Last time we looked in on the legendary Studio Ghibli we were thrilled to hear of not one but two films on the horizon. The first was the Miyazaki directed WWII themed film The Wind Rises which was released in July in Japan. Next up is the Isao Takahata directed feature The Tale of Princess Kaguya which will recount the 10th century Japanese folktale Taketori Monogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter). Kaguya has an unannounced Japanese release date for later this Fall. Here’s the synopsis:
An old man makes a living by selling bamboo. One day, he finds a princess in a bamboo. The princess is only the size of a finger. Her name is Kaguya. When Kaguya grows up, 5 men from prestigious families propose to her. Kaguya asks the men to find memorable marriage gifts for her, but the 5 men are unable to find what Kaguya wants. Then, the Emperor of Japan proposes to her.
For those of you who can’t wait to see what this world looks like, have a gander at the stills and theatrical poster that have been released. Really love the traditional looking art style. It’s very much in keeping with Takahata’s adaptation of My Neighbors the Yamadas. Enjoy!
Again, as of right now the 2013 release date is Japanese release sometime this Fall (possibly Winter). Directed by Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata and featuring music of Ghibli regular Joe Hisaishi we might very well have a year of waiting ahead of us at the least before it hits here in the States. No matter, Ghibli quality is definitely worth waiting for…although we’re not very fond of dubs.
You can see more of the screenshots as well as the teaser/announcement trailer at Live For Films. Also, be sure to check out the official website for Kaguya for more info.