Movie review
August 18, 2016 · 102 min · PG
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Kubo and the Two Strings is a 2016 stop-motion animated adventure set in feudal Japan in which a one-eyed boy named Kubo uses a magical shamisen to bring origami to life, telling stories of his lost samurai father while caring for his fading mother until an attack by his aunts and grandfather the Moon King forces him on a quest to recover his father's armor with help from a protective monkey and a cursed beetle companion. The core narrative explores family legacy, memory as a form of magic, grief, and the power of storytelling through a traditional mythic hero's journey and personal confrontations with tyranny. No identity-driven themes, activist dialogue, modern cultural critiques, or representation emphasis appear in the story, characters, or arcs.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Kubo and the Two Strings.
Woke representation / casting
The primary Japanese characters in a story set in feudal Japan are voiced by non-Asian actors, creating a clear mismatch with the story world.
Woke political dialogue
No political or ideological dialogue exists in the film.
Identity-driven story themes
The story themes focus exclusively on family, memory, and storytelling with zero identity-driven elements.
Western institutional / cultural critique
The film presents no modern activist-style institutional or cultural critique, only traditional mythic family conflict.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant; this is an original story with no alterations to established canon or historical figures.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No backlash accused the title of pushing woke, activist, or left-wing messaging; available controversy was progressive criticism for insufficient diversity in casting.
Creator track record context
No relevant prior work by the director, producers, or writers indicates a pattern of identity-driven or activist projects.
Production
