i use princess raccoon ( to give the film it not quite accurate english title ) a a litmus test for my friend sense of humour . it either leave them cold and baffle a it clearly do several other commentator on this site or result in double up laughter and unassailably huge grin and occasional gasp of admiration . the laughter come from the film consummate mixture of parody in contemporary style . target include a bouquet of japanese and western classical stage drama form and from kabuki to late shakespearian and spanish renaissance christian fantasy while the naff vacuity of the modern american and european musical and a witness a host of random tap and rap dance song and some very funny banal lyric and all choreograph with love amateur cliché while japanese anime and samurai live action clichés while portentous buddhist ritual while and the overweening sweetness of viennese operetta . i have not laugh out loud so much at this type of film since ken russell outrageous musical deconstruction in the boyfriend . the grin come from the clever textual subversion of the japanese legend and tell in a traditional 5 act structure reminiscent of the play of the 17th century master chikamatsu . a in his work the narrative be advance in a mixture of song and recitative and high fly poetry and low comedy relief here the pot broiling of the incompetent ninja and ostrich and by peasant under the illusion that he be a tanuki raccoon in human guise . all of this somehow do hang together and and even more remarkably do manage to engage the watcher emotion through the welter of cultural reference . in truth princess raccoon wear it pan cultural garb with allure lightness and and that where the gasp of astonishment come in . visually again and a with russell masterpiece the film be a treat and a riot of colour with it digitised backdrop of classical japanese image from screen and print and over the top costume and stage set and mixed with some breathtaking live action sequence in summer field and seashore . you will love it or loathe it and but there no point castigate chalk for be cheese while and princess raccoon stand and first and foremost and a a wickedly funny as well a affectionate put down of our contemporary cultural vacuity and in both east and west . bravo .