Another wonderful film already, I’m so happy. Like everyone else it was quiet surprising for me to watch such a film coming from Studio 4°C in 2001 because it’s a classical fairytale with the look of an 80’s anime. Very beautiful though (and I think they used some 3D-effects what was kinda fun to see in such a classical looking anime and they were really good because inconspicuous made). But that was Studio 4°C is all about in the end: being versatile.
Anyway, this is a totally amazing medieval fantasy story that could perfectly be one of the good, early Studio Ghibli-movies, with a sweet yet independant, young female main character, beautiful music an interesting story and actually some philosophical background.
Of course there seems to be no (subtitled) DVD around like for most of the great Studio 4°C movies.
A nice, funny thing, here. You, sick, sick internet. Sweet.
Just rewatched this … five years later. And I still love it, this has all the things I loved about the good old Ghibli-films: strong, developing characters (feminism, yay!), a simple but good story, a philosophical background. The flying robot bird is so awesome: Shadow of the Colussus galore!
I might dig into the source material, Diana Coles’ novel „The Clever Princess“ this time.
Update 2016: Link is dead but still available through the always awesome archive.org.