Pom Poko (1994)
A Fantastic Tale Of Survival
The Raccoons of the Tama Hills are being forced from their homes by the rapid development of houses and shopping malls. As it becomes harder to find food and shelter, they decide to band together and fight back. The Raccoons practice and perfect the ancient art of transformation until they are even able to appear as humans in hilarious circumstances.
In Pom Poko, consciousness is carried by animals — a plane of “tanuki forest”. The story fights on E7/E9 of the E0–E14 reality ladder, compressing environment, exploitation, culture, resistance, transformation.
Same rung, same subject
Films fighting at the same level of reality, about the same things.
Epic (2013)E7 · rare rung · culture, environment
Pokémon 4Ever (2001)E7 · rare rung · environment, exploitation
Wolfwalkers (2020)E7/E9 · rare rung · environment
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar (2016)E7/E9 · rare rung · environment
The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving (1995)E7/E9 · rare rung · environment
Balto: Wolf Quest (2002)E7/E9 · rare rung · cultureSame subject, different rung
The same preoccupations examined at another scale — one mind versus a nation.
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)E6/E11 · rare rung · environment, exploitation
Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)E6/E10 · rare rung · environment, exploitation
Ratchet & Clank (2016)E8/E11/E13 · rare rung · environment, exploitation
Meet Dave (2008)E8/E13 · rare rung · culture, environment
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)E8/E12 · rare rung · culture, environment
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)E8/E12 · rare rung · culture, environmentAlso bends a rule of reality
Other films that change a standing rule of their world — ranked first by those bending it at the same rung.
Turning Red (2022)alters at E6 · same rung · loose
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013)alters at E6 · same rung · loose
Troll (2022)alters at E6 · same rung · loose
Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)alters at E6 · same rung · loose
Mutant Chronicles (2008)alters at E6 · same rung · loose
Help! I'm a Fish (2000)alters at E6 · same rung · looseAlso hides consciousness here
Other films that move a human interior onto the same kind of thing.
Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001)consciousness in animals · animal forest strike
Rio 2 (2014)consciousness in animals · amazon bird sanctuary
Ainbo: Spirit of the Amazon (2021)consciousness in animals · spirit jungle
Swapped (2026)consciousness in animals · shapeshifting valley
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)consciousness in animals · toxic jungle world
Bee Movie (2007)consciousness in animals · bee‑hive societySame subject, different mask
The same preoccupations carried by a different kind of thing — grief told through the dead, an animal, a machine.
The Prophecy (1995)consciousness in monsters · environment, exploitation
The Mermaid (2016)consciousness in monsters · environment, exploitation
Roger & Me (1989)consciousness carried elsewhere · environment, exploitation
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)consciousness in aliens · culture, environment
Kantara - A Legend: Chapter 1 (2025)consciousness carried elsewhere · culture, environment
Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might (1990)consciousness in aliens · environmentSame people
Shared director or cast.
