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.