Pom Poko (1994)

Title: Pom Poko
Director: Isao Takahata
Genre: Anime
Highs: A little nut sack transformation action.
Lows: Really need an understanding of Japanese culture to appreciate the movie.
RhynoBot Grade: C+

Well here's another Japanese anime movie but this time not a Hayao Miyazaki film, although he is credited as a producer for Pom Poko. This story centers around the post-WWII expansion and modernization of Japan, specifically the housing development boom and consequently the consumption of the forest area surrounding Tokyo. The story is told from the perspective of the forest creatures, in this case a clan of raccoons. I guess in Japanese mythology raccoons and foxes have a unique ability to transform into any shape they choose, even human form. This myth is the central focus of the movie as a particular clan of raccoons try to permanently stop the humans from destroying their forest and building housing structures and shopping malls.

The raccoons start off small, transforming themselves into pots and statues but as their skills improve they start taking human form to do reconnaissance and find food in the metropolitan areas of Tokyo. The raccoon clan is depicted as an old samurai clan representing the old ways fighting against the new era and not having much success. They have a few victories here and there but success is short lived since the workers that they manage to scare off eventually get replaced with new workers and construction continues. They send out messenger to recruit the help of the ancient shape-shifting masters. The masters finally arrive and the raccoons put on what they think is the final battle to drive back the humans in the form of a goblin parade down the streets of Tokyo. (This was by far the coolest part of the movie.) But their efforts were wasted since the humans enjoyed the "traditional" show never really being scared off at all. Inevitably the raccoons give way to modernization. Those that could shape shift transformed into humans and worked and lived among them in Tokyo. The others found other means of survival within the confines of the now sprawling city.

This story is very much infused with Japanese culture and mythology which was enjoyable to observe but I felt as though the meaning and significance was lost on me. However, having watched so many samurai movies I was able to appreciate the clash of the old ways (being the samurai way) verses the new era. There are some very entertaining elements to this movie, like the raccoon's fixation with transforming their nut sacks (testicles) into different things. But for the most part I think you need to have studied Japanese history and culture or be Japanese yourself in order to truly appreciate this movie. Me not being Japanese, the significance was mostly lost on me.

This is an entertaining movie but not for everyone, you can skip it.