Isao Takahata's The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a tour de force of exquisite watercolors, simple yet uniquely intricate depictions of the intrinsic beauty and wonder found in nature. All aspects are rendered with such care and consideration. Nothing is overlooked as even the shadows cast by trees and bamboo, the falling rain, the illuminating light, are fully envisioned and richly presented. In short, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is simply breathtaking in its beauty.

This film would have still gotten 5 stars even if it consisted of the characters walking around, no dialogue, no story...that still would have garnered a 5 out 5 from me. Hell, even if the dialogue exclusively consisted of the various characters calling me names and belittling me personally...I still would give it full marks.

The fact that this film has an imaginative, heartfelt narrative is simply a bonus, really.

There's a sequence about a third of the way through involving Princess Kaguya reaching her breaking point, bolting out of her mansion out into the night at breakneck speed...during this sequence the luscious watercolors are exchanged for rough sketches of charcoal frenetic frames which elevates this damn film even further.

Plus, that ending...speechless.

Damn it....I wanna ride around on cloudback!