Okaerinasai! That's Japanese for something like "Welcome back!" It took Studio Ghibli's other master animation director Takahata Isao (Grave of the Fireflies, Only Yesterday) a bloody damn while, but after years of absence he is finally returning to the scene.
Let me rephrase myself. Paku-san (the nickname Miyazaki gave him) surely hadn't been sitting still, but at least he wasn't busy directing animation. His last work was a short made for the artist collab Winter Days in 2003, and his last full-length feature, My Neighbors The Yamada's, goes way back to 1999.
In the meantime, his grey-bearded friend and colleague Miyazaki Hayao directed three full length features and has a new film called Kaze Tachinu to be released this month. Respectfully taking into account that Takahata isn't getting any younger either (turning 78 in October, whereas Miya-san is still "only" 72 years of age), many will have wondered if he would ever bring the world something new again.
Luckily, that is not the case, as some time ago a new Paku work named Kaguya-Hime No Monogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter) was officially announced, and later some stunning poster art came along that further raised anticipation. Delay sadly followed, though today a teaser finally aired on Japanese television. Animation made with delicate brush strokes and watercolors, simply wonderful and in line with Takahata's non fixed style. Go and check it out below and let us know what you think of it!