goddamn this movie was such a blast. i went into it expecting to think its exactly what ive always heard about it: “fun but lower-tier ghibli”. i mean, i look at that poster and i think to myself that those arent very appealing character designs, that this might not appeal to me despite being ghibli.  nope! despite a lull around the end of the second act, i loved every second of this movie. such fun, expressive, and creative use of animation. this is something ive noticed across the three takahta films (kaguya, yamadas, and now poko) ive seen. they all use animation in their own unique ways to aid in the storytelling, which is always a great thing to see. all the transformations, especially the ones in the goblin parade were just a wonderful spectacle to behold. i also grew to love the character designs in this film as well, each racoon is distinct and conveys their personality pretty well through their design. i also love how they always have their balls visible.  i really like how grisly this movie could get at times. the tone of the movie is whimsical all throughout but there are these harsh reminders of reality that really put the situation of these racoons into perspective. the ending was the culmination of all this, being surprisingly somber and hopeful at the same time. besides those occasional reminders of reality, i gotta say. this is probably the funniest ghibli film ive seen or ever will see, which i did not expect at all. i busted a gut and had to pause multiple times throughout this film just because of the sheer insanity found within.  as for negatives in the film, i didnt love the abundant narration at first. it took me a while to get used to it, but once i started to think of it like narration to a fairy tale or a fable, it clicked and became less of a problem. still, the movie would be better without it, i think. the characters are also a flaw for me. theyre all pretty watchable and fun, but they dont really have distinct personalities and kind of blur together. finally, i gotta say i think the movie went a bit too far in some places. like, i mentioned how much i like the goofy little balls on the character designs before, but actually featuring characters swinging their enlargened testicles around like weapons didnt sit right with me. im no prude, either, maybe it couldve been funny elsewhere in the film, but not in the otherwise serious climax. isao takahata created a film here that consistently wowed me with its spectacular usage of animation and thoroughly amusing, heartwarming story. it surpassed my every expectation. im sorry i ever doubted you. rip.