Another animation from Studio Ghibli that I would like to feature is The Tale of the Princess Kaguya by Isao Takahata. This is a reasonably faithful adaptation a real Japanese folktale titled The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. The artwork is wonderfully impressionistic and very emotional in tone. Okay, my wife didn’t like it that much because of its bittersweet ending, but there were a number of qualities that impressed me. These included insightful implications about how women are treated, the insincerity of high society, and the happiness and virtue associated with a simpler life spent close to nature and community.
But what particularly grabbed me was the scene with the “moon people” near the end. These eerily beautiful beings represent an inexorable supernatural force which is unaffected by the schemes of the human race. The imagery of this scene was adapted from actual Japanese folk art and was indeed striking, with the effect being magnified by the subtle yet powerful soundtrack music. For those who have been following my blog, it is by now obvious that I have a particular interest in artistic depictions of the spiritual. It is what fills the shells of factual knowledge, giving it warmth and depth. Without this perspective and this sense of life, the universe can feel hollow.
PNEUMYTHOLOGY 
Oh! My ten yr. old niece loved, loved, loved this movie. For her, it’s right up there with Spirited Away, another movie she could watch all day, everyday.
I like to discuss movies with her, too. What she thinks while watching, what she thought of the plot and characters afterward and any cultural details. We had a nice long discussion about the roles of women in society and an introductory discussion about the nature of “Happiness” after watching this one.
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Speaking of Spirited Away and other movies by Miyazaki, have you noticed how he often presents young boys and girls in a noble, heroic light? Also, he treats women with dignity in terms of their character development. I like your habit of discussing these things with your niece. Communication and friendship between generations is healthy and all too often sadly lacking in our culture.
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Hi, Have you done any artwork for Indian Mythology like Mahabharata and Ramayana?
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No, I haven’t, mostly due to unfamiliarity. I’m kind of hit and miss. When something grabs my attention, I look into it and sometimes post about it. Obviously, the Pre-Raphaelites really exercised my imagination. Thank you for your comment/question.
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