|
The film opens with a group of Tanukis investigating an abandoned
house. They feel that they have made a real find with a large house to
live in. Unfortunately, they find out the hard way why the house is
abandoned. A construction vehicle's shovel arm suddenly rips through
the roof and the Tanukis scramble away.
Now that their living area has been decreased, the Tanuki begin to
fight over the diminished resources. Two opposing forces of Tanuki line
up and charge towards each other, transforming into their bipedal form
in the middle of the rush. When they meet, the Tanukis transform into
various Japanese samurai armored soldiers. A hilarious fight ensues,
only to be halted by the female elder Tanuki, who proclaims that
fighting will get them nowhere and that their real problem is the
construction that man has begun. They all climb up a power tower and
see the beginnings of a "New Town," a bed town created as a suburban
area for the ever-expanding Tokyo.
They hold a meeting with the "town" elder, Tsurukame Oshou. He suggests
that they use "Tanuki transforming science" to oppose man's
encroachment into their territory and that they try to improve their
own culture to equal man's so they can have their own space. They also
discuss seeking the help of the great Tanuki sages from Shikoku.
There is a "boot camp" where the Tanuki practice their transforming
skill with varying degrees of success. Some of the Tanuki are
successful, and they begin to go on reconnaissance missions into the
world of man. Unfortunately, their transformation requires a lot of
concentration and energy, so they drink lots of Japanese
"power-medicine" drinks, especially to keep the "raccoon's mask" from
forming around their eyes. After awhile, they realize that they are
having a problem of keeping up with the drink expense, so a different
course of action is called for.
The Tanukis begin to "hijack" the supply trucks coming into the
construction area. They create false bridges, jump on the windshield
etc., and manage to kill a few drivers. The village elder calls for a
funeral observation period to show respect for the lives that they
took. Even though there have been accidents, the humans press on.
The Tanukis have a meeting to discuss their further strategy. One stout
Tanuki, Gonta, calls for the elimination of mankind. He suggests total
war to exterminate their foe the humans. However, Shoukichi asks if
they can leave some humans around, because he couldn't stand to live
without their cuisine — tempura, hamburgers, etc. Gonta has to agree,
because he especially loves rat tempura and wouldn't want to do without
it.
Their next strategy is to scare the humans away. The tanuki use their
special power to transform into ghost-like figures. They succeed in
scaring the construction workers off and the Tanuki celebrate. But the
next day, a new construction crew arrives to resume work.
After awhile, the three sages of Shikoku show up. They arrive in the
shape of gaudily dressed punk-like old men. All of the Tanukis gather
around for a "pep talk". The three sages turn out to be very powerful
in the Tanuki arts, and train the whole Tanuki crowd for a mass
"attack" against the humans.
The next scene is rather superbly done. It is a "ghost parade" down the
main street of the New Town. The imagery matches those of Japanese
paintings of ghosts. The Tanukis are trying to drive out all of the
humans by making the town have a reputation of being haunted. However,
the people turn up to watch the ghost show. Their curiosity was greater
than their fear. This event is being orchestrated by the sage from
Matsuyama, Inugami Gyoubu. He overexerts himself, however, and has a
heart attack. The Buddha Amida Nyorai comes down from the heavens and
retrieves the soul of the fallen sage. The parade suddenly comes to an
end.
The next day, the TV programs are speculating on the haunting of the
new town. Eventually, the president of an amusement park company comes
forth to say that the parade was a result of his company's special
effects, and the event was a preview of the effects to be seen from the
new theme park. The Tanukis feel that their hard work has been for
naught.
Later, Rokudai Mekinchou, the sage from Tokushima, has an interview
with a kitsune and discovers that the amusement park plan was really
his idea. The kitsune, too, have suffered the loss of their ancestral
homes by men, and so decided to join human society instead of trying to
hang on to their decreasing land. In order to live among men, they need
money, thus the theme park of which Ryoutarou is a business partner.
Mekinchou sees a problem with this, as not all Tanuki are able to
transform into men.
Not willing to split up, the tanuki hatch a plot to get money. In a
bizarre surrealistic scene, Ryoutarou invites the president of the
amusement park company to a giant cat doll "fun house." Once inside,
the Tanuki separate the president from his money, and dump him on the
ground as the cat-house floats into the air, sucking all of the money
into itself. Ryoutarou is left along with his president, and so the
kitsune have been double-crossed, as well.
Despite all of their efforts, the new town has steadily grown and
diminished their land. In an emotional scene, the Tanuki stage one last
event. They all join forces and together transform the "damaged" land
to its previous mountainous state. However, this is only temporary, as
the land soon returns to its city-cultivated state. The Tanukis finally
concede defeat.
The narrator tells how the Tanukis took the kitsune's advice and
attempted to blend in with the society of man. Shoukichi becomes a
salaryman, and feels sorry for mankind as he experiences the rush-hour
train jam. He is worried about the Tanukis that couldn't transform, and
were thus left fending for themselves in the diminished wild lands.
However, coming home from work, Shoukichi finds some Tanuki running
through tunnels in the road. He follows them, and comes out into a golf
course, where the Tanuki are having a party. Overjoyed to see his
friends alive and well, he tears off his clothes, and charges into the
fray as his old Tanuki self. They may have been set back, but by no
means have they been eliminated.
|