Unpublished manuscripts written by late Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata have revealed that the acclaimed filmmaker once planned a prequel to The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, a project that never materialized.
According to Tokyo Zokei University’s Professor Seiji Kano, roughly 130 pages of handwritten scripts and creative notes were unearthed in June at Takahata’s study. The findings include an “Adaptation Proposal for an Animated Version of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,” outlining ideas that would later evolve into The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, released in 2013.
The memo describes the story as one about “a daughter of the moon who longs for life on Earth” and even outlines an opening scene featuring a conversation between Kaguya-hime and an elder on the moon, who warns her against her fascination with Earth — a concept not seen in the final 2013 film.
According to Kano, the memo is likely the same prequel draft Takahata once referenced on the official Kaguya website, where he explained that he had written a backstory to make sense of the main narrative while developing his adaptation of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.
Oeyama draws inspiration from the demon-slaying legend of Shuten Doji but diverges from traditional portrayals, with notes describing a wish to discard the demon-slaying scenarios and instead portraying them in a “comical and not necessarily representative of evil.” In the story, the heroes use sake from a hermit to shrink the demons instead of killing them, and rescuing captured children without harm.
Meanwhile, The Jewel I Received reinterprets Kenji Miyazawa’s children’s story The Shell Fire. In the original tale, a rabbit loses its sight after being tempted into wrongdoing by a fox. Takahata’s version alters the ending, with the rabbit realizing its mistakes, reconciling with its friends, and helping drive the fox away.
The script also contains a meta-ending in which the fox addresses the audience, saying, “Hey, I’m always the villain. Don’t you think that’s unfair?” — a device later echoed in Takahata’s 1994 film Pom Poko.
“At the time, animation was largely seen as children’s entertainment with clear moral dualities. Yet Takahata’s early writings already reject this notion, incorporating complex human emotions and contradictions he would continue to explore throughout his career. This is a remarkable discovery,” stated Kano.
Takahata’s son, Kosuke Takahata, commented that the newly discovered manuscripts reflect his father’s unrelenting creative energy, stating, “You can feel his creative energy and passion in these writings. It took him nearly nine years after joining the studio to direct his first film, and these pages feel like his plea—‘Please, just let me make something.’”
His wife, Kayoko, who worked with him at Toei during his early years, recalled, “Debates among colleagues were an everyday occurrence back then. Isao was determined to create something meaningful. These writings are the fruit of that effort, and I hope young people will find inspiration in them.”
Takahata made his directorial feature film debut in 1968 with Horus: Prince of the Sun and went on to co-create numerous classics alongside Hayao Miyazaki, including Heidi, Girl of the Alps, 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, and Anne of Green Gables. He later co-founded Studio Ghibli in 1985, directing acclaimed works such as Grave of the Fireflies, Only Yesterday, Pom Poko, and My Neighbors the Yamadas.
His final film, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, received widespread international acclaim for its hand-drawn, watercolor-inspired animation and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Source: NHK
