StoryWhen most people think of Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki’s films
tend to jump out and thwack you round the face in all their gorgeously animated
glory, but what many may not realise is that Isao Takahata brings an equally
impressive portfolio or work to the table. Part of the reason for my adoration
of both the company’s founders comes from Takahata’s preference of placing
greater focus on the Japanese way of life, its history, and mythology – and
never has this been more prevalent than in his 1994 feature presentation, Pom
Poko.
In creating a solid, comprehensive, and ultimately
entertaining narrative, Takahata makes excellent use of Japan’s rich and often
wacky folklore by weaving so many legends, spirits, and monsters together that
it’s like a mythologist’s wet dream. Of course the film’s central focus is the
tanuki (Japanese raccoon dogs), a particularly popular and mischievous youkai
(monster). These furry critters possess the power of transformation and various
folktales document their impish antics – some of which the film incorporates
into its plot, such as one who would trick humans by changing leaves into
money.
Throughout the film, stories such as the tale of ‘The
Noppera-bo of Akasaka Road’ (a terrifying faceless monster) appear as one of
the tanuki’s many pranks. However, the culmination of their hard work comes in
what is easily the most impressive scene of the entire movie. In order to scare
the construction workers threatening to destroy their habitat, the tanuki decide
to stage their own version of the ‘Hyakki Yako’ – or ‘Night Parade of a Hundred
Demons’ – which is an old belief that during summer nights, various
supernatural beings will take to the streets in a large parade leaving anyone
who witnesses this spectacle to die. Naturally this scene lends itself
beautifully to showcasing various youkai, from the Karakasa (a cyclopic
umbrella demon) to the long-necked Rokuro-kubi, as well as a nice nod towards a
Japanese children’s literary classic – ‘Night on the Galactic Railroad’ by
Kenji Miyazawa. While a veritable ‘Where’s Wally’ of Japanese culture, any
casual viewer is unlikely to fully appreciate the intricate details, in the
same way that a non-anime fan would miss half the references that Lucky Star hurls at its audience.
As much as I adore Miyazaki’s fantastical films that
whisk you away on a magical adventure, I do love the versatility of Takahata’s
direction. He prods, pokes and yanks at all the right tear ducts in the
tragically spectacular Grave of the Fireflies, brandishes a totally
different visual style in My Neighbours the Yamadas, and in the case of Pom
Poko, transforms the plot into a mockumentary. With narration,
interview-esque sound bites from the cast, and the use of a real life location
(Tama Hills actually exists to the south west of Tokyo), Pom Poko’s
faux-journalistic approach successfully relays the underlying message that
humans should care more about nature and its inhabitants. While this technique
of storytelling is a refreshing difference, it can make the movie that much
more difficult to immerse yourself in. With commentary inserted into the
narrative, each section of plot seems to come to a stop instead naturally
flowing into the next, which creates an almost jarring sensation – much like the
slight pause that occurs when a DVD switches layers.AnimationFor over twenty years Studio Ghibli has been consistently
producing animation of an extraordinarily high quality, and Pom Poko is
no different, with fluid movement displayed by each character or item feeling
entirely natural – well as normal as shape-changing raccoon-balls can be
anyway. Boasting lush green backgrounds juxtaposed with the barren construction
zone and harsh machinery, the film creates a beautifully believable backdrop for
the boisterous tanuki.
Pom Poko’s character designs particularly impress.
That each individual has their own distinct appearance is remarkable when
considering the sheer size of the cast. On top of that, the film represents our
furry protagonists in four different ways throughout, depending on the nature
of the scene. Primarily they take on a delightful, family-friendly
manifestation complete with items of clothing and various visual quirks to
easily distinguish between them. Secondly it adopts a more simplistic, cutesy
visage, in order to mirror the tanuki’s carefree nature, which often emerges
during party sequences to enhance the merriment. Thirdly, they appear as
ordinary and realistic raccoons to enhance the film’s documentary feel and
depicts how they look to regular people. Finally, some take on the form of a
person during the movie; this is particularly striking as each humanoid tanuki
bears similar facial features to its more adorable counterpart and makes it
relatively easy to differentiate who each character is.SoundThe voice acting in Pom Poko is top-notch, both in
the original Japanese and the English dub. The suitable difference between the
natural voicing of storyline sections and the sombre narration enhances the
film’s overall execution and plays nicely alongside the animation to provide a
pleasing all-round experience.
Pom Poko scatters appropriate incidental music throughout with a score ranging from
upbeat, whimsical tunes for the tanuki’s many parties, to more traditional
melodies with a slight spiritual edge to reinforce the film’s mythical
elements.CharactersBoasting a large cast, Pom Poko manages to
successfully accord each individual tanuki their own personality, from the
aggressive, war-mongering Gonta to the more passive and rational Shokichi. That
being said, with so many protagonists running around, none really receive much
exploration, nor do they really evolve – in fact if you’re not paying enough
attention, many of the characters simply meld into one big, furry,
testicle-stretching mass. As the credits roll, Gonta is just as quick to
attack, and Shokichi continues to stand firm on his beliefs that they shouldn’t
harm humans. While this isn’t a deficit per se, it would be nice to see more of
a change, especially since the rest of the narrative develops so well.
One particular trait that all the tanuki share is
their laid-back and comical nature, which frequently shines through even during
the most serious of times. Their inclination towards partying after each minor
success, mischievous nature, and the tendency of steering near-on every
conversation in the direction of food, provides Pom Poko with the
majority of its humorous content. This carefree attitude makes the cast far
more amiable and adds to the overall entertainment value, thus allowing
everyone to enjoy it whether laughing at the tanuki’s pranks or guiltily
sniggering at their little… err… ‘Raccoon Pouches’.OverallAs an environmentally based film that is little
more serious than the likes of Miyazaki’s My Neighbour Totoro, yet more
light-hearted than Princess Mononoke or Nausicaä of the Valley of the
Wind, Takahata’s Pom Poko is one of Studio
Ghibli’s hidden gems. With a rich foundation of Japanese mythology and
ecological issues, this film is one of the more intelligent movies out there,
but the presence of cute, fun and fluffy tanuki also makes this an entertaining
movie for the whole family.
Screenshots
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