Story: 10
The story is based on the fairy tale, The Bamboo-cutter and the Moon-child. All of the main elements of the original tale are there, but they have been expanded upon in a subtly dramatic and effortless composition.
Art: 10
This is animation at its finest. There are sequences that forego form and structure altogether in favor of style and tone. It is like a moving, breathing painting, that is sometimes a beautiful pastoral landscape and sometimes strikingly abstract. In the world of illustration we see a vast variety of unique styles, but animation (at least feature-length) tends to fall under a few categories of similar looks. This film is one of the exceptions. I only hope that animation will come to be like illustration in its individuality of style and artistry, in the way Isao Takahata has done here.
Sound: 10
Joe Hisaishi composed a very minimalist, atmospheric musical score, with clear inspiration drawn from traditional music to reflect the setting of the fairy tale. It is, as a stand alone body of music, enchanting and exquisite. But it is also a very profound compliment to the tone, pacing, and style of the film itself.
I'm not sure whether to put the voice acting under sound or character, so let's stick it in-between. It's perfection. Chii Takeo, the wood-cutter in the Japanese cast, in particular, is masterful.
Character: 10
The princess herself, affectionately called Lil' Bamboo by her group of childhood playmates, has been given a very spunky yet sensitive personality that breathes life into the old tale. The way she grows older at an unnatural rate is executed with a flawless flow that adds to the quiet, fateful spiral of the story's arc.
The other characters also have a more grounded depth to them without losing the surreal yet authentic element of caricature peculiar to all fairy tales.
I definitely enjoyed this film. In fact, it's become my all time favorite. Overall, I'd say: watch it.
