Isao Takahata
Thirty years on, the poignant, thoughtful Only Yesterday stands out as a mature, sophisticated gem among Studio Ghibli’s catalog.
In this retrospective guide, we examine the work of recently deceased filmmaker Isao Takahata, one of the pioneers of Studio Ghibli.
Blending grounded animation with fantasy, Only Yesterday is a stunning work from Studio Ghibli, expressing down-to-earth life in the country.
Japanese cinema has a distinctive style that has been consistent since the days of silent film, when directors where drawing from classic kabuki theater to inform their burgeoning filming style. That is not to say that there’s anything limiting about a cultural pattern in Japanese cinema, seeing as they have given the film world anime, jidaigeki, yakuza, cyberpunk and multiple other notable sub-genres. One recognizable aspect of Japanese cinema is the use of seasons in certain films:
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya tells the folklore of a Japanese princess born from a bamboo stalk in the heavens and raised as the child of an elderly agrarian couple. She lives and grows up rapidly right before our eyes, just like the bamboo from which she was bred. She was meant to live a more “normal” life, though, and is soon thrust into a lifestyle that contradicts her humble upbringings.