The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

A bamboo cutter discovers a tiny girl inside a bamboo stalk, who grows at an unnatural speed into a beautiful young woman. Together with her husband, she is taken to the capital to live as a princess, but Kaguya never feels comfortable with the aristocratic life imposed upon her and harbors a secret about her true origins. Isao Takahata painted his final film with animated watercolors, creating a visual poem about freedom, social expectations, and the passage of time.

Princess Kaguya is animation as painting: Takahata drew each frame as a living artwork. The most poetic film from Studio Ghibli and the hardest to categorize. An artist's testament by a master fully aware of his craft.