Showing posts with label Ghibli. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ghibli. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

"Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess" - A Magical Miyazaki Fairy Tale

"Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess" Credit: Studio Ghibli & the Ghibli Museum

Did you know Miyazaki loves the tale of The Gingerbread Man?

Japan has its own well-known version of this type* of tale - "Omusubi Kororin (Riceball rolls away)" - in which a rice ball rolls away**, and Miyazaki discovered similar tales across the world. They weren't variants - exactly - but he found many stories in different countries, in which, whatever the staple food of that country used to be, managed to get away. Either it got up after being baked or cooked and ran to have an adventure all by itself, or rolled comically far out of reach inciting adventure for its pursuers. 

The Gingerbread Man is the American version (first published in St. Nicholas Magazine in May 1875), and it's one of the variants of the "Fleeing Pancake" stories, (ATU 2025).***

Credit: Studio Ghibli/Ghibli Museum


[*This "type" of tale is a loose description. When using the word "type" discussing fairy tales, we're usually talking about the ATU classification. Omusubi Kororin and the tale mentioned below apparently haven't been classified - at all - but Miyazaki saw the connection between these Japanese tales and "fleeing pancake" tales, so we're running with it. So to speak. ;)

[**Some versions include magic but not all. The Lafcadio Hearn version includes a magic paddle, though the dumpling the old woman initially loses isn't magical itself.

[***A neat bit of trivia re The Gingerbread Man from SurLaLune: This is one tale where the literary American versions have strongly influenced the literary versions that later appeared in Europe.]

Miyazaki's Ginger Bread Man

Credit: Studio Ghibli/Ghibli Museum


In 2010, Miyazaki made his own version of this fairy tale in which he explored the question of life inside of bread (and other food staples)  - both in how the raw ingredients are made (magically and with hard labor) so that they can be transformed to "give life" to a hungry society, and also regarding what being "given life" can do (how an injection of hope and creativity can transform your circumstances).

I think this is the reason Miyazaki's protagonist is the little egg girl instead of his bread man. (Eggs are a common symbol of life and new beginnings around the world.)

Miyazaki's film is titled Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess (パン種とタマゴ姫 , Pandane to Tamago Hime) and is clearly his version of the familiar Gingerbread Man tale, while also being uniquely his own creation - exactly what new variants of tales should be! 

In this Miyazaki short, Baba Yaga - the familiar fairy tale figure complete with her mortar and pestle - brings an unbreakable egg to life and puts her to work in her watermill, a place where she grinds wheat into flour. There's magic, of course, and the Egg Princess ends up escaping with a friend made from dough, except he's not cooked yet.

Egg Princess Credit: Studio Ghibli/Ghibli Museum

There are a number of short films - exclusive to the Ghibli Museum in Japan - that most people haven't seen though - even Ghibli super-fans. Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess is one of those. Unless you're lucky enough to visit the Ghibli Museum and see one of these magical short films, you're generally out of luck. They aren't available to buy, or see, outside of the Museum. Even when you visit the Museum in Japan the films are shown in random sort of rotation, so you never know quite which film you'll see when you arrive.

Ebay seller image

 Fortunately, the Ghibli Museum has produced some gorgeous, little "Art Of" books", which are like pamphlets, with final artwork, concept art, the story, some notes from Miyazaki, and more goodies, that people have been able to buy as souvenirs. It accompanies the film, and an exhibit, and some kind folk have shared the contents of these online for folks who aren't able to make it to Japan.

Before I share, though, here's a lovely summary I found on a Ghibli fan blog:

Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess asks the question, "How is bread made?" The idea is examined through the wild, imaginitive eyes of a small child. Cooking becomes magic. Ingredients become alchemy. Leavened bread becomes alive. The miracle of creation is on display, weaving through waking eyes and the imagination. Miyazaki has a way of making the natural world seem magical that is wholly unique. (Source

"Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess" Credit: Studio Ghibli & the Ghibli Museum

The Story

Here is a video that steps through the pamphlet - including the story -  with most of the Japanese translated to English as subtitles. I have included a transcription of those subtitles below in case you're unable to view the video and/or read the text. Even not running as a film, this is still quite a delightful fairy tale telling. Enjoy!


I have also found an online archive that has an incomplete upload of the pamphlet so you can zoom in and go back and forth to enjoy the artwork to your heart's content. You can see that HERE.

Transcription of subtitles from the video showing the Ghibli Museum pamphlet for Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess:

In a deep, deep hole in a forest of thorns lies Baba Yaga's small house with a watermill.

Baba Yaga is a hard worker. She grinds wheat, mixes it, eats well, and sleeps well. But the kitchen is a mess!

One day she found an egg that doesn't crack and she decided to take it in as a servant. Baba Yaga gave the egg a blow, and lo and behold, it now had hands and feet. The egg became a girl. The Egg Princess was born.

Original Work-Script-Supervision Hayao Miyazaki

Music Joe Hisaishi

Production Studio Ghibli

Film length 11min 37sec

"Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess" Credit: Studio Ghibli & the Ghibli Museum

Baba Yaga is in high spirits after eating a lot of eggs! Now, what to do with this egg?

With a quick puff, Baba Yaga's ribbon became a skirt. The Egg Princess quickly goes to work.

The moonlight shone on the wooden boat the dough rested in...

The dough started to move. The Egg Princess used the grapes to make eyes. Both escaped together from the house.

It's the middle of harvest season at the wheat field. Run! Run!

The harvested wheat is taken to the village. I will not let them escape! Baba Yaga follows after the trail of wagons.

Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess take refuge in the village square. The square is busy with villagers threshing wheat.

"Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess" Credit: Studio Ghibli & the Ghibli Museum

Within the hustle and bustle, there are two characters hiding. Baba Yaga's keen eye sees through their disguise. "Found you!"

"You belong to me!" Baba Yaga shouts maniacally.

She tears the dough apart and rounds them into form. "Let's hope you become delicious boules," Baba Yaga says.

The Egg Princess pulls the dough and binds them and says, "Become a breadman." Out of the hearth appeared...

Baba: "Hmph! The only consolation prize I get is a simple decoration from your chest!?" All the villagers were overjoyed.

Baba Yaga again searches for that egg that doesn't crack.

"Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess" Credit: Studio Ghibli & the Ghibli Museum

Hayao Miyazaki:

"I love Bruegel's paintings. But, it was the first time I learned that the wheat being harvested was actually rye. Since it was rye bread that they were harvesting, the people would eat black bread. Although we all eat bread, noodles, and pasta, we don't have much of a clue as to how that wheat is grown and manufactured.

Credit: Studio Ghibli/Ghibli Museum

I wanted to make a film set in a place like in Bruegel's paintings. Just how Japan has children's stories of rice balls running away like "Omusubi Kororin (Riceball rolls away)," in the countries where bread is a staple, I have come to find out that there are similar stories of bread "running away" as well. The bread in these stories are round pancakes, long-shaped, or flimsy. All different types of bread come from the land, but they all run away.

I figure that a bread out of an oven would roll away, but I do wonder about how a bread still in dough form would escape... As I was thinking about this very thing, the conception of this movie was aspired."

END TRANSCRIPTION

Credit: Ghibli Museum

There is no translation for the following pamphlet pages. There is Japanese text describing the panels about how bread is made, and the parts of Baba Yaga's watermill. There is an interview included in the pamphlet, which sadly also has not been translated. Maybe one day I'll be lucky enough to get a copy and a kind Japanese friend will translate it for me!

In the meantime, this wonderful film has been known to pop up in its entirety - in bootleg fashion - on the internet but it tends to appear, then get taken down until it pops up later on a completely different site. I won't link you because of this, but if you're super keen you can do your own search to see if you're lucky enough to find this golden egg of a film. 

Spotting Other Fairy Tales & Ghibli Easter Eggs

Did you notice the other fairy tale references in the images shown? 

There is a suspicious-looking two-toned apple being offered to the Egg Princess by Baba Yaga, her witch-like hand holding the stem. Unlike the apple bringing poisonous sleep, though, this rotten apple (it does have a worm, after all) brings life to the resting dough - "resting" is the correct term for when you're making dough and have to leave it to "rise" too! 

"Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess" Credit: Studio Ghibli & the Ghibli Museum

And, of course, the Egg Princess slaves away like many fairy tale heroines before she escapes, though it's a little more difficult to discuss without a copy of the short on hand to show what she does. In true "Miyazaki empowering girls" form, though, she essentially fashions her own escape, just like the many clever heroines in tales around the globe.

"Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess" Credit: Studio Ghibli & the Ghibli Museum


There is also the watermill that crushes and grinds the grain, transforming it into flour. I would not be surprised to find Miyazaki intentionally referenced Rumpelstiltskin turning straw into gold, as any food staple is very much like edible gold! I haven't found any proof that this was intentional though. 

There are several Studio Ghibli Easter eggs in this film too. Of special note are: 

- Baba Yaga looking very much like Yubaba and her sister Zeniba. There is lore, popularized since Spirited Away, that Baba Yaga is one of three sisters. Fans speculate this is the Baba Yaga we know from Ukrainian and Russian tales, while Yubaba and Zeniba are her sisters.

- when the dough-turned-bread man crawls out of the oven, the shot references Castle in the Sky

- Miyazaki as a pig-man, like the parents were turned into in Spirited Away

- Miyazaki's Heidi, from the series he animated when he was much younger (based on the novel), is seated at the table eating bread on one of the last pages of the pamphlet

My wish for all the fairy tale aficionados here is that one day, they're able to see this delightful film.

"Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess" Credit: Studio Ghibli & the Ghibli Museum

*********************************************************************

Gypsy Thornton (she/her) is the Guardian of a chicken-legged coffee cup with a mind of its own. A night owl forced to get up with larks, she often describes herself as liminal and is forever trying to do impossible things before breakfast. She can only be seen in her true form after midnight.


Creator & Editor: The Wondering
[a transformation of Once Upon A Blog: Fairy Tale News]
fairytalenewsblog.blogspot.com/

Saturday, April 14, 2018

Animated Fairy Tales Get A Real World Edge At 'Animation Reimagined' (Modern Eden Gallery)

Mulan - Olga Esther
Curated by Michael Cuffe of Warholian, the 'Animation Reimagined' exhibition will bring together many animated classic icons - both past and modern-day - "fantastically recreated in new paintings and from new perspectives". While there are more than just fairy tale characters, we're focusing on those that are most closely linked to our favorite subject here. (We've included a list at the end of the post with all the other cartoon characters we've been able to discover - and identify - to date.)
Official poster, featuring a reimagining of Dumbo (artist unknown)
Cuffe has asked all artists to bring a bit of realism into their paintings and works. We will see these animated classics re-imagined in a way we’ve never seen before, from a unique artistic viewpoint.
It's always interesting to see what sort of spin artists will put on animated icons, especially fairy tales. These paintings and sculptures belong in the 'fine art' realm, though at a glance it may be easy to dismiss some of these as 'professional fan art'. They all, however, share the intent to bring some realism - and real-world consideration - to their interpretations of flat cartoons and animated characters. The idea is to take them beyond the realm of the "safe" screen and have them "intrude" on ours, creating a response in the viewer. From the selection we've been able to find scattered around social media corners, the achievement is quite impressive. We hope to see more/better quality images, once the show is opened to the public today (Saturday, April 14, 2018) and the Gallery puts the collection online.

In the meantime, enjoy! (We've included artist's titles, comments, and statements where they were available.)
Alice In Wonderland (2018) - Brianna Angelakis
"Frozen in Time" - Ania Tomicka
“The Young Goddess Artemis” - Richard J Oliver
I went to the source of what I believe inspired the character
of a well known Disney’s Animation. For a while I’ve been wanting to
make a painting based on DIANA (Roman Goddess)
or ARTEMIS (Greek Goddess) of Hunting and nature. After
some research the similarities between these
Goddess’ and the princess character Merida
were uncanny so I drew my inspiration from the mythical
daughter of Zeus.
Kiki's Delivery Service - Carly Janine Mazur
Ratatouille - Richard Ahnert
Pinocchio - Hanna Jaeun
"Bibbedi bobbidi boo" (Cinderella) - Anne Angelshaug
As a child I adored the story of Cinderella, but rewatching it
as an adult it conjured very different thoughts and feelings.
Thoughts of abuse, apathy and delusion....
sorry I took it to a dark place, but it just seemed right...
The Little Mermaid  - Meredith Marsone
"This (is a close-up of) a painting of The Little Mermaid just after
the point of her transformation, still underwater, but human now and
so in imminent danger in the place she used to call home."
Sleeping Beauty - Sheri DeBow 
“Guardian” - Lena Danya
The Little Mermaid Meets Marlin and Dory from Finding Nemo
Sometimes Ups Outnumber the Downs - Jessica Dalva
"My sculpture based on Disney’s Robin Hood."
"The Strands the Bind" - Stephanie Pui Mun Law (The Fox and the Hound) 

There are many more cartoon classics reimagined, of course, these are just the most fairy tale related of those revealed (whether in close-up or as finished pieces). Others include Mickey Mouse, Felix the Cat, Sponge Bob, The Aristocats, Jack and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Lady and the Tramp, Frankenweenie, Pink Panther, Coco, Jessica Rabbit, Betty Boop, Toy Story, Gumby, Sailor Moon, Bambi, She-Ra and more.

The exhibition is free to the public and opens today, Saturday April 14, 2018, at The Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco.

Exhibition Dates: April 14–May 4, 2018
Opening Reception: April 14, 2018  6 pm–9 pm

Featuring the artwork of Adam Hunter Caldwell, Alec Huxley, Amanda Banker, Amy Mastrine, Ania Tomicka, Anne Angelshaug, Aunia Kahn, Brianna Angelakis, Carly Janine Mazur, Catherine Moore, Chris Leib, Christina Ridgeway, Daniel J Valadez, David Natale, Glenn Arthur, Hanna Jaeun, Hikari Shimoda, Jacyln Alderete, Jessica Dalva, Joshua Coffy, Julie Filipenko, Kathrin Longhurst, Lee Harvey Roswell, Leegan Koo, Leilani Bustamante, Luke Allsbrook, Marcos LaFarga, Marie Larkin, Marjolein Caljouw, Mark Bryan, Meredith Marsone, Michael Cuffe, Nathalia Suellen, Nick Stathopoulos, Olga Esther, Rachael Bridge, Rachel Silva, Raúl Guerra, Rene Cuvos, Rich Pellegrino, Richard Ahnert, Richard J Oliver, Robert Bowen, Sarah McCloskey, Sheri DeBow, Simona Candini, Stephanie Law, Steve Javiel, Susannah Martin, Susanne Apgar, Sybiline , and Zelyss.

Friday, April 6, 2018

Obituary: Isao Takahata, Animation Master & Creator of 'Princess Kaguya' Has Passed

I won't forget you. Thank you for the stories, Isao Takahata. (Tribute art by Trungles)
We were very sad to learn of the passing of Animation Master Isao Takahata today (Thursday, April 5, 2018).
May your spirit be free and have peace Takahata-sensei*.
Takahata was best known for his heart wrenching, and beautiful film Grave of the Fireflies, and of course, the Oscar-nominated The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, though many of his other films (eg. My Neighbors the Yamadas**, Only Yesterday, Pom Poko) prove him worthy of the title of Animation Master as well.

Our Fairy Tale News Hound, Gypsy, was introduced to his (and Miyazaki's) work at a very young age without even realizing it, through the TV series Heidi - A Girl of the Alps, while she was in Latin America. Takahata was the director, as well as a storyboard artist for the series. He eventually made a Heidi movie too, though the series holds a dear place to Gypsy as the beginnings of that magic Ghibli touch can be seen even then.

After Heidi and some other early films, Takahata became the co-founder of the beloved Studio Ghibli, always pushing the medium of animation as an art form and defying tradition as a true artist does - something clearly present in Princess Kaguya.

"I want to make sure that we don’t forget the great power of paintings drawn by lines on paper to stir our imaginations and memories." (Isao Takahata 2015)
Takahata also had revolutionary ideas about his Princess Kaguya too, something which we will be eternally grateful for in portraying this complex view of the Japanese princess of legend:
An adaptation of a Japanese folk tale about a mysterious princess discovered in a glowing bamboo tree, the Oscar-nominated film follows the princess as she struggles to free herself from both the demeaning customs of a patriarchal society, and the insatiable men who want to control her.  


“I have sought to refrain from projecting onto the young girls who are my main characters any wishful thinking from the male point of view about how women should behave,” Takahata tells us via email. “I also like to put myself in a women’s position as much as I can and think about things. Despite being a man, I love vibrant women, not only to fall in love with, but as friends and human beings.” And Princess Kaguya is certainly a human being. Not only does she cheekily relish the opportunity to set the men vying for her hand in marriage impossible challenges, but she hates the way men talk about her behind her back at her naming ceremony, and her emotions suddenly rush to the surface. 

Takahata uses the scrappy visual style to reflect these emotions in a way that wouldn't be possible in a more traditional animated film. “Rather than paintings that declare ‘I am the real thing’,” he says of his choice of style, “I prefer paintings that say ‘As you can see, I am not the real thing, but please use me as a means to imagine or remember in a vivid way the real thing that is behind me’.” 
“My intent was to have the viewers be there at the moment when the sketches were being drawn and to have them share in the emotions,” he continues. “I want to make sure that we don't forget the great power of paintings drawn by lines on paper to stir our imaginations and memories.”  
(Interview with Takahata by DazedDigitalduring promotion for The Academy Awards, 2015)
We know Takahata still had many plans for projects and stories he wished to tell on film and look forward to seeing what those ideas were, when the family feels able to release them. Even without reaching their final form of a finished film, we know there is still wonder to discover, as seen through his eyes and mind. (He told reporters in 2016 he had a few he was working on simultaneously.)

His love of the history, cultures and tales of Japan always came through in his work and he will be sorely missed, not only in his home country, but in the world over.

Takahata reportedly had some heart issues recently, but even with the wealth of his artistry, his many amazing and multi-award winning films, and his work having been recognized globally, his passing is too soon, especially for a storyteller.
He was only 82 and will be greatly missed.
“Why must fireflies die so young?” — Grave of the Fireflies
(Isao Takahata 1935-2018)



*Here we are using the Japanese honorific 'sensei', to denote the respect we have for him as artist, teacher and recognized expert in his field of storytelling and animation filmmaking.


** In Takahata's 1999 film, My Neighbors the Yamadas, the birth of the Yamada’s second child, Nonoko, is rendered as a scene from the classic story of the Princess Kaguya, who was found in a bamboo stalk. Princess Kaguya was released in Japan in 2013.

Sunday, July 16, 2017

GKids Studio Ghibli Fest 2017!

In case you're not aware of it's slid under your radar, don't forget GKids current Studio Ghibli Fest, showing classic Studio Ghibli films in theaters around the US during 2017! 

Studio Ghibli is known for their children's fairy tale/ fantasy films that do, indeed, fit our genre very well. The storytelling is different to Western fairy tales, of course, but is still very accessible to kids of all ages and highly recommended.

You may think: "But I've seen all these, more than once. What's the point?" The answer is that the experience is entirely different on the big screen  - an opportunity that comes along quite rarely - and worth the price of entry.

The showings take place over two days: the first day with English dubbing and the second day with Japanese audio and English subtitles. (We recommend viewing with the original audio and subtitles! It makes a huge difference and both kids who can read and those who can't love the original audio versions too.)
We took the Fairy Tale News Room Little League to go watch 'My Neighbor Totoro' (in Japanese with English subtitles), at the end of June, and are more convinced than ever that this should be considered a fairy tale film and a must-see for children the globe over. All the kids knew the movie so well they thought they'd be bored seeing 'this little kids movie', but came out proclaiming this movie "the best ever!" and back on top of their favorites list ("...the Japanese version!").

Other films coming up are: 
Kiki's Delivery Service - July 23, 24
(If you haven't seen this lovely, magical film, do yourself and kids you know a favor and go see it)
Castle in the Sky - August 27, 28
(A robot in a fairy tale? Yep. Expect to fall in love with him...)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind - September 24, 25
(a wonderful eco-sci-fi-fairy tale kids love)
Spirited Away - October 29, 30
(perfect for uplifting Halloween viewing!)
Howl's Moving Castle - November 26, 27
(with Miyazaki's version of Baba Yaga's hut - sort of.)

See you at the movies!