Kubo and the Two Strings

Animation company Laika has produced four animated feature films in the eleven years since its founding. Their most recent film is Kubo and the Two Strings (2016), telling the story of Kubo, a young boy living in feudal Japan with his mother, and his magic-filled quest to defeat his corrupted family.

One particularly memorable scene in the film, and arguably the turning point in the plot, is when Kubo and his two guardians-slash-teammates, Monkey and Beetle, discover the location of The Breastplate Impenetrable (one of three magical armor pieces they must collect). The scene begins on a ship made of fallen leaves and is backdropped by a setting sun; Kubo, Monkey, and Beetle are bonding over freshly caught fish and intimate conversation — it is entirely a warm and peaceful scene. Like a hug from a loved one.

But the setting sun reminds us that night is soon to arrive. And with it, the powerful sisters that are determined to put a stop to Kubo’s quest — and steal his remaining eye. From the beginning, the audience knows that the moon surely brings trouble, as Kubo’s mother warns him outright that the Moon King, Kubo’s grandfather, is dangerous and Kubo must be inside when night falls. The film’s plot is even set into motion when Kubo inevitably does stay out past sundown and allows his evil aunts to track him down. Every following scene with these beings occurs at night, leading the audience to infer that perhaps they only exist at night or when the moon is full (and it should be noted that even though the film’s plot takes place over several days, the moon stays full for the entirety of it).

Back on the boat, the sun has set and a sister has arrived, as the audience had feared. A battle scene ensues between the sister and Monkey, ultimately leaving Monkey injured and secrets revealed. And although this battle and the warm hug from earlier occur in the exact same setting, Kubo’s ship in the middle of the Long Lake, the emotions the two scenes give off are complete opposites. This is exemplified both in the content of the scene (as is to be expected) and in the color palettes of each.

I went ahead and color-picked a palette for each scene, focusing mainly on the colors of the ship. On the left is the daytime scene, full of warm hues and muted tones. The nighttime scene, on the right, gives us cold and dark colors, in direct opposition of the left. And yes, nightfall does cause bright colors to darken, but it was no accident that the reds and oranges of the leaf ship become dark blues and purples as the mood shifts.

 

Even without knowing the plot, without seeing the visuals or hearing the dialogue, a person can tell that there is a drastic shift simply from looking at the color palettes. Take this “movie barcode” for example:

It’s every frame from a film condensed into one image. Can you tell which movie it is? I’d bet not. But, I’d bet that you can tell when a scene shifts, when the mood changes, and when the climax occurs. Color plays a major role in how movies are viewed nowadays, it provides another layer or element that black and white movies just don’t have. This specific barcode is for The Lion King, for those wondering.

This color dichotomy is present through Kubo. The protagonists, Kubo, his mother, Monkey, and Beetle, all have warm colors as a part of their character design. All the antagonists, The Moon King and the two sisters, are made up almost entirely of cool colors. This serves to further the day/night, good/evil motifs and gives the audience certain expectations for when those colors appear later.

 

Sources Referenced:

Barsam, Richard, and Dave Monahan. Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film. W.W. Norton and Company, 2016.

Kubo and the Two Strings. Directed by Travis Knight. Laika, Focus Features, 2016.

Moviebarcode. The Lion King (1994). Tumblr2011,

moviebarcode.tumblr.com/post/4388598352/the-lion-king-1994-prints.

 

24 thoughts on “Kubo and the Two Strings

  1. It was terrible I hated it because everyone was dying throughout the whole movie.It was creepy too and would not recommend it for little children.

  2. Kubo and the Two Strings is a 2016 stop-motion fantasy film produced by Laika and released by Focus Features. It tells the story of Kubo, a young Japanese boy who lives a quiet life in a small fishing village. His peaceful existence is thrown into chaos when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Kubo is forced to go on an epic quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known.flo arena

  3. Do you crave for your husband’s love? If your husband is not giving you love you deserve, then you can recite dua for love from husband. You can take help from our molvi ji and get dua for love of husband to increase love in your husband’s heart. To know more, you can visit: Powerful Dua For Love of Husband

  4. Getting ready to start the holy journey of marriage? Through the power of dua, you can ask Allah (SWT) for his blessings and direction. Stop looking further, Our respected Molvi Ji is here to give you the most powerful and effective dua for marriage, which is based on your personal situation and deepest wishes. To know more, you can visit: Most Powerful Dua To Get Married Soon

  5. Is your relationship on the verge of breaking? If you want to save your relationship, you should read the dua for a broken relationship. With the help of this dua to fix a broken relationship, you can heal your broken bonds. You can also connect with our Molvi Ji for personalized solutions to your problems. To know more, you can visit: Dua For Broken Relationship In Islam

  6. From the immense blessings of reciting Durood Sharif 1000 times to the transformative impact of 100 times Durood Sharif, discover the divine secrets behind these sacred practices. Delve into the soothing benefits of Durood Sharif for addressing life’s challenges and embracing tranquility. Uncover the significance of reciting Durood on Fridays and experience the profound effects of 1000 Salawat. With each verse, witness the transformative power of Durood Sharif and its ability to bring solace to your problems. Elevate your spiritual journey and invite boundless blessings by incorporating these practices into your daily life. Embrace the divine guidance found at HalalDua.com and open the door to a life filled with celestial grace. Read in detail about the benefits of reading Darood Shareef 100 times on Friday in this article: https://halaldua.com/durood-shareef-benefits/

  7. Guidelines For Getting Lost Love Back In 24 Hours , ” Ensured!”, Would you say you are searching for a method for getting your lost love back in 24 hours Provided that this is true, you have come to the perfect locations. In this article, we will talk about the different strategies and procedures that can assist you with getting your lost love back in 24 hours. We will examine the significance of understanding the motivations behind why your relationship finished, the significance of correspondence, and the force of absolution. We will likewise talk about the significance of making a move and the force of positive reasoning. At last, we will examine the significance of tolerance and tirelessness. Toward the finish of this article, you will have the apparatuses and information to get your lost love back in 24 hours.

    https://totkavashikaran.com/getting-lost-love-back/

  8. Seobay India is a Jaipur based internet marketing services provider agency offering complete range of digital marketing services to clients including search engine marketing, online reputation management, search engine optimization, social media optimization, AdWords/pay per click, content writing, video promotion, website designing etc. We are having a team of experienced and skilled professionals who are passionate to give growth to your business through their targetted promotional approaches. For more info, visit us @ https://www.seobay.in/

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *