The Heartbreaking Film Which Could Have Destroyed Its Makers
A Narrative Origination From Sorrow, Remembrance, and The Heaviness of Kin
Initially, Kubo and the Two Strings might appear to be an enchanting and lyrical quest of a dude and his shamisen which has the power to fold the universe out of paper. It is, however, a portrayal of an epic trek embedded with deep sentiments of loss, memories, and the delicate strands that hold a family together. Most of the fans of Kubo and the Two Strings remain oblivious to the fact that the cast and crew geared Kubo and the Two Strings to completion at great emotional and psychological pains behind the scenes, which pain rose to great levels of paralleled to the emotional levels of Kubo himself from the story.
The story revolves around Kubo, a young mountain dweller and an entertainer. He tells stories to people in the neighboring settlements by animating his tales, naively, in a magical way using his shamisen. Sadly, Kubo also has a dark and painful past consisting of a dead father and a vendetta seeking spirit. At the arrival of the Sisters who are spirits, Kubo gets his life and his mother’s life in peace. Kubo can no longer be at peace. He thus has to move on an internally terrifying quest with only the Monkey and Beetle.
What is depicted in the film on the projectile is a story of unwilling destiny. The hardships faced behind the scenes is a story on internal and external conflicts.
Stop-Motion: The Art That Breaks You Before It Builds You
Laika is recognized for their stunning stop-motion animation; however, Kubo was their biggest endeavor to date. The studio set their sights on seemingly unattainable shots: great landscapes, choreographed battle sequences, fragile magic, sweeping storms at sea, and a giant skeleton puppet that took down careers and mangled hands.
For each second in the film, they required:
24 frames Each frame needed to be adjusted by hand The puppets needed to be repaired and refurbished dozens of times a day The sets took months or even years to build.
Animators of the project would liken themselves to “running a marathon in ten second intervals,” but many endured injuries that were much more significant. Chronic back problems, frozen shoulders, and hand cramps were rampant. In fact, one animator needed to take weeks off out of developing tendonitis from the intricacy of hand movements in Kubo’s animation.
The team commented that Kubo’s strings were magical, but the real magic was making the puppets blink.
The Giant Skeleton That Nearly Destroyed the Crew
The most iconic battle in the film, the 16-foot skeleton, was also one of Laika’s most memorable but painful experiences: the battle itself.Creating the puppet took over a year, weighed multiple hundreds of pounds, and needed cranes to move. The structures’ animators had to use ladders to move a single finger, and the jaw had to be controlled remotely. The giant puppet often broke and jayed its joints mid-shot.
Animation of this sequence was so arduous, that it made one animator want to quit the industry altogether.
Inspite of the harrowing work, the crew’s dedication shone through. The painstaking sequences added a sense of danger that a simple CGI effect would certainly lack. The presence of the puppet onscreen was overwhelming, and a requie of hardwork.
In The Director’s Chair, His First Time and His Father’s Legacy
Having to step into the director’s chair for the first time is a daunting task for any. Particularly, for a man with no other pre directed films and tons of animated shorts, this was his shot. That man is Travis Knight, son of Nike’s founder, Phil Knight.
Skepticism from fans regarding nepotism
A reliance from a studio in him
A budget in excess of what Laika has ever had in the past
An overtly Japanese story in need of care and accuracy
During crunch time, Knight slept at the studio, meticulously checking each frame of footage for continuity, coherence and fidelity storywise. His internal trepidation regarding story coherence and fidelity aligned with Kubo’s fear of never being able to complete the family circle with the pieces of family he lost.
Sons apart, each trying to complete a legacy stanza for a story greater than themselves.
Theron and McConaughey: Acting In And Through Their Own Storms
One may think that voice acting is a walk in the park, but that was not the case for McConaughey and Theron, who were able to carry with them emotional baggage while entering the acting booth for voiceovers.
From the moment she was given the role of clinical Monkey, who is protective, fierce, and burdened with a lot of secrets, Theron had to deal with motherhood, trauma, and the burnout that comes with it. Parental sacrifice is a scene that was brought to life so vividly, that it blew a tremendous amount of smoke into the eyes of the entire theater.
McConaughey had his hands full with some new personal issues, and he had to deal with his career, which was undergoing a massive overhaul. McConaughey’s transition as an actor to softer, more human roles was a trend that the industry had been missing, and Beetle, with an obviously confused and loyal demeanor was the first step in the right direction.
The emotional equilibrium of the entire scene was carried to a whole new level by the sheer vulnerability that both actors brought to the stage.
Cultural Pressure: Honoring Japan Without Appropriation
One of the other main challenges was the cultural responsibility of narrating a story inspired by Japanese folklore, craftsmanship, and aesthetics.
We hired consultants to assist:
- With Character Design
- Mythological References
- Traditional Music
- Clothing, Patterns, and Architecture
- Spiritual Symbolism
The pressure to avoid misrepresentation led to multiple rewrites and redesigns late into the production schedule. With each round of feedback from cultural historians and Japanese artists, departments frequently had to redo weeks of work.
Painful? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.
Kubo stands as one of the most respectful Western interpretations of Japanese storytelling to be captured on screen.
When the Film’s Themes Became Real
Loss, Memory, Love, Sacrifice
These themes weren’t just part of the script, they were the emotional reality for many of the people involved in the project. Long hours on production meant they were missing family milestones. Some in the crew were working with their own losses during the production. The story and themes of remembering loved ones and keeping them alive in through stories deeply resonated.
An editor reflected on what he described as the most challenging moment of his career: the final sequence, wherein Kubo speaks to the spirits of his parents.
“It felt as if the film were responding to every one of us.”
To an extent, the hardships faced by the team were what crafted the heart of the film. It was their exhaustion that lent the story its depth. It was their emotional turmoil that provided the characters with realness. It was their dedication that allowed Kubo to achieve flight.
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