A beautiful send-off for Takahata career (if it is one), it's fascinating because it takes what presumably a classic folklore story from japanese culture and frames it within a perspective that's what I could say distinct-inly feminist in how the film attempts to address the struggle for the protagonist to maintain her own autonomy and identity in light of the pressures society wants to enact on her, while appearing to be incredibly faithful to the original folk tale, despite having roots in a less progressive time, the ending is also incredibly bitter sweet in how it eventually resolves that core conflict that spurs throughout the film.
In a way reflecting on it further it feels like a culmination of everything that represents Takahata as a storyteller, all his themes are here, his love for tradition and simplicity over excessiveness extending to what he feels about what the "good life" constitutes, his unique sense of art direction, and his tendency to ground his story in a very down-to-earth way, with minimalistic use of fantasy elements, preferring instead to ground those elements in the imagination of his characters.
The animation, music and direction was also top-notch, not a single frame felt wasted, and from a animation perspective there's some real stand-out moments throughout, including a dream sequence that's like classic takahata in every way possible, reminiscent of his classic work in Anne of Green Gables and Only Yesterday.
What more can I say really? other then I'm incredibly glad I got to experience a film such as this, it was truly well-worth the wait, even if for some it might be a bit too calm, relaxed then what one usually expects from say a Miyazaki production, but I couldn't have asked for more from Takahata really. He's surely proven himself time and again, that he's the better, more consistent director over Miyazaki.
