The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013) dir. Isao Takahata

I remember watching this film for my 2nd year in Cinemalaya (2015). Back then, I don't try to check off every film from the festival, and I had to save up money just to go to manila and afford a single ticket. I was with my mom when I got to watch this film. It was the only available film right on the spot when I asked the ticket booth what was available for the next screening that would be happening in the next few minutes, 3:30 PM.

At that time, you can still buy tickets for the next screening because fast forward, 2017, everything gets sold out an hour before, even the bad films (subjected to personal ratings hehe).

I remember being in awe in the first few minutes realizing this film is animated by watercoloring frame by frame. It was such a simple but compelling story. It was a show of culture and literature in Japan. I would say, one of the first exposures that made me appreciate it as a whole.

Discovering how the director is the same director for Grave of the Fireflies, and ToPK is the 2nd film I got to watch from Ghibli before I started to binge-watch the next films.

400 stills are released to the public by Ghibli. Stills from other films such as Ponyo, Windless, Spirited Away, and a lot more!

Not a quote or a scene would be the first to come into mind whenever I think about ToPK.

It's that melody. The one being played by Kaguya on a traditional instrument. That song they would sing while playing in the woods. The song that would make Kaguya tear up as if it was calling her home. And it did (oops sorry spoiler somewhere out here hehe).

A masterpiece.

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