The Princess Diaries’ Polar Opposite: The Tale of Princess Kaguya

2014 may well have been the year of the anime movie, considering the sheer number which were released in theaters across the United States, and hopefully this is a trend which continues into 2015.  The last movie I saw that year was “The Tale of Princess Kaguya,” a film whose Studio Ghibli roots made it very promising indeed, despite Hayao Miyazaki’s retirement.  I was looking forward to watching this movie with friends, despite having plans to again drive out of state (Madison, WI or Omaha, NE).  After the theatre in Madison pushed back their premiere date several times, a local theatre in town decided to hold a week-long showing and only released information a week before the movie’s initial premiere.  The film has gotten a wide release across the United States, so has the Studio Ghibli been able to successfully transition its way to life after the elder Miyazaki?

The thing that first strikes viewers is the film’s beautiful appearance, which is very different from Miyazaki’s works.  Instead of bold, saturated colors, “The Tale of Princess Kaguya” instead employs a relatively matte palate with very subtle shades, as if scenes were drawn and shaded with color pencils or a light mist of spray paint.  There are shapes used in the formation of objects and characters, but less definite boundaries appear more like forms, as if borders were shaded in rather than drawn with a thin, definite line.  Don’t expect a lot of play with shadow and lights here except for scenes at night, dream sequences, or moments when the Princess is in despair or longing.  The background is given less attention than the foreground, and it only draws one’s attention if the scene is layered and gives equal treatment to elements in the foreground.  Also, the animation style employed in the movie is bumpy instead of smooth, feeling like a motion book, the ones where one flips through the pages to see a scene animated.  It’s not a detractor, instead being part of the movie’s charm, like riding on a horse versus riding in a car.

The next thing one notices is the movie’s mood.  It starts out very heartwarming, with the main character Kaguya being found in stalk of bamboo before being taken in and raised by an elderly couple in the countryside.  Not soon afterwards, concluding that Kaguya is a member of royalty, the elderly couple relocates to the city to begin the process of transitioning their “daughter” into a respectable princess.  This is where signs of conflict begin to form and the movie begins injecting sad, dark elements into the mix.  Kaguya begins to protest against her tutor’s various demands on how to act more regal, such as speaking less and dying her teeth black as she longs for values taken for granted in her prior, rural upbringing, such as laughter and socialization.  Even better executed than Kaguya’s rebellion against her tutor is the disconnect between Kaguya and her adoptive father, leading to many deep dialogues and making it extremely difficult and frustrating to listen to.  There’s no physical or mental abuse, just multiple misunderstandings between the two of them which Kaguya’s adoptive mother tries to address but ultimately comes up short in her attempts at mediation.  The disconnect is extremely well done, all the way up to the moment when Kaguya and her parents both explain their line of thought to the other and each acknowledges the other’s attempt and reasoning behind their actions.  Easily the most humorous attempt at showing the deconstructive element of being a princess is when several male members of royalty each come to plea their case as to why he should be chosen as Kaguya’s fiancé.  Using extremely flowery language and peppering their speeches with comparisons of Kaguya to mythical treasures, each suitor is demanded by Kaguya to acquire said treasures, a very amusing and elegant way of dismissal.  Also amusing is the followup, where several candidates return after making attempts to acquire his demanded item.

Other than these few moments of humor, most of the movie revolves around the disconnect and lack of interest Kaguya has in being a member of royalty versus her father’s constant desires, leading to a mostly sad and depressing aura overhanging the wonderful scenery.  Every praise for the film’s beauty is accompanied by a comment about the film’s sad mood.  There are several times where Kaguya returns to her old childhood home in the countryside and meet her old childhood friends, leading to some brief moments of nostalgia and happiness.  However, these small moments are still overshadowed by the fact that staying for the long term is not an option.  The film takes a much darker turn when the Emperor himself attempts to unilaterally claim Kaguya as his bride, and makes several unwelcome advances that toe and cross the decency line.  All of this is capped off at the ending, which was somewhat unexpected, but the climactic scenery and even higher levels of detailing and craftsmanship versus the rest of the film triggers a multitude of feelings, while continuing and concluding the film’s overlying philosophy of “sad beauty.”

All in all, the overall underlying reaction to this film should be “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but in a different sense, like a parallel to Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica.  There’s not much action to this film, with it being a simplistic coming-of-age tale which gets complicated once it turns deconstructive, introducing elements of desire, doing what’s best for others, and expectations are introduced.  The film’s beauty is as undeniable as the sadness is genuine and the emotions are raw.  This is a film that draws in with its appearance and initial simplicity, but then has lingering complexity.  If one was unable to catch a viewing at one of the various theatres throughout the United States late in 2014, I would expect an eventual release on disc, and would highly recommend picking the film up for a watch.  Has Studio Ghibli successfully moved forward from Miyazaki’s retirement?  Though Miyazaki will still be respected and revered, with “The Tale of Princess Kaguya,” evidence suggests that the studio has.  See one of the movie’s trailers below:

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