The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Movie, 2013, The 2010s, Set in A girl from a bamboo stalk
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is #21 of 25 in release order and #21 of 25 in chronological order in the Studio Ghibli.
The story
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.
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya recap
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) follows a girl found in a glowing bamboo stalk who grows from a country child into a reluctant noblewoman. Isao Takahata directed and co-wrote his final film from the 10th-century Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, drawn in charcoal and watercolour. The bamboo cutter (Takeo Chii) and his wife (Nobuko Miyamoto) raise the tiny girl, who grows at unnatural speed and runs with the village children, especially the older boy Sutemaru (Kengo Kora). When gold and silk appear in the bamboo, her father moves them to the capital to make her a princess. Named Kaguya (Aki Asakura), she struggles under a governess and the rules of court. Five noblemen court her, so she sets each an impossible task, and when one dies attempting his, she grows despondent. The emperor then tries to take her by force.
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya ending explained
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya ends with Kaguya revealing she came from the Moon and called to it for help when the emperor grabbed her, so it will reclaim her at the next full moon. She finds Sutemaru again and they fly over the countryside in a dream before she is pulled back. A procession of celestial beings descends, an attendant puts the robe of forgetting on her, and she looks back at Earth in tears.
Post-credits scenes
No. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is streaming on HBO Max in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 8.0/10, Rotten Tomatoes 100%
Where it fits
- Release order: after The Wind Rises, before When Marnie Was There.
- Chronological order: after The Wind Rises, before When Marnie Was There.
Cast
- Aki Asakura as The Princess Kaguya (voice)
- Takeo Chii as Sanuki no Miyatsuko (voice)
- Nobuko Miyamoto as Ōna / Narrator (voice)
- Kengo Kora as Sutemaru (voice)
- Atsuko Takahata as Lady Sagami (voice)
- Tomoko Tabata as Menowarawa (voice)
- Shinosuke Tatekawa as Lord Inbe no Akita (voice)
- Takaya Kamikawa as Prince Ishitsukuri (voice)
- Hikaru Ijūin as Minister of the Right Abe (voice)
- Ryudo Uzaki as Grand Counselor Otomo (voice)
- Shichinosuke Nakamura as The Emperor (voice)
- Isao Hashizume as Prince Kuramochi (voice)
Directed by Isao Takahata.