Kubo and the Two Strings/Trivia

Acclaimed Flop: The film failed to reach $70 million on a $60 million budget, despite the fact that it's beloved by both critics and the audiences alike.
Actor Allusion:
- The villager which is portrayed by George Takei exclaims "Oh my!"
- Ralph Fiennes portrays a villain, who is a pale-skinned magical immortal. Complete with a callous attitude towards Muggles that he transforms into a giant snake for the climatic battle.
  - Fiennes again for transforming into a dragon.
  - Don't forget, this isn't the first time that he was King.
  - Or a stop-motion animation film's villain.
- Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa narrated Overwatch's short film "Dragons", which also has a Hanzo.
Box Office Bomb: Despite its near-universal acclaim, Kubo is one of 2016 Summer Bomb Buster. The production only budget is $60 million, $100 million (including advertising). Box office: $69.9 million.
Chinese Mythology: The Chinese's Zŭxiān bǎohù, a belief that one's ancestors will protect them in a form that involves bringing charms, talismans, or familiars to life, which what Monkey is.
Kubo and the Two Strings took five years to make.
Compressed Hair: The human characters have real human hair, but it's stylized with silicone rubber.
The Danza: There's a few:
- Like Ken was voiced by Ken Takenmoto
- Same with Minae who had the same first name as her voice actress, Minae Noji.
Fake Nationality: Most of the cast aren't Japanese. Ralph Fiennes attempts to bury his English born accent when portraying the Moon King, the results: Overpronouncing his Rs.
- McConaughey had to practice speaking without his trademark Texas drawl.
Hey, It's That Voice! Seems that the Warden decided to have a quiet life after getting defeated by Katara and some earthbenders in a prison uprising.
- The Moon King was a British General and Lord, who didn't know that James Armistead was a patriot spy, surrendered in Yorktown, and lost the American Revolution.
- Beetle played for the baseball team, the California Angels, who needed a miracle to win because of their losing streak.
- Hashi is an aristocratic patron, who bids for against a rival for Sayuri's virginity.
- Kameyo also cares for another fatherless boy, er, man.
- Turns out that Kubo is the youngest Stark son.
- Miane works for the Shredder as his hitman.
- Miho used to serve tea as one of the Yukimoto Teahouse Geisha.
In Memoriam: This film was dedicated to the late Shigeru Mizuki, the creator of GeGeGe no Kitaro.
Impossibly Cool Clothes: The Sisters' feathered capes include 183 feathers, all individually handmade and kept together with piano wire and woven into ball joints of the spine.
- Each feather can be slide over without getting stuck.
- There's also the 861 laser-etched and uniquely sized feathers, which gave its raven cloak appearance.
Latex Space Suit: LAIKA made a full-body fur suit for Monkey. It's the first of its kind, since it's comprised of silicone, which cut in a tattered and cut row fashion.
Rookie Red Ranger: This is Travis Knight's first film.
Shout-Out: Kubo's themes featuring eyes being stolen and replace, like one of Laika's earlier film, Coraline.
- At the closing credits, a cat came through the door.
- followed by Norman's head and a zombie's hand.
- a few boxtrolls.
- The closing credits resembles Mulan, with its 2D animation.
- Old classics, like The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and .
- Tons of layers of irony, meaning, and symbolism: The Moon King's crest is an eye; since he's blind, therefore he wants to physically and symbolically have his whole family blind. This is called a "snake eye", at the end he transforms into the gigantic monster. The "eye" is an archery equipment (a bowstring spool) that's stylized. This weapon is associated with Beetle.
- Japanese mythology/folklore:
  - Momotaro/Peach Boy: Both Kubo and Momotara have superpowers and goes on a quest with three non-human companions: a flying scout (That's a paper doll), a brilliant monkey, and a strong yet loyal Beetle (or dog); even aided by items that his parents provided. In the end after depowering the foe leader, spares their lives.
  - Things take turns for the worst when supernatural/goddesses marry human men in Japanese mythology/folklore: like both the women end up as single mothers and alone. This seems like a subversion, since Kubo ends up tending his mother, who is comatose during the day. But is played straight as Beetle/Hanzo almost takes over for Monkey when her magic runs out and "leaves", then subverted again both parents are killed and Kubo ends up taking care of his grandfather.
Shown Their Work: The LAIKA animators attended an origami and kirigami convention, just to become experts in the art form.
So My Kids Can Watch: Matthew McConaughey wanted to be in the film, so there can be a character that his kids can enjoy. Plus, his kids love the Plucky Comic Reliefs in movies.
- He went even further: while McConaughey was preparing for his role as Beetle, he practiced different voices in front of his kids, asking them which was the funniest.
X Meets Y: Laika uses both Stop Motion and Computer animation to bring Kubo and the Two Strings to life.
Puppet Show: The yokai puppet for the "Garden of Eyes" is six feet tall.
- The creatures' eyeballs are made of a metal mesh, which covers the whole sphere. The pupils are LED lights.
- Hayns, one of LAIKA's supervisor of the puppet lab considers the Sisters as one of the highlight of her career. These puppets are the "Most proud of in her entire career."
- The Hall of Bones set took 360 square feet.
Odd Friendship: Laika teamed up with Stratasys, a 3D printing company, to make the puppets.
Voices in One Room: Averted. The voice acting was recorded first and individually. The actors record saying their lines differently, until they got the correct one.
The Moon King transformed into a dunkleosteus-like entity.