Episode 167: Isao Takahata

Director's Club

In this episode the Director's Club casts their attention to the wonderful worlds drawn by legendary animation Studio Ghibli - but not the director you expect! Because while director Isao Takahata was not as prolific as Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, he put together a remarkable run of films in his own right, ones which pushed anime into whole new stylistic realms while touching on Japanese history and folklore to explore themes of memory, belonging, responsibility, and creative artistic transformations. Joined by "Fresh Perspective" podcast alum and animation superfan Christine Sellin, we explore what's special in his work from his first film "Horus Prince of the Sun" through the legendary "Grave of the Fireflies" to his ultimate masterwork, "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya"

[3:42] "Horus, Prince of the Sun" ("The Immigrant Song", Led Zeppelin) [20:52] "Panda! Go Panda!" (Theme from "Panda! Go Panda!") [30:38] "Gauche The Cellist" (6th Symphony, Ludwig van Beethoven) [45:15] "Grave of the Fireflies" ("Goodbye Blue Sky", Pink Floyd) [1:07:27] "Only Yesterday" ("Yesterday Girl", The Smithereens) [1:22:00] "Pom Poko" ("Big Balls", AC/DC) [1:39:46] "My Neighbors the Yamadas" ("Que Sera Sera", Sly and the Family Stone) [1:52:33] "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya" ("Wandering Spirit, Mick Jagger)