Zac's Blind Studio Ghibli Watchthrough (ongoing spoilers)

#9 - Pom Poko

Much to my surprise, I absolutely loved this movie. It tells an interesting story about the conflict between an encroaching threat on Tanuki-ty, and the choices they have to contend with it...

Sorry, flashback to Nausicaa, but the premise is very similar. The tanuki have just taken the role of the humans, whereas the humans have tagged in for the insects/spores, overtaking the land of what once belonged to our protagonists. It doesn't take long for the story to branch off into a different direction, however. Aside from now being a comedy, this telling of the story has the Tanuki actually willing to fight to keep their land intact. Occasionally they go about it in violent ways, but more often than not, their actions are simply mischievous, leading to some of the film's funnier scenes. Though, even some of the "violent" ones were also quite humorous (ex: Chopping off the head of a cop statue)

Sadly, their pranks were no real match for the indifference of humanity, and what was a once fun-filled movie took a turn towards the end, with our furry friends losing many of their own ( RIP Gonta ). They didn't suffer a complete failure, as they did get some parks to live in, but not all cities are that accommodating. 90s Japan may have cared enough to keep some parks up for the wildlife, but here in modern America, it's all about commerce growth. I can't begin to tell you how much land has been bulldozed near where I love to make way for unnecessary retail outlets or shopping centers.

Pom Poko - 9.5/10

Side note: Out of the 9 movies I've seen so far, this one rated the lowest on Rotten Tomatoes (86%), which is odd since I found it to be one of the better ones. I have to wonder if it's because of western audiences being confused over "racoons" with giant balls/powers