ANIME MOVIE
Tales from Earthsea (ゲド戦記, Gedo Senki, loosely Ged's War Chronicles) is a feature anime film from Studio Ghibli, released in Japan on July 29, 2006, to be distributed in the USA by Walt Disney Pictures and in Australia by Madman Entertainment. It was directed by first-timer Gorō Miyazaki, son of Hayao Miyazaki. The movie is loosely based on a combination of plots and characters from the third and fourth books of the Earthsea series, The Farthest Shore and Tehanu, by Ursula K. Le Guin. (Some plot/character elements from the first book are also used, eg the Shadow.). A manga adaption of the film has been published in Japan.
TRAILER
PLOT SUMMARY
The movie begins with a war galley caught in a storm at sea. The ship's weatherworker is distressed to realize that he has lost the power to control the wind and waves, but is even more disturbed when he observes two dragons fighting above the clouds, one of which is even killed. (The dragons are called ryū (竜), a term generally reserved for oriental dragons, whereas western dragons are commonly known as doragon (ドラゴン) in Japanese.)
Shortly thereafter the King, already troubled by tales of drought and pestilence in the land receives news both of the strange omen at sea and of the disappearance of his son, Prince Arren. The King's wizard tells the tale of how dragons and men were once one, until dragons chose freedom, and men chose possessions, and of his fears of how the land's plight is due to a weakening of the Balance. The King has little time to ponder on this before he is set upon and killed in a dark corridor, by a young lad who turns out to be his son Arren.
The action now moves to a desert where Arren is pursued by wolves, and rescued (despite refusing to defend himself) by a wizard who turns out to be Sparrowhawk the Archmage. Arren accompanies Sparrowhawk and travels to the town of Hort. Arren goes to explore the town alone, suddenly becoming scared as if something is following him. As Arren runs away, he sees a young girl, Therru, fleeing from slave hunters from whom he then saves her.
Later in the evening Arren is captured by the slave hunter but loses his sword as the hunter believes it to be worthless junk as it does not even unsheathe (we later discover that this is due to its magical nature). Arren is rescued by Sparrowhawk from the slavers, and they travel to a farm where Therru is looked after by a woman, Tenar, whom Sparrowhawk knows.
The head slaver ("Hare") reports back into a castle to Lord Cob, and almost pays with his life for the loss, until he tells Cob that Sparrowhawk freed the slaves. Lord Cob orders him to bring Sparrowhawk to the castle. Sparrowhawk at the farm reveals that he is investigating the cause of the Balance being upset and leaves for the town of Hort in which he discovers the sword that Arren had is in a merchant shop. Sparrowhawk is then encountered by Hare but he transforms his face to disguise himself. When the slave hunter leaves, he buys the sword.
Arren at the retreat gets scared of the unknown presence following him, and reveals to Therru that he killed his father. Later he leaves in secret. Tenar is captured by the slave hunter as a bait to lure Sparrowhawk into the castle and leaves Therru behind tied to a post as a messenger. Arren is again attacked by the unknown presence and runs away, falling into a lake. Lord Cob who sees this saves him, but manipulates him, saying that Sparrowhawk wants to use Arren to discover the secret of eternal life. Cob persuades Arren to reveal his true name, Lebannen, in order to control him. Sparrowhawk, on the way back to the farm, gives the sword to Therru and tells her to stay and give it to Arren if he returns. He goes to the castle to save Tenar but finds Arren who tries to kill him, but fails. Sparrowhawk is captured as his power is weakened within the stronghold of Cob's castle.
Therru sees a copy of Arren and follows him to the castle, where he reveals he is the light of Arren. He tells Therru his true name, but says he cannot go into the castle with her. Inside the castle, Therru finds Arren and tells him her true name, Tehanu. Both go to rescue Sparrowhawk and Tenar from Lord Cob who is about to throw them off a high tower. The sword that Arren possesses unsheaths and he cuts off Lord Cob's hand, which flies away still holding his staff, rendering him unable to use magic. Cob becomes old due to the magic cast on himself. Cob captures Therru and kills her. However, she does not die but becomes a dragon, thus killing Cob and rescuing Arren from the collapsing tower that Cob destroyed to prevent Arren advancing.
Therru and Arren land in a field, and Therru returns to human form. Arren says he will go back home to face his crime, but will come back to see Therru in the future.
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