"A Studio Ghibli Film" "Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network," "Hakuhodo  Studio Ghibli present" "Raccoon, Raccoon, Come on out and play." "I can't right now, I'm eating." "What is it you're eating?" "Pickled plums and radish." "How about some for me?" "Hey." "Don't be so greedy." "POM POKO" "We used to live near a farmhouse." "But not so we could steal their food." "Where there are farms and fields, there are always frogs, grasshoppers, mice, moles, persimmons and mulberry seeds." "Much more food than in the mountains." "Then suddenly last spring the house became vacant." "Nobody moved in so we decided to take it over." "It was truly a wonderful year." "A house with a garden, it was like a dream!" "But then...." "Usually we don't have strict rules about territory." "But this was different." "Wherever we went for food, we'd always come up against others." "There were fights, our nest was invaded," "And finally..." "Pom Poko year 31, Autumn." "In the clear-cut Forest of Taka near Suzu." "The Raccoons of the Tama Hills faced their final battle." "The Red Army was commanded by Gonta the Brave of Taka." "The Blue Army was commanded by the Ancient Seizaemon of Suzu." "Not many people know this, but when humans aren't looking." "Raccoons stand on two feet." "The battle was fierce and intense but it didn't last long." "Go, go!" "Taka!" "Go, go!" "Suzu!" "Red win!" "Blue win!" "Let them both lose." "Let the loser be killed." "If Taka dies today, Suzu will die tomorrow." "Too many raccoons with no place to live." "Where will they all go?" "No place to go." "They'll all die." "Red win!" "Blue win!" "Let them both lose." "Let the loser be killed." "Let the loser die for the sake of all." "If both die, Amen!" "All the fewer raccoons." "Survivors behave and have no more babies," "Or there won't be enough forest to hold them." "Urged on by Granny Oroku, the raccoons looked down and were stunned by what they saw." "The mountain had completely vanished and the hills were stripped and flattened." "It now looked so vast and cold." "This is insane!" "This is no time for fighting!" "At the height of Japan's economic growth, there was increasing demand for new housing around Tokyo." "Uncontrolled development began in the farmlands and mountains." "Since 1967, this development was known as the Tama New Town project." "Total area:" "3O, 000 sq." "Acres" "Planned population:" "300, 00O people" "The mountain was deforested, stripped and leveled flat." "Farms were bulldozed." "Old houses were demolished and the Tama Hills became a residential development." "Shrubs and trees were added to create a sprawling suburban community." "It was the largest urban development ever." "Wow, humans are really amazing." "I always thought all animals were the same." "But now I think humans must be as powerful as Buddha and the gods." "At this state of emergency," "All the raccoons in Tama gathered secretly at midnight in the ruined temple Manpukuji." "The chairman was the 105 year old priest, Reverend Tsurukame," "Given the dire situation, we must give up our nocturnal habits and start taking action during the daytime as needed." "They decided their course of action would be to stop the development." "We are unanimous!" "Realizing the danger they were in, they broke up the meeting at once." "All future decisions would be made by the council of chiefs." "The chiefs decided on a 5-year plan to bring back the ancient art of metamorphosis and to study human beings," "They decided to summon the famous masters of "Morphing"" "from Shikoku and Sado, to teach the art of transformation." "But nobody would volunteer to be the messenger on the long journey." "They all pretended to be asleep." "Our only hope is to wait for the young raccoons to grow up, and send them." "Agreed!" "Getting down to business, they proceeded to research McDonald's hamburgers and then ended the meeting." "No Dumping" "In order to gather thorough data on humans, they set up a TV at headquarters for up-to-the-minute information." "Good evening." "Good evening." "The TV aroused great interest." "Raccoons came to headquarters without official business just to watch the TV all day." "Metamorphosis is the most extreme concentration of mind and spirit," "To transform the body's cells in a split second is the world's greatest miracle." "Lower animals like chameleons use mimicry," "But true transformation can only be done by raccoons, foxes, and some cats." "Gonta!" "See how you did that?" "You're already learning the first steps of transformation." "Once you get the hang of it, anyone can do it  at least in theory." "I'll give you a demonstration." "Aren't you supposed to put a leaf on your head?" "That's only for beginners." "It's been awhile." "With Granny Oroku as their teacher the revival of metamorphosis was under way." "All the youngsters were eager to learn and practice their new skill." "Excellent." "Shokichi!" "I've always been interested in humans." "We're not supposed to get too close to them... but my dear departed father never stopped me." "A good knowledge of humans is the key to the art of transformation." "Dad knew it would be useful in the future." "0f course, not all the students were brilliant." "In fact, many were just awful." "The key to transformation is extreme discipline of mind and body." "This is easy for a fox, but raccoons are naturally easygoing." "As expected, there were some dropouts." "Hey!" "Hey, Ponkichi!" "Ready, set, let's all morph..." "I was so into morphing that I couldn't believe my friend Ponkichi just wanted to live an ordinary raccoon's life." "On a mountain pass at dusk the moon comes out from behind the mountain." "A branch from a single cedar tree obstructs the view of the moon." ""Funny, there was no branch there before."" "Then the branch disappears and comes out on the other side." "The person who notices this says," ""No, there were branches on both sides!"" "Then a branch comes out on the other side too." "Just then, KABOOM, they fall down." "Do you know what fell?" "A raccoon!" "That's right." "And why did it fall?" "Gonta?" "'Cause he was stupid." "There's no way I would fall." "Good." "That's the spirit." "Sasuke, why did he fall?" "He made both arms into branches and let go his hold on the tree." "Very good." "And what is the lesson to be learned here?" "Shokichi?" "That you shouldn't take literally everything humans say." "Right." "We raccoons are too easygoing." "We get caught up and give too much." "This is the source of our mistakes." "Does everyone understand?" "Yes, Reverend Tsurukame." "So, for example, if I sing:" "Raccoon, raccoon" "Come on out and play." "We're in the middle of a lesson." "See?" "You've already fallen for it." "That's what I was afraid of." "While the raccoons were still hard at work on their lessons." "Winter had come and gone." "The plum trees were blossoming." "The season for love was here," "Following Granny Oroku's warning," "Many of the raccoons abstained from mating to keep the population under control." "Especially the females." "They controlled their maternal instincts with firm willpower." "Re jecting the lovesick advances of the males." "Meanwhile, work progressed on the massive development." "More forest disappeared, more land was cleared for housing." "The raccoons were sad and angry." "They called the site "flat hills"." "Mr. Mailman, you dropped something..." "The females, who were all raised as liberated raccoons, also learned to transform along with the males." "When males transform into girls, voices and gestures might be wrong," "The females helped to solve this." "Some females also transformed into men." "Can I have just the boys stay after class for a while?" "0ne day the Reverend Tsurukame gave the boys a special lecture." "Boys, there's something hidden in the mat you're sitting on." "What is it?" "It's my testicles!" "150 square feet." "Here's your proof." "After completing transformation class, the students began outside training." "As when learning to drive a car, one must be accompanied by an experienced morphist, to prevent accidents." "The art of transformation requires a great deal of energy." "Especially when transforming into humans." "The dark circles raccoons have around their eyes are from sheer fatigue." "Even an experienced raccoon will need to take along some extra energy." "Becoming too exhausted, one might change into a raccoon in an instant." "Recently, fast-acting energy drinks have become very popular." "To graduate from outside training." "Each student had to quietly and single-handedly bring back ¥1OOO." "Help me!" "Several of them transformed into one workman." "Others posed as begging monks." "Some of the females tried working in bars." "One even tried his luck at pachinko." "One sly fellow got his paws into a temple donation box." "But all he got was small change." "Granny Oroku could detect fake money." "I told you never to make money out of leaves!" "An urgent report interrupted Gonta's training at headquarters." "He rushed to the Taka Forest and was shocked by what he saw." "More than half of his forest had become "flat hills"," "Furious, he hurried back to headquarters." "He called a meeting of the council and proposed tactics to drive out the humans." "I absolutely oppose this." "Why?" "The time is not ripe." "It's only the 1st year of the 5 year plan." "We've all completed our training." "We're already capable of great things." "What do you think, Granny?" "Can we send them out yet?" "They are certainly capable of basic skills," "Are they?" "But they lack experience." "There is still danger of critical error." "I want to ask you Gonta, are you proposing this battle for your own personal revenge?" "Isn't that it?" "No, I swear." "It's for the happiness of all the raccoons in Tama." "Happiness of all?" "You forget, Gonta." "A year ago you were fighting against the Suzu raccoons." "You were the leader." "Shut up!" "Even if you re all against me, the raccoons from Taka are going to fight." "If Gonta's going to fight, then I'm going too." "You too." "Shokichi?" "Thanks!" "Men, there's no turning back now!" "Wait!" "You can't stop us, Granny." "Just this once, I'll teach you a secret skill." "Even if you mess it up, this disguise will last five days." "O, K, what is it?" "A dead fox." "Year 32 of the Pom Poko era." "Summer." "Gonta and a group of ten brave volunteers began to test their skills in a surprise attack on the humans." "Finally their counter-attack had started." " They've come!" " They're here!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "We did it!" "We did it!" "Today at 2:" "3Opm at the development site of Tama New Town," "Three drivers were killed and two more were seriously injured in a landslide and an accident involving a trailer." "One building under construction was completely levelled in this disaster." "Heavy rains and poor visibility were blamed for the accident." "Because so many accidents have occurred at the development site, nearby residents are questioning the viability of New Town's construction." "Wait a minute!" "Those people were victims of this war." "We should express our deepest condolences to their poor families." "The Reverend is right." "Let's have one minute of silent prayer for the victims'sacrifices." "Aye!" "Silent prayer!" "Silent prayer!" "Silent prayer!" " We won!" "We won!" " Let's celebrate!" "A big party!" "Gonta!" "0ur heroes have triumphantly returned." "You did great." "Shokichi." "Thanks to you, we have hope." "Ah, today was only a test." "The real battle hasn't even begun." "Each of us can take on a few humans at once." "Crush, kill and destroy them." "Kick them out of our land!" "Say something, Shokichi." "And then we ll plant trees!" "Lots of persimmon trees!" "Hurry, persimmon seed, sprout a tree" "If you don't, I'll chop you up." "0ut with the humans!" "Kill them!" "Destroy them!" "Hold on." "Aren't we supposed to be celebrating this joyous day together?" "I m a little worried about something." "What's that?" "Are we going to kill all the humans and drive them all out?" "Of course!" "Can't we let a few humans stay?" "Like it was before?" "No!" "They re our blood enemy!" "They're monsters!" "They must be vanquished forever!" "I guess you're right." "I hate them too." "There are some good ones, but..." "But what?" "But if we drive them all away, we ll never eat tempura again." "Or sardines.   or corn..." "Hamburgers!" "Donuts!" "Fried chicken!" "Potato chips!" "Turkey!" "Aghhh...." "I want them too!" "What if we let just a few humans stay?" "I suppose we have no choice." " 0h, good!" " Hooray for Gonta!" "In the garden of Manpukuji temple The moon shines bright." "Everyone come out." "Come out." "Hurry, hurry, all our friends." "Reverend Tsurukame, come out!" "Everybody look at Granny!" "You gotta get a look!" "Everyone's gotta get a look!" "Authorities declare the need to house ten million people is too urgent to consider delaying the New Town development." " Hey..." " What did they say?" "It was an unfortunate accident." "The hero, Gonta suffered compound fractures and ruptured organs." "He would need at least a year to recover fully." "The news reports cast a pall of gloom over the celebrations." "But the raccoons were encouraged by the local people s fears of bad omens." "Perhaps it was a mistake to tear down the Suwa Shrine." "What do you mean?" "It must be a curse." "Punishment by the shrine's gods." "Weren't all the statues of Jizo and the others saved?" "Of course." "We held a proper ceremony before moving them out, but..." "What do you think, Professor Mizuki?" "These gods and buddhas are the local guardians of that land." "To come back one day and find everything gone." "It would be strange if they weren't angry." "I think there will be a lot more curses still to come." "Hikage Mountain might not be razed." "Shokichi tried a new strategy," "When the owner of the land went to check the area before cutting trees." "He could not remember having seen so many Jizo statues on Hikage Mountain." "He decided it might be better to wait and he delayed the contract." "At another shrine that was to be moved," "Kumataro changed into the fox who in local legends was servant to the gods," "He appeared on the roof of the shrine." "Overwhelmed by the plaintive wailing the ceremony was disrupted and moving the shrine was postponed." "Instead, they requested that the authorities change the road plans." "The raccoons were all very excited." "Each group was driven by competition. ... to try out what they learned.... and carried out guerrilla attacks." "Come this way." "Go away." "Take it with you." "Let's not leave anything behind." "Leave the food." "What's wrong young lady?" "What's the matter?" "I have no face." "A GH0ST!" "Over there... there was..." "A murder?" "No...," "Not a murder?" "It was a woman." "The wide-mouth monster lady?" "No." "It was..." "Was it something like this?" "Was it... something like this?" "It was such fun scaring the humans, they decided to have a party." "But the hero of the first battles was disappointed that his injuries were not healing quickly." "His wife, Otama, nursed him well, but he was still unable to fight." "He wasn't pleased with the way the others were handling things." "Last night's news was great!" "Ghosts appear in New Town." "That cop was on the show." "Everyone laughed at him." "He turned bright red and got mad." "It was very funny." "Idiots!" "That's nothing!" "Will that stop their work?" "If you're going to transform, do it to kill the humans!" "Just as Gonta said, the construction didn't stop." "The river was banked with concrete." "Roads cut through the flattened hills." "And construction of housing was under way." "However, the mysterious incidents received so much media coverage that the New Town ghosts were famous all over the country." "The raccoons'spirits rose higher and higher." "32nd year of Pom Poko." "Autumn." "There were contests to decide who would be the messengers to bring back the Great Masters of Metamorphosis." "Tamasaburo would go to Shikoku." "And Bunta would go to Sado." "At the next full moon." "The two youths set off on their journey." "Af ter the messengers left, the others continued haunting New Town." "Whether or not it helped to stop the development, it was their favorite sport." "Out with the devil!" "Can we really chase the humans away with cheap tricks?" "If we slip up, will they see through our disguises?" "Should we fight like Gonta says?" "No, killing one or two people won't make any difference." "To be or not to be. ..." "That is the question," "Okiyo..." "What are you doing over there?" "Is something wrong with your neck?" "I'm posing." "I thought you might say I'm pretty." "Oh, sorry." "Now my neck really does hurt." "You were pretty." "Too late." "But I mean it." "I m just out of practice." "Everyone likes that song. ..." "I guess I like it too." "Do you like "Where are you from?"" "Yeah, but nobody sings it." "That song..." "A raccoon was on Senba Mountain, and along came a hunter..." "My grandpa was killed by a hunter." "Sorry." "I didn't know." "But he wasn't cooked and eaten." "His fur was sold for a lot of money." "Your fur is beautiful." "Too." "I'm happy you said that, Shokichi." "So what about that song?" "0h yeah, my dad used to sing it." "He was a good ball bouncer too." "He must have been a character." "And when he finished singing, he would always start preaching." "What did he say?" "Children." "You must never forget." "Like the song says, the true nature of humans is cruel." "They kill us and eat us." "Hey, let's play ball." "Are you any good?" "Sure I am." "O. K, I got one too." "Where are you from?" "Higo..." "Where's Higo?" "Kumamoto..." "Where's Kumamoto?" "Senba..." "There are raccoons there." "So, when is Operation Twin Star?" "Oh, I don't really want to do it." "But it was such a great idea." "Yeah." "Do you want to do it tonight?" "With you?" "Yeah, we can be partners." "Are you scared?" "No, it's not that, but. ..." "O. K, so we'll go." "It'll be great." "O. K. Let's do it." "I'm sure that with you, it'll be terrific." "Great!" "My, what adorable little children." "We just got back from our star travels and our house is gone." "Star travels?" "From the red-eyed Scorpion, we crossed over the Eagle's wings" "We looped the coiled Snake, to the top of the Bear cub's brow." "And we sprinkled the dew and frost." "What in the world..., are you two?" "We're lost and we're cold!" "Mister, do you know our house?" "We don't know." "Now go away!" "Better call the police!" "They re not kids." "They're gremlins!" "Forgive us!" "Forgive us, little gremlins!" "Wait a minute." "We can work this out." "I'll raise your pay." "I'm asking you to stay." "No way, I can't take it any more." "I'm going back home." "This place gives me the creeps." "Please, don't say that!" "I knew Tokyo was a scary place but this is too much." "I think you should drop this whole development." "Curse or whatever, something is against this project." "The raccoons cheered." "That night's party was especially grand." "The heroes of the day were Okiyo and Shokichi." "The workers had deserted." "It was dead calm." "But the next morning., ." "There seemed no limit to the number of replacements they could get." "After all the raccoons'hard work at scaring them away, new people came the very next day." "A local rumor says the ghosts are only foxes or raccoons." "If this were true, all we'd need to do is kill a few animals." "This made the raccoons at Headquarters very nervous," "It's nothing but old folktales." "That's how the rumor got started." "That just proves that it's only a rumor." "Rumor?" "We saw it with our own eyes!" "Very well." "We'll just have to get rid of these dangerous animals." "Just let us know when you catch them if you prove they did it, that is." "Shokichi wasn't the only one who thought it wasn't enough just to scare the humans." "As you know, the Edo era was the golden age of raccoons." "The art of metamorphosis was at its peak." "It was a theme of all painters and writers in that period." "But we stood out too much." "The humans were offended." "As civilization progressed, they captured us by the thousands, for brushes, fur collars and toothbrushes." "Taking their revenge on us." "We learned from this terrible experience." "And we have been careful with our art in the last few decades." "For raccoons to live in peace we must never forget this." "Metamorphosis is a great gift, but if used carelessly, it will only rekindle the humans'desire for revenge." "I urge you all to use discretion." "The young transforming raccoons felt a loss of motivation." "But it was autumn, the time for abundant harvests." "The best season for raccoons." "To prepare for winter, they ate to store up fat, and grow their bushy winter coats." "They forgot about transforming and stuck to the job of getting food." "One day, a worn out raccoon arrived at the construction site," "It's O. K, we're raccoons." "Thank you." "You look exhausted." "Where did you come from?" "From Fu jino Mountain." "Is that in Shikoku or Sado?" "Lt's in Kanagawa." "Back over those mountains." "Kanagawa?" "You mean you're not from Shikoku?" "Sorry if I disappointed you somehow." "It's just that we've been waiting for somebody." "Anyway, did you come on business?" "I finally found it!" "I was looking for where all the dirt came from that made a mess of our mountain." "According to this raccoon named Hayashi, tons of dirt and construction waste had been dumped in the hills and valleys of Fujino.... polluting the rivers, causing frequent landslides, and endangering the survival of raccoons and other animals," "To find the source of this trouble," "Hayashi changed into a human and sneaked into an empty truck." "But his transforming skills were not perfect." "He fell asleep." "While the truck carried him here, he changed back into a raccoon." "It's not just Fujino, it's other places too," "The garbage dumpsites, and the golf courses they keep building." "They destroy our mountain here, and cause us trouble." "Then they dump the waste on Fujino, and cause you trouble." "Just how far will they go with this insanity?" "When I arrived here I couldn't believe it." "I thought for sure the waste was coming from the big city." "But this is a mountain!" "They dig up one mountain and dump it on another." "What in the world for?" "I don't understand it one bit." "Now if we stop the development, we'll be doing it for the Fujino raccoons." "I can't express it strongly enough." "I urge you to use your power." "F or the sake of my mountain as well as your own." "Well...." "We'd very much like to do that, but..." "Where could our messengers have gotten to?" "And why haven't they brought the Masters of Metamorphosis here?" "Winter came and the Masters still had not arrived." "Ouring the raccoons winter rest, the humans quickly forgot the "New Town Ghosts"" "and the media's attention shif ted elsewhere." "The media was now busy with scandals of movie stars and corruption by politicians." "In the garden of Manpukuji temple." "Raining, raining cotton candy, ice cream, snow cones!" "All our friends, Pom Poko, Pom!" "New Year, 33rd year of Pom Poko" "New Year's morning brought a fresh blanket of snow." "Most of the construction workers had gone home for the holidays, and were enjoying long-awaited family reunions." "Raccoon's golden bells swing but there's no wind." "Baby raccoon sees them, and swings his too." "We really saw them." "A bunch of raccoons pushed it!" "It's the truth!" "On New Year's Day, three workers at the Tama development were arrested for a destroying a construction vehicle." "The disturbance mimics the infamous "New Town Ghosts"." "Investigations are under way, but the snow has melted..." "Look what you've done now, Shokichi." "I don't think we need to worry." "What you did was pointless," "He was just trying to raise the morale of those who can't yet transform," "What do you think, Reverend?" "I think it'll be all right," "And it was all right." "The three workers were released for insufficient evidence." "The raccoons weren't blamed." "The case remained a mystery." "Then spring finally came." "Once again, the season for love." "The raccoons, who had been chaste for over a year, had reached the limits of their endurance." "Love rivalries and sweet nothings filled the air." "Even the sky was rose-colored." "Wait up, Hanako!" "Hanako, wait!" "You can't catch me!" "Everyone has spring fever." "We're just like trees and flowers." "When spring comes, the sun shines." "We bud, our flowers blossom." "Then we bear fruit," "But we must obey Granny's orders." "Until our battle is won, we will be chaste." "Shokichi, you are really wonderful." "I'm... so glad." "Our love is forever." "Shokichi!" "That was a big mistake." "Their love grew passionate." "And sure enough, the others had done the same." "That spring, Shokichi and Kiyo had four baby raccoons." "Kincho Daimyo Shrine" "In late autumn of the year before, Tamasaburo finally arrived in Awa." "He went to the Kincho Shrine, home of the wise Masters." "To explain the problem in Tokyo and ask for the Great 0ne's help." "That's when Tamasaburo fell ill." "But with the care of Koharu, the Great One's daughter, he recovered miraculously." "That spring the two fell in love and had three babies." "Inside the shrine, all the Masters of Shikoku were in a serious meeting." "They agreed that it was important for all of Japan to stop the development in Tokyo." "They must act quickly." "But who should be sent?" "And who would handle things here in Shikoku?" "Hundreds of questions were raised but no conclusions were reached," "Father's in a meeting again today." "Always meetings." "And on such a lovely day." "It's already been six months." "When will they reach a decision?" "I want them to go on forever!" "I can't stand the thought... of you going back to Tama." "Koharu, this kind of happiness is only a dream." "Why must it be?" "I'm going to ask Father if he'll let you stay here and become his successor." "While Tamasaburo was absorbed in the anguish of youth," "Bunta, who had journeyed to Sado, roamed the fields and mountains searching for a Master called Danzaburo," "However." "He found no trace of him." "From summer to autumn, the raccoons faced a serious dilemma." "Not only was their forest disappearing, but the population multiplied with a spring baby boom." "Bad weather caused an extreme shortage of food." "Persimmons, nuts and other autumn fruits were scarce." "Transforming raccoons managed to get food from the humans." "But it wasn't enough to feed all the babies," "Even the non-transforming raccoons were forced to go to humans'homes to find food." "Some of the careless ones were hit by cars or caught in traps." "Many lives were lost." "I'm back in shape now!" "It's time to confront the humans." "Right, Shokichi?" "Are you sure you re all right, Gonta?" "Of course!" "Watch this!" "This calls for a celebration!" "When's the party?" "There's no time for a party, Granny Oroku," "I think we should wait until the Masters get here." "You too, Shokichi?" "I'm sick of you wimps." "We mustn't forget the strength of the humans." "If we attack like that, we're sure to lose." "We've already waited too long!" "Hold on." "Let's hear Shokichi's opinion." "Until the Masters arrive, I propose three things:" "First, fair allotment of the food obtained by transforming raccoons." "In other words, a rationing system." "Second, enforcement of a traffic safety program." "Third, a rescue squad for anyone caught in traps." "Shokichi, you sound just like a human." "No, I'm very much raccoon." "O. K. We ll worry about the details later." "For now, let's see who agrees." "All those in favor raise your hands!" "Agreed!" "What kind of game are you playing, Gonta?" "This is not a game!" "I'm in charge now!" "Anyone who opposes me will be killed by my guards," "Those are dangerous words, Gonta." "Call him Sir!" "Gonta, Sir!" "Humans are strong, indeed." "But if we are desperate enough, we can win!" "We can kill them!" "The saying goes, "An angry mouse will bite the cat,"" "Huh?" "He'll bite his tongue." "We're just cornering ourselves." "Like mice." "Exactly." "If a mouse is cornered, he'll bite the cat." "That's the idea," "We're not mice." "Biting a cat won't help us." "Mice?" "Yes, a mouse would taste good right now." "Mouse tempura is the best." "No, fried mouse nuggets are tops." "I like 'em with breading." "I like the crispy fried tails." "What are you all doing?" "As for me..." "My favorite is mouse tempura." "Listen, Gonta." "The best we can do right now... is wait for the Masters from Shikoku." "I'm sorry." "And I m warning you not to have any more babies." "It's hard enough as it is," "No!" "Instead of fewer raccoons, we need fewer humans!" "We used to have more territory..." "then along came those humans!" "Drive them out!" "Kill them!" "Drive them out!" "Kill them!" "Just then...," "Hey, Taxi!" "I'll go tell them we're here." "Tamasaburo!" "I ve brought back the Masters from Shikoku." "Well done, Tamasaburo!" "Friends, on the way here, we saw your devastated mountains." "You have our deepest sympathy." "We would like to hold an assembly tonight." "33rd year of Pom Poko." "Autumn." "On the arrival of the three Masters, the rally began." "There's a good moon out tonight." "Everyone, my name is Hage from Yashima." "This year I will be 999 years old." "Why has Shikoku escaped development compared to here?" "Because we have protected our mountains vigilantly." "0ur humans know what evil will befall them if they anger us." "We three are worshipped at every temple and shrine in Shikoku." "We are highly respected by humans." "I haven't introduced myself." "I am the Supreme Leader of Matsuyama." "My name is Inugami Gyoubu." "I m the Kincho Shrine's 6th generation Daimyojin, Kincho VI." "We shall commence to eliminate the humans by using your transformation skills in a Monster Attack." "This battle will require the concentration of our highest combined spirits." "We three could even lose our lives in this battle." "However, if you complete this operation without regrets, you will win back the respect the humans once had for you." "We must accept the danger and use all our might to stop the development." "We have a full arsenal of tricks." "We have built a great boat." "One that will carry us far." "Come confidently aboard." "What a beautiful moon," "We like full moons." "Let us pray to this moon for success." "Shall we?" "The raccoons began intense training for the Monster Attack." "Happy 999th birthday!" "Thank you, everyone." "Thank you." "Master, can you tell us the story of Yoichi the archer?" "Sure, why not." "The time is ripe." "33rd year of Pom Poko." "Year's end." "It was deployment day for the Great Monster Attack." "Slightly cloudy, no wind, 13ºC, humidity 65%." "A perfect day for scaring humans." "It has long been known that raccoons are highly skilled... at morphing into ghosts." "They're born with this ability." "The Tama raccoons'task was to bring out this potential." "Just as nature's powers can be harnessed." "Accumulating and amplifying energy is vital." "This was the objective of the special training by the Three Masters." "Males, females, the skilled and unskilled alike, they all participated by contributing their energy." "That evening, the raccoons united to use their full strength as it had never been seen before." "Hey look!" "What's that?" "Let the dead trees all grow flowers!" "Wow!" "A big parade of ghosts!" "I used to say those sorts of things." "Like a parade of foxes..." "But you really saw them, right?" "With lanterns and all." "And the lanterns march along..." "I wonder whatever happened?" "Can foxes really do that?" "It sure seems so." "But it makes me wonder., ." "It's probably just your nerves." "All this talk about ghosts...," "All those old stories about foxes and lanterns..., lt's all in your head." "Make you think you saw them marching," "That's what nerves will do..." "Of course." "How foolish to even imagine., ." "Human nerves." "They're a frightening thing." "One would think they're real." "But they can't be real." "But they're real ghosts." "It's all nerves, that's all." "Hi, honey." "Sachiko!" "Abira Unken Sowaka!" "Shikisoku Zeku!" "Master Gyobu!" "That was scary." "Aw." "Is it over already?" "That was so cool!" "Go inside and go to sleep now," "All right." "And be sure to brush your teeth." "I feel like I was in a strange dream," "Me too." "What could that have been?" "Maybe there are U. F. 0. s too?" "Strange things do happen." "Long ago, when the Matsuyama Clan was at battle," "Gyobu defected to the enemy, causing the downfall of his clan." "He regretted it so deeply, that he made a solemn vow." "He would devote his life to fighting for justice." "Let his death not be wasted." "Let us carry on his noble ideals." "We will fight to the end, until the day of triumph." "Raccoons, raccoons We drink sake, we transform." "We will win the war!" "Victory!" "Victory!" "In the heat of their excitement, nobody was watching TV." "We're looking for any video tape of this mysterious parade." "No one has come forward yet." "Investigators are perplexed." "I shot all that videotape, but none of it came out." "This is really weird." "The ghost slipped in through here and it was terrifying!" "A human could never do that." "Something's very fishy here." "I want to move out if I can but..." "At 12:20 tonight, we will bring you a special program... with in-depth coverage of this mysterious event." "As the investigation goes on," "Witnesses will recognize that what happened was real." "They can't blame it on nerves." "They can't explain it away." "The humans will be stupefied by the mystery of the universe, and realize the insignificance of their existence." "Good fortune awaits us, but let's not wait for it." "Let's wake it up." "Let's celebrate!" "Drink up!" "Sing!" "Dance!" "But the next day, the situation took an unexpected turn." "Last night's impromptu parade in Tama New Town was actually a publicity stunt for the theme park Wonderland, which is now under construction." "Police have interrogated all related parties." "Impossible!" "However, local residents claim it didn't look like a publicity event," "Of course not!" "The president of Wonderland confessed to last night's stunt." "What?" "I would like to apologize to the public for this disturbance." "What is he trying to pull?" "We are still working on the construction of Wonderland." "But to let everyone know what a splendid park we're building, we decided to provide some free entertainment." "As president of the park, I chose to throw a surprise parade." " Liar!" " What's he talking about!" "Fortunately, we've received enormous public support." "We are overwhelmed." "If they must lock me up for this," "I'm prepared to pay the price." " What the...." " Why..." "Something is very wrong here!" "If they must lock me up for this, I'm prepared to pay the price." "That fool!" "The news threw the raccoons into a state of panic." "Meanwhile Wonderland's boss searched for the parade's organizers." "I can't do all the work around here!" "Find whoever was responsible!" "I want no stone left unturned!" "We'll lure them in with money!" "As much as it takes!" "It was done by raccoons." "What?" "Raccoons?" "Then get me a raccoon!" "Any raccoon!" "Contact the raccoon's manager!" "Raccoons?" "What did you say?" "I was only joking." "This is no time for jokes." "How did you get in here?" "Your secretary." "I phoned earlier." "My name's Ryutaro." "You seem to be in a tight spot." "But I'm the only one who can talk to the men who pulled off the parade." "I see." "I'll give you one million dollars to close the deal." "While this strange man pursued his scheme." "The raccoons were enraged that their glory had been stolen." "They cried with resentment and sunk into helplessness." "Since there was no video tape of the ghost parade," "TV coverage tapered off." "You're a fox, aren't you?" "Precisely." "I'm Ryutaro, transforming fox of Tama." "I've long heard tales of the Great Kincho from Awa." "I m honored to be in your presence." "I'm merely the 6th generation Kincho." "So tell me, why are you here?" "I was deeply moved by your fabulous parade." "So you know it was us." "Indeed." "And I understand your despair and discouragement." "I see, I suppose as a fox you would understand." "I also predicted what would happen after the parade." "What did you say?" "Ryutaro, the fox, invited Kincho to join him in Ginza in a private room at a certain well-known club." "Please, be my guest!" "Don't worry, all these ladies are really foxes." "Would you prefer them like this or as foxes?" "...." "Or shall we have them change into raccoons?" "Let's be frank." "Raccoons have no future in Tama." "The foxes there have already died." "They've perished already?" "The foxes?" "Yes." "It's a pity." "And only a few transforming ones. ... survive by living as humans," "As humans?" "Lt's the only way to survive in a big city like Tokyo." "I brought you here to persuade you raccoons to do likewise." "Just a moment!" "I understand your shock." "But times like these, call for drastic measures." "More than just living as humans." "If you swallow poison, why not drink the whole bottle?" "The best solution is for you all to get jobs at Wonderland." "What?" "Work for our enemy?" "Let's think calmly." "At this point raccoons have no choice." "That much is given." "It takes big money to live as humans." "And how can you earn a living?" "You must use what you have." "How about getting a job where they pay the most money?" "Lt's too bad your enemy is Wonderland," "They also pay considerable benefits," "This is the monthly salary, and these are the benefits." "0f course, only I will know that you're raccoons." "Bon appetite." "Think about it over dinner." "Please en joy the food, Kincho Daimyo jin." "You must be tired of eating scraps from the Tama garbage." "I don't mind so much," "I have one question." "If we must live as humans, what about those who can't transform?" "Some problems I can't solve." "At least the strongest ones will survive." "We foxes too had to abandon our weaker members." "Then... they were lef t to die?" "Yes." "A heart-wrenching choice." "How tragic." "It might ease your mind to note that unlike foxes." "Raccoons can eat anything." "They might make it somehow." "In Kincho Daimyo jin's absence." "The Tama raccoons were discussing a countermeasure." "Only the leaders attended." ""We have all the weapons we need"." "We shouldn't have believed them." "It was a mistake to wait this long in the first place." "I say, "Don't sell the pelt until you've skinned the raccoon."" "Not even Buddha could help us." "We must not blame the elders." "Humans call a man like the Wonderland boss, "tricky like a raccoon"." "You talk about humans too much, Shokichi!" "I'm just trying to learn more about humans..." "Shut up!" "We must kill all the humans!" "Control yourself, Gonta." "I think we should tell the humans that we started the whole thing." "Have you lost your mind?" "That's just what we mustn't do." "True." "If they knew it was us, they'd be af ter us." "The parade was a work of art!" "Why must we keep it a secret?" "I can't bear this." "I want to shout it out!" "We are the ones who did it!" "How would we get them to believe us?" "A public declaration." "Call the TV stations, or send letters." "They'll probably think it's a joke." "Then we'll go on TV and show them our transformations." "They'll say it's just a trick and we'll be humiliated." "It's a waste of time arguing." "This much was true." "The debate went back and forth, and on into the night." "This argument is a waste of time." "But if we provoke humans with violence, they will kill us all." "That's why we shouldn't reveal our secret!" "If we reveal ourselves, we throw away our only weapon." "In that case we don't have much choice." "There's only one thing we can do." "Instead of splitting up, we must combine our strength." "We must launch Monster Attack ll." "It might end up the same." "We'll perfect a new plan and a fresh attitude." "You just don't have the guts to fight." "You stinking girl." "Watch what you say!" "Girls don't stink." "If they did, he'd be one." "I intend to start preparations for Monster Attack ll." "And who will follow you?" "Will anyone follow you?" "What do mean by that?" "Cut it out!" "Everyone listen up!" "There's only one way for us all to live in unity, and it requires the use of your special talents." "Your ability overwhelmed the humans in the Monster Attack." "But unfortunately, they thought it was done by men with inhuman talents." "Given this, what should we do?" "How do you make a boiled egg stand up?" "As you know, Columbus did it like this." " Wow!" "That's great!" " Bravo!" "Is your plan as great as that?" "From now on we will live as inhuman "humans"." "You must be joking." "No, this is no joke." "But what about the ones who can't transform?" "Where's the Reverend?" "Appeal from the world of raccoons" "While the Reverend was gone," "Kincho Daimyojin's plan was rejected," "The meeting ended in chaos." "The unity was destroyed." "There was almost no food lef t." "Hard-line Gonta went around recruiting troops for his battle." "Master Hage gathered the non-transforming raccoons... and gave them faith with a new dancing religion." "These are chaotic times." "Our boat has turned to mud." "Save us, merciful Buddha." "Look what has become of venerable Hage." "Tokyo is such a frightening place," "In Shikoku, that parade would have instant effect," "Offerings at our shrine would double., . no, quadruple!" "Kincho Daimyojin, I can't wait any longer." "All I wish now is. ... to go back to Shikoku with you to continue my training." "Really, Tamasaburo?" "You've decided to be my successor?" "Yes, Kincho Daimyojin." "I'm relieved to hear that." "But you do this... not to abandon your comrades, but because you love my daughter?" "Yes, of course." "But..." "But what?" "No one is following your orders now." "Isn't there anything we can do?" "Yes, there is something we can do." "This is quite a fancy restaurant." "We spared no expense to please you." "Good job." "We'll even beat Disneyland." "To get revenge on the president," "Kincho Daimyojin led the raccoons in stealing all his money." "The president ran to the police to report the theft of one million dollars by raccoons... but they didn't believe him." "That same day, Gonta's army began their operations to stop the razing of the next mountain." "All of you preservationists." "Leave these woods at once." "You are charged with thef t, possession of dangerous weapons and illegal trespassing." "If you fail to evacuate immediately, we will use force to remove you." "Gonta's troops had the police and workers pinned to the road." "They could not budge an inch." "By nightfall, both sides still held their positions." "If we can't stop Gonta, we have no choice but to help him." "The riot police are already there." "You're too late." "I'll just go check it out." " Stop!" "You'll be caught!" " We're going too!" "Everyone ready?" "In the spirit of honor, if we are sacrificed in battle, our brother raccoons will continue to fight with undying determination until our day of victory." "We raccoons, with balls of steel swaying in the wind." "Amen." "Special mission!" "Going through!" " Wait, Gonta!" " Don't do anything hasty!" "Let's go!" "Gonta!" "They used their balls as weapons in a brave kamikaze attack." "Mr. Raccoon, Mr, Raccoon." "Just then, in another part of the forest." "A TV reporter was sent to get an interview with a raccoon," "Won't you please come out?" "You can transform if you like or stay as you are." "We at "World Telereporter" are on your side!" "They're not coming out yet." "Mr. Raccoon, can we talk?" "We have nothing to eat." "They're responding!" "The appeal is true!" "We would like to know your reasons." "Will you come out?" "There they are!" "The raccoons!" "Did you really put on the ghost parade?" "Yes, we did." "Won t you show us your fine transforming talent so our viewers will believe you." "Some raccoons can't transform." "This is why we need our forest to live." "Listen, raccoons." "You're making my show look bad." "You all have something to say, so please show some good faith." "Reverend!" "Please!" "Tell the humans our demands." "He came out!" "A real raccoon statue is walking this way!" "Mr. Raccoon, please let us hear your comments." "We. ..." "We. ..." "Yes." "Please go on." "We are the ones who did it!" "This forest is our home!" "We won't have you taking it away from us!" "This is the wish of all living things!" "The people I saw yesterday are gone today," "The people I saw today will be gone tomorrow." "Nobody knows about the day after that." "But the day will come when the people will be sorry." "The Battle of Yashima, in the year 1000 AD, was seen by the eyes of the 999 year old Hage, respected Master of raccoons." "Having seen enough of the world, he decided to bid farewell." "He took his massive balls, and stretched them out wide to make a treasure boat." "He filled it with treasures of lacquer, gold, and jewels." "Buddha would carry them from earth to heaven." "Cheerfully singing at the top of their lungs." "The raccoons embarked merrily on their journey to heaven." "The treasure boat sailed along the Tama River, floating with the waves, rocking and swaying." "The sail filled with wind." "They waited for the tide," "Waiting for the moon, the water rippled." "The treasure boat sailed, rocking under the moon." "It was a dreamlike night." "With bells, flutes and drums, and loaded full of raccoons, full of gold." "Silver and coral, the treasure boat drifted away." "But before the boat turned to mud, the other raccoons watched tearfully... as it entered the mist like a dream on a night in spring." "As they looked up at the moon, Buddha beckoned them to heaven." "And they crossed over to the other world." "All the raccoons died." "On the journey of death." "A journey with no return." "A journey of death." "Poor raccoons." "On the journey of death." "We're no match for the humans." "Bunta!" "Is that Bunta?" "Tamasaburo!" " It's good to see you back!" " Sasuke!" "Shokichi!" "What happened to the elder from Sado?" "Master Danzaburo?" "Well, af ter searching all this time, I found that 45 years ago, he was shot by a hunter during the famine after the war." "I see." "I was hoping to meet him...." "Thank you for your efforts, Bunta." "Tell me what has happened here." "I've been away for three years." "We've done all sorts of things," "But everything has changed!" "Or am I crazy?" "I understand your reaction." "Is this the work of the humans?" "Yes, this is what the humans did." "Impossible!" "Only raccoons could be this tricky." "Not humans!" "Those humans cheated us!" "They robbed us of what we had!" "Give us back our mountains!" "Give us back our fields!" "Give us back our home!" "Shall we give it another try?" "0ne last effort to change this place back to the way it was?" "Why not. ..." "We could hit the humans with one last illusion." "Sounds interesting." "I can see the scenery already." "Perfect." "Our last victory!" "But, what would it prove?" "To do something like that now?" "For our amusement. ..." "our amusement." "A raccoon's not a raccoon without a playful spirit." "Will you help us too, Master?" "0f course." "If you don't mind a little southern flair." "Ponkichi!" "I'm here!" "Let's go tell those who are lef t." "Lend me your energy again?" "You can count on me!" "Wait for me, big brother!" "Oh, that looks like Mother." "It's Yotchan!" "Yotchan!" "That's us there!" "Lt's us when we were little!" "Hey!" "Raccoons!" "Oh, cute!" "Look Mom, raccoons!" "They're back again!" "Even in a place like this." "Wait, raccoons!" "Aww, they lef t." "I wanted to give them some food." "Can raccoons really transform?" "That's how we lost our battle," "And the New Town development continued with no obstacles." "As the days went by, the new scene grew familiar." "For humans, it was a nice place to live." "Trendy new condominiums were built where the temple once was." "It turned out to be a good decision... that we revealed ourselves to the humans that time." "The result was a community... that made efforts to live in harmony with the raccoons." "The humans also lef t the rest of our trees alone." "And made several parks." "But for us, it was too late." "There wasn't room for us to live." "Some of us went over the mountain to live in a town called Machida." "But there were raccoons there too... who suffered because of suburban development." "Many were killed on the road." "The days got harder and harder." "Then, we made the fateful decision." "That's right." "Those of us who can transform are living as humans, just like the foxes." "I have a desk job and my wife, Kiyo, works at a bar." "Some got rich in real estate, selling our forests to developers." "But many of us are exhausted and want to go back to the forest." "How can humans endure living like this?" "There are some who drop out and live in the city streets, eating discarded food in the alleys." "How about Ponkichi and the other ordinary raccoons?" ""Carefree living" is an expression made for raccoons." "They overcome all obstacles, live happily and freely, make babies with a carefree spirit and die." "There's always someone..." "By my side..." "Ponkichi!" "Shokichi!" " Welcome back!" " You haven't changed a bit!" "There's always sure to be..." "Someone by my side." "Even if you go far away...." "From the place you were born," "You'll never be forgotten...." "Whenever you return." "On TV, they're saying that foxes and raccoons erased themselves from the development areas." "Could you stop doing that?" "It's probably true that some raccoons and foxes can make themselves invisible, but how about the rabbits and weasels?" "There are those of us who can't simply disappear," "VOICES Narrator Shincho KOK0NTEl" "Makoto NONOMURA Yuriko ISHIDA" "Norihei MIKI Nijiko KIYOKAWA" "Shigeru IZUMIYA Gannosuke ASHIYA" "Takehiro MURATA Kobuhei HAYASHIYA Akira FUKUZAWA" "Beicho KATSURA Bunshi KATSURA" "Kosan YANAGIYA" "Executive Producers Yasuyoshi TOKUMA" "Seiichiro UJllE  Ritsuo ISOBE" "Planning Hayao MIYAZAKI 0riginal story and screenplay written by Isao TAKAHATA" "Music by Shang Shang Typhoon" "English translation by Rieko IZUTSU-VAJIRASARN" "Nao AMISAKI  Steve ALPERT" "English subtitles by AURA and Nippon Cine Arts" "Production Studio Ghibli" "Producer Toshio SUZUKI" "Director Isao TAKAHATA"