a review of 辉夜姬物语

2022 CULT MOVIE CHALLENGE WEEK 2: ANIME WEEK This is going to be a hard one for me to sum up on a first viewing, but I was really pleased by how Takahata took this old folktale, one built around a well-worn genre trope (a childless couple find an unusual child with strange powers), and made it feel truly alive and meaningful. I love the designs and animation for all of the characters, and how the movie isn't afraid to take its time and really lean into the repetitive structure of a fairy tale, almost as though it's trying to extend the princess's time on Earth as much as the characters are. The finale is one of the most joyous depictions of the liminality of life and death that I've seen in any movie, live action or animated.