Pom Poko (1994) User Reviews

An Amusing, if Over-Long, Playful Adventure with the Tanuki

[drqshadow-reviews · 7/10 · 30 June 2020]

While Tokyo swells and expands, clearing forest to accommodate its housing needs, a nearby tribe of free-spirited tanuki (Japanese raccoon-dog) hatches plans to defend its turf. That's the intention anyway, if everyone would just sit still and pay attention long enough to chart a course of action. Fortunately, they do have one ace up their sleeve: the long-fabled (and nearly forgotten) ability to shape-shift. Once unlocked and understood, this plays heavily into the tanuki's efforts to subvert construction crews - destructive pranks, mostly - but also their day-to-day appearance.

Effective animation is essential here, and Studio Ghibli is up to the task. Depending upon the critters' moods, they'll slide from super-realistic to ultra-expressive, often several times over the course of a single scene. Ghibli makes it all feel smooth and natural, enhancing the important bits with their usual assortment of small details and charming body language.

There isn't much to the story - all the fun is in the light spirit, zany transformations and oafish nature of the animals - and that's a problem as the duration grows and the climax remains elusive. It holds on for way too long, repeating the same beats three or four times too often. The first hour is a wonderful blast of unbridled creativity and innocent attitude, peaking in a wild parade scene that rivals the one in Paprika, but I was ready for it to end at least half an hour before it did.

A tale about a pitched battle between Japanese folkloric figures and housing developers at the edge of the Tokyo sprawl.

[toqtaqiya2 · 8/10 · 22 October 2010]

The high production values expected of Studio Ghibli are well to the fore, and so are the studio's well-established ecological concerns and emphasis on community. Pom Poko was supposedly inspired by the construction of a new suburb in the Tama Hills, west of Tokyo. The tanuki act like a collective of eco-protesters, with the same conflicts, wasted efforts and internal squabbles. Director Isao Takahata has a broad humorous streak, demonstrated by an extended visual gag about tanuki testicles. There are many folk stories about the ludicrous uses to which tanuki put their genitals, but most directors avoid including them in family films. He also laces the story with less explicit - and less explicitly Japanese - jokes, and as a result this is a funny, charming, and very entertaining film.

Impressive

[augurar · 7/10 · 30 June 2013]

I find it hard to summarize this film, since it is sort of all over the place. The main plot of the film involves the tanuki (raccoon-dogs) of the Tama hills near Tokyo and their struggle against the encroaching development that is destroying their woods. As the tanuki attempt to defend their home through the use of their shape-shifting abilities, they are also challenged by an inability to agree on the best course of action and a growing sense that their efforts may be inevitably doomed to failure.

The film, like its tanuki characters, seemed a bit unfocused at times, especially towards the end. Indeed, the plot mainly served as a set-up for showing a succession tanuki antics. Admittedly, said antics were very entertaining, but at 2 hours of runtime I'd prefer a little more narrative support.

Some have referred to this movie as environmentalist in nature, but viewed from that standpoint, it is actually somewhat weak. I was especially disappointed by the ending, which I thought failed to make any meaningful comment on the sequence of events depicted in the movie. Without giving too much away, it seemed like the movie was saying, "Development and urban sprawl are inevitable, but oh well. At least there are still golf courses and parks!" It was as if the people making the film didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I have nothing against ambiguity, especially with such a broad theme as the conflict between humans and nature, but I thought the overall effect of the film was wishy-washy, avoiding more serious questions for the sake of preserving a lighthearted tone.

The best aspects of this film in my opinion were its unrestrained playfulness, wacky sense of humor, and use of Japanese culture and folklore, much of which was largely unfamiliar to me as a Western viewer. The art and animation were also quite well done, with realistic natural elements rendered quite convincingly and an overall visual harmony between the static backgrounds and animated figures. Despite the shortcomings mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, I enjoyed this film quite a bit. 7 / 10.

There's sadness under the farce

[mlstein · 16 March 2002]

Isao Takahata's films all share an exceptional emotional depth, which runs even under the four-panel-gag structure of "My Neighbor the Yamadas". In "Pom Poko" the war of the tanuki against the humans seems comic and almost farcical at times, and there is also a fair helping of satire, which is probably a lot more pointed if you are steeped in Japanese film and pop culture. But the inevitable conclusion is melancholy to the point of tragedy. The tanuki struggle--and their fate--is that of traditional peoples as well as that of ecological communities, and the script makes this explicit near the end: humans, it turns out, were once tanuki. The fadeout, as befits a film for all ages, is softened; but the happiness it shows is only temporary. It's a Ghibli film, and fully up to that studio's astonishingly high standards. The animation is invigorating and beautiful, the settings acutely observed and lovingly rendered. The music and sound are first-rate, too. The structure is off-putting at first, with a great deal of narration and horseplay; but gradually the film's odd blend of goofiness and pathos takes over. One of the most admirable aspects of Takahata's career is his inability to repeat himself. Every film seems to create a new style of animation. "Pom Poko" is unlikely to have successors, but it's a fine genre all by itself.

Heisei tanuki gassen ponpoko

[sharky_55 · 7/10 · 10 August 2016]

While Miyazaki dived into steampunk, sorcery, magical realism and spirit worlds Isao Takahata was dealing with grimmer, more grounded works. Most know him for the staggeringly heartbreaking war film Grave of the Fireflies, some for the nostalgic character piece Only Yesterday, and fewer yet his most recent masterpiece Princess Kaguya, which has a little magic but does not strongly deviate from his usual emotional beats. And wedged somewhere in the middle is Pom Poko, a bizarre and twisted lovechild of the two dominant styles that seems to be too ambitious for its own good. The film carries an environmentalist message, which is not something Ghibli has been afraid to broach in the past. But it also differentiates itself from Nausicaa and Mononoke because it is set in modern day Japan and speaks directly to the viewer. It is more immediate, and therefore to some, more 'preachy'.

It lends itself even more immediacy by framing itself like a documentary, with a narrator first providing backstory of the Japanese economic expansion into the rural habitat, and then thereafter constantly interjecting with bits of exposition and recap. The intended effect of this frame narrative doesn't exactly hit right until the very end; the past tense suddenly gains a great deal more poignancy, because the whole film because a porthole into the past, a product of the entire tanuki population's pleading...which has more or less failed and sent them back into human hiding or the dirt ground.

It winds back to the 1960s, where industrial construction machines are devastating the countryside Tama Hills like ladybugs devour a leaf, and how the local group of tanuki have decided to fight back. The tanuki have a long history in Japanese folklore, said to possess magical shape-shifting powers, being able to speak and write, having an innate mischievous nature but working against them, their laziness and fondness for party and feast. Their body-changing abilities also apply to their testicles, which can morph and take all sorts of forms and functions - this particular point has drawn a bit of ire from the western audience and illustrates the cultural divide. The tanuki are drawn matter-of-factly, and the testicles themselves only a small presence amongst their bag of tricks, but the prudish backlash exists nonetheless.

Takahata presents this double nature of the tanuki in the most visible way, through his animation. When they are sly and angry, they snake through the trees grass with slender bodies and lean eyes, determined in their goal. Yet most of the time their form is more typical of anime animals, great big saucers for eyes, pudgy bellies to rub and drum, waddling around with an endearing, goofy look. Perhaps a little too cheerful at time; the film treats death a great deal more flippantly than Takahata ever has, with the tanuki barely containing their laughter as they celebrate a victory at the cost of three human deaths. They covet hamburgers and television a little more, and don't even seem to blink twice at their own kin's passing, their bloodlust only gleefully abated by an even stronger desire for human junk food. Sure, this is humorous enough ("Leeeeeaave the tempura") at times, and we can laugh alongside them when their final efforts are taken as a spectacular ghost parade show, but these characters are never quite developed along, and the tone bounces around so erratically that it is hard to feel too strongly for their losses. It's quaint, light- hearted (especially on death), and then only finally, and eventually, frank, silent, devastating. Like the humans, it's all a little too late.

One of my favorites from Ghibli

[freakus · 9/10 · 29 November 1999]

This a very different, more dynamic film than a lot of other Ghibli works. Although it bears some thematic resemblance to "Mononoke" and "Naussica" in its nature vs. man plot, it plays out much differently through its use of humorous protagonists. Though on the surface the tanuki may look like cuddly teddy bears, they are fierce in their war with the humans. The animation of the transformation scenes and the action shots make this a very appealing film and the characterization is first rate (especially the three old masters)!

It may be helpful for non-japanese audiences to do a little reading on japanese folklore. I caught a lot of the references but much of it went over my head.

Lost in translation

[lee_a_scott · 6/10 · 22 April 2007]

I don't know if maybe you have to be Japanese to get this film properly, but, despite the perfectly clear English dubbing, I feel like I watched this in its native tongue. I'm pretty much a Studio Ghibli veteran thanks to my girlfriend, and enjoy many of the films I've seen from Hayao Miyazaki. This is not one of his, it was produced by a stable mate, and its differences are as many as its similarities. As you would expect from Ghibli, the traditional animation is excellent and the characters are often awesomely cute. As you wouldn't expect, the pacing is flat, the odd narration unhelpful and the ending, well, isn't happy. Please understand – I like unhappy films, it's not that I can't cope with downbeat. However, the presentation and tone are so incongruous that I just felt detached and confused by the whole affair. Overall, I'd rather watch My Neighbour Tortoro.

an underrated masterpiece

[spectre316-1 · 9/10 · 30 December 2005]

I just had the opportunity to finally see "Pom Poko," thanks to Disney's stateside DVD release. Fortunately, the dub is fantastic -- any qualms about "confusing" Japanese folktales and such seem to have been taken care of with the quality translation. The voice actors (only one "name" actor, a very fine/unrecognizable Jonathan Taylor Thomas) acquit themselves quite nicely, and it might be one of the best dubs I've ever heard.

The infamous enlarged scrotums, I'm happy to report, are such a small part of the entire experience that the fact that it was so dwelled on by dozens upon dozens of people for years prior to domestic DVD release is saddening. At first, yes, when a "pouch" is magically (and humorously) transformed into a red rug, it's amusing and a bit shocking. But that feeling wears off almost instantly.

Even though they changed the references of "scrotum" to "pouch," I'm still surprised Disney had the balls (pun intended) to release it, given their standards for "family"-esque (safe and arguably predictable) entertainment. There are a couple glimpses of actual nudity (breasts) and some humans die in rather morbid ways. I'm not inferring that I wish they hadn't released it, for if they had not I would have never seen it. I'm just happy with their decision. For once, at least in recent times, I feel the need to thank Disney whole heartedly.

The film itself is such a pleasure. It moves briskly, contains *beautiful* images and is endlessly entertaining. A large part of it's success is due to the constant narration; as others have noted, it almost seems like an exquisite documentary at times.

The story is simple yet effective: humans are destroying a community of tanukis, and the tanukis do everything they can to help preserve their home in way of transformation. It's often funny and adorable, but what's somewhat unexpected is the amount you'll be moved by their struggle. The ending, criticized by some, almost moved me to tears. I won't explain what happens, but some wise things are said.

As you probably know, the tanukis are somewhat distractingly called "raccoons" in the dub. I'm willing to forgive Disney for this obvious error, though, as they resemble the latter to a pretty high degree. And I'm sure it made it easier on the translators for lip synchronization (two syllables).

Not so surprising: "Pom Poko" was the top box office smash in Japan the year it came out (and Japan's own submission for best foreign film Oscar). Regardless of the minor violence/nudity/inflated scrotums (ahem), this film will appeal to anyone with a heart and a brain. It's not some minor little piece about tanukis humorously fending off humans, even if it sometimes appears to be. It's a major statement about man vs. nature, and it's often beautiful and witty and intelligent, the sort of thing most non-animated films aspire to be.

I know this might sound rash and pretentious, but I watched two films tonight: "Laputa" (Japanese with subtitles) and "Pom Poko" (English dub). Oddly, I liked this film more. Here's hoping that master director Takahata's underrated treasure will win over more viewers, thanks to Disney's recent bare-bones DVD release and the eventual airing on Turner Classic Movies this January.

A enjoyable and meaningful movie in it's own right.

[dannypat-19920 · 7/10 · 17 January 2021]

Pom Poko is an enjoyable and meaningful movie in it's own right. It's interesting to see a take on urban development and destruction of habitat from the (mostly, apart from the talking) realistic perspective of racoons who live there. This film is perhaps not on the same scale as other titles from this studio, however, Pom Poko is a beautiful movie in and of its self.

Perfection

[dballred · 10/10 · 31 October 2002]

Unlike Miyazaki, who can leave us guessing sometimes, Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies) has a knack of hitting us over the head with a sledgehammer message, leaving us only with the desire to be hit again and again. We are given a view from the Tanuki (a kind of badger) perspective of human encroachment on their environment. Takahata gives the Tanuki all the powers that Japanese folklore ascribe to them, including the power to change their appearance at a molecular level, a full awareness of Japanese political geography, the ability to speak and write Japanese, and apparently their own Emperor (as they refer to the years of Pompoko). He also gives them limitations, such as the inability to remain serious for any length of time and the general tendency toward sloth and partying. Many Japanese even today believe Tanuki can transform.

In this story, the ability to transform is not universal nor is it a task they can undertake without stress. These capabilities and limitations work for and against the Tanuki throughout the film in humorous, touching, and tragic ways.

The principle characters lived in the western outskirts of Tokyo in the late '60s, when a massive suburban bedtown, called "Tama New Town" was being built (This is a real place). They want to stop or reverse the progress of the construction, but are divided in how to accomplish this fact. One of the more extreme members favors killing the humans and driving them all out--until he is reminded that he won't be able to eat certain foods, such as hamburgers, potato chips, or Tempura. The story is focused on their efforts to stop the project and the events leading to the conclusion of the characters' situation.

This film will have a bit of difficulty with US distribution for a number of reasons--the biggest being the fact that you can tell the genders of the Tanuki by looking at the males. The DVD of this film will be released shortly in Japan and will include English subtitles. Unfortunately, Japan uses Region 2 encoding and their DVDs won't play on American Region 1 sets. Unless you're willing to wait forever for Disney to figure out how to distribute this masterpiece, it's worth buying an all-region DVD player just to see it. I give this film a 10 out of 10 rating.

One of the Weaker Ghibli Films, but Still Good and Interesting

[joshuafagan-64214 · 7/10 · 28 September 2016]

3.5 out of 5 This is the most Takahata-ish Takahata movie. It has all his major quirks: a bizarre sense of humor, traditional Japanese mythology, environmentalism, a focus on story over character, an inability to juggle a lot of characters at once, random but fun singing that strangely does not disrupt the tone of the film, and a Japanese paternal preachiness that his films barely manage to not collapse under.

A lot of the characteristics I mentioned are negative, I don't dislike this movie. If I were given the choice between it and a random Hollywood blockbuster, I would pick it every time, despite its many faults. But I'm disappointed. Most filmmakers tend to get better as they get older, or at least grow in interesting ways.  Takahata did neither. As he grew in years, he exchanged complexity and intelligence for clumsy simplicity, and though the stylism he was once famed for did not go away, it was not nearly enough to cover up his declining artistic craft. He became simply a shadow of his former self, and though he was a rich and powerful man responsible for some of his country's enduring masterpieces, you couldn't help but feel pity for someone who had fallen so far, particularly because every now and then, there were traces of his old genius that exposed themselves for just long enough to give you hope.

Yes, I'm saying he's basically the Japanese Francis Ford Coppola.

The best thing about this film is the aesthetic. Every Takahata film has a great aesthetic, but this film takes it to the next level. It's better-looking than most Miyazaki films, and it has a greater deal creative designs too. A lot of hard work was put into making this film look as good as possible, from beginning to end. I'm not so adverse to Takahata's storytelling as to say you should watch this film on mute, but if you are planning to watch a film on mute, this would not be an a poor choice.

I should probably explain the plot of the film: in the 60's, during widespread urban development, a group of raccoons fight to stop their home for being destroyed. Yes, it does not make its environmental message subtly. At least Nausicaa had a strawman. This film doesn't. In fact, on a whole, it is rather disconnected from reality.

But that's not my main problem with the film. To explain, let me talk about my favorite scene. It's a romance scene between the 'protagonist' raccoon (I put it in quotes because this film doesn't really have a protagonist), and his love. It's a stunning scene, it's legitimately interesting, and the dialogue is rather well-written. It's the kind of scene you want to last forever.

And then they go and terrorize some innocent workers. Yeah, just like that. While I don't think we're supposed to think of the raccoons as universally good, we're supposed to sympathize with them and think their tricks are funny. I don't. The way they're presented, I was cheering for the humans. But even if their tricks were funny, that kind of tonal inconsistency takes the viewer right out of the moment, and it litters this whole movie.

Combined with unnecessary bizarre happenings that were not needed and break the pace of the film, and you have a ness of a movie. Takahata being serious is good. Think Grave of the Fireflies, his only truly great movie. Takahata trying to be funny is Takahata wasting the viewer's time. There are even parts of the film that are legitimately funny, but because they weren't weaved in with any artistic prowess, the audience doesn't care.

It is not a coincidence that the last five minutes of the film, which are the darkest, are also the best. I was sent dreaming of a better film, one that capitalized on the potential of those last five minutes, and of the very beginning, and of the good character interactions and depictions of this interesting raccoon culture. But as it was, I'm stuck with that film. I'm all right with that. It's just that I hoped for better.

By: Joshua A. Fagan

Great ecological animation.

[Rectangular_businessman · 9/10 · 13 July 2008]

Most anime fans remember Isao Takahata best for his wonderful tearjerker, "Grave of the Fireflies", will find interesting this title as well. This lavishly animated tale about raccoons battling for their homeland isn't so dramatic as "Grave of the Fireflies" but is an interesting amalgam of humor, drama, and action delivered instead. At times, the viewer gets treated to scenes which recall the tragic elements , but even though the tone of the movie is somber, a handful of lighthearted moments elevate the overall production out of depression.

As this is a Studio Ghibli film, production values are spectacular. Backgrounds are painted with a tasteful mixture of simplicity and art, and the raccoons are as cuddle-some as you would expect. (If you're scratching your head while reading this, don't be alarmed--according to Japanese folklore, raccoons have the power to transform into anything--including human beings) The actual animation is as colorful and imaginative as you might expect from a Ghibli movie(and there is one scene where we are treated to cameo appearances by Porco Rosso, Kiki, and Totoro.)

While Pom Poko has a story to tell and a meaningful message for one to think about, its character and plot aspects may come across as a bit off-putting to viewers expecting a typical animated feature. Indeed, while some raccoons identify themselves with distinguishable names and/or personalities (for example, Gonta is a burly, rough-and-ready raccoon who is always looking for a fight, while Oroku is the "wise woman" of the tribe), the story offers little in the way of character development. In fact, most of the action in the story is narrated (by Maurice LaMarche in English, Kokondei Shinchou in Japanese), which elevates the overall effect of the movie to that of a semi-documentary. For the most part, this approach works to a very interesting degree and is a refreshing change of pace. However, there were some scenes in the movie where I wished the narration could have been reduced a little bit, as it sometimes gets in the way of appreciating the beauty of the visuals on screen.

Unfortunately, most of the attention that this movie received were some silly controversies about the fact that the movie shows the testicles of the male raccoons, but that was a minor detail if you compare with the charm and the originality of the story. Even when it is not perfect (Some consider this movie a inferior work of Ghibli )this movie was funny enough for me, and is one of the my favorite animes.

Man and nature should live in harmony

[x-54313 · 7/10 · 1 April 2020]

This is an environmental theme of animation, human development has affected the survival of animals, if humans do not stop, will be natural revenge

way too long

[cherold · 4/10 · 26 December 2006]

If you were to cut an hour of this movie you might have something a little bit entertaining, although even then I don't think you'd have anything memorable. But at its full, seemingly endless length this movie just meanders on endlessly.

The movie aims to be a sort of great myth history, but it never manages to feel like more than a slight tale blown up too big. It is full of extraneous detail that makes sense in terms of creating a mythology but not in terms of making an interesting movie. And the characters are just plain uninteresting, and for the most part difficult to distinguish from one another.

Some of the transformations are entertaining, but even then the movie rarely rises above the ordinary.

Less than the sum of its parts

[kingtanichi · 24 April 2004]

Isao Takahata, the man who brought us the good Only Yesterday and the masterful Grave of the Fireflies, is at his most bizarre here. This is essentially the same story about anthropomorphic animals being distressed that humans are destroying their home that has been told countless times before, but there's precious little here that will be tiresomely familiar. The movie is overflowing with creativity, humour, and invention; and in the end, that's probably why it's ultimately less than a masterpiece. There's so much here that too little attention seems to have gone into tying it all together coherently.

The first half is definitely the best, since the movie treads more carefully while establishing itself. The raccoons living in a forest that's scheduled to be destroyed to make way for a new Tokyo suburb unite to develop their shapeshifting powers and use them to save their home. The problem, however, is that these are not professional guerrillas or revolutionaries or anything of the sort. They are raccoons, and as such, equally concerned with partying and scavenging in the humans' trash as with getting rid of them. There's also a priceless plot point about the need to keep the population down by stopping all mating in spring -- a policy with obvious enforcement problems. The tone is kept mostly light, and things move briskly, making the movie a fun experience thus far. Particularly ingenious is how the raccoons are shown differently according to the dramatic needs of the scene/ sometimes they're drawn completely realistically, walking on four legs and with totally inexpressive faces; sometimes they're drawn like traditional bipedal cartoon characters; and other times they take on human form.

However, its two-hour running time may have been a bit much. There's no concrete point where it stops working, but somehow the second hour works less well than the first. Plot points become more and more dubious and underdeveloped. What kind of Spook War could so easily be mistaken for a parade? Why were they initially so reticent about talking to the TV reporter? Shouldn't they have tried to do something with that million dollars they stole? Also, the "turn back the clock" illusion at the climax is maybe too ambiguous for its own good. It's not that it couldn't have been effective -- Hayao Miyazaki fine-tuned it to be devastatingly effective in Princess Mononoke -- but it just seems a bit incongruous here. The very end tries to be bittersweet in its admission of defeat but continuance of hope, but with only nominal success.

Still, this one is definitely worth seeing. As with all Studio Ghibli films, it's more concerned with real emotions and issues rather than the spraying blood and female nudity of so much other anime, and the level of wit and invention is some of the highest ever. It's a textbook example of how to handle anthropomorphism of animals with a maximum realism and a minimum of sentimentality. And where else are you going to see balls used so effectively as weapons?

A fun movie with a message to it

[EdwardtheBlackPrince · 7/10 · 10 March 2021]

Directed by Isao Takahata Pom Poko is the eighth studio Ghibli film and tells the story of a clan of Tanuki who are threatened of losing their homes to deforestation and city urbanization. Pom Poko is probably one of the more underrated films from the studio , but it's a fun film with bright colors beautiful forest art and a fun premise. It offers a bunch of wacky scenarios and the animation of them transforming throughout the movie is both visually stunning as well as creative from them going to look like regular raccoons to stand on two legs looking more animated. One of The most memorable scenes ,the ghost parade shows tons of wacky and creepy monsters from Japanese folklore. One of the most things you'll hear people say about this movie overall is the abundant amount of testicles in the movie and that can be a little jarring it's not the whole focus of the movie. The movie has a message on the effects of deforestation on local wildlife. Despite moments of fun and games it does have serious and a few dark moments. As well as a example of the New World washing all the old world as the Tanuki are more traditional compared to humans who are more modern. While not as famous as howl's moving castle or spirited away, Pom Poko is a fun movie and definitely something you'll remember after Seeing it.

Poignant History of The End of an Era

[dont_b_so_BBC · 10/10 · 20 February 2005]

The "gimmick" of the film is the power of a skilled Tanuki (Japanese raccoon dog) to transform itself and create illusions in utterly amazing ways. And there so many crazy antics and throw-away jokes that I had to watch it a few times (& keep backing up) to catch them all-- since I was relying on subtitles and couldn't read fast.

The centre-piece of the film-- a (literal) parade and demonstration through the streets of Tokyo-- is no less fascinating. This and other allusions to environmentalists and other social activists come fast and furious, but-- like the heaps of Japanese cultural/literary references the film is loaded with-- take some thinking to digest/ appreciate.

And it was only after I had managed to tear myself from the eye-candy and "work" through the subtitles that I realised this was the poignant history of the end of a era.

***Spoilers*** As stated in the title, this film is the story of a war the Tanuki-s conducted during the reign of the current emperor (the Heisei-reign). Early on in the film, the Tanukis realise that their common enemy are the humans-- who are levelling the mountains and forests to create housing estates-- and form an alliance to drive the humans away. Since this story takes place in modern times, it will be obvious to clear-headed viewers that the Tanukis eventually lost this war-- which is why this review is full of spoilers...

For such a melodramatic/sentimental story (from the Tanuki point of view) on the futile resistance of the Tanuki-s against the humans, the director Takahata took a relatively light and fast-paced approach in telling the story. This works for me because:- 1) the Tanuki-s are practical and playful creature not given to moping; 2) this story took place over the course of 3 years, and the Tanuki-s had other things to do other than fight the humans; 3) this story is told as a remembered event through the voice-overs of various Tanuki survivors; and 4) the director Takahata was never one to rely on the cheap trick of demonising the enemy, the humans.

Even as the Tanukis start to die halfway through the film, the persistent sense of fun and wonder remains to heighten the poignancy of the film. I laughed even as my heart ached in the darker moments of the film-- when an elder Tanuki dies of over-exertion in the demonstration against the human, or when many fatalistic/fanatical Tanuki-s left on a ship "bound for paradise".

And at the end, all that is left for the Tanuki-s to do is to fit in (and live like city-dwellers) as best they can, with the consolation of a bit of nostalgia/reminiscing every now and then with like-minded folk. The ending hits me like a ton of bricks because this is what I have been trying to do ever since the countryside I grew up in was changed into a housing estate.***End of Spoilers***

Weirdest Ghibli movie, probably

[lraimundo · 6/10 · 9 May 2020]

I take back what I said about "The Cat Returns" being the weirdest Ghibli movie. "Pom Poko" gets that award instead.

If you watch this movie, you should know beforehand that it is heavily based in old Japanese folklore about the Tanuki, magical raccoon/dogs capable of transforming themselves and other things who like to do mischief to humans (and yeah, they use their nutsacks). So if you don't know that before watching this film (like me), you'll have a really weird time.

This movie's message is completely about deforestation and how animal life gets affected by that matter. They handle it well, but it's really on-the-nose throughout the whole movie, and if it wasn't evident enough, they break the fourth wall to say it themselves. Anyway, they don't portray humans as some devilish, selfish creatures who want to destroy the raccoon's... eh, sorry... the Tanuki's home. Actually, the Tanukis are way eviler when it comes to attacking humans.

As I said before, I had a really weird time watching this, and I was wondering if it was actually a kid's movie. Yes, it's entertaining, fun, and deep, but there are a lot of bizarre moments.

Overall, for Ghibli fans, this is a movie worth checking out, due to its ecologic theme, entertaining story, and charming animation, but too bizarre for casual anime watchers (even though most anime nowadays are way more bizarre than this one).

If you have a heart you will love this movie

[skooberstyle · 10/10 · 11 October 2005]

I was expecting a movie about stupid little raccoons that would be boring and unoriginal. However it was far from that, it was fun, original, exciting and moving. I'm upset by how many people think it's bad! It's moved me more than any other movie has in a long time.

It's the story of a bunch of shape shifting raccoons, whose forest is slowly being destroyed by humans. I would normally assume that with that plot it would be a preachy, boring "WHY MUST WE HURT OUR MOTHER EARTH?!!!!" style story but it's not at all. It's from their point of view, not in a way that's overstated. No big sweeping scores or little raccoons finding a potato chip bag and shedding a tear.

Along with their magical powers of shape-shifting (which often includes using their testicles... I'm not making that up), they persevere and fight on. It's not an epic, it's not manipulative at all. It's set more or less in the real world, at least the imagined world where raccoons can talk is portrayed realistically.

This movie is hilarious, and a hell of a lot of fun. It's an excellent 'escape' movie. It's a cute fun filled world, the raccoons go through tough times but they don't sit around crying about it. It brought me back to that feeling as a child when I would watch Disney movies and feel the "magic" (which now that I'm grown up is just "escapism".) This movie isn't for critics. If you think that little raccoons playing with their balls and having fabulous adventures are stupid then you can go and re-watch 'Citizen Kane.' Don't go into watching this movie with a serious attitude or critical eye, just feel the fun. Don't be a critic and "compare it to other Ghibli films", who cares about how "GOOD" a movie is, if you don't enjoy it. It's not about how many fat middle-aged critics like it, it's about how it elicits emotion in you.

So don't view this movie as another "movie", it's about feeling like a kid again and just having a lot of fun watching these amazing raccoons.

An all around excellent film, a good antidote to a rainy day! 10/10.

Bonkers but fun Raccoon story!

[pritol · 7/10 · 25 July 2020]

The whole story is absolutely bonkers!!! Shape shifting raccoons with hugely stretchy scrotums fighting to save their beloved woodland from urban redevelopment accurately sums up the plot.

The environmental message as with many Ghibli movies is incredibly strong, and with this movie it is effectively the sole message. It is very funny in a slapstick way and clearly aimed at children, but that doesn't detract from the enjoyment of it.

the raccoons just want their forest. what to do? Fight back with magic powers!

[Quinoa1984 · 8/10 · 23 December 2012]

Very, very, very strange. And of course the whole magical-ball/scrotum thing is weirdest of all... but once you get over that, it's a fun, sometimes sad sometimes very (yes) heartwarming story of these shape- shifting raccoons (or 'Tanuki') who are trying to fight for their land from being destroyed. Next to Tokyo? You don't say! Beautiful animation, especially inspired and delightful when the raccoons do their BIG parade of crazy crap in the middle of the city, and the narration from Maurice LaMarche (yes, Brain from Pinky and the Brain) works more often than not. Surprises me most of all that this is from the director of 'Grave of the Fireflies'. Guess he just wanted to have fun here, though not without a heavy-duty environmental message via Studio Ghibli (from Hayao MIyazaki? You also don't say).

I'm not entirely sure I can recommend it to, you know, a newcomer to the studio's works. It's at times just so leaps off from anything bound to reality (well, hey, talking 'Tanuki', you gotta go with it from there) that you just got to stick with it. Some of the comedy is very funny, some of it just feels odd, especially with the English translation (some folks like JK Simmons and John Dimaggio provide good voice-work too). It's like hearing a long but involving story from a friendly source, who in the end turns out to be someone who makes the story more profound and striking than it would have been otherwise. It's clever, trippy, and kids will be perplexed but may love it for its subversive quality. I mean, seriously, their scrotum are showing - but nothing else, so for Disney, it's okay (as opposed to Only Yesterday, which has a brief conversation about menstruation, but I digress).

People who adores Tanuki (raccoon dogs) will be amused with this film

[hayashimegumi · 7/10 · 17 August 2014]

Although Pom Poko (1994) is hilarious and adorable, one sad fact learned from this film is that nothing can stop human. This bittersweet animation is both blissful and depressing as it shows that ultimately nothing can be done to undo the actions of human beings to return the nature back to what it was; even with the Tanukis dying, trying to make a change.

The most fascinating and stunning points of this film are the antics of the characters and the spectacular achievements of the raccoon dogs using the ancient art of transformation such as scaring the humans and the grand monster parade. They are quite entertaining to watch and they will only get more amusing as you watch the film after you found out the source of their supernatural shape-shifting powers.

However, be warned that this film may be weird or obscene as you will be seeing testicles frequently shown or used for various illusions or transformations in this film but it is quite, funny. The depiction of raccoon dogs here are in accordance to the Japanese folklore so it is normal in Japanese culture.

Great movie with lots of good action and humor.

[xxbrennan · 8/10 · 16 October 2005]

This movie is one of my all time favorite Studio Ghibli movies (although I loved every single one I've seen). The way that Takahata portrayed the raccoons as how they acted when humans weren't around was great. It completely changed my view of raccoons.

The plot was very strong and also made you aware of modern day construction and how our forests are being destroyed. It also had great characters with many differences. There were smart ones, rough ones, calm ones, and ones that could pull through in times of hardship. Many showed compassion, and many didn't think anything through.

I also loved the human reactions to the raccoons. The raccoons made many very funny attempts to scare the humans and.. well I'll just leave it at VERY funny.

If you didn't like this movie, it may have been from the lack of understanding the portrayal of the raccoons, or because the humor isn't just your type of humor. I do believe that anyone, especially a Studio Ghibli fan (like me) would love this movie. It is great for the family, kids, or just adults.. There is definitely humor for all of them.

Departure

[briancham1994 · 7/10 · 13 July 2020]

This film is a departure from Studio Ghibli's usual films. It is more dainty and cute, a style that would not be picked up again until Ponyo (2008). However, it still has the usual reliance on traditional folklore and a love of nature. Pom Poko is simple, funny and action packed.

A low for Studio Ghibli

[miyaxchan · 5/10 · 11 July 2005]

I'm sure this comment isn't exactly going to make me popular...

Let me start out by saying that I've seen every Ghibli film except My Neighbors the Yamadas and The Cat's Return (several of them twice), so I don't think I'm making a gross overstatement when I say that Pom Poko is the worst out of all of them.

I recently watched this movie for the second time, and before I did I couldn't remember exactly why I didn't care for it...the movie drags on, is repetitive, and IMO, is incredibly confused. Is it trying to be a soapbox for environmental sustainability or is it just trying to have some fun? The movie becomes annoying when the tanuki first try one strategy against the humans, then try another variation on it, then another...and that's basically the entire movie. There is no build up to a climax, there is no resolution. All in all, they are still raccoons and the humans are still humans, and are still pressing forward with the construction project. I don't consider that a spoiler since it's quite obvious from the onset of the movie.

This leads the viewer to wonder what the point of the movie is. They're GOING to lose, but the movie is trying to advocate for something...isn't it? Either way, if it doesn't have a message or if it does, it's doing a bad job of conveying that. It's comical and about a serious issue, but it's not satire and it's not trying to advocate for anything, while at the same time you get the impression that it IS trying to advocate for something.

Confusing, right? I thought so too.

I greatly enjoy Takahata's other works (most notably Grave of the Fireflies) and I STRONGLY suggest those over this one. I know he often gets the short end of the Ghibli publicity/praise/fame stick, and overall he deserves much more credit.

But hey, even Tom Hanks and Robert DiNiro made some bad movies.