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The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Play trailer Poster for The Tale of the Princess Kaguya PG Released Oct 17, 2014 2h 17m Fantasy Anime Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 96 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
A tiny nymph found inside a bamboo stalk grows into a beautiful and desirable young woman, who orders her suitors to prove their love by completing a series of near-impossible tasks.
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The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

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Critics Consensus

Boasting narrative depth, frank honesty, and exquisite visual beauty, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a modern animated treasure with timeless appeal.

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Critics Reviews

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Mark Kermode Observer (UK) A poignant gem, very different in tone to the director's most celebrated works, Grave of the Fireflies and Only Yesterday, but no less worthy of praise and admiration. Rated: 4/5 Mar 22, 2015 Full Review Tara Brady Irish Times The impression is of a continuous series of watercolours, similar to the narrative scroll revealed to Kaguya in a key scene. Rated: 4/5 Mar 20, 2015 Full Review Andrew Osmond Sight & Sound While the characters feel very simplified at times, there are scenes that put great weight on performance and subtle expressions, in a way that's nearer to the classical Disney tradition than most Japanese animation. Mar 20, 2015 Full Review Mat Brunet AniMat's Review (YouTube) The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is an animated film that is as beautiful as the titular princess herself. Rated: 9/10 Nov 8, 2024 Full Review Brendan Cassidy InSession Film Leave it to the great Isao Takahata to return with not only the best animated film I’ve seen this year, not only the best overall film I’ve seen this year, but one of the most beautiful film experiences I’ve ever had... Jun 17, 2024 Full Review Grant Watson Fiction Machine This is anime-as-arthouse cinema, thoughtfully and gracefully composed. Rated: 10/10 Nov 29, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Waniya S Definitely cried million times in this movie, this was such a good display of what it's like being a woman! BUT THE SCENE with sutemaru ruined it especially bcuz he was already married like hello? what do u mean he ran away leaving his WIFE and CHILD behind and then even planned to elope with Kaguya? Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/31/25 Full Review Audience Member Oh my god this movie is the best film I’ve ever seen. This movie blows away any other Ghibli film (which are already very good, besides tale from earth sea, and earwig and the witch). This film shows the complexity of human emotions and it is wonderful. Definitely recommend watching this is a master piece. かぐや姫の物語を見てください Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/18/25 Full Review K K This anime is the most beautiful song of praise for living things on Earth, which relay life through reproduction, in contrast to the people of the moon, who have achieved immortality and probably don't reproduce anymore. This work can be broadly defined Sci-Fi and dystopian. Depictions of life on the moon suggest a dystopian future that could happen to us. I found it amazing that Isao Takahata selected reproduction as the central theme, considering the fact that the original source only briefly mentioned the elixir of immortality. There are many depictions of reproduction (mostly literal and partly metaphorical) in this anime, presented in a way that has no negative impact on children. I'd recommend this work to everyone, but especially to adults, because children might find it a bit boring if they're expecting something like Totoro. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/01/25 Full Review Radiant This movie is like a stroll along a path that winds its way through a beautiful glen. Along the way there are the colorful pops of flowers and the sharpness of thorns, but we see that both reveal to the main character (and to us) the deeper meaning of the story: that life if meant to be lived, each moment present, and that we are meant to feel: the good, the bad, the ugly, the hard, and the joyous. As my walk through the glen came to a close, I found myself stopping to look back and ponder the trail from which I had just come. I stood there for a long time. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/23/25 Full Review Stephen C 2 hours and 17 minutes of anime fantasy. Rated PG for Thematic Elements, Some Violent Action, and Partial Nudity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/14/25 Full Review Tom F Beautifully haunting folk tale. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/09/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

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Movie Info

Synopsis A tiny nymph found inside a bamboo stalk grows into a beautiful and desirable young woman, who orders her suitors to prove their love by completing a series of near-impossible tasks.
Director
Isao Takahata
Producer
Yoshiaki Nishimura
Screenwriter
Isao Takahata, Riko Sakaguchi
Distributor
GKIDS
Production Co
Studio Ghibli
Rating
PG (Thematic Elements|Some Violent Action|Partial Nudity)
Genre
Fantasy, Anime
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 17, 2014, Limited
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Nov 25, 2024
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 14, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$681.1K
Runtime
2h 17m
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