Pom Poko
For those who can’t get enough of amusing tanuki creatures that are dealing with some serious ecological changes, the good news is that Pom Poko has gotten a new Blu-ray release that contains English subtitles. While importing from Japan always makes some nervous, there are some lower priced HK region releases that help the fans out. This release comes from Intercontinental Video and was released on January 21st, 2014 for a list price of about $40 depending on location and currency valuation.
The release offers up things prety similar to the Japanese release with a few regional aspects as we get the original Japanese language dub and a Cantonese dub while including English, Traditional Chinese and Japanese subtitles.
Plot concept: The fantasy film takes us into the world of the Tanukis (Japanese raccoon dogs), who are about to take on the human world to ensure their own survival in a rapidly developing Japan. Takahata blends elements of traditional Japanese folklore and a strong message advocating for environmental protection into a wonderfully strange tale about a courageous group of animals fighting to protect their home. At the time of its release, Pom Poko won the Best Animated Film Award at the Mainichi Film Concours and represented Japan at the Academy Awards Best Foreign Film race that year.
In the 1960′s, the lives of the Tanukis living in the hills of Western Tokyo are threatened when urban development moves into their area. Since then, natural resources (including land) have become so scarce that groups of Tanukis are now fighting each other for their habitat. Before the fight goes further, matriarch Oroku urges them to stop fighting and use the effort to put a stop the human world’s development. Soon, the Tanukis unite in their fight against the humans. When their first several plans didn’t work, Oroku comes with a risky plan so crazy that it might work after all.
[Source: Pom Poko]