Drama2013
100%
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Kaguya-hime no Monogatari • Drama Film
Signature Tagline
"A maiden's joy, song, and sorrow born from a glowing stalk of bamboo."
Production Details
DirectorIsao Takahata
ProducerYoshiaki Nishimura
Running Time137 min
Release Year2013
Awards & Recognition
Academy Award Nomination for Best Animated Feature, Boston Society of Film Critics
Memorable Quote
"I was born to truly live! Just like the birds and the beasts!"
— Princess Kaguya
Storyline & Worldbuilding
Rendered in breathtaking brushstroke watercolor animation, this adaptation of Japan's oldest narrative (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter) follows Kaguya as she is raised in the serene mountains by a simple bamboo cutter and his wife. Thrust into noble Kyoto aristocracy by her well-meaning adoptive father, Kaguya yearns for authentic earthly living before the Moon Realm claims her back.
Core Themes & Motifs
🌿 Earthly Beauty vs Detached Heaven🌿 Societal Constraint🌿 Fleeting Joy
Key Characters & Spirits
1
Princess Kaguya2
Sanuki no Miyatsuko (Bamboo Cutter)3
Ouna4
Sutemaru