History Anime / TalesFromEarthsea

* ILied: Cob, of course.

* ILied
* ImmortalityImmorality: The main bad guy dreams of being immortal. This is said to be against the balance of the world.

** We are given two extremely small hintsRoot (the king's wizard/advisor from the beginning) mentions that humans and dragons used to be the same race, and when Sparrowhawk first sees Therru he remarks that there's something strange about her.

* AdaptationDistillation: It's a mix of several of the books. Le Guin said what confused her most about the film was she kept expecting it to follow one of the original plots.

A StudioGhibli animated film based on the first, third, and fourth novels in the ''[[Literature/EarthseaTrilogy Earthsea]]'' series by Creator/UrsulaKLeGuin. [=LeGuin's=] response to the film can be found [[http://www.ursulakleguin.com/GedoSenkiResponse.html here]]. In a nutshell, she thought the film suffered in comparison to her own novels and that is was overly violent and [[{{Anvilicious}} preachy]], and that the characters are too white (which is a serious issue for Le Guin), but that the movie was merely dissatisfying rather than outright bad. Given Le Guin's [[DisownedAdaptation vehemently negative opinions]] of all prior attempts at adapting her work to other media this can be interpreted as getting off lightly.

* {{Expy}}: Hare is the [[CaptainErsatz spitting image]] of Kurotowa from NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind and fulfils a similar role. Even his men resemble Torumekian soldiers.

** Arren's mount is possibly in the noble line of Ghibli {{Expy}}s, a copy of [[PrincessMononoke Ashitaka's]] red elk Yakul.

A StudioGhibli animated film based on the first, third, and fourth novels in the ''[[Literature/EarthseaTrilogy Earthsea]]'' series by Creator/UrsulaKLeGuin. [=LeGuin's=] response to the film can be found [[http://www.ursulakleguin.com/GedoSenkiResponse.html here]]. In a nutshell, she thought the films suffered in comparison to her own novels and that is was overly violent and [[{{Anvilicious}} preachy]], and that the characters are too white (which is a serious issue for Le Guin), but that the movie was merely dissatisfying rather than outright bad. Given Le Guin's [[DisownedAdaptation vehemently negative opinions]] of all prior attempts at adapting her work to other media this can be interpreted as getting off lightly.

* YouHaveFailedMe: Subverted as when Hare fails (by losing the slaves) he reveals an opportunity for something far more important to his boss (a chance to capture Arren) and is spared.

* RealitySubtext: One could make an argument that Arren's [[TheHerosJourney journey's]] echos Goro Miyazaki's career. A son kills his [[Creator/HayaoMiyazaki beloved father the king]] for [[OedipusComplex Oediptic reasons]] and [[TakeUpMySword takes his sword]]… Only to find he is incapable of using it and unable to escape the shadows.

* {{Mukokuseki}}: Le Guin, while acknowledging awareness that these characters look "stateless" to the Japanese, thought they looked too Caucasian. She was happy that there was variety to the tone and Tenar had Kargic/Nordic coloring.

The film was directed by HayaoMiyazaki's son Goro, as Miyazaki had planned to retire. The elder Miyazaki's own reaction to the end product reportedly caused some friction between father and son, as well as some concern on the part of Studio Ghibli management over their ongoing lack of a new generation of directors capable of taking over for founding directors Miyazaki and IsaoTakahata.

* RealitySubtext: One could make an argument that Arren's [[TheHerosJourney journey's]] echos Goro Miyazaki's career. A son kills his [[HayaoMiyazaki beloved father the king]] for [[OedipusComplex Oediptic reasons]] and [[TakeUpMySword takes his sword]]… Only to find he is incapable of using it and unable to escape the shadows.

* {{Narm}}: No matter your opinion on the movie, the scene in which Cob's arm is dramatically cut off definitely qualifies as this.
** Therru's singing.

A StudioGhibli animated film based on the first, third, and fourth novels in the ''[[EarthseaTrilogy Earthsea]]'' series by [[UrsulaKLeGuin Ursula K. Le Guin]]. Le Guin's response to the film can be found [[http://www.ursulakleguin.com/GedoSenkiResponse.html here]]. In a nutshell, she thought the films suffered in comparison to her own novels and that is was overly violent and [[{{Anvilicious}} preachy]], and that the characters are too white (which is a serious issue for Le Guin), but that the movie was merely dissatisfying rather than outright bad. Given Le Guin's [[DisownedAdaptation vehemently negative opinions]] of all prior attempts at adapting her work to other media this can be interpreted as getting off lightly.

* SceneryPorn: Oh so very much.
** It wouldn't be a Studio Ghibli movie without it!

* InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons: When Therru tells Arren her true name. Also, [[spoiler:she defeats Cob by turning into a dragon after he strangles her to death. It's never really explained why she can do this.]]

* ShadowArchetype: Arren's shadow is rather confusingly characterised. Here goes[[spoilerIt makes him kill his father (from inside), then doing nothing, then saving the love interest, then comes out to try and drown poor Arren, then out once more to save the day again and flirt with said love interest.]]

* InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons: When Therru tells Arren her true name. Also, [[spoilershe defeats Cob by turning into a dragon after he strangles her to death. It's never really explained why she can do this.]]

* AdaptationalAttractiveness[=/=]InformedDeformity -- Therru. In the original books she suffered from third-degree burns on her face. In the movie, the left side of it is somewhat redder than the rest of her skin. Interestingly, slave-traders still call her ugly.
* AdaptationDistillation -- It's a mix of several of the books. Le Guin said what confused her most about the film was she kept expecting it to follow one of the original plots.
** AdaptationExplanationExtrication -- Nonetheless, among other things, to know what Arren's shadow is, you have to have read the books.

* AllOfTheOtherReindeer -- Tenar is disliked and distrusted [[BurnTheWitch for her magic]] by village women who [[{{Hypocrite}} still want free magic]].
* BrokenBird -- Therru.
* ClimbingClimax -- On to the top of a castle tower.
* ColorCodedPatrician -- Arren's purple robe.
* CoolSword -- Apparently, you need magic to draw it, so it gets one flashy action scene where the scabbard is enough, and another when it's ''not''. Otherwise, it has on conspicuous failure in the opening sequence, and is understandably mistaken for junk.
* DeusExMachina -- [[spoiler:Therru being able to turn into a dragon.]]
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything -- The sword.
* DudeLooksLikeALady -- Cob.

* {{Expy}} -- Hare is the [[CaptainErsatz spitting image]] of Kurotowa from NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind and fulfils a similar role. Even his men resemble Torumekian soldiers.

* FantasticDrug -- Hazia. It takes away pain and worries, but is highly addictive.
* HorseOfADifferentColor -- Arren rides what seems to resemble a fluffy, long-eared llama (which is still ''called'' a horse, for some reason). Riding beasts that resemble oxen also seem to be in use.

* IKnowYourTrueName -- The name is the thing, and the truename is the true thing. Know the truename, and you can control the thing.

* ImmortalityImmorality -- The main bad guy dreams of being immortal. This is said to be against the balance of the world.
* InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons -- When Therru tells Arren her true name. Also, [[spoiler: she defeats Cob by turning into a dragon after he strangles her to death. It's never really explained why she can do this.]]
** We are given two extremely small hints: Root (the king's wizard/advisor from the beginning) mentions that humans and dragons used to be the same race, and when Sparrowhawk first sees Therru he remarks that there's something strange about her.
* JamesBondage -- Played straight with Ged, not so straight with Arren at the same time.
* MadeASlave -- Nearly happens twice.
* {{Mukokuseki}} -- Le Guin, while acknowledging awareness that these characters look "stateless" to the Japanese, thought they looked too Caucasian. She was happy that there was variety to the tone and Tenar had Kargic/Nordic coloring.
* NotGoodWithPeople -- Therru switches between painfully shy, when talking to someone named 'Sparrowhawk', but the first thing she says to Arren is "Did you come here to kill this lamb?"

* OedipusComplex -- Introduced then abandoned in the first 10 minutes.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent -- They look like traditional Western dragons mostly, are creatures that chose "air and fire" when humans chose "earth and sea" and seeing two of them fighting and the beginning of the is a sign that bad times are there.
* PinkGirlBlueBoy -- Therru and Arren. Therru's dress is a combination of pink and red, Arren has a blue tunic on for most of the movie.
* PluckyGirl -- Therru, later in the film.
* PortentOfDoom -- The sightings of dragons fighting is taken to be a sign that the balance of the world is greatly upset, perhaps irreparably.
* TheQuietOne -- Arren.
* RealitySubtext: One could make an argument that Arren's [[TheHerosJourney journey's]] echos Goro Miyazaki's career. A Son kills his [[HayaoMiyazaki beloved father the king]] for [[OedipusComplex Oediptic reasons]] and [[TakeUpMySword takes his sword]]… Only to find he is incapable of using it and unable to escape the shadows.
* SaharanShipwreck -- Opening scenes.
* SceneryPorn -- Oh so very much.
* ShadowArchetype -- Arren's shadow is rather confusingly characterised. Here goes: [[spoiler: It makes him kill his father (from inside), then doing nothing, then saving the love interest, then comes out to try and drown poor Arren, then out once more to save the day again and flirt with said love interest.]]
* ShrinkingViolet -- Both Arren and Therru show aspects of this.
* SlipknotPonytail -- Therru's hair-things come loose at the climax of the movie.

* TookALevelInBadass -- Whenever Arren uses the sword.
* TranquilFury -- Arren/shadow/something. Non-lethally.
* {{Tsundere}} -- Therru.
* VillainousBreakdown -- Cob gets a lot less sane--and [[OneWingedAngel less human]]--once Arren starts fighting back.
* YouHaveFailedMe -- Subverted as when Hare fails (by losing the slaves) he reveals an opportunity for something far more important to his boss (a chance to capture Arren) and is spared.
----

* WhatCouldHaveBeen -- Ursula K. Le Guin originally wanted Hayao Miyazaki to direct Earthsea. Due various reasons the job was given to his son Goro. Perhaps if Hayao Miyazaki had been able to direct, Earthsea wouldn't have broken Studio Ghibli's 20 year track record of quality and his relationship with his son (or lack thereof) wouldn't have become so public.
** YourMileageMayVary -- its not an outright stinker, and the quality of the animation is up to the usual Miyazaki standard.

A StudioGhibli animated film based on the first, third, and fourth novels in the ''[[EarthseaTrilogy Earthsea]]'' series by [[UrsulaKLeGuin Ursula K. Le Guin]]. Le Guin's response to the film can be found [[http://www.ursulakleguin.com/GedoSenkiResponse.html here]]. In a nutshell, she thought the films suffered in comparison to her own novels and that is was overly violent and [[{{Anvilicious}} preachy]], but that the movie was merely dissatisfying rather than outright bad. Given Le Guin's [[DisownedAdaptation vehemently negative opinions]] of all prior attempts at adapting her work to other media this can be interpreted as getting off lightly.

* FantasticDrug -- Hazia. It takes away pain and worries, but is highly addicting.