Bamboozled.

I'm looking forward to  かぐや姫の物語 or Kaguya-Hime no Monogatori = Princess Kaguya's Story also known as the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. 

When at the cinema today, there were two massive posters of the movie and I picked up a flyer for it as well.

 Last week at the Ghibli florist, I picked up an advanced copy of a ticket to the show and for a buck extra, I got a cool little lapel pin.

This story will give you a little background and a 3-minute preview. Or just watch this:



The theme song is written and sung by Kazumi Nikaido and here it is...



According to the Wiki page, there have been several adaptations of the story including this snippet of a live-action version of the Tale. Oddly it turns all Close Encounters near the end of the clip.



Here is a quaint version in English, albeit badly narrated:



Curiously, when Big Bird visits Japan, his tour guide is a surprise.



Within that movie, Big Bird attends a rendition of the Bamboo Cutter, danced adorably by some little Japanese waifs among others.

 

Skip to the 33 minute mark to hear his tour guide, Princess Kagura, (the lovely Maiko Kawakami) sing "Moon, Moon." or just watch this...



I don't know anything about Inuyasha but apparently that gang bumps into Kaguya as well. This is a fan-made video that may or may not show that encounter. (People more patient than myself may enjoy it.)



Okay, since I had already heard about the tale when I had some students enlighten me on some Folk Tales, I'll be going into the movie with a fairly good understanding of it. Unlike when I saw The Wind Rises! Hey, Yvonne*, are you doing anything on the 23rd?

*My long-standing Ghibli date.

My Bride To Be.

When you think of all the Disneyfied Fairy Tales, Cinderella, Snow White and their ilk, you have these relatively normal young lasses (albeit with a shoe or dwarf fetish). Japanese tales often take a different spin.

Case in point this story of a new bride. I won't bother translating it for you (mainly because I can't do it justice) but I suspect that you'll catch on to the story. The title says it all,  へっこきよめさ or "The Farting Young Wife".

 As you can see, it's a really tiny book!

Pretty cute, eh? You can find several other pictures of our flatulent fiancee here.

This cute animation tells a different version of the above (or skip to the 3:24 mark for the toot.)



This is a brief snippet of the story...



This has been a Chinese New Year's present for you all.