From the geniuses at Studio Ghibli comes one of the most interesting and wild animations from them yet.
Pompoko focuses on the raccoons of Tama Hills and the development that threatens their land. To fight the encroachment, the raccoons use the ancient art of transformation (in Japanese folklore, raccoons, foxes, and some cats have the ability to shape shift).
Shape shifting comes into play not only in the meandering plot, but in the animation as well, which goes from realistic, to more traditional animation, to simplistic cubist styles all within one scene to show the characters' various emotional states.
Pompoko is unlike any animation you have seen due to the “outside the box” approach to storytelling and design. Part realism, with environmental messages and violence, part goofy children's animation with cute raccoons that love to party, and part modern folklore retelling, this is one wild ride of a movie that will leave you flabbergasted and happy.
But what do you think?