The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

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The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

PG

2014

2h 17m

Fantasy

Anime

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100%

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95 Reviews

90%

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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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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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Mark Kermode

Observer (UK)

Mar 22, 2015

4/5

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.

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Tara Brady

Irish Times

Mar 20, 2015

4/5

The impression is of a continuous series of watercolours, similar to the narrative scroll revealed to Kaguya in a key scene.

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Andrew Osmond

Sight & Sound

Mar 20, 2015

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.

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Mat Brunet

AniMat's Review (YouTube)

Nov 8, 2024

9/10

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is an animated film that is as beautiful as the titular princess herself.

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

Nov 29, 2023

10/10

This is anime-as-arthouse cinema, thoughtfully and gracefully composed.

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Jordan Brooks

Vague Visages

Aug 1, 2023

As in many Studio Ghibli films before it, the male director is speaking directly to his male audience, pleading with them to treat the women in their lives with the respect and equality they deserve.

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Diego L

@RT54169281 Aug 11, 2026

It’s almost perfect, def deserved to win best animated feature

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Bret M

@BretM-3 Jul 17, 2026

I genuinely don’t know how to feel about this movie. I will admit, I’ve seen worse Studio Ghibli films, but this one definitely isn’t top tier. The animation is not very good at all. Maybe it’s not as bad as My Neighbors the Yamadas, but still not as good as the Ghibli classics. The story was alright, but it kind of got boring after The Princess became royal, and the pacing did not help. A movie with animation this mid, and a semi boring story paired with a 2 hour and 20 minute runtime, this was a long watch! So, while it’s not horrible, it’s definitely not good. This is the type of movie you should watch maybe once just to give it a shot, but will probably never feel compelled to watch again.

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Amy B

@CapsCove Jul 13, 2026

A perfect film in every sense of the word. It deserves to be called the best animated film ever made, and it is for a reason. This is the first ghibili film I sat throughout, and I am very happy I did. It's heartwrenching and visually stunning.

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Mickey B.

@Mickerdoo May 15, 2026

I liked the story a lot and Little Bamboo is charming. But it was really long and I was t sold on the animation style for a feature length.

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Juan M

@RT88237011 Apr 11, 2026

No soy fan de películas originales de anime , pero esta me encantó en su esplendor, una hermosa historia y personas que te llegan a Tocar por lo bien escritos que estan y su personalidad es única me gusta eso y tanto en su idioma original como en latino debo decir que es una película que se disfruta sin importar el idioma , tengan excelente día los que lea este mensaje

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Igor S

@Igor_Sena Jan 18, 2026

Although overly long and a bit repetitive, this is a beautifully crafted movie that will touch your soul in a very profound way.

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Isao Takahata

Director

Chloë Grace Moretz

The Princess Kaguya

James Caan

The Bamboo Cutter

Mary Steenburgen

The Bamboo Cutter's Wife

Darren Criss

Sutemaru

Lucy Liu

Lady Sagami

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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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