As a work of literature, Kubo and the Two Strings is a stop motion animated movie having its origin from the year 2016 and produced by Laika studios. It is directed by Travis Knight and its theme has highlighted issues pertaining to family, bravery, and theses. It has exemplary visuals borrowing significantly from Japanese myths, artworks, and folklores. It goes without saying that Kubo and the Two Strings is a work of art in the shape of animation. This cinematic piece has been well received and documented mainly due to the deep emotions highlighted in it.
Animation of Kubo and the Two Strings is far from basic fantasy adventures. This animation is a deep look and reflection of the world and emotions that it holds. There is an in-depth examination of issues such as stories, legacy, emotions and grief and how these serve to define a person.
Plot Summary
The movie focuses on its central character, Kubo, who brews a life of tranquility while being a caregiver to his mother in a coastal township. Apart from this, Kubo, being aided by a shamisen, performs amusing stories and narrates them while in the company of villagers who are his audience. This is primarily where he conquers his audience with his immense talent in storytelling.
Kubo has been instructed not to stay outside after dark under any circumstances. His mother, while quite gentle and endearing, frequently drifts away, probably due to some unresolved issues. Faced with clues and grief, Kubo goes out too late one night, completely oblivious to the fact that he has exposed himself to perilous spirits of the night—his mother’s sisters, who intend to seize him and deliver him to his grandfather, the Moon King.
This begins an epic adventure. Guided by a talking monkey and a courageous beetle warrior, Kubo embarks on a quest to retrieve his father’s magical armor, sword, and helmet, the items that he must wear to defend himself against the wrath of the Moon King. With each item he recovers, his own history as well as the history of his parents, his ancestry, and the mystery of the magic that flows in his veins dawns on him.
In the end, Kubo has to face his past head on defenseless, filled with compassion, and legacy his grandfather. Kubo has the opportunity to write the story. With his story telling, he adds an unique perspective that emphasizes the importance of humanity and remembering each other rather than dominating and controlling.
Main Characters
Kubo – A master storyteller endowed with the ability to magically animate origami figures with music. Kubo is exceptionally brave and kind-hearted, but is burdened with grief and loneliness. Over the course of the story, Kubo emotionally and spiritually matures, learning the significance of remembering, forgiving, and self-determination.
Monkey – A fierce, no-nonsense guardian, who assumes the role of Kubo’s protector after disaster strikes. Although tough and stern, she is profoundly nurturing and her loving wisdom is of her mother’s Kubo’s unique bond to love and strength. She makes a perfect Mother.
Beetle – A brave and comical character who, along with Monkey, accompanies Kubo on his adventure. Although Beetle appears to suffer from profound memory loss, his unique sense of honor and loyalty enables him to form a special bond with Kubo, who he selflessly protects and cares for as a father.
The Sisters – Wordless, cold, and masked members of the Moon King’s Order. These ghostly figures serve as a chilling juxtaposition to Kubo’s warm sense of humanity, as they embody Kubo’s humanity’s hauntingly cold, and viciously distraught loyalty to her father’s vision of perfection.
The Moon King is Kubo’s grandfather; he thinks emotion and being mortal is a weakness. In the movie’s last moments, Kubo does not take this accept this path. Rather, he offers a different kind of immortality; one rooted in memory and love.
Themes and Messages
The Power of Stories
For Kubo, this journey is not a simple pursuit of magical items, but a profound attempt to uncover the mysteries of his own existence. Kubo’s life is a reflection of the life of his parents. In all, the movie’s message revolves the idea that stories can heal, shape a memory, and preserve love.
Family and Legacy
Kubo and the Two Strings is a deep reflection on the emotions of love, loss, sacrifice, and identity and the relationships Kubo shares. Even in absence, Kubo’s parents, in their own unique ways, have a remarkable impact on him. It is this idea that is being explored in the movie; that we do not physically stay immortal, but for the lessons we leave for our family, the memories they hold of us, and the gentle deeds we do, our loved ones live on in us.
- Memory and Mortality
The film captures the theme of mortality beautifully. In the case of the Moon King, he sees it as a weakness. In contrast, Kubo learns that it is through remembering, through grief, and through love that people achieve true and last meaning. Even painful memory is shown as a burden but as a gift.
- Courage and Compassion
The journey of Kubo is full of risks and imminent danger. He doesn’t get his strength from violence and acts of revenge. He shows bravery by facing and enduring loss, by sacrificing himself, and by choosing peace instead of destruction and war. In the climax of the film, he resolves conflict with the use of music and his understanding, depicting that gentleness is greater than force.
Visual and Artistic Excellence
An example of one of the best elements of Kubo and the Two Strings is the animation. This film is in the form of stop-motion with the use of crafted models and unique sets. The level of detail is remarkable and at certain moments, it transitions into a form of a painting. The world of Kubo is full of captivated and fascinated elements and features from the range of vast mountain landscapes to peaceful nighttime that is shaded by lanterns.
Each character has been designed beautifully; each has their own peculiar emotion and touch, yet retains stylization. The origami sections in which animated origami dancers perform the stories of Kubo are nothing short of astonishing. The film has an ethereal quality, shedding the complexities of the western world when Japanese art and animation are synthesized together.
Musical Score
The journey which this film embarks through is not as surreal without the notes of the score composed by Daria Marianelli. The soundtrack is built around the narrative of the film, which is filled with the sounds of the shamisen. Emotive and captivating, the melodies accentuate the journey of Kubo. The score is designed to accompany the hero’s journey, with Kubo’s inner feelings from soft and uncertain to strong and confident.
Conclusion
One of the fastest animated films which has been released recently is Kubo and the Two Strings. It encompasses the most fascinating, deepest and mythical thoughts together to create an animation. The beauty of it is the ideas presented are not only accessible to the younger ones, but to the adults as well.
The movie’s stunning animation, storytelling, and character development reiterate the importance of remembring the past, rather than putting it behind us, as a source of insight. It inspires us to embrace the love we have for others, to love their narratives, and to savor the opportunity to shape more of our new stories with kindness and bravery.
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