Tales from Earthsea
Movie, 2006, The 2000s, Set in Earthsea
Tales from Earthsea is #16 of 25 in release order and #16 of 25 in chronological order in the Studio Ghibli.
The story
As crops dwindle and dragons reappear, mankind stands on the verge of total chaos. Lord Archmage Sparrowhawk, a powerful wizard, and Arren, a troubled young prince, search for the force behind this mysterious imbalance that threatens to destroy the land of Earthsea.
Tales from Earthsea recap
Tales from Earthsea (2006) follows a troubled prince who kills his father and flees, falling in with the archmage Sparrowhawk as the world loses its balance. Gorō Miyazaki, Hayao Miyazaki's son, made his directing debut with this adaptation of elements from Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea books. Dragons fight above the clouds, a plague spreads and magic is fading. Prince Arren (Junichi Okada) stabs his father, the king of Enlad, takes his sword, and is saved from wolves by Sparrowhawk (Bunta Sugawara). In Hort Town, Arren rescues the scarred girl Therru (Aoi Teshima) from slavers, but she distrusts him. The two men stay with Sparrowhawk's old friend Tenar, who raised Therru. The sorcerer Cob, seeking eternal life, has opened the door between life and death, and he captures Arren and learns his true name.
Tales from Earthsea ending explained
Tales from Earthsea ends with Therru restoring Arren's hope by speaking his true name, Lebannen, and telling him her own, Tehanu. Arren finally draws his sword and cuts off Cob's hand, and Cob strangles Therru, who rises as a dragon and destroys him. Arren goes home to atone. Le Guin said the plot was entirely different from her books and later voiced her disappointment.
Where to watch Tales from Earthsea
Tales from Earthsea is streaming on HBO Max in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 6.3/10
Where it fits
- Release order: after Howl's Moving Castle, before Ponyo.
- Chronological order: after Howl's Moving Castle, before Ponyo.
Cast
- Junichi Okada as Arren (voice)
- Aoi Teshima as Theru (voice)
- Bunta Sugawara as Haitaka (voice)
- Yuko Tanaka as Cob (voice)
- Teruyuki Kagawa as Hare (voice)
- Jun Fubuki as Tenar (voice)
- Takashi Naito as Hazia Dealer (voice)
- Mitsuko Baisho as The Mistress (voice)
- Yui Natsukawa as The Queen (voice)
- Kaoru Kobayashi as The King (voice)
- Kazumasa Sagawa as (voice)
- Koji Hosogai as (voice)
Directed by Goro Miyazaki.