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In the mythical realm of Earthsea, crops wither, livestock sicken, and ancient dragons appear fighting in human skies, heralding the catastrophic collapse of cosmic Balance. Fleeing royal palace halls after murdering his father in an uncontrollable psychological fugue, guilt-stricken Prince Arren wanders desolate lands until rescued by Archmage Sparrowhawk. Arriving in corrupt Hort Town, the duo takes refuge with herbalist Tenar and scarred orphan Therru. When malevolent wizard Lord Cob kidnaps Arren to exploit his shadow and achieve immortality, Arren and Therru embrace inner vulnerability to break the sorcerer grip on eternity.
⚠ Background — may contain spoilers
Premiering in July 2006, this lavish Studio Ghibli fantasy feature marked the directorial debut of Goro Miyazaki, adapting Ursula K. Le Guin celebrated *Earthsea* cycle with visual motifs from Hayao Miyazaki graphic novel *The Journey of Shuna*. Despite polarized literary critiques regarding narrative adaptation liberties, the film was a massive commercial success, earning 7.65 billion yen to become Japan highest-grossing domestic film that year. The lush hand-painted pastoral landscapes and Aoi Teshima haunting vocal performance of *Therru Song* received widespread international praise.
