suitors to leave, and Lady Sagami takes her leave as well, feeling that the Princess' actions have doomed her from ever finding a suitable husband in high society.Eventually, spring comes, and the Princess wishes to see the cherry blossoms bloom. Her mother and one of her handmaidens take her back to the country, where not far from the hut she once lived, a tree is in bloom. Reveling in its bursting forth with life, she happily whirls amid its petals, until she accidentally stumbles across a small child. The family of the child quickly takes it away, bowing in her presence...reminding the Princess of who/what she is now.Returning to the capital, the cart the group is in finds itself stuck, when a ruckus is heard outside. Kaguya notices several men running through the streets, and upon seeing one of them, recognizes Sutemaru! Unable to contain herself, she cries out to him, but upon realizing her station in life, quickly retreats into the carriage as it drives off. Sutemaru attempts to go after her, but is beaten for his attempts, as Kaguya cries.In the time after the suitors and the country visit, Kaguya takes refuge in a small garden area where her mother tends. Kaguya asks for a portion for herself, and here, she seems to find solace amid the nature.One day, after several years, the family receives shocking news when the second suitor, claims he has returned with a jeweled branch from Horai. Still hidden, Kaguya asks how he came by it, and the suitor spins a story...that is soon interrupted when a group of craftsman come, looking to collect for fabricating the branch.Shortly afterwards, the fourth suitor comes, claiming he has acquired a robe of fire-rat fur. Kaguya requests that he burn it, as the fire-rat fur will not catch fire. The suitor nervously places the robe over a flame, and as suspected, it disintegrates.The first suitor then comes, claiming that while he didn't find Buddha's bowl, he offers the Princess a flower, claiming that its beauty reminded her of him. However, the Princess has one of the servants put in her place, when the Prince pulls back the curtain, with the woman claiming the Prince is still a careless individual.The Princess tries to put thoughts of the suitors out of her head, until word reaches her of the two others: one who has gone to sea, looking for the jewel of the dragon's neck, and another who has died from a fall, in his attempts to get the cowry shell of a swallow.The thought that someone has died because of her, sends the girl into a state of despair, causing her to tear into the garden area she has cultivated, and spending quiet hours working a loom in the small hut nearby.Eventually, word comes that the Emperor himself has heard of the girl's beauty, and wishes to reward her father with a royal title if she marries him. Kaguya's father happily relays the news, but she tells him to deny the request. Her father claims that one does not do so, but Kaguya claims that if her father accepts the request, she will kill herself.The denial soon makes the Emperor all the more curious, and he visits the family's palace himself. He at first talks to the Princess just like the previous suitors, but soon, sneaks through the room where she is and embraces her. This causes her to suddenly disappear from his arms. The Emperor promises that he meant no harm, and that if the Princess shows herself, he'll leave. Kaguya does appear, but when he tries to move closer to her, she withdraws. The Emperor leaves, claiming she will be in his thoughts.After this, Kaguya reveals a secret to her parents. In truth, she is actually a being from the moon, who came to Earth all those years ago. She had heard of those who had also come to Earth many times before, including one who sang a song that she did not understand...but now having spent time on Earth, its words have become clearer.Kaguya also explains that when the Emperor made his advances on her, she wishes to return to the Moon: a request that cannot be broken. As such, a procession will come for her on the fifteenth night.Kaguyas father then recruits a small army, and prepares the palace to defend against whatever the Moon may send. In the meantime, Kaguya, her mother, and a handmaiden have once again returned to the countryside. Kaguya once again finds solace amid the greenery, but is surprised to find Sutemaru there, having returned to rebuild their village now that nature has returned.Sutemaru claims he is surprised to see Kaguya there, since she is a Princess now. Even so, Kaguya claims that the title doesn't matter, and that in truth, she feels that a life in the country with Sutemaru would have made her happier. This declaration makes Sutemaru declare that he'd be willing to run away with her, and start life anew. Taking each other's hand, the two run through the fields, before suddenly taking flight, over the lands where they once grew up as children. However, as the sky turns to night, and the full moon draws near, Kaguya begs Sutemaru to hold her tightly. However, she falls from his grasp, and plunges into the waters below...when Sutemaru wakes up, not sure if what he experienced was a dream, or not. He is then drawn back to the others, when his wife and child call to him.Meanwhile, Kaguya has returned to the palace, where her father and a group of soldiers wait. On the 15th, a procession descends down from the moon, playing a soothing celebratory song. Numerous archers fire arrows at them, that then turn into flowers. The procession flies over the palace walls, where its melody then puts almost everyone there to sleep, except for Kaguya's parents. As her mother watches in horror, Kaguyaa suddenly rises up, and is drawn towards the procession. Both of the girl's parents rush to her, begging procession not to take her back. However, a member of the procession begins to place a crown and robes on her: clothing that once fully applied, will wipe all traces of her time on Earth, from her memory.However, as the robe is about to be applied, one of Kaguya's handmaidens appears, with a small procession of children, singing a song. This snaps Kaguya from her trance, and she embraces her parents in tears, before claiming that even with the hardships, there is still good and wonder within the world. However, her protestations do no good, as the robe is put on her, and here eyes go blank.The Princess is then walked into the procession, turning her back to her parents, as the procession then heads back to the moon.Across the land, we see a number of people looking to the sky. From Sutemaru, to the suitors, and even the Emperor, all seem transfixed by its glow.We then see Kaguya, traveling closer to the moon. However, before she reaches it, she looks back one last time at the Earth, before the procession disappears into the glow of the moon.
Storyline
- An old man makes a living by selling bamboo. One day, he finds a princess in a bamboo. The princess is only the size of a finger. Her name is Kaguya. When Kaguya grows up, 5 men from prestigious families propose to her. Kaguya asks the men to find memorable marriage gifts for her, but the 5 men are unable to find what Kaguya wants. Then, the Emperor of Japan proposes to her. — Anonymous Blessed by heaven, a humble couple of childless farmers dwelling in a mystical bamboo forest take in a mysterious miniature girl. But as the helpless infant grows into an exceptional individual, her loving father develops a dream, convinced that the Bamboo Child is destined for glory. As a result, the news of an ethereal, raven-haired beauty spreads like wildfire, attracting ambitious suitors from all four corners of Japan. And now, there is no turning back--forced to choose, the cryptic lady devises five impossible trials, running the risk of sacrificing her precious freedom. But who knows what tomorrow holds for Princess Kaguya, the sad-eyed celestial daughter? — Nick Riganas
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