'Bao' - A New Pixar Short Reminding Us of Precious Little Tales

Press release:

Pixar's latest short, Bao is set to release alongside Incredibles 2 on June 15, 2018. The 8-minute short film (Pixar's longest to date) is written and directed by, Domee Shi, (Pixar's first Female-directed Short Film) and focuses on the ups and downs of the parent-child relationship through the colorful, rich, and tasty lens of the Chinese immigrant community in Canada. The official short film synopsis reads: 

An empty-nesting Chinese mom gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life. But she must come to terms with the bittersweet revelation that nothing stays cute and small forever.

 

In seeing the short preview, we cannot help but be reminded of Momotaro Peach Boy and Thumbelina (especially with the "another chance at Motherhood line there), but also Tom Thumb and Kaguya-Hime! The idea of precious little children (as in teeny, thumb-sized, etc) having to grow up and all the difficulties that come with that (especially from the parent's point of view) seem to be echoed here. We're looking forward to the rest!

You can see the 30 second preview below:

In a recent EW interview, director Domee Shi noted, "Often times it felt like my mom would treat me like a precious little dumpling, wanting to make sure I was safe, that I didn’t go out late, all that stuff", Shi tells EW. "I just wanted to create this magical, modern-day fairy tale, kind of like a Chinese Gingerbread Man story. The word ‘bao’ actually means two things in Chinese: Said one way, it means steamed bun. Said another, it means something precious. A treasure.”

Bao will premiere on April 21, 2018 at the Tribeca Film Festival.

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 DazedDigital, during 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.

UK Trailer for "The Tale of Princess Kaguya" (Coming to UK Theaters in English & Japanese March 20)

What lucky folks our British friends are! The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is coming to theaters on March 20, 2015, and can be seen with either the English dubbing OR in the original Japanese! #slightlyenviousoverhere

The trailer is the first proper English trailer I've seen and is wonderful, and a very different presentation from what we've seen to date. (I don't understand why this didn't get advertised like this in the US - it would have drawn a huge audience.) If you were on the fence about seeing it before this will likely to change your mind to a "yes - gotta see that!".

For the rest of us, we'll have to be content to watch on DVD and Blu-ray, though we still won't have the original Japanese language, with English subtitles option. (Why?)

I'm hoping to have a "home viewing" of the movie myself (finally!) this weekend. And if I do, I will review...

In the meantime, enjoy - and be inspired:

"The Tale of The Princess Kaguya" and "Song of the Sea" Are Going to the Oscars!

The nominations are in for the Oscars and two animated films are fairy tales!

Here's what they're competing against:

Animated Feature Film Nominations for 2014 Oscars  

“Big Hero 6”  

“The Boxtrolls”  

“How to Train Your Dragon 2”  

“Song of the Sea”  

“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” (source)

Notably missing is The Lego Movie, and it appears everyone is surprised since it's been considered THE film to beat - all year. (The Lego Movie has been considered one of the best movies of 2014, not just a good animated film, and I'd have to agree. It, too, has classic fairy tale elements, [anyone up to doing a fairy tale elements in The Lego Movie guest post?], though they're far less obvious shown in lego form, but that's part of it's genius. It's one of the reasons I think it resonated so well.)

But Song of the Sea and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya nominations are both well deserved nominations and are to be enthusiastically congratulated, especially since they are essentially quiet achievers without big marketing machines behind them to make people take notice. (Distributor GKids - who represents both - must be tickled pink at the news.)

In other The Tale of The Princess Kaguya news, a Blu-ray and DVD are on the way! Coming February 17, 2015, the movie will be released in English with this cover:

    

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear we'll be able to watch it in the original Japanese with English subtitles, but people everywhere are hailing this as a classic. I even saw the quote: "One of the most important films ever made.." I haven't had time to research the translation and English dubbing to see people's thoughts on those but I'm really pleased we're going to be able to see it and have the option to get a copy to keep.

"The Tale of Princess Kaguya" Is Coming to the US This Fall - Yay! (In the Meantime, Enjoy the 'Art Of' Book)

Kaguya Hime by doll artist Wakatsuki Mariko* (who adores fairy tales from all over the world)

Distribution for this reportedly gorgeous animated film of Japan's oldest fairy tale, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (aka The Moon Princess), has been picked up by GKIDS. (You may want to take note of the name since they'll also be bringing us Cartoon Saloon's Song of the Sea when it's ready.)

From Cartoon Brew:

Studio Ghibli is producing an English-language version of the film... 

Kaguya, which is based on the folktake “Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,” has been a modest success in its home country of Japan, grossing $22.7 million to date (or less than a fifth of the box office gross of Hayao Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises). The film will be released in the U.S. this fall and will be submitted for Oscar qualification.

With the US distribution happening later in the year, it's likely other English speaking countries will see it soon after as well. (Here's hoping, anyway...) 

I know more than a few animation buffs who are well primed for this and, knowing the ending isn't all sugar and sweetness but is more true to the original tale, I can't wait to see how the film resolves as well. I'm really glad we'll be getting the chance to see it in theaters. Here's a quick write-up of the artistic achievement by director Takahata on this film:

The visual expressions of director Isao Takahata’s “The Tale of Princess Kaguya” were groundbreaking. Up until that point, animations had been made with separate drawing styles for background and cell images, but Takahata paved the way for a new animation, telling a story that existed on a single page. This exhibition presents several illustrations unique to Takahata’s style of lightly colored animation, while also introducing Japanese art in the forms of folding screens, hanging scrolls, and picture scrolls.

In the meantime, for those net savvy international buyer people, there is a new book: The Art of The Tale of Princess Kaguya (images in this post are from the book). While the text is Japanese (as it has been for other Ghibli "art of" books) most of the presentation is visual, so it will still be a good addition to your Art Of library.

There is also a storyboard art book as well, which you can find HERE. You can see more artwork, some merchandising and a theater pamphlet HERE.

*  Wakatsuki Mariko may be Japanese, but her work is quite similar to that of Western artists. She opened her studio, Atelier La Lune, in Japan in 1989 and has produced lines of porcelain fairy dolls in large editions. She also exhibits one-of-a-kind or small-edition porcelain dolls at solo exhibitions. Before studying dollmaking at Ecole de Simon, Mariko did not have any experience with dolls. She was inspired by Pre-Raphaelite and Symbolism paintings, and she decided she would create works in three dimensions, rather than two. She believed dolls to be somehow similar to paintings because they express the world through imagination. Mariko is a bibliophile, and books are the root of her creations, so she seeks literary essence in her dolls. She is especially fond of Danish author Hans Christian Andersen and Japanese author Ogawa Mimei. Through their tales, she learned about good will and the meaning of happiness. Through her dolls, Mariko hopes to deliver love, dreams and hope to all who enjoy them. (From Dolls Magazine)

Extended "Princess Kaguya" Trailer (Best Animated Short of the Year..?)

It's not eligible, of course, despite being around 6 minutes long, but it still may be the most beautifully told animated short story you will see this year. The trailer is truly beautiful and the inspiration of ancient Japanese illustration is clear in every scene.

The lovely thing is, even though it's not as 'slick' (read, completely fluid) as the hand drawn animation we've gotten used to, nor has the flashy effects that are now standard of CG production, people everywhere are LOVING this! Almost every report, article, blog post I've read since we first saw footage remarks on how beautiful it is and how refreshing - "like a story scroll brought to life".

Possibly the most telling thing is that you don't need any translation or narration for the visuals, despite it being created in a foreign language (at least, for most of the readers here). The art here speaks loud and clear of its story and that's very much resonating with everyone who has seen this.

The film, (The Tale of Princess Kaguya-hime no Monogatari) adapts the Japanese story The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, in which an aged and childless bamboo cutter slices open a glowing bamboo stalk to find a tiny child inside. He and his wife raise the girl, Kaguya, who grows into a delicately beautiful woman. The cutter also finds himself rich as his work, impossibly, yields gold from bamboo. The strange truth of her existence is revealed, as hopeful suitors arrive to ask for Kaguya’s hand in marriage. (Slashfilm)

With this very extended trailer we get to see much more of the gorgeous animation (the baby stuff is so nicely handled!) and the subtle human touches (like where her hair falls out of her bun as she's putting it together feeling 'of the moment' rather than a practiced gesture) that help make the story feel very relatable and human.

Sit back and enjoy - no Japanese required and there are no subtitles in the way either:

Ah... :) So lovely, yes?

While a bittersweet ending, typical of the story, is likely under Takahata it will still feel like a fairy tale and will be beautiful. I'll be very interested to hear the Japanese response once it's released since this story is truly precious to them (and Ghibli is taking somewhat of a risk in making it as a result).

There are no release dates set outside Japan as of yet, but the Japanese theatrical release is next Saturday, November 23rd.

Kaguya-Hime Gets A Full Trailer (And It's Beautiful!)

This is one film that shouldn't disappoint. Everything about the trailer, from the brushwork style, to the iconic scenes in the 10th Century tale, to the scroll-like artwork, to the very human moments, evoke a beautiful and beloved story - and show a film that does it's best to uphold all that people love in the legend, bringing it to life as best they can.

Miyazaki has always held the title as the fable keeper of Ghibli, while Takahata has been better known for exploring themes of human tragedy, though both have been equally as impressive as animation artists and directors. With Kaguya-hime no Monogatari (The Tale of Princess Kaguya), Isao Takahata is showing the world that he, too, can make beautiful and beloved tales for families, and his place in the hearts of the people in Japan is secured with bringing their most ancient and beloved tale to life.

I'm really looking forward to seeing this film. Here's the full trailer:

There's still no word on a release date outside of Japan, but Japanese audiences will see their beloved fairy tale in theaters starting November 23, 2013. Studio Ghibli's current film playing in theaters is Miyazaki's The Wind Rises, which will be released in theaters in the US on February 21st, so Princess Kaguya won't come out till after then. Remember they will be putting together the subtitles, translation and foreign voice actors. Theatrical releases outside Japan will either have subtitles with the original cast or a whole new English-speaking voice cast - no word yet on which way they've decided to go, but we should see news on a release date at least, very soon now.

Note: The images are from a flyer/pamphlet promoting the movie in Japan, found on eBay.

Princess Kaguya Preview Looks Like An Animated Picture Scroll. Also, Amazing.

I've seen quite a bit of excited reaction to the newly released preview of The Tale of Princess Kaguya today!

If you're a regular reader here, you'll know that this is Studio Ghibli's next fairy tale and a very important one, being the oldest recorded folktale for Japan (we're talking REALLY old, like 10th Century!).

I love the juxtaposition of the music against the images here, not to mention the raw feeling the images convey.

Take a look:

Although the publicity to date has been on the quiet side, perhaps with people wondering if the director, Isao Takahata, could pull off a fairy tale as beautifully as Miyazaki does (since Takahata is known more for using an off-beat and gritty approach than for pretty tales), fears and doubts are being put to rest with this preview.

I'm sensing very excited stirrings in the animation community too.

Takahata is using a very different technical approach as well, which no doubt will add much to the charm of the (re)telling of this tale, apart from being a different form of storytelling for big screen animation. The technique is called emakimono, which is a horizontal illustrated narrative (aka a picture scroll). Some believe emakimono to be the earliest form of Manga, as in, from the 11th century (!) which adds another layer of interest to the project. (Bet you never knew how far back Manga went! I certainly didn't.)

You can also see a little from behind-the-scenes, or "making of" in the video on this page HERE. If you're interested in animation or the tale it's worth taking a peek, as short as it is.

Kaguya-hime no Monogatari (The Tale of Princess Kaguya) is set to open in Japanese theaters on November 23rd, 2013. No word yet on when it will be distributed it in the US, though Disney have picked up the contract to do so. Hopefully we'll see it in time for the Xmas holiday period.

PS Aren't the horizontal layout posters beautiful? I had to include them all...

UPDATE ADDED 9:30pm WEDNESDAY 10/23:

Oh look! I didn't even realize iO9 is raving all about this today!

Heh. Told you people were excited now. ;)

Check the happy-dancing at iO9 HERE.

* News Source: Crunchyroll

Another Peek Into "Princess Kaguya"

Studio Ghibli's official Twitter account just posted some new stills from their fairy tale film, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, being released in November (in Japan, at least) this year.

Although we've seen a couple of these before most are new and all show a lovely calligraphic quality of line. You can almost feel the hands behind these drawings.

Note: I just want to cheer on behalf of the health of babies everywhere for the tasteful portrayal of a mother breastfeeding her baby - and, if I'm correct, this is her adopted baby too [and yes, that is possible, it's just a lot of work to make happen]. Part of the reason I'm even mentioning this is that when kids see this sort of role modeling by good parents in movies and stories, it doesn't seem like a foreign concept when they get older and they have more tools in place to make active and informed choices.

The famous Japanese folktale Taketori Monogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter) centers on princess named Kaguya who was discovered as a baby inside the stalk of a glowing bamboo plant.Taketori Monogatari has inspired dozens of manga and anime stories, such as Reiko Shimizu'sKaguya Hime and Arina Tanemura's Sakura-Hime Kaden. (Source)

For those who follow casting in anime, the confirmation of the Japanese voices may interest you. Here's the summary:

Aki Asakura will lead the cast as Kaguya, and Takeo Chii, who passed away in June of last year, will still play the role of Okina (Old Man), as he had recorded his part before his death. Kengo Kora and Nobuko Miyamoto round out the main cast as as Sutemaru and Ouna (Old Woman), respectively. Other cast members include Atsuko Takahata, Tomoko Tabata, Tatekawa Shinosuke,Takaya Kamikawa, Hikaru Ijūin, Ryudo Uzaki, Nakamura Shichinosuke, Isao Hashizume, Yukiji Asaoka, and Tatsuya Nakadai. (Source)

I'm looking forward to seeing a hand-drawn "picture book comes to life" approach to a fairy tale/folktale again. It's been far too long since seeing that kind of magic.

Release Date Announced for Kaguya-hime no Monogatari (The Tale of Princess Kaguya)

Studio Ghibli's next film, “Kaguya-hime no Monogatari (かぐや姫の物語)”, has just received a release date for Japan: November 23, 2013. (Teaser trailer shown HERE, short production stills presentation HERE.)

The title approximately translates in English as The Tale of Princess Kaguya and is a retelling of Japan's oldest known (and recorded) fairy tale from the 10th century.

Here's some of the tale, though I'm not sure if this is a student-writer retelling (and translation) of the story, or a copy of the text from one of the many Japanese books.

It's generally known as The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, The Moon Princess or The Tale of Princess Kaguya:

Color test for Kaguya Hime by Ryan Andrews
(Not for Ghibli)

A really long time ago, in some countryside, there was one old couple that had no children. They lived by cutting and selling bamboos. One day, the old man went to a forest to get bamboos as usual, and found the bright bamboo. He thought the bamboo could be sold for a good price and he tried to cut soon. But, he couldn’t do that, because he noticed there was a pretty little girl into that. It made him very surprised, but the old couple wanted their child for so long. Then he decided to take her his home and raised her as their real child with his wife. Of course, when he came back to home with the girl, the old woman was surprised but really happy. They named her Kaguya and took care of her. They became a good family and were satisfied with their lives. Such happy lives had continued until Kaguya rose as marriageable women.  

Kaguya Hime by Ryan Andrews
(Not for Ghibli)

She became awfully beautiful lady. Her beauty was not like human, but a fairy or pretty flower. Her hair was extremely long and jet-black like a wing of a black bird. Her eyes were deeply dark as a sky of night, nose was as tall as a mountain, and mouth was pink like a cherry. The skin was similar to pottery and all her actions are elegant. All men who knew about Kaguya wanted to marry her. However, she didn’t want to marry anybody. Still, five rich men seriously wanted to marry with her, and they dangled after her loudly. Finally they became like stalkers, Kaguya said that she would marry whoever could gain what she wants. Of course, they agreed with this idea. She showed five different things as she wanted individually; the bowl of Buddha, the branch with the ball of the water lily, the far of the fire mouse, the bead of the dragon, and the swallow’s talisman. It was almost impossible to get all those things, and they tried as hard as they could, but couldn’t. 

You can find the rest of this version of the story HERE.