# Where to Watch The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

**The Tale of the Princess Kaguya streams on Netflix and Max. Isao Takahata's final film reimagines Japan's oldest folktale in breathtaking hand-painted, watercolor-and-charcoal animation — a stunningly beautiful, quietly radical piece of art.**

## Where to Watch

- [Max](https://www.max.com/movies/0c7e4781-f546-4409-bfd5-375e49125b47)
- [Max](https://www.max.com/movies/7fc64c26-d358-4b83-8a9a-ad9399ce1a2a)
- [Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/title/80013552)

Like the rest of the Ghibli library, it's divided between Netflix and Max by region. Whichever you use, watch it on the biggest, best screen you can — the artistry is the whole point.

## Synopsis

A humble bamboo cutter finds a tiny girl inside a glowing stalk and raises her with his wife as a gift from heaven; she grows at an uncanny pace into a spirited child who loves the hills, the seasons, and the village kids. When her father moves the family to the capital to make her a proper noble princess, the gilded life meant to honor her slowly smothers the free, joyful girl she was. It's a heartbreaking fable about the cost of gilding a living thing.

## Fast Facts

- **Format:** MOVIE
- **Episodes:** 1
- **Premiered:** 2013
- **Studio:** studio ghibli inc.
- **Score:** 8.1

## If You Liked This

- **[Grave of the Fireflies](https://hozuna.com/anime/grave-of-the-fireflies)** — Grave of the Fireflies is Takahata's other masterpiece — the same unflinching emotional honesty aimed at something even sadder.
- **[When Marnie Was There](https://hozuna.com/anime/when-marnie-was-there)** — When Marnie Was There shares the wistful, painterly Ghibli mood and a young heroine wrestling with belonging.
- **[Wolf Children](https://hozuna.com/anime/wolf-children)** — Wolf Children matches its tender, seasons-turning story of parents, children, and letting go.
- **[Frieren: Beyond Journey's End](https://hozuna.com/anime/frieren-beyond-journey-s-end)** — 
- **[Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood](https://hozuna.com/anime/fullmetal-alchemist-brotherhood)** — 
- **[Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc](https://hozuna.com/anime/chainsaw-man-reze-arc)** — 
- **[Re:Zero Season 4](https://hozuna.com/anime/re-zero-season-4)** — 
- **[Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2](https://hozuna.com/anime/attack-on-titan-season-3-part-2)** — 

## FAQ

### Where can I watch The Tale of the Princess Kaguya?

It streams on Netflix and Max, with regional availability determining which.

### Is it based on a folktale?

Yes — it's an adaptation of 'The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,' one of Japan's oldest surviving stories.

### Do I need to watch anything first?

No, it's a complete standalone film.