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A wild Ghibli trip where shape-shifting raccoons use their... physical assets... to fight urban sprawl.
86%
86%View →Pom Poko is the 'weird one' in the Ghibli vault. It’s brilliant, but it’s a far cry from the cozy vibes of My Neighbor Totoro.
You’re getting a story about environmental resistance that is both hilarious and deeply depressing. If your kid is a Ghibli completist or loves mythology, it’s a must-watch. If you’re looking for a light Friday night movie, maybe skip the one where the raccoons fly on their own scrotums to attack the police.
Best for kids 10 and up who can handle the 'weird' factor and the 2-hour runtime. Younger kids will likely be confused by the anatomy or upset by the deaths.
It centers on community and protecting the earth, but the tone is more 'guerilla warfare' than 'cuddly animals.' The tanuki are mischievous, drink alcohol, and the ending is a realistic, bittersweet look at loss rather than a tidy victory.
The shape-shifting sequences are absolute fever dreams. From turning into giant monsters to a massive ghost parade through a city, it’s a masterclass in hand-drawn visual creativity that feels distinct from anything Western studios produce.
The 'pouch' problem: tanuki folklore involves their scrotums, which they use as parachutes, rugs, and weapons. While culturally normal in Japan, it catches Western parents off guard. Plus, several tanuki actually die (car accidents, battle), which is heavy for a 'cartoon.'
It offers a sophisticated look at environmentalism where there are no easy answers. It also serves as a deep dive into Japanese mythology and the cost of modern progress.
Most Studio Ghibli films feel like a warm hug or a soft dream. Pom Poko feels more like a fever dream that ends in a hangover. While the studio is famous for its "cozy" aesthetic, this movie is a chaotic, sprawling, and occasionally heartbreaking look at what happens when the natural world loses its fight against a shopping mall.
If you are watching this with kids, you need to be ready for the tanuki anatomy. In Japanese folklore, these raccoon dogs are shapeshifters who use their... oversized biology... as a tool for survival. The English dub calls them pouches, but there is no hiding what they are. They turn them into parachutes, weapons, and even carpets.
It is easy to get hung up on the "weirdness" of it, but for the tanuki, it is a point of pride. It represents their connection to a wild, untamed past. If your kids can get past the initial "why am I looking at this?" moment, they will find a story that treats animals as complex characters rather than just cute mascots. These aren't the noble spirits of Princess Mononoke; they are lazy, gluttonous, and prone to infighting. They are, in many ways, very human.
The movie is worth the price of admission for the Night Parade sequence alone. When the tanuki decide to haunt the new suburban development with a massive display of illusions, the animation shifts into a kaleidoscopic tribute to Japanese mythology. It is one of the most imaginative sequences the studio ever produced.
However, this high point highlights the movie’s biggest friction: the pacing. The story is told through a dry, documentary-style narrator. It jumps through time, sometimes skipping months or years of the struggle. This makes the movie feel long. If your kids are used to the tight, hero’s-journey structure of a Disney or Pixar film, they might find the middle section a bit of a slog.
Most family movies about the environment end with the humans learning a lesson and the forest being saved. Pom Poko refuses to give you that sugarcoat. It is a story about a losing battle. By the end, the tanuki are forced to make a choice: assimilate into human society by staying in "human" form forever, or live on the scraps of the remaining green space.
It is a bittersweet conclusion that might lead to some heavy questions. It doesn't offer a magical solution to urban sprawl because, in the real world, there isn't one. If you have a kid who is deeply sensitive to animal welfare, be prepared for some tears. But if you have a kid who appreciates a story that doesn't talk down to them, this is a masterpiece of environmental storytelling that sticks with you long after the credits.
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