"Great Balls 'O Fire"

dOc DVD Review: Pom Poko (Heisei tanuki gassen pompoko) (1994): "Despite the fact that it was the top draw at the Japanese box office on 1994 and the product of revered animation director Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies, My Neighbors the Yamadas), Pom Poko has largely gone unseen in America, even among fans of Takahata and his partner, Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke). I wish I could say it's because the story, about a group of raccoons fighting to protect their woodland home from encroaching real estate developers in 1960s Tokyo, is steeped in Japanese myths and fables that wouldn't necessarily translate to the Western market. But I'd guess it has more to do with simple anatomy.

You see, Pom Poko isn't really about raccoons at all. Though the animals are labeled as such in the subtitles and English dub, the stars are really tanuki, a raccoon-like animal that, according to Japanese folklore, has been gifted with magical powers. Tanuki are said to be able to shape shift, transforming themselves to look like humans, other animals, or even inanimate objects. According to the Ghibli resource site nausicaa.net, the creatures are also believed to have large testicles, said to bring good fortune (they're known as 'golden balls'). Ceramic tanuki statues are sold in shops in Japan, and they always feature the oversized testicles. "

Many anime fans assumed Disney would never release Pom Poko. I commend them for the rather... ballsy decision to do so without changing a frame. It will be interesting to see what people make of it.


Mark Alderwood
The Anime Times

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