What’s incredible is that the sisters and the Moon King have seen things beyond mortal comprehension, but they don’t understand basic emotions and concepts like love and family. Most gods are portrayed as humans with severe egos, but they are just ethereal and cold.

"if you look for the good, you will find it. But if you look for the bad, that's all you'll ever see." -Uncle Iroh, The Avatar

I was literally the only person who watched this in my class and I don’t get why no one liked it! I literally still want the dvd because I don’t have it.

Honestly, Laika needs so much more love. If it goes out of business, it’ll be the death of an art.

I personally found the ending very wholesome. Sure Kubo lost both of his parents, but he also *found* both of his parents. And even though separated by death, he knows he isn’t going to lose them again. Love this film! 🌄🎏🏮

Additional note: The opening scene with the giant wave is also a reference to the Japanese painting 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' :)

Kubo and The Two Strings was my childhood favorite. Not only because of the great art style and plot but because of the feeling it gives. The mother sacrificing herself, Kubo's friends/sidekicks dying, and him using the last memory of his friends/the spirits of his Father and Mother to defeat his Grandfather just gives you so many emotions.

"We'll get to Coraline and ParaNorman" 6 Months Later: ..... Lol just joking, but you have to do it! They're both masterpieces!

"If you must blink, do it now" is the most ballsy opening line of any movie ever.

*Laika Studio:* The animation studio with great visual effects, creativity, and unique stop motion animation, but not the best box office. The studio deserves better than what it gets.

I watched 4 minutes of this video... Then realized i really really really wanted to see this movie, the visuals, his excitement, it was clear from minute one this movie was loved... So I put this video on pause, went and got myself a copy, then came back to finish this video. And quite frankly. To all at CinimaWins. Thank you. Thank you for showing me something beautiful. I am deeply grateful. I'm a bit late to the party for you to see my comment, but I think it bears saying nonetheless.

My dad didn’t have the highest expectations but after seeing this, he admitted that it was one of the best and most visually stunning movies that he had seen in a while.

I think it should also be said, is that this movie is also a take on one of Japan's favorite stories princess kaguya. A.K.A the moon goddess/princess, which kubo mother is. A woman of other worldly beauty who descended from the moon and found love. It should also be added that this movie does a good job at displaying Buddhist teachings, showing that life is not just about "the one" but rather the scope of "the whole" and how they tie to one another.

Cinema Sins is the prosecutor and Cinema Wins is the defense attorney.

I feel like the reason stop motion, specifically laika is so compelling, is that no matter what, every frame, every line, every little thing is physically manipulated by the artist, and that they simply catch all the glaring unitentional issues simply due to how much effort must be put in to each movie

Win Counter : 149 Another reason to appreciate Stop-motion movies

*Everything Great About Kubo & the Two Strings* *_doesn't post whole movie_*

This movie flopped . . ? I- How?

Alright, I've seen people recommend things for days, it's my turn: Starting today, I request Rango.

A win you missed: the beetle saying “i love you monkey” as a guess was also him subtly saying that he loves monkey, showing that he’s slowly realizing who he is again

Fun? (More like sad) fact: I love Japanese mythology and folklore, so I was pretty excited to see this in theaters, then a film review channel I was subbed to at the time said that it was mediocre at best and could very reasonably be skipped. I was disappointed, but since I trusted this channel, as they had yet to recommend a movie I didn’t like, I didn’t see it in theaters and forgot about it for a while. When I finally did see it on Netflix months later, I cried so hard because not only was it amazing and I’d missed seeing it in theaters like I’d originally wanted, but my own maternal grandfather with whom I was very close had died earlier that same year. He was very much like how the villagers described the Moon King at the end, a kind and generous man beyond compare, so even if he didn’t look the same, it still was painfully bittersweet to see Kubo and his grandfather reconcile.

This. Is simply. The most beautiful stop-motion film. Ever. That ALONE is enough to warrant this movie a place in a museum.

The ending of this movie has really stuck with me ever since I watched it came out. The way the townspeople not only forgive the grandfather for who/what he once but also turn him into someone kind and selfless and new is truly beautiful. Instead of reminding him of who he was, they gave him the tools and the opportunity be someone even better.

"Even though 85% of my audience will not watch this" Me: Well, I guess I'm not 85% Seeing that my favorite movie would be graced by CinemaWins made my day! ^^

This movie is underrated EVERYONE GO WATCH IT, such good stop motion!!

Please tell me that you think animation isn’t just for kids. Laika is one of the truest examples of that. Almost all of their movies are distinctly horror. Animation is not a kids medium.

"Should be comfortable with slashing swords by now, Sulu" Is that a reference to the episode where Sulu was chasing other crewmembers around the Enterprise in nothing but his pants flailing a fencing rapier at everybody?

I wasn’t really into Japanese lore and all that. But when my class got to watch Kubo and the two strings, I thought it was gonna be some boring movie no one will give two shits about. No, that beginning all shook us 5th graders. We paid attention to it scene from scene we were in awe. The way the origami and stop motion was used was phenomenal. The choreography is appallingly rocking. It still gives me chills whenever I go back to watch it. I was searching for it on Netflix but alas no prevail. It’s what started to get me into being a weeb not gonna lie. It’s also why I like a lot of historical anime like Demon Slayer and Dororo. It’s what started it all.

The moon king is by far my favorite villain, because he never felt like a villain. Many good villains project the sense that they are in control of the situation, of the story, but the moon king was more than that; he was in control of himself. He was wise, and strong, and not malicious or even greedy. He felt like he could have been the hero in another culture of storytelling, and he got a believable happy ending.

It still upsets me this came out the same year as Trolls and only made barely a 5th of what Trolls did. One of the best animated films of the last decade !

I lost both my parents at 10, me and my younger sister were miserable for quite some time. I watched this movie with her now 16 years later thanks to you. It was very enjoyable. Thanks CinemaWins

22:31 The moon king's armor, other than looking like a Death Star, also can be seen as showing a crescent moon, a full moon, and a waxing/ waning moon, maybe a new moon as well. The smudges on the armor even emphasize that a bit, making it look like the actual moon.

About Coraline: the publisher didn't originally want to publish it, saying it would be too scary for a children's book and children wouldn't like it. Then Neil Gaiman read the story to his own daughter, and at the end asked if she liked it, and she said yes. So the book got published! Years later, during an interview where Neil's daughter was asked how she wasn't terrified, she said she was, but just wanted to know what happens next even more. I might have some details wrong, but this definitely happened.

Who else saw this in theaters? The sound design was epic as hell in there.

This movie is gold and I loved it so much. I laughed, I cried (no really, that ending), I got chills and more than anything, I tried really really hard not to blink because it's so dang beautiful I didn't want to miss anything. And the details you point out in this video only make me love it more.

Short rant and my connection to the movie: I am quarter Japanese, being Japanese-American. My grandfather was in the Japanese Internment camps during WWII (at a young age) thus he didnt accept his culture. My mom and I do everything we can to find roots back to our Japanese culture. And at some points it feels ridiculous ngl My mom and I are pretty white-washed(me obviously more so) and definitely get some questioning looks. We saw an ad for this and decided to watch it. I really didnt pick up much from the themes of the movie other than loss but I just sat back and enjoyed the movie. It might be because I'm just a sucker for anything Japanese but I just absolutely love this movie.

When ya boy CinemaWins has been hitting the thesaurus like its a gym.

As a long time fan of cinema sins, you’re right, it is more fun to like things. Thanks Cinema wins!

Ngl. The scene when the Villagers are telling the Moon King who he “was” always makes me cry. Every. Single. Time. Something about the compassion and forgiveness they show to someone who has only hurt them to this point and the way they show him reacting, going from confusion and fear and worry, to relief and joy because he thinks that he was a wonderful person and he can still be that is just… ｡･ﾟﾟ･(>д

I remember walking out of the silent cinema after watching this and feeling sad so few got to see what I did. Some of the symbolism in this film have stuck with me ever since. Such as his Grandfather being the moon and want to steal Kubo's eyes, for he was the SUN and without the sons soul/eye he would be able to defeat all life. And the ending revealing that killing a villain doesn't make you a hero.

THIS IS STOP MOTION!?!?!?!? That’s absolutely incredible! Also, I would love to see you talk about Atlantis.

YES YES YES!!! This is an underrated gem that needs more attention and praise. Thank you for this!

that one line you said "This is stop motion" IM LIKE WHAT I SEEN THIS MOVIE BEFORE IT IS NOT STOP MOTION! HUH? WHA? *mind blown*

The first 3 minutes of the video was so good that I literally watched the movie and came back 10/10 🎥 movie

Forgot if he mentioned in vid already, but Kubo has a beetle on the back of his shirt, mirroring how beetle pledges his life to protect him.

I remember my frustration trying to get my friend to watch this in theaters and not being able to convince them, so I saw it on my own. Looking back, I'm just glad I got to see it at all. What a wonderful piece of art.

I used to be creeped out by stop-motion filmes (mostly due to a puppet and stop motion adaptation of “Hansel and Gretel” we watched in school, it was creepy) but after I had watched this movie with my friends that fear went away

THIS MOVIE IS SO F*CKING GOOD And the ending is good and sad at the same time :(

This may well be my single favourite animated film, period.

>new CinemaWins nice >it's about Kubo and the Two Strings Yes! >he will eventually get to Coraline and Paranorman YES!!!

“Don’t you say anything encouraging?” *”I encourage you not to die :)”*

I always assumed the mother woke up at night because that's when she's at the height of her own power, being a star.

This is one of my top five movies of all time, and while I can (and have, on the way back from the theater) gush for 45 minutes about the scene where child Kubo first meets his 'aunties' (man... I just... Okay, moving on), one thing I wanted to mention that you may not know- during an interview about the production process, the woman who was in charge of the 'costuming' for the figures mentioned that, in the village scenes? Each *family* of characters had a different style of *stitching* on their costumes. She said she wanted to build up that each family had different clothing. She knew it would never show up to any audience observer, but she did it anyway. This... This is what people who work for Laika do. And I'm just blown away by them.

"Esoteric", "Halycon", "Ancillary", I literally show up to watch CinemaWins because it not only teaches an in-depth analysis of movies I like but also teaches me words I've never heard before and plan to use educational purposes.

"Without it, I cannot look into the eyes of another and see their soul" Blind people: * Evil laughter *

"Because without it I can't look into the eyes of another and see their soul" Way to diss blind people.

PLEASE, this movie deserves the CinemaWins treatment! LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS, THE OWLS OF GA'HOOLE!

Could you perhaps do RISE OF THE GUARDIANS for around Easter? (While St Nick is a major character, the events of the film occur just before & over Easter, so...) Please & thank you for considering it. m(_ _)m

I was hooked on seeing this movie when I first saw the trailer, was fortunate to see it multiple times on the big screen, thought it was an amazing in its storytelling. Thank you for this video, showing me even more about what makes "Kubo and the Two Strings" a wonderful movie. Watching it was the win that I needed today.

"When the moon is the bad guy, everything takes on meaning" *Bloodborne flashbacks*

Requesting "The Princess Bride" Attempt number 14

I took my son to see this at the cinema when he was still quite young (6 or 7) not really knowing what to expect. We both came out in silence and it took a while to fully process this film. We both agreed that it was brilliant - both visually and on an emotional level. Processing loss is hard for adults, but almost impossible for kids as they have absolutely no context or life experience to buffer them - even though it can be heartbreaking at times, this film really does handle the subject sensitively and ultimately catches you gently at the end rather than pile driving your emotions like most films that deal with loss. It was definitely good for my son to be exposed to these concepts even though it led to some hard conversations! It's certainly easier to identify with (and less emotionally mortifying) than Where the Wild Things Are... Anyway, great review - I rarely disagree with any of your comments; it's nice to find other people on the net who give praise instead of poo-pooing everything! :)

i watched this years ago and i will never stop loving it

I would love to say that the first time i watched this, I knew that the monkey was his mom, but i didnt. And that scene hit my heart so much...

C'mom, no win when beetle says "oh foot!" right as the giant skeleton is about to stomp them? I loved Beetle and all his expressions.

I legit was just listening to Regina Spektor singing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

0:26 whenever I saw this movie the first time it was in my house, and as soon as the wave hit the person on the boat the power went out. It stayed black for way longer than it should’ve took us a long time to realize that the power went out

This movie was a masterpiece. I remember watching this a couple years ago for the first time and I loved it.

“Oh my!” Man this catchphrase is Takei’s equivalent to “Sheeeeeiiiiit.”

How Zootopia won best animated film over this masterpiece is beyond me.

Tbh, that Gashadokuro (Giant Skeleton) is one of my favorites things in this movie, the level of detail stowed upon his joints, his distorted face, the samurai armor parts in his bones, the whole sword graveyard he has in his head, and the amount of work and detail in each movement frame made me fall in love inmediatly, this and practically all Laika's movies are a work of art, love and passion for their craft, and it shows, they not just make movies, they tell stories, they show emotions, they give feelings and give special moments in each little detail, this guys really deserve more recongnition, they show that the art of stop motion is not lost, and i am thankful for it

I cannot put into words the beauty of this film. Truly awe inspiring. Going back to this after so many years and I still cry from the thought of this film even existing which says a lot.

The only thing I remember about this movie was the dope trailer than had “As My Guitar Gently Weeps” as the soundtrack

Suggestion: the road to el dorado.

I thought Kubo's hair was just covering his eye but it seems like he has an eyepatch.

Consider this my vote for “Everything great about 9!” Tim Burton’s 9 is very under appreciated. Keep up the great work

Atlantis: the lost world, Brother Bear, The Emporor's New Groove, Lilo and Stitch, The Prince of Egypt, Balto, Epic, Togo, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, Dr. Suses Horton Hears a Who, Brave (Disney), Spirit, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, AI Artificial Intelligence, The Zookeepers Wife, The Croods, Rise of the Guardians, Flushed Away, Crimson Peak, Hidden Figures, Selma, Hacksaw Ridge

this movie is an underrated masterpiece. I love it more than words can possibly describe and every time I watch it I am completely taken by how beautiful the visuals and story is, and how much effort, time, and care must have gone into it from the sculptures to the lighting, to the music. its just everything

I know it's been 5 years since this movie came out, but Kubo always holds a special place in my heart. This video gave me a better understanding for just how amazing this movie was.

I still like the theory that this is a sort of Spiritual Sequel to “The Tale of Princess of Kaguya” with Kubo’s mother being Kaguya.

I had no idea Kubo was a relative flop, me and my mates absolutely loved it.

I am so happy for hearing Coraline mentioned! That's one that's really amazing and... a little oddly... one that I don't get tired of no matter how many times I watch it. I watched Kubo once as well, and really loved it! Glad to see Laika getting some love!

This movie is so beautiful in every way.

This movie is super underrated in my opinion. I love the art style, the action, the story, everything!

I remember being on a plane, 48 hours of no sleep, and putting this on because I thought it would be a fun movie. When it finished, for the first time in my life I put on the same movie to watch again. I adore this movie. The aesthetics, the music and sound design, the characters, the humour, the world and the separate story it told. I love it so much

3:53 it isn't just that Kubo's mother chooses sundown to 'wake'. it's cos she might have picked the opposite side but she's still a daughter of the moon king: like her sisters daylight saps her strength and her power returns with the moon. while kubo is safe in daylight, sariatu is weakened in it

I used to watch this movie in a carpool going home from school, except I was always at the front as one of the eldest between the students and so I was never able to _watch_ the movie, just listen and imagine it. I never searched it up, and so I always just guessed how they looked like, what was going on and whether they were animals or humans, since for some reason I thought they were animals. And then one day, I saw a poster for the movie. And then I never thought about it again 🤧

Ah, no win for the triumphant use of the "If you must blink, do it now" catch phrase when Kubo faces off with the Moon King with his Shamisen intact? Oh well, can't win 'em all I guess, otherwise this'd get multiple wins per second.

Sidebar on Hanzo's quest for the magical armor: love is an armor. As love made Mother/Monkey stronger, love is also that which protects, shields, and guides Hanzo. It wasn't steel and leather; it was her all along.

Everything great about Kubo and the Two Strings? EVERYTHING

this deserves more attention

The whole movie was a win should of won the Oscar that year. Way better than zootopia.

Such a good film. Very good choice! Maybe Atlantis: The Lost Empire soon please?

I watched this movie in music class and this has become one of my favorite animated movies! I haven't seen this movie in so long, I forgot how much I loved it. I remember people in my class going like 👌👌👌👌 because of the statue at 16:45

I’ve finally found this movie after many years! I loved this movie, I’ve been searching for it forever! I loved the amazing stop motion detail, this is what made me start being interested in animation! The scene with the sisters creeped me out but fascinated me! I loved the combat, the movement, the details on every shot! It’s message about love and the afterlife fascinated me and I have everything to thank this movie for!

"Thats no Moon! thats a Space Station!" anyone think the Moon King looks alot like Grand Moff Tarkin? lol

This is one of those movies that I keep telling myself I need to watch but then keep forgetting to. Now I have an actual reason to so thanks. Anyway, gonna request Guardians of Ga'hoole again. Thank you.

Kubo is so underrated. It was such a beautiful story (visually and in its plot) and the parents' part just made me teary. 😭

This was easily our favourite Laika film. Magnificent

I'm only going to ask for this once: Everything Great About Your Name.