The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)

The film is a staggering masterpiece of animation based on an old Japanese folk tale. It is both very simple and head-spinningly confounding, a thing of endless visual beauty that seems to partake in a kind of pictorial minimalism but finds staggering possibilities for beautiful variation within its ineluctable modality.

A devastating and deceptively simple tale that delivers an emotional wallop on par with Grave of the Fireflies and stands as one of Studio Ghibli’s finest achievements. It matures alongside its heroine with astonishingly beautiful charcoal-and-watercolor animation and a broad humanism that empathizes with objectified women.

The film is a unique, beautiful and endlessly fascinating work of art. It stands out for its soul-soaringly beautiful hand-drawn, sketchy watercolour visuals that contrast with Hollywood CG animation.

The film is a marvel of Japanese animation, a hand-drawn, painterly epic that submerges us in a world of beauty. The delicacy and grace of its sublime imagery create an impact that couldn’t be stronger; it is a parable about what matters in life and what does not.

The soft colors, graceful movements, and clean lines embody the ineffable beauty of life on Earth. The film offers a potent feminist critique of traditional expectations for girls through the heroine’s transformation and the spiritual costs of forcing conformity on children.

The film is a visionary tour de force, morphing from a childlike gambol into a sophisticated allegory on the folly of materialism and the evanescence of beauty. It takes hand-drawn animation to new heights of fluidity, inspired by Eastern brush painting.

A magical and melancholy gentler work whose expansive sadness sneaks up on the viewer. Its austere, simple hand-drawn animation creates a fragile, impermanent world that laments loss while celebrating humanity, with a refined sense of metaphor.

Takahata has created a ravishing, technically perfect product filled with tender, humorous details in its hand-drawn watercolour scenes. The gentle daring of this offering makes it all the harder to say goodbye, despite the film being slightly too long.

The critic praises the vibrant, bittersweet feminist adaptation of the folk tale and its undeniable visual beauty while noting the excessive length and ponderous pacing as flaws.

The film finds a peculiarly moving undertow of feeling in a venerable Japanese folk tale about a foundling country girl who can’t shake a sense of being out of place. The critic notes the director’s artistry and feeling for the main character are deeply felt.

The critic calls it a delicate, muted film steeped in folklore that offers an achingly nostalgic meditation on love, age and departure from the world, though it demands patience.

A lovely piece of work adapting the Japanese folk tale of a magical child who grows into an independent-minded princess. It showcases Takahata’s flair for expressing movement in standout sequences and explores themes of family norms versus self-expression.

The critic notes the exemplary draughtsmanship and some exquisite sequences but finds the film overlong, a little dull and narratively alienating, with a melancholy ending unsuitable for younger children.

The film is a labour of love that looks amazing in its hand-painted style but drags in the middle section as the princess waits for suitors. Lush imagery offers consolation but the narrative feels too constrained until its moving final movements.

The critic describes a delicate post-pastoral fairytale epic but finds it overly long and leisurely paced, especially in its mid-section dealing with suitors.

The critic calls it an ambitious, personal Studio Ghibli classic with a loose, expressive pencil-and-ink animation style. The film is praised as a moving allegory about the brevity and joy of life, with a heartfelt ending and sincerity that makes it almost heartbreaking.

Takahata delivers a touching tale of love and loss with breathtakingly beautiful, abstract animation that mixes pastel watercolors and pencil etchings. The story balances deep sadness with moments of humor and visual splendor.

The film is an exquisitely drawn fable that blends joy and melancholy while highlighting simpler pleasures and the pains of societal expectations. Its minimalist Japanese aesthetic and patient storytelling make it one of the year’s finest animated works.

Takahata delivers a defiantly idiosyncratic masterwork whose hand-drawn watercolor and charcoal animation achieves timeless beauty while advancing a message about a woman’s right to choose her own path. The leisurely pace and mature themes make it rewarding for adult viewers seeking something beyond typical animation fare.

The film is a rich and rewarding, gorgeously impressionistic hand-drawn work with a strong feminist tone and meditations on mortality. It is meditatively paced with a slightly repetitive middle section but remains charming and experimental.

The critic calls the film an exquisite hand-drawn animated marvel and an instant Oscar contender that puts civilization on trial in an epic pastoral tale. They single out the confident watercolor animation that vividly brings the natural world and childhood miracles to life.

The film offers a relatable, compassionately told story of youthful desire versus duty with exquisite, brushstroke-like animation that appeals to adults and younger viewers alike. It has real emotional heft but runs a little long at nearly two-and-a-half hours.

The critic finds the film an enchanting folktale that celebrates nature through its distinctive sumi-e animation style and emotional depth. A minor complaint is an abrupt, under-setup revelation late in the story that briefly disrupts the flow.

The review describes a warm and charming animated adventure with gorgeous hand-drawn visuals and a wistful score that keeps the folk-tale story engaging. It notes unexpected sad and strange turns but highlights the film’s nomination-worthy qualities.

Takahata’s return is seen as a memorable, visually stunning addition to the Ghibli canon with elegant watercolour animation and a moving Hisaishi score. It is rewarding for fans despite some narrative drag and not quite matching the heights of the director’s earlier masterpieces.