Trivia / The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

• Acclaimed Flop: Despite gaining widespread critical acclaim, the film ended up making half of its budget.
• Box Office Bomb: The film cost ¥5 billion/$49.3 million to produce—more than any Japanese film as of 2021—and it only got ¥2.5 billion/$24.2 million at the box office.
• Died During Production:
  • Executive producer Seiichiro Ujiie succumbed to multiple organ failure during the early stages of production.
  • Takeo Chii (The Bamboo Cutter) finished most of his dialogue before he succumbed to heart failure in June 2012.
• The Other Darrin: Comedian Yuji Miyake re-recorded some pick-up dialogue for the bamboo cutter following Takeo Chii's passing.
• The Other Marty: A non-acting example. At one point, Shinichiro Ikebe was announced to write the film's score. In February 2013, however, Joe Hisaishi was announced to replace him as the composer.
• Posthumous Credit:
  • Takeo Chii is given a credit in this film, having provided the bamboo cutter's voice for most of the film.
  • As with From Up on Poppy Hill, Seiichiro Ujiie is credited as executive producer, having been involved with the project shortly before his death two years earlier.
• Real-Life Relative: In the English version, Beau Bridges voices Prince Kuramochi and his daughter Emily voices Kitanonata. Both actors were previously involved in From Up on Poppy Hill.
• Release Date Change: The film was originally scheduled to be released simultaneously with The Wind Rises. However, it was delayed to November 23, 2013 due to concerns that the storyboards were not yet finished.
• Studio Hop: GKIDS' previous Ghibli film, From Up on Poppy Hill, was released on home media by Cinedigm in North America. Their contract ended in late 2013 and wasn't renewed. For The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, GKIDS partnered with Universal, who handled the North American home media rights.
• Swan Song: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya was the last film from Studio Ghibli directly involving Isao Takahata as director, and in fact, the last film he directed, period, before his retirement and eventual death on April 5, 2018. He even stated that it would be his last in interviews and documentaries.
• Two Voices, One Character: Takeo Chii provided the voice for the bamboo cutter, but due to his death, Yuji Miyake provided the character's remaining dialogue.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Tomu Uchida was to direct a film based on the story at Toei Animation back in the early 1960s.
  • Shinichiro Ikebe was originally announced to write the film's score but pulled out due to the film's delays and Joe Hisaishi filled in.
  • Ryuichi Sakamoto was offered and attached to score the film. But he was removed after it was determined that his score did not match the tone of the film.
• Word of God: Isao Takahata himself states in the making-of documentary that the ending is metaphorical. Kaguya unwillingly being taken away from her life on the impure Earth and returning to the pure Moon where there's no sorrow or suffering, but also complete oblivion regarding her life back on Earth? The "Too Good for This Sinful Earth" themes are about as subtle as the equally tragic themes of Outliving One's Offspring.

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