For those that have been picking up some of the international releases of various Studio Ghibli movies over the years out of Hong Kong, the tradition continues as Intercontinental Video has solicited the home video release for The Tale of Princess Kaguya. The feature film is getting a DVD and Blu-ray release on February 10th, 2015 with the Blu-ray set for Region A and a Region 3 DVD. The releases will feature Japanese and Cantonese languages while subtitles include English, Japanese and Traditional Japanese.
The film came from Isao Takahato and while there were many reports of struggles to get it made through the animation process, the end result was a decidedly beautiful film that fits within Takahata’s style.
Plot concept: While working in the woods, a woodcutter finds a beam of light on a bamboo stalk. Within it is a tiny delicate girl so beautiful that the woodcutter assumes that she is a princess of sorts. After taking her home, the little girl immediately transforms into a human baby. As the baby – now named Kaguya – quickly matures, the woodcutter finds gold in other bamboo stalks and uses them to buy his adopted daughter’s way into becoming a princess. Growing into a gorgeous princess, Kaguya attracts the attention of many suitors, but she laments her lack of freedom and begins to question the purpose of living a life behind closed doors.
[Source: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya]
