Review – Pom Poko

The full Japanese title of this Ghibli Studio animation – Heisei Tanuki Gassen Ponpoko – points out the problem with calling its protagonists “raccoons.” Tanukis look like raccoons, but they’re wild canids. They also feature prominently in Japanese folktales, where they’re sometimes-playful sometimes-malicious tricksters similar to Coyote in some American Indian legends. In this production a village of the creatures squares off against humans building a suburban development in their forest. As long as they occupy themselves with amusing pranks to frighten construction workers, this is a thoroughly delightful picture. Unfortunately around two thirds of the way through the environmentalist message turns into a serious bummer. It’s still a good point, but light and amusing did a better job than grim and depressing at getting the message across. Further, audiences unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the source legends may find some of the tanukis’ antics hard to fathom, particularly their tendency to perform tricks with their testicles. On the other hand, the cute parts are really good. I also enjoyed re-encountering some of the themes and creatures I first met in the “Japanese Ghosts and Demons” exhibit at the Spencer Museum of Art back in the 80s. Worth seeing