Jun 8, 2021
First ever review on MAL, though Mononoke was truly such a beautiful piece of media I felt compelled to give it the worthy praise it is due. Possibly mild spoilers ahead!
Story - 10:
The story is framed in an episodic fashion, following our mysterious protagonist, the unnamed Medicine Seller, across various scenarios where he must discover the Form, Regret and Truth behind a Mononoke to draw his sword of exorcism and banish them. Each story arc lasts 2-3 episodes, but none either overstay their welcome or leave you with questions, demanding more - though some arcs are a bit slower paced, the ultimate payoff makes it
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all the more satisfying, whilst also giving you time to ponder and assess the mysteries of the episode for yourself.
The story arcs can go into rather heavy themes, which admittedly I did not know about going in; though Mononoke never makes light of these topics, and does give them weight and considered thought.
Art - 10:
Oh my goodness, where to begin? I understand the artstyle can be quite polarizing; though it was a personal 10 for me. One of my biggest interests was seeing how the use of pattern, colour and style differed slightly episode-to-episode; in particular the use of colour in the fourth Nue arc - I imagine anyone who complains about eye-searing colours may have stopped either during or after the second arc, where this style is most prevalent. (No criticisms if it's not someone's cup of tea, just would like to point out!)
My only critique would be that I wish the episode quality itself was higher - but not much to be done about that when the show came out almost 15 years ago, and it's not really the show's fault.
Sound - 10:
Every aspect of the sound design, from OST BGM, sound effects and voice acting, has a clear purpose and thought behind it to convey emotion in the best way possible.
The OST is absolutely beautiful, and scenes are always appropriately tracked. The music only enhances the visuals, and ultimately ensures the viewer is enraptured by the episode taking place. A personal favourite moment for me was in the climax of the Noppera-bou arc, where our main character is questioning our Mononoke of the episode - the swelling melancholic violins and the sound effects used truly "make" that episode - if they had gone with other music, or sound design, I do not think it would be as impactful to the viewer.
I do not recall any of the sound effects used as being grating, annoying, or out of place - in fact, I'd argue the sound effects of Mononoke are used appropriately, and quite memorable (the chime of the scale, the thud of the wooden door segue, the chattering teeth of the sword).
The main character, the Medicine Seller, speaks in a calm, methodical, and almost- slow? fashion, and this manner of speech highlights how almost otherworldly he is. It's a great touch, and something I think should be noted!
Character - 9:
I honestly want to give this a ten, but I'm kind of wavering.. is it weird to give every category a ten? We have our main character, the Medicine Seller - beautiful design, quite mysterious - we do not learn much of him, though to be quite honest anything left out is something you do not need to know; and it's fun pondering the blanks. Who is he, really? What, if any, are his connections to the Mononoke and Ayakashi? How did he get his sword? Possibly these are answered in Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales, but as I've not seen it, I'm going based solely off Mononoke.
As every other character only appears in each corresponding arc, I won't list them all; but ultimately there is quite a varied cast of characters with believable motivations.
Enjoyment - 10:
Before watching Mononoke, if you had asked me what my favourite anime was, I would not have a definitive answer. I have thoroughly enjoyed some admittedly trash-tier anime, and highly rated anime I engaged with deeply, but may not have the enjoyment factor (think Grave of the Fireflies; amazing piece of media, I will never watch it again!). I am incredibly pleased I can now confidently answer that question with Mononoke! It truly has it all - beautiful visuals, compelling story arcs, intrigue, thought-out sound design and purposeful direction.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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