Pom Poko

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Pom poko
Directed by Isao Takahata
Written by Cindy Davis Hewitt
Donald H. Hewitt
Starring Kokondei Shinchou as Narrator
Makoto Nonomura as Shoukichi
Yuriko Ishida as Okiyo
Running time 119 min
Language Japanese
IMDb profile

Pom Poko (平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ Heisei Tanuki Gassen Ponpoko?, lit. "Heisei-era Raccoon Dog War Pom Poko", also known as The Raccoon War) is a 1994 Japanese animated film written and directed by Isao Takahata and animated by Studio Ghibli.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The story begins with a prologue set in late 1960s Japan. A group of Tanuki (Japanese raccoon dogs, Nyctereutes procyonoides) is threatened by a gigantic and ongoing suburban development project in the hills of Tama on the outskirts of Tokyo, cutting into their forest habitat and dividing their land. Construction continues in contemporary (early-90s) Japan, and with the amount of living area and food decreased, the Tanuki begin fighting for the diminishing resources of their habitat, but then decide to unify against the humans to stop the development.

Consistent with Japanese folklore, the Tanuki are portrayed as a highly sociable, mischievous species, able to use "illusion science" to transform into almost anything, but too fun-loving and too fond of tasty treats to be a real threat (unlike the kitsune and other shapeshifters). Visually, the Tanuki in this film are depicted in three ways at various times: as realistic animals, as anthropomorphic animals which occasionally wear clothes, and as cartoony figures based on the manga of Shigeru Sugiura (of whom Miyazaki is a great fan). They tend to assume their realistic form when in view of humans, their cartoony form when they're doing something outlandish or whimsical, and their anthropomorphic form at all other times.

A Tanuki using its enlarged scrotum to fight off a police officer.
Enlarge
A Tanuki using its enlarged scrotum to fight off a police officer.

It's worth noting to western viewers that prominent testicles are an integral part of the Tanuki of folklore, and thus shown on the ones in the movie who also use them in their shapeshifting. They remain unchanged in the DVD release, though the English dub (but not the subtitles) refers to them as "pouches." Also, in the English dub, the animals are never referred to as tanuki, but incorrectly as raccoons.

Several prominent Tanuki lead them, including aggressive chief Gonta, old guru Tsurugame, Oroku the wise-woman personage, and the young and resourceful Shoukichi. Using their illusion skills, they rally help of the Tanuki elders from Shikoku and stage a number of diversions, culminating in a "ghost parade" to make humans think the growing town is haunted. When all efforts fail, in an emotional scene they stage one last grand illusion, temporarily transforming the urbanized land back into its pristine state before dissolving into the human world. Finally, one group of Tanuki desperately attempt one option that was previously unthinkable; they arrange television coverage and publicly reveal themselves to plead their case against the destruction of their habitat. While this moving appeal comes too late to stop the construction, the favourable public reaction pushes the developers to at least include some parks for the Tanuki.

Their strength exhausted, the Tanuki most trained in illusion are left with no choice but to abandon those who can't transform into humans, disperse, and blend into the human society. One day Shoukichi, who also did so, is coming home from work when he sees another Tanuki running toward a golf course to meet his companions. Overjoyed, Shoukichi transforms back into a Tanuki and joins in the gathering.

In an emotional final scene, Shoukichi's friend, Ponkichi (pictured above) addresses the viewer, asking humans to be more considerate of Tanuki and other animals less endowed with transformation skills, and not to destroy their living space.

Although it is often regarded as surreal by Western audiences because of heavy references to Japanese superstitions, folklore, and traditions, Pom Poko is a thoughtful, humane, humorous and entertaining film which powerfully presents the themes of humanism and ecological distress.

[edit] Cast

Here are the Japanese/English voices:

Ponkichi and other Tanuki practicing their transformations, imitating a creature called shachihoko.
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Ponkichi and other Tanuki practicing their transformations, imitating a creature called shachihoko.

[edit] Trivia

The film plays heavily upon Japanese folklore and here are some basic facts which may help you find the film less baffling.

  • Tanuki in Japanese folklore are mischievous, lazy, cheerful and gullible creatures who use their supernatural shape-shifting powers to trick humans. It is often said that a Tanuki would put a leaf on top of their head and chant in order to change its form into anything (for example, a monk). They are also said to try to con humans with leaves turned into banknotes, although in the film this act is meant to be prohibited.
  • Statues of tanuki can be seen everywhere in Japan, especially in temples and shrines, often holding a barrel of sake.
  • In Japanese folklore, foxes are also supernatural creatures (known as kitsune) with an ability to transform itself into a human form. However, in contrast to the absent-minded tanuki, kitsune are usually portrayed as more witty, cunning and sometimes malicious. Kitsune are also messengers of (or sometimes a depiction of) Inari, the Shinto god of rice. In the film, a tanuki manages to terrify the humans planning to move a shrine by appearing as a white fox. Statues of kitsune mark the estimated 30,000 to 40,000 outdoor Inari shrines scattered throughout Japan.
  • The stone statues which the Tanukis turn into are those of Jizo, the protective deity of travellers, people condemned to Hell, and the souls of stillborn, miscarried, and aborted fetuses. The roadside statues are a common sight in Japan.
  • Most of the characters in the monster parade are Yokai, creatures from Japanese folklore. However, some of the characters from other Ghibli films make cameos, including Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service, Taeko from Only Yesterday, Porco Rosso from Porco Rosso, and Totoro from My Neighbour Totoro. Among the yokai references in the film include a retelling of a story called The Mujina of the Akasaka Road which features a noppera-bō, a woman with no face.
  • The songs which appear in the film are Japanese children's songs, with some change in lyrics for effect. Some of them are repeated with different lyrics over the course of the film. Some of them are known as warabe uta, songs which are sung as part of traditional children's games, often with lyrics incomprehensible to modern Japanese. (The melancholic electronic melodies which many Japanese pedestrian crossings play, a short clip of which appears in the film, is a famous warabe-uta.) Among the songs which appear include:
    • Shojo-ji no tanuki-bayashi ("The tanuki party at Shojo-ji temple"), a popular song written in the 1920's based on a traditional Japanese fairytale. fairy tale herelyrics and MIDI
    • Anta gata doko sa ("Where is your home?") - a traditional warabe uta sung by children while bouncing a ball. [1]
    • Tan tan tanuki - A common schoolyard song which makes explicit reference to the tanuki's anatomy:
Tan Tan Tanuki no kintama wa,
Kaze mo nai no ni,
Bura bura
Roughly translated, this means "Tan-tan-tanuki's "golden balls", there isn't even any wind but still go swing-swing". [2]. It then proceeds to continue for several verses, with many regional variations. It is sung to the melody of an American Baptist hymn called Shall We Gather At The River?.[3].
  • In keeping with Japanese folklore, the original Japanese version of Pom Poko made numerous references to raccoon testicles in song, conversation and in relation to transformation. All of these references were removed from the English dub, but are included in full on the English language subtitle track of the DVD.
  • "Ponpoko" is a word for the sound of tanuki tsutsumi (tanuki drum): According to Japanese legends, a tanuki would inflate its belly (or its testicles in another version) and beat upon it with its paws to scare wayfarers: pon poko pon poko pon.
  • Real tanuki are sighted in urban areas more often in recent years. This is blamed mainly on the destruction of their natural forest habitat by development projects like the one shown on this film.
  • Tama Hills is a vast area of gentle hills spanning two prefectures and many towns and cities on the southwestern flank of Tokyo. Most of it is a patchwork of modern suburbia and hilly forests. Tama New Town, where the film is set, is a real residential development project (Japan's largest) built in the 1970s, spanning the cities of Tama, Machida, Inagi and Hachioji (which are all part of Tokyo.) Another Ghibli film, Whisper of the Heart, is set at the same location and shares some of the same environmentalist undertones (although environmentalism is not its main theme).
  • The train station which appears in the film is Seiseki-Sakuragaoka station on the Keio line, in Tama City, Tokyo.
  • When 3 boys drop an adult magazine, the nude model looks just like Jessica Rabbit.
  • In the English version of the movie, one main error was that the end credits had not been translated into English, despite that all Japanese lettering remained, along with subtitles explaining their meanings.

[edit] External links


 v • d • e 
Studio Ghibli Films
Pre Ghibli Films

Hols: Prince of the Sun (1968) • Panda! Go, Panda! (1972) • Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro (1977) • Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind  (1984)
Ghibli Films

Castle in the Sky (1986) • My Neighbor Totoro (1988) • Grave of the Fireflies (1988) • Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) • Only Yesterday (1991) • Porco Rosso (1992) • Ocean Waves (1993) • Pom Poko (1994) • Whisper of the Heart (1995) • Princess Mononoke (1997) • My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999) • Spirited Away (2001) • The Cat Returns (2002) • Howl's Moving Castle (2004) • Tales from Earthsea (2006)
Studio Ghibli Shorts

Nandarou (1992) • On Your Mark (1995) • Ghiblies (2000) • Ghiblies Episode II (2002) • Mei and the Kittenbus (2003) • The Night of Taneyamagahara (2006)
See also...

Ghibli Museum • Katsuya Kondō • Yoshifumi Kondō • Gorō  Miyazaki • Hayao Miyazaki • Kazuo Oga • Yasuo Ōtsuka • Toshio Suzuki • Isao Takahata •
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