A princess locked in a tower who'd rather read than be rescued — and the witch who knows why.
Imprisoned by a sorcerer who fears she will rob him of eternal life, guileless young Princess Arete befriends a villager who helps her plan an escape.
Direction
Katabuchi's patient, novelistic pacing rewards the attentive.
Writing
Arete's arc from passive object to active agent, no sword required.
Director
Sunao Katabuchi
Houko Kuwashima
Princess Arete (voice)
Tsuyoshi Koyama
Boax (voice)
Yusuke Numata
Grovel (voice)
Minami Takayama
Ample (voice)
Satomi Korogi
Witch (voice)
Eiji Takemoto
Daraboa (voice)
Norihisa Mori
Blond Knight (voice)
Takashi Nagasako
King (voice)
Yoshikazu Nagano
Guard #1 (voice)
Akio Suyama
Young Boax (voice)
Yuko Sasaki
Narrator (voice)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on Diana Coles' 1983 British children's novel 'The Clever Princess,' radically reimagined for Japanese audiences.
Studio 4°C's rare theatrical feature before pivoting to shorts; Katabuchi would later direct 'In This Corner of the World.' The film's commercial failure helped kill slow, literary anime for years.
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