Pom Poko

Publisher
Optimum Asia
Director
Isao Takahata
Production
Studio Ghibli
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Film
Running time
119 mins
Year
1994

Pom Poko

By John Huxley
29th Jan 06

I’ll confess that I’m not particularly knowledgeable when it comes to Japanese mythology. Relying on anime, manga and videogames as your main source of cultural input has its advantages, but its often twisted take on mythology and legend has left me with at best a patchwork knowledge of the subject. Ninja Scroll, for example, isn’t exactly the most accurate portrayal of Yagyu Jubei’s life, but that’s about as far as my knowledge goes (along with his appearance in the Samurai Showdown games). In the past I’ve been tempted to buy a few books and read up on the subject, but I always end up persuading myself that my time is better spent watching anime, reading manga or playing videogames. So here I am. Still as clueless as I always was.

But there is one creature from Japanese mythology that even I’m vaguely familiar with. The tanuki is a deity of some sort that has its origins in the real-life creature of the same name. Native to parts of Japan and Europe, this raccoon-like creature is notable for its shy behaviour and unusually large scrot sac. These aspects are greatly exaggerated in myth and legend, as the tanuki can apparently transform its appearance at will to avoid unwanted attention and also sports unfeasibly large testicles, which it can use as a weapon or musical instrument. The size of the testicles and the extent of its transformation abilities varies, but it’s nevertheless an unmistakable part of Japanese folklore that can be seen throughout Japanese popular culture even today. And even if you think you’re unfamiliar with the tanuki, I’m sure you’ll remember Mario 3 on the NES in which Mario could don a tanuki suit and change his shape into a statue to avoid enemies.

Sadly, despite numerous references to the tanuki within the game and its extensive world-wide advertising campaign, it was obviously much easier for gamers in the west to associate it with a raccoon. Which is probably the same reason that the company working on the English language version of Pom Poko have decided to refer to the tanuki as raccoons. Granted, they look very similar with their bushy striped tale and furry canine snout, but in calling them raccoons they’re ignoring the fact that Pom Poko’s characters are based upon myth and legend as much as they are their real-life counterparts. And as the raccoon’s shape-shifting abilities and large testicles go largely unexplained for the duration of the film, this could easily lead to many English-language viewers believing these creatures to be a product solely of Ghibli’s imagination.

Which is a real shame, because Pom Poko is a film that revolves around the tanuki, both real and mythical. It all starts with an introduction to the tanuki and their habitat: the lush forests and green fields just on the outskirts of Tokyo. Here the various tribes of tanuki have lived their own way of life, secluded and largely undisturbed by their human neighbours. But their world is about to get turned upside down - literally - as they discover plans to build a massive housing estate right on top of their beloved homeland. After a long debate, the tanuki elders formulate a plan; the long forgotten art of transformation is to be resurrected in order to scare the builders away and hopefully persuade the powers that be the land is haunted and uninhabitable. In order to help them succeed and produce a convincing display of transformation trickery, several of the tanuki are sent to the far corners of the country to enlist the legendary masters of transformation. Yet they quickly learn that progress is a difficult thing to prevent, and it’ll require all their efforts and a lot of luck if their plan is to succeed.

The story has been likened to Watership Down before now, and to be fair it’s not an entirely unwarranted comparison. They both share a very similar premise with talking, intelligent animals forced out of their natural habitat, yet Pom Poko differs from the British classic in its atmosphere and execution. Where as Watership Down carried a very sombre message of a countryside in decline, Pom Poko feels more like a celebration of the wildlife that inhabits it. Chiefly it’s the presence of the carefree and fun-loving tanuki that helps to maintain such an upbeat atmosphere in spite of the grave fate that awaits them. Headed by a friendly narrator ominously speaking in the past tense, the tanuki quickly endear themselves to the audience as an unorganised yet free spirited group that only wish to preserve their peaceful way of life.

Well, I say peaceful but Pom Poko actually introduces us the tanuki in the midst of a civil war as two rival tribes fight for dominance. It’s nothing like the bloody and gruesome fare you might expect, though, as the half-hearted and often comical battle is soon forgotten in favour of more pressing issues.

The battle is also an ideal opportunity to introduce us to Pom Poko’s unusual habit of rendering its characters in three very distinct styles. As if to accentuate their shape-shifting abilities, the tanuki often change their appearance from convincingly realistic to a more cartoony style that helps to exaggerate their character. In addition to these two very pronounced forms, a third takes things one step further and reduces the tanuki to nothing more than a basic outline with a purposefully ridiculous expression emblazoned over their face. As any anime fan will know, this method of conveying certain emotions isn’t unusual in comedies and light-hearted anime, but I must admit I found it rather surprising to find it here in a Ghibli movie. Regardless, it doesn’t feel out of place in the context of the film and really helps to assert that fabulously upbeat atmosphere.

Unlike Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies, Pom Poko doesn’t really concern itself with detailed character development. Ghibli have gone to great lengths to distinguish each tanuki as an individual - both in appearance and personality - yet the majority of the film concentrates on their fortunes as a race. As such, much of the storytelling is delegated to the charming and familiar voice of the narrator who takes us through all the major events in the tanuki’s life cycle, as the seasons come and go and new tanuki are born while others pass away.

This inevitably creates several periods of the film in which not a lot really happens. It would be unfair of me to say that these sections of Pom Poko drag, but it’s certainly not the kind of non-stop extravaganza that puts bums on seats. And while this fallacy could easily be blamed on a lack of action or the admittedly unusual subject matter, it’s really the film’s stop-start nature that’s to blame. Too much of the film is spent dipping in and out of the tanuki’s life to really create an engrossing experience, as we never get the chance to spend time with any of the characters and identify with their plight. The narrator may be a necessary evil thanks to the structure of the film, yet his presence unwittingly lends Pom Poko a strangely distant feeling.

When Pom Poko does eventually spend time detailing specific events, it does so with a good deal of that Ghibli flair that we’ve all become accustomed to over the past few decades. Not only is the quality of animation and the detail of artwork on offer as close to flawless as anyone could hope for, the imagination on show is simply superlative. Takahata takes full advantage of the tanuki’s transforming abilities as they attempt to scare the construction workers and local inhabitants by transforming into a variety of monsters, ghosts and deities. Each tanuki is not equal in this regard, however, and the hideous results of some of the less able tanuki are even more amusing than those naturally gifted in the art of transformation. As the film progresses the tanuki’s plans become more and more ambitious, culminating in a monster parade that is as much a technical showcase for Ghibli as it is a visual treat for the audience.

It’s also a good chance to take in some of Japan’s rich and varied folklore, so pay close attention and see what you can spot!

Despite the long period of time that Pom Poko’s story encompasses, it really plods along at such a nice and relaxing pace. And even though several major characters are doomed to meet their end before the credits role, the tanuki help to make Pom Poko such an upbeat experience that defies the dour nature of the story and cruelly inevitable finalle. For these reasons I left Pom Poko with very positive feelings about the film in spite of its more obvious flaws. It’s not one of Ghibli’s finest hours, but it is a very pleasant viewing experience and one which comes recommended regardless of your knowledge of Japanese folklore. Which in my case is still not a lot.

R2 DVD Notes

Features: English and Japanese audio, English subtitles, full storyboards, Studio Ghibli trailer reel, original Japanese trailer

Release information: UK: 30th January 2006, Optimum

Notes: With only a few substantial extras to speak of, this isn’t one of Optimum’s best Ghibli releases in recent months. I couldn’t find fault with the audio and picture quality, however, so unless you’re an absolute sucker for extras this DVD should fill up your Ghibli collection nicely.

-- John Huxley 29th Jan 06

Pom Poko Images