Mononoke Hime

Let me start by saying that I am not a Miyazaki-disciple. I do not view him as the "grandmaster of everything anime." When I say "yeah...Miyazaki is ok" I say it not out of ignorance (I've almost every one of his films) but because I personally find him to be incredibly overrated. However I find that when he has all of his stuff together, Miyazaki can destroy practically any other director out there, the man is incredibly talented, but his problem is consistency.

When I say that Princess Mononoke is his masterpiece, I mean it. It was the first film where ... he finally got everything together and made a perfect anime film. Some will say that Spirited Away is better, but Mononoke is so much more powerful than that.

Story: Miyazaki does not like civilization. He stated once that he would prefer it if we went back to living in the fields, he wants to get rid of all technology. In Mononoke we see the evils of industralization and how humans are killing the earth. Humans can coexist. But many purposefully try to make themselves better and stronger. Miyazaki does an absolutely amazing job of showing that industralization, if handled the wrong way, is an incredible evil, but that it is in the hands of humans..of real people. I didn't really care all too much for the story, but I found his use of spirits to be incredible. I wasn't a huge fan of the story itself, it was a country boy goes to the city vibe...but I was a huge fan of all the political jabbings that Miyazaki was throwing. I will admit that I didn't notice it the first time around, I was told this as I watched it the second or third time, by my friend who is a Miyazaki acolyte. The beauty of the story really comes after you watch it the second or third time, as the whole movie experience is very overwhelming.

Art: I give it a 7. I am not a fan at all of Ghibli. I absolutely cannot stand their use of recycling their characters. I hate how all the women look exactly the same, and the men have the same annoying mustaches and beard combos that obscure almost their entire face. I find it lazy and incredibly detracting. I found that Ashitaka was.....boring, his design was so lacklustre that I have now just googled him to figure out exactly what he looked like. Where the art shines in this is in the spirits (gods), the creatures, and San. The designs of those characters alone redeemed the art for me. Also worth noting that in the beginning all those "snakes" were done digitally, which was, for me, impressive.

Sound: Eh....what can I say. Miyazaki films ALWAYS have great music and soundtracks. I have never found an instance in watching any of his films where I've gone "hey, the music doesn't really feel right." The music in his films are absolutely superb.

Character: I felt that the characters weren't really people so much as symbols. I felt that Ashitaka, in a certain way, was innocence. When his arm is cursed he is given a power that he cannot wield and he struggles to find a way to cure it, to get rid of the curse that now stains his arm and will kill him. Eboshi was industralization, but she was also compassion. I felt that she was the most human of all the characters, even though many people view her as an antagonist or slap her with the label of "oh..she's the evil lady." The thing I appreciate about this film is that there are only a handful of truly bad people. Everyone else is human. San is humans living with nature, but at the same time she is a beast herself. She lives in harmony with nature and has absolutely no qualms about killing to defend her land. Every character is multifaced, however if you only view the movie once you might not see the different characteristics of each character.

Enjoyment: The perfect Miyazaki film. It is deep for people who are looking at it closely, but it is also just a fun film for people who are only looking for something fun to watch. The first time I watched this (the first Miyazaki film I'd ever seen) I wasn't impressed at all. Mind you, I was probably 10 at the time, this was the first exposure to REAL anime I'd ever had. But as I watched it again recently I realized just how great of a film it really is.

However it really is accessible. You talk to almost anyone about anime and they'll probably (99% likely) know about Princess Mononoke. I know that this turns a lot of people off. Personally when someone comes up to me and says "hey, I saw Samurai Champloo and it was great, can you recommend me anything else kind of like it?" It makes my skin crawl a little bit. However, Mononoke is a staple, and is really something that you should watch, if you haven't watched it, I would definitely put it at the top of your to-watch list.

First of all I'd like to say this is my favorite Miyazaki Film. Why you might ask? Its the most powerful and thought provoking of all his films. It also communicates a message very differently since it has much darker overtones than his other lighthearted films. While they may be enjoyable and powerful in their own way they can never be compared to the stature of this film. I hold this one higher than the quality of Spirited Away. Which in my opinion is then most overrated Miyazaki/anime film. This is the one film that Miyazaki completed perfectly because it gave you that feeling that ... it couldn't get any better. The film has themes that even an adult could enjoy immensely.

The story is basically can be summed up as Man's conflict against the natural world. While this may be a good summarization it also could be misleading because with Mononoke we don't get a classic good vs evil plot. The fascination I have with this film stems from the many groups that are at conflict with one another and how no one is truly the evildoer. We have nature battling with human civilization while within itself there are humans trying to topple each other. The story revolves around how self-destructive we are as human beings and how we haven't realized we are innate in nature. The movie gives us parallels of the battles that the humans face with each other while still all congregating together for that one perceived enemy in the film, nature. All in all the film tries to communicate a deep message through the story and it leaves the viewer with a lasting impression.

The characters in this film are fascinating. Particularly Ashitaka and Princess Mononoke. We follow the story through Ashitaka's experiences with the different warring groups in the story. He always is the rational character in the movie and he openly tries to correct the irrationalities the other characters have. he serves as the medium which communicates the overall story and how meaningless the conflict can be found to be. He is extremely brave and he usually gets himself in dangerous situations in order to show the others their incorrect ways. Princess Mononoke is another intricately created character which is full of mystery. She seems to detest fellow humans for their selfish egotism and hostility towards earth and its inhabitants. Lady Eboshi is the a character some may mistakenly confuse for the villain of the movie. I think this would be more prevalent with western viewers like myself. The reason for this is they might seem to mistake her as another modern day oil baron except she is much more than that. Her main goal is to protect her people, particularly the other women who live in the city. She feels in order to do this She has to pursue the industrialization of her city in order to protect her people from the samurais and beasts of nature.

In the animation department this is a Studio Ghibli film so you obviously will get an amazing experience visually at least. With this film though I feel the animation captures the essence of nature. It does this with the various beasts and mystical characters Miyazaki created. There are even gods in this movie which helps bring about the feeling that nature is alive. You will enjoy the action sequences in this movie. Especially the battles between Lady Eboshi and Princess Mononoke. I also think the use of CGI in this film was done well and this is coming from someone who despises CGI.

The music in this movie is beautiful. Its the kind that can put you in a trance that you wouldn't want to ever wake up from. Especially the main theme song. A lot of the music puts you in the right mood for the film. Especially the more darker music which is used during scenes with the beasts of nature. The battle scenes also have plesant sounds and the sword fights don't contain the same sword clashing sound *cough Nausicaa cough*.

Anyways, I recommend this film because its Miyazaki's Masterpiece.

For each new Studio Ghibli film I watch, I just get more and more convinced that they are the best animation movie studio out there. Princess Mononoke is by no means an exception.

Ashitaka, the last prince of a people called the Enishi, gets cursed while fighting a demon, and sets out on a journey to get rid of the curse, which can be lethal. He soon hears rumors of a forest spirit that can give and take away life, and sets out to find it. However, he soon finds himself in the middle of a fight between humans and animals, and he soon gets to ... know of a girl called Princess Mononoke, who has sided with the animals.

The way the story is presented makes it really enjoyable, as we get to see how various humans and animals view the ongoing fight. Different humans have different viewpoints, different animals have different viewpoints, and it makes it so that part of what they think is right, but they're also wrong about things. In the middle we have Ashitaka, who is the only one looking for a peaceful resolution to this struggle. It's mainly the theme of destroying nature that's mainly being touched upon, a theme I feel is something everyone should think about.

The small love story you that's presented is what some would call forced. At least I do. I didn't quite like the way in which it was presented, but different persons have different opinions. It was okay enough though, but nothing that really placed itself in my heart. Maybe they just didn't do enough with it. But it's okay, since the focus of this movie is other things than love.

As expected of Studio Ghibli, the visuals are stunning, especially when you think about the movie's age (8 years). With its massive budget of 2,4 billion yen, what else is there to expect anyway? The environments are drawn extremely beautifully, be it mountains, lakes, villages, trees or underbrush. Sometimes I just forgot the movie because of the stunning environments. Thank heavens for rewinding! The character motions are extremely fluid and lifelike, and with a total of 144 000 cels during the movie, you couldn't expect anything less (I even heard that Miyazaki re-drew quite a lot of them himself). I got quite surprised when I learned that they used CGI in the movie; I couldn't spot it at all. That again serves to prove the quality of it. The character designs are typical Studio Ghibli-ish, so you'll know what to expect in that department if you've watched a Studio Ghibli film.

The music is perfectly in tune with the movie, giving that calm, mysterious kind of feeling that you'll expect when in a forest where magical creatures are as normal as insects. But ti doesn't do anything more than that, really.

Overall, Princess Mononoke is a film that you might enjoy the most for its stunning natural environments; they almost overshadow the plot. But all the different factions, the different viewpoints in the fight, and last but definitely not least, the theme of destroying nature are all something that everyone should give a thought. Especially the latter.

First off, I LOVE Hayao Miyazaki and a lot of his movies. I fell in love with Studio Ghibli’s artwork, music, and pretty much anything about them. This is one of my all time favorite movies in fact. Just the story line is so beautiful about how man and nature are supposed to live side by side but when one fights against the other, there can be both misunderstandings and consequences. The story is open to interpretation but it feels like a timeless tale. A lot of times, I found myself believing that he could have made the story in this time frame and it ... would have had the same meaning behind the story. I’m going to sort of talk about what I consider part of this Psychology of this show, and this is only what I feel is part of this. What you take from it may be different.

The story is set in the Muromachi period of Japan when there were few Emishi people. The Emishi were actually a real people in Japan much like the Native Americans were to America. They lived in harmony with the land and had different tribes slightly different cultures and so on. Not much is actually known of the Emishi like where they came from and from what I have read, there are very few groups left.

The story of this movie follows the ‘last prince’ Ashitaka. I looked around but I couldn't find much on if this was a real person or not. I don’t believe he is a real character and was more symbolic of how that tribe was dieing out. Anyway, in order to protect his village, he kills a demon that was rampaging nearby and is cursed by the demon as he died. It turns out the demon was actually a boar god who was driven crazy by an iron ball that was shot into his body. In order to save himself and protect his village further, he leaves his people and travels west never to return to his people. I see this sort of a symbolic image, the idea of the young leaving their native land, the land they were born into and the culture they were born into, and being integrated into the Japanese basic ideas. It’s similar to the way Native Americans turned away from their culture to become part of the ‘white man’s world’ here in America. Not being able to return pretty much is the same where once you learn something different, you’re never really the same person as you once were.

As Ashitaka leaves, he sees the world outside his home as different and we get to see it through his eyes as bandits sort of rampage through another village he runs into. The places we see and the world we see outside his village just ends up looking like a rather cruel and selfish place. I think that was done on purpose as it again shows everything through the eyes of a boy who grew up in a place where everyone took care of everyone else. He goes farther from his village and the areas seem to get harsher until he finds Irontown which in many ways could be like Tokyo or New York in our age. It is a place with ‘futuristic machines’, guns, iron working and so on. Actually, I think the better thought of this place would probably be Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh was pretty much known for their Steel work.

And here in lies a problem. In order to get iron sand for making their weapons and machines, they must clear down the forest near them. Unfortunately, the forest spirits don't like this, which leads to the war between nature and humans. I consider San as like the ‘hippie’ or hard core nature lovers who think they are fighting for natures rights. Without giving away the ending, the whole feel of this movie seems to be about trying to find a balance between humans destructive nature and of nature itself. And that’s what I love about this movie. It’s something that a lot of people are trying to do now as well with all the new eco friendly things we have been doing lately to protect the earth.

The artwork is astounding and that’s saying a lot since it was all cel done. Each background, character, and lighting had to be hand drawn over and over again. In fact, according to the wiki, there were over 144,000 cels and Miyazaki personally oversaw each and every one of them, including redrawing parts of 80,000 of them. That is dedication to his work guys and that is why I love his work so much. They even give them a lot of detail down to small crust near the boar’s eyes and the almost realistic backgrounds that seemed to capture your eyes with every detail. There was very little computer animation used in the show, parts like the demon flesh on Ashitaka but I never noticed. They perfectly made it seamless. In fact, I had no clue it was computer animated in those parts until I did a little research for this review and that is what surprised me more.

I only watched this show in English, and I was not sorry. I fell in love with the voices; each person did a wonderful job trying to give the characters a realistic way of talking that worked well with that character. I do have some little nit picks though that I have to do. I might have praised this show up and down but I can also see some of the ‘mistakes’ that were done in it. Billy Crudup was the voice of Ashitaka and he played the character a bit too bland I think. I understand the character is not a wild and brave guy, he is just an average guy who left his family but he just sounds a bit to shy at times. Also, even though Billy Bob Thornton was the rather good voice of an old monk named Jiko-bo, he just never really grabbed me as much as I think that character should of. I don’t know exactly if this was intended but Jiko-bo just felt like he didn't know what he wanted to be. I could never tell if he was a good guy, a bad guy, or even what he was. You would think him being a monk would mean he would be one with the spiritual side of things but then on the other hand, he seems to be against them as well. He was a very confusing character for me and though Billy did a good job conveying that confusion in what he was, I wish he would of leaned a little more to one side instead of being so in the middle.

I fell in love with this movie so much, and it is definitely a must see for anyone who loves Studio Ghibli or movies with deep meaning behind them. That’s why this gets a very high rating from me.

Princess Mononoke was released in Japan on 1997. It is a Studio Ghibli film, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and it is his seventh feature film. Having seen some of Miyazaki's best works, I can safely tell you, without any hesitation, that this is his second best movie.

If you own the Blu-ray DVD combo pack of Princess Mononoke, I can assure you that once you experience Princess Mononoke on Blu-ray, you will never want to go back to the DVD addition of Princess Mononoke. This is because the Miyazaki films that I have actually seen on Blu-ray have been remastered so well, and ... they make Miyazaki's films all look incredible, especially the case with Princess Mononoke. This goes without saying, the animation in Princess Mononoke is astounding, I found it to be breathtaking and gorgeous to look at. Every time I rewatch Princess Mononoke, I am floored by the amount of detail and the amount of work that was put into the animation. I even notice some small details that actually look impressive. This is one of Miyazaki's examples of a tour de force, and one of the finest presentations that Studio Ghibli has ever put out.

To compliment the majestic animation in Princess Mononoke is the film score by Joe Hisaishi. The film score is also very good in Princess Mononoke, some of the best music that Hisaishi has made in my opinion. There are other film scores to other Miyazaki films that are just as good, but I think that this is the one that sticks out the most. Just have a quick listen to it's main theme and you will understand why this soundtrack is so good.

In regards to the voice acting, both the original Japanese cast and the English dub cast are excellent. I can understand that some performances in the English dub may take a little getting used to for some viewers. Personally, I enjoyed all of the performances in the English dub just as much as I enjoyed all of the performances from the original Japanese version of Princess Mononoke. There is something that is special about Princess Mononoke's English dub, and that is the adaptive script. The adaptive script was written by the author that was responsible for stories such as "American Gods" and "Coraline", Neil Gaiman (Yeah, that Neil Gaiman). I find it very rare that a writer took up the task to write an adaptive script for an Anime film, for English speaking audiences, especially a film from Hayao Miyazaki. That being said, the English dub script for this movie is of biblical proportions.

Another thing that made me fall in love with this movie are the characters. Now prince Ashitaka may seem to have the least amount of characterization in the film, and even if that were the case, you have to consider that he was exiled by the Emishi people because of the curse on his right arm. He is an outcast, he has to fend for himself, that actually makes him a bit fascinating. As for princess San, some may find her to be a little too feisty for this film's own good, but you have to consider the fact that she was raised by wolves. It's only logical for her to have a bit of a wolf mentality when it comes to her character, and in this film's case it makes sense. Lady Eboshi may appear to be the villain of Princess Mononoke, but her motivations and her actions actually benefit her people, so she does the things she does because she wants what is best for them. What makes Princess Mononoke's characters so fascinating is that they are not your typical black and white, they are all grey. They all have motivations and they are actually believable.

Princess Mononoke is a tale of human nature with a touch of spirituality. It even has a clever environmentalist message in it, you just have to look very carefully as to what I mean by that. I may have stared at other Miyazaki films with awe, but when it comes to Princess Mononoke, this is by far the most complicated film he has ever made, not to mention the most violent.

Princess Mononoke is a brilliant film by Hayao Miyazaki, and it is a must see for anyone that loves animation. If you have not seen Princess Mononoke, oh dear God what are you waiting for? You are missing out. In my opinion, this is one of the greatest animated films ever made, and one of the greatest Anime films ever made. I love Princess Mononoke, it is one of my favorite Studio Ghibli films, it is my second favorite Hayao Miyazaki film, and it is one of my favorite Anime films of all time. Yes, I view Princess Mononoke in high regard. That said, I am going to give Hayao Miyazaki's second best movie, Princess Mononoke, a much deserved 8.

Ah, Princess Mononoke. It was one of the most earlier films, and anime in general, that I watched, and was captivated at first sight.

The thing I love about this movie is that I've seen so many different takes on what people viewed as the purpose behind the plot. I've read in a few different places that Miyazaki is not a fan of industrialization (or what it has evolved into) and clearly that is represented in the overarching plot in this movie. Whether or not that was the true meaning Miyazaki was trying to portray, he nevertheless sends a powerful message of the side effects ... of industrialization and not respecting the natural Earth and its resources. I've also read opinions where people were a little disappointed in the movie's plot because "its one big ad for environmentalism." I obviously view that as an extremist point of view and while I can see where people who say that are coming from, I feel they did not watch the movie with an open mind or already had some preconceptions about the movie. And of course, first impressions are everything, so once you come away with that mentality, its hard to adjust. Yes, the whole environmentalism aspect does play a part, but its so much more than that. It's about the struggle of man to find a niche in the world all the while trying to find a right balance in respecting it.

Miyazaki also decides to throw in a little romance as a secondary plot and I thought it worked well. It was not the main focus of the story and there really wasn't a point in the movie where they forced it down your throat. It was there, for the people who wanted to see something develop between Ashitaka and San, but for the people who could care less about it, it easily could have been pushed aside for the main view the movie was portraying.

I loved how in this movie, we never had any good or evil. Just two completely different points of view of what the sides viewed as "right" or "correct." Miyazaki included the right cast of characters to represent each side of the struggle. First you have the animal gods, who obviously are the victims of human industrialism and simply want to live in their forest of peace. He also included San, our Wolf Princess, to give us a human's point of view from that side too. On the other spectrum, we have Eboshi, who cared for her tribes people, evident in the way she took care of the wounded and only wanted to best for her people. And finally Ashitaka. A lot of people have mixed feelings of him because he never really seemed interesting and just "was there." In my eyes, that's exactly what his character was meant to be. He was an outsider to this war between human and nature. Coming from a small village where villagers already respected the Earth, he was more of a witness to all of the events, and simply wanted to find a way where both parties could be appeased and eventually, everyone live in harmony. I thought in that aspect, he played his role exceptionally well.

It's a Miyazaki film, and sound is usually top-notch, and that's definitely the case with Mononoke. The music was peaceful when in the countryside, fierce when in battle and soothing during the more emotional moments of the film. The main theme song is still one of my all-time favorites to this day.

I've watched this film only in the original Japanese cast, so I can't comment on the English VAs, but I felt the Japanese VAs did a pretty good job with their respective roles. The animal gods voices were rough, yet understandable and unique to each species. They fit rather well. Though in some of the more "inspired" moments of the movie, I remember being quite disappointed with a view of the voiced lines. But nothing too big.

Background art was beautiful. I have a friend who is an art major and he once commented to me on how amazing some of the scenery is done in Princess Mononoke. I guess I kind of took that comment to heart as I also believe that 100%. Animation holds up to today's standards, and in some instances, I feel it even outshines some of the stuff production companies do today. I feel Princess Mononoke is Studio Ghibli at its finest. Everything feels fluid, body movements move realistically and believably for the world that the movie is casted in.

I guess because this is one of my earlier experiences with anime, this movie holds a special place in my heart and no matter what other people may say about this, nothing can convince me otherwise. I will admit that there are some scenes in the movie which drag on a little too much for one's liking and I felt they could have handled the Deer god's head thing a little better than what was seen in the final outcome. However, those are just small pet peeves I had about a movie in which I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish.

The best part about this movie, in my opinion, is that it has something for everyone. Whether you're looking for something thought provoking, or simply something to watch without having to think too much into the situation, Princess Mononoke can be seen in both lights. Action events are done exquisitely as is the touching romance between San and Ashitaka.

Princess Mononoke. Another classic from Hayao Miyazaki.

Before watching this, the only other Miyazaki film I had seen was Spirited Away. That was my favorite anime at the time. After watching Mononoke, I found a new favorite.

I think the english dub of the film is one of the better ones out there. Their choices for voice actors and actresses were good for the film.

The animation was superb, as was the music. The strength of Mononoke lies in the story. I really felt connected to the characters. When Ashitaka was searching for San, I felt the sense of urgency with which he was running. I was practically ... jumping up and down while rooting for him to reach her.

The ending was definitely different from Miyazaki's other films, but then again, I feel that you have to look at this film differently. It was something you would not expect and I feel it is a good thing.

Princess Mononoke is definitely one of my top anime of all time, and my favorite anime film. If only they can give it a Disney release like they did Miyazaki's other film.

Mononoke Hime is a 1997 Studio Ghibli film written and directed by the legendary Miyazaki Hayao. It's also frequently brought up alongside Nausicaä & Spirited Away as one of Ghibli's classics. Does it hold up as well as those two films? Let's take a look.

Story:

We open in a small village coming under attack by a demon God, which looks kind of like a boar covered in small, squat tendrils. In order to protect his people, Prince Ashitaka rides into action. He manages to stop the rampaging beast, but its tendrils grasp his arm, leaving a scar that won't abate and continues to increase in ... size. He's told that it's curse and will eventually claim his life. So, his people send him out into the world to try and find a cure while examining things with unveiled eyes. It doesn't take him long to encounter a situation where the people of a prosperous little town seem to be at war with the creatures of the forest, including a girl who lives with the wolves as one of their own.

I can't really criticise anything about the narrative in this film. The pacing is perfect, using slow and atmospheric scenes as well as more tense action scenes effectively while striking a good balance betwixt the two. The major theme concerning humanity and how we interact with the environment is superbly handled, aided by the fact that the opposing sides are both portrayed as sympathetic and as having some validity to their viewpoints. While our main protagonist tries to encourage a balanced approach. The scope itself is also really grandiose, in spite of most of the action occurring in one city and the adjacent forest. The climax is excellent, with a pressing problem and our heroes being very much on a timer, which helps make it a very intense experience. I also appreciate that not everything gets wrapped up. We're ultimately shown a situation that's going to require more work but it still ends on a satisfying note in spite of that.

Characters:

The characters are about as expertly done as you can get. While it is true that the side characters are less developed, they still have verisimilitude. You can very much look at them and see them like actual people. I also do like that all the major characters have sympathetic aspects to them,. They all have things at stake that they don't want to surrender and there are compelling reasons for them to not just sit down and come to a compromise even though it would ultimately be to their benefit to do so. Having an outsider like Ashitaka as the main focus character allows the film to examine both sides of the conflict and see that balance in a way that the characters involved in it can't. I also do love San and her lupine family. A lot of works centring around a “feral” child raised by animals will focus on the more beastly aspects but this one shows a lot of the tenderness and love that you see from actual wolves when they interact with their cubs. Which also, in an odd way, lends a very human element to it.

Art:

The artwork and animation are fantastic. The world the film creates is lively, vivid and even sublime. The backgrounds are really well detailed. The fantastic creatures of various varieties are fascinating and just have amazing designs. The animals and people are nicely detailed. The action sequences are awesome. It's just an excellent looking film. Which isn't all that surprising given that Studio Ghibli is known for their superb artwork. Even the films of theirs that I wasn't fond of have had amazing animation.

Sound:

The vocal work was really well done. Ishida Yuriko, Matsuda Youji & Miwa Akihiro in particular just gave outstanding performances. The music composition was handled by Hisaishi Joe, who also worked on the music in Ponyo, Howl's Moving Castle & Spirited Away. His work in those was all very well done and pleasant, but this film might have the best I've heard from him. The compositions are stupendous and really add to the atmosphere.

Ho-yay:

There isn't any. What little romance we get is het.

Final Thoughts:

Mononoke Hime is just fantastic. The atmosphere, story, characters, artwork, music and acting are all excellent. It absolutely deserves a spot among Ghibli's finest films. My final rating for it is going to be a 10/10. If you want to see a fantasy film with some amazing action & a nuanced approach when it comes to its environmental themes, I highly recommend it. So, that's it for film festival week. Next Wednesday I'll return to my weekly schedule with a look at Terra Formars: Revenge.

First off all, my FIRST Review ever and I would like to say: This was EPIC!

This Anime Movie is produced by Suzuki Toshio and directed by Miyazaki Hayao. Same couple that directed and produced the award-winning Spirited Away, and How's Moving Castle. This couple, have blessed us with the best and most known Anime Movies ever. And I'm personally very grateful for the experience I get from watching these.


Story: 10
The story was amazing, unique, exciting, warm and also, a little traditional.
It is Action, Adventure, Fantasy genres. I would say minor Romance as well.
Humans, spirits, demons, and conversations between them.

It's about a young prince (Ashitaka) ... that haft to leave his village to save his own life from a curse.
On his journey, he meets a beautiful young lady that thinks she is a wolf (San) and lives with the wolf tribe. She wants to protect the forest and the forests spirit from being destroyed. And she hates Humans because of it.
By doing so she lives until the death of a Woman who runs an Iron-forge (Lady Eboshi), near the forest that destroys the forest for the need of Wood to make Iron so they as well can survive.

Story continues with battles of greed, love and survival. Ashitaka need to find the God of the Forest to cure his wound that threatens his life. San wants to kill the Lady Eboshi so she can save the Forest from dying. And it gets complicated because of Ashitakas pure and kind heart that makes him want to save simply everything and everyone.


Art: I give it a 10.
The Art is amazing for such an old movie that aired for the first time in 1997. It's well made and I like ghibli as they call it, I would say old school anime, because it looks so much more natural, no extreme colours or eyes or hair. It gives the environment and everything a more realistic feeling. Its very smooth looking and beautiful. The evil creatures look horrifying and as in the movie they call them Demons and it doesn't look anything but demonic. Great art.


Sound: 10.
Voice acting amazing. Its natural and smooth and nothing sounds fake or bad even when they are talking to animals. There is good emotions in this movie and I can very easily feel sympathy.
Music is amazing, it gives awesome atmospheres and fits so well to this. None the less from Joe Hisaishi that made made the music and theme for this. Aswell he did it for Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle.


Character: 10!
Great characters. Ashitaka is compassionate, loving and caring. Even when his life is sure to end by a curse he got from defending his village, he lives on and tries his best to help others.
San, a human living in harmony with animals and nature. Something we can relate to in a few ways. She is assertive and asks no questions when it comes to the well being of the forest and her tribe. As shown by her will to kill Lady Eboshi.
And Lady Eboshi, takes leadership as a man and at the same time shows compassion. She helps those that everyone is afraid of to live a good life. She shows her bad sides when she wants to take her compassionate side to a whole new level. Which makes the forest and animals suffer. She cares for humans, but not the nature and animals.
Everyone else of the human characters are simply human. Doing their best to live a good life and cares for their loved ones.
It's a good balance with good and bad people. Though no one is truly evil in this movie.


Enjoyment: 10
This movie is superbly great for anyone who just want to watch something that will grab your attention. Or for anyone who wants to go deep in to the story and emotions which is displayed.
I personally love this movie a lot and I like the main male characters personality a lot It's very enjoyable to see such pure fighting hearts and it's wish able that such would exists more.
I saw this movie actually for the first time 2 weeks ago. And i've already seen it 5 times and can easily go watch it again.


Overall: 10. This is a masterpiece.

This is a great movie and I cannot find anything at fault with it. Great fantasy story with lovely emotions and story. It has a slight romance and comedy as well to just fill that little hole that made this a masterpiece.
Also, I didn't realise I had misunderstood a part of the ending until the third time watching it.
Since this is my first review people may think negative about this review. But I chose ofc my absolute favorite for my first review and it's bound to be 9-10 ratings. And this movie is already on top 10 list.

Introduction
I feel as if i wasted 2 hour of my life watching this but I will try to review it fairly...

Story
Ok, it wasn't too slow moving and it wasn't too quick, bonus points for rating. It had a nice sort of nature vs ironforge vs empire sort of story. It wasn't simply good vs evil, nature and ironforge both had their fair points to war, bonus points. The princes adventure... fair story... But I think the biggest let down was my expectations of the whole..."The Star Wars of animated features" and besides that the cool action sort of action style cover...yea...I can no't recall more ... than 30 seconsd (out of 2 hours 14 minutes) of decent action footage, nothing worth remembering except when he was first cursed and his first fight scene. Being generous because it was a decent fantasy adventure anime... 7 out of 10. Oh and for the record, my opinion, this was more like lord of the rings without as much action.

Art
The art was nice and a few nice scenes, animated well but could've been better 9 out of 10.

Sound
The sound went well with the movie although I feel the music could've been mor emotive it was a slight let down...compared to some anime i've seen this anime made me feel emotionless except for the kawaii wolf girlie <3

Characters
Ok well I think this is the one section that shines out on the anime as a whole, the character development seemed well done and they came along way to become slightly different people by the end of the anime. Yet again for a fantasy adventure i think this should've been a little more emotive...there was a possible love relationship going on too which could've added a little more depth to the characters overall effect on the anime.

Enjoyment
I enjoyed what was happenning but when it ended it all hit me like...wtf did i just watch? That was meant to be an animated star wars equivilent? NO WAY!!!

Overall
Looking for a good action flick? Go to TOKKO, FF Advent children, or Sword of the stranger because you will be greatly dissapointed here.

Fantasy Adventure fans? I don't think you should miss this providing you don't expect it to be any comparison to star wars...on the whole ill give it a 7 out of 10.

Princess Mononoke was the second Ghibli Studio I ever saw, and to this day remains one of my most favourite works of all times and styles.

A cross-story of love and hate, nature and humanity cohabiting or failing to do so. The story of the wolves and the spirits of the forest is halting; their determination to fight, each of their respective personalities and their respective decisions as to HOW they will fight, were halting. The Mother Wolf fighting to protect her young ones, her forest, her home, despising the humans and then finally handing her only daughter over to one of them, handing her home ... and thousands of lives over into the hands of one boy...

And a human's struggle, far away from home, with the thing that consumes him, while never fully designating the thing consuming him as 'bad' or 'evil', because he wants, desperately, to understand the suffering that his world is going through. His compassion, his insight, his aspirations, his views on justice...

Flawless pacing, haunting sound effects and music choices, perfect character development, outstanding art...

A spiritual journey, a beautiful trail to follow. In my mind, a work of perfection.

An overall 10/10.

"Life is suffering. It is hard. The world is cursed. But still, you find reasons to keep living."

Grim, long, and an utterly complex epic. This is arguably Miyazaki's most striking work both visually and thematically and for someone who's mainly known for creating soft, comfy films it's understandable to see why.

It's easy to look at Princess Mononoke as an allegory of naturalism vs industrialism, and to an extent it seems that is what Miyazaki had in his mind while he was creating the film. But I'd like to think that Miyazaki rather wanted this to explicitly be a film about how human beings collectively look ... at nature and the blatant lack of gratitude we have towards it. Rather than solely being a clash of opposing ideologies between two extremes with a centrist protagonist, to me it's like giving the voiceless nature a voice. Manifesting ideas like life and death and giving them literal forms in a world that very much like our own would still be driven to gain from it. Our lack of empathy doesn't necessarily come from the lack of visualization, it's from a lack of knowledge of consequences. Perhaps that is why Miyazaki allows Lady Eboshi to live. To serve as an example that even perpetrators of said rampage sometimes do so without knowing the full picture, rather than pure malice as we would often associate them with and maybe they too, can learn to heed and grow.

I also love how Miyazaki writes his female characters. They're not written to belittle their male counterparts as most modern "feminist" works would tend to depict. "Equity" and "equality" are often conflated and Miyazaki perfectly illustrates how women can also be an active part of different societies whether it's physical work or not. It's a great subversion of how we expect "strong" female characters to be written as male supersedes rather than their own individual characters. San, Eboshi, Kaya, and Toki are all part of various archetypes that work harmoniously well to colour the full female spectrum (at least it comes somewhat close to it). The cast in general is filled with definitive characters, which is one thing you can never deny about Miyazaki's films.

Technically, this film is perfection. Almost everything about it from the gorgeously animated sequences and backdrops to the incredible score is just immaculate.

The ending is what truly sells this. This isn't a film with answers. You're not going to leave with a profound realisation about nature or reality or whatever. It's more so a seeping thought that swells from within. The more you think about it, the more it sticks with you.

Miyazaki is truly a fascinating mind. Undeniably one of the great artists of all time, ever.

(TLDR Review at the bottom, and as always, thanks for reading in advance)

I have watched this movie twice now. It is indeed great.

Studio Ghibli is a well-renowned studio known by fans of anime, and those who aren't interested in the medium. Some call the studio Japan's Disney, some say it is the best studio for all audiences to enjoy, some say it is flamboyant overrated hype. One thing is certain though, Ghibli has gone places far and wide no question. It's movies have made a cultural impact on the medium of anime movies and all movies for that matter. In Ghibli's voyage through movie making, ... one particular movie outplays in appearance from the rest in more ways than one. It is a strange fit for the collection the studio offers, but it is a story that still cannot be interpreted as some random outlier to the equation Ghibli uses.

That movie is Princess Mononoke.

A ruby in the stack of emeralds. It doesn't follow the general pattern, but it is of value regardless.


Narrative:
The narrative of the story is pretty simple. Ashitaka is made to leave his village in hopes of finding a cure for a curse placed upon him. In doing so, he sees where the true hate and violence which caused his cure, in person. There is a synopsis for relevant details, so I won't go too much into the start. The true value for the movie goes to the themes it shows and how it presents it. I could go on and go full literature mode on themes and presentations of them, but maybe I will save that if I end up coming back to this review.

With Ghibli movies, it isn't really expected to focus too much on the story. Spirited Away focuses on Chihiro and her change. Kiki's Delivery Service focuses on Kiki's time in Koriko. My Neighbour Totoro focuses on Kusakabe's family. Within each of those stories, there is no underlying theme to be played, they are just merely a supernatural tale to be told, though Princess Mononoke plays as if it were a legend, one that wouldn't be surprising if it were passed down into many many generations ahead of time to come. The movie does have a premise allowing for the exploration of the themes presented, such as hate and war, which would inevitably differentiate it from the rest of Ghibli movies, however, it doesn't take that for granted. The plot uses respectable elements to play with such as pride, the will of deities, imperialism, I could go on. What I am meaning to say is that the movie is one that despite background and an unequal playing field, still prevails as something that wouldn't be too far off a "masterpiece" without any kind of benefit. It is amazing really, I haven't watched everything Ghibli has made, but from their big titles, not many would have guessed Ghibli would go this far in with storytelling. For a movie, as opposed to a TV anime, it still does well in conveying what it must with concise and efficient writing. So little time, but powerful regardless. It is like those anime commercials that feel so great to watch due to an embellished simplicity of the narrative within. I guess that is another plus for the story too, simple, yet meaningful. Feels as if one is rummaging down a treasure chest when looking into this movie.

There are elements to pick and reflect on with the story, making it seem like more than just that one "dark Ghibli movie" as WatchMojo called it. One of my favourite things to look at with the movie was the motif of peace and how it is a missing part of people's lives, the antichrist to peace, being war, truly does affect all indirectly whether you want it to or not. You could probably get a few of your own ideas out of the movie too.

The characters are good as well, maybe not as much as the story, but still very respectable. They all feel like representations of some kind of mood. San being anger, Ashitaka being peace, Eboshi being incentive, Moro and Okkoto being prideful. You could even link the deadly sins if you wanted to. I am not sure if this was intended or not, but the themes that have embedded these characters made for a real experience when watching the movie, no one was poorly written, no one suddenly made a swift change for the sake of plot please go forward my audience is watching, it was all set in motion, and released not too fast, or too slow in a relative sense to add on. Each individual character in the movie has their own personality to dwell on too, there is no character who doesn't feel uninteresting or "that one side character". The writing and behaviour of each individual leave a pleasing memory on one to keep evermore. Although, what I will point out is that the storey seems to focus a lot on Ashitaka, never really gives enough screen time for other characters such as San and Eboshi, I understand it is a story about him, though the emphasis on other characters would have made them even more loveable, nothing too wrong but something that could have been fixed upon indeed. Regardless, for a Ghibli movie, that is nothing short of exceptional creations.


Audiovisuals:
With every Ghibli movie, though this now applies mostly to the older ones, there are great visuals accompanying the movie as they progress, this is no exception for Princess Mononoke. This isn't so surprising that the art is good, what did you expect from a Ghibli movie, though that isn't to say that that would be a means of the way for me to suddenly dislike it, consistency in visuals, and I will consistently rate said art accordingly. What I will say, however, is that the movie had its advantageous times to shine, not everything is set in a forest, battlefield, and industrialisation period. To be fair though, Ghibli can make anything look good regardless of where it is set. In any case, the movie looks spectacular with hand-drawn scenery, almost as if it were out of a landscape, clearly being visible when meets the eye. A consistent blessing for all.

With audio, I won't lie, I only came out remembering the theme, I usually do for every Ghibli movie, however, having a listen over the OST and it is fairly obvious that they are amazing and well made, I am not sure what was going down behind the scenes, maybe an orchestra was on job, but everything sounded amazing. Although it is to be said that there is repetition via innovation with the OST, you can get two soundtracks that sound somewhat similar in the movie. Nothing I would call close to a carbon copy, but recognisable. Despite that though, the sound is great. Seiyuus are in the same boat too, every seiyuu played their character well conveying their personality with utmost individuality. You just can't go wrong with Ghibli audio.


Enjoyment:
I enjoy pretty much everything, and if you didn't get the drift already, Princess Mononoke was something I enjoyed. What I will say however is that the movie doesn't dive too deep into the world. Some movies go and make the most fantastic worlds to look back on, but the movie didn't feel the same, the reason why I say this for the enjoyment side of things is that I was really interested in the world of Princess Mononoke as an extrapolated look from watching this. Questions such as, "Are there other animals around?" are vaguely answered, and if I am not wrong you are never shown the enemy emperor at any point. A little let down, but you can only do so much before attention is shifted onto the wrong people too much. I won't complain too much about this because honestly, I still really liked the movie. Universal enjoyment would probably be the same for many others with compelling action scenes that don't need to be bombastic for the sake of action, a glorious adventure and just downright very watchable. There is something for all in this movie.


Overall - 9.4 (9)

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TLDR Review:
Story - 10: An amazing tale that would make well as a story passed down the line of humans, one of which goes well into a few philosophical topics, magnificently decoding the idea of such.
Visuals - 10: Not surprisingly, amazing scenery accompanied with fluid animation.
Audio - 9: Great OST though some repetitive innovation with other soundtracks, still great though. Great voice acting too.
Character - 9: Characters can relate to some mood or theme that the story has presented. Makes it great to view how each evolves and interacts. Though there is a lot of focus on Ashitaka. All around, great characters.
Enjoyment - 9: Slight hiccup with the worldbuilding, though that is a minor flaw that can be looked over. This is very watchable.

Overall - 9.4 (9)
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I have said this before with my Wolf Children review, not every day a "masterpiece" comes out for fans to enjoy. I wholeheartedly would tell anyone to go and watch Princess Mononoke as it is one of those films for most to enjoy regardless of who you are. People should really take in the good anime more every now and then, as I have just done so. Too many people complaining about the bad things that come out lol just go and watch the good things that are already there, like this certified gem.

What can I say, looks like "grandmaster" Miyazaki isn't just Ghibli make movie, people like movie and money go brrr. The man does actually have amazing works under his belt, one of which made me praise this. As I have said, there is something for all in this movie.

Princess Mononoke has something for meatheads.
Princess Mononoke has something for literature lovers.
Princess Mononoke has something for casual viewers.
Princess Mononoke has something for families.
Princess Mononoke has something for lovers of art.

Princess Mononoke has something for all to enjoy.

I recommend Wolf Children too if you haven't seen it already.

If you've been into anime for a span of a day to many years now, then there's no doubt that you've heard of the name Hayao Miyazaki and his reputation of making the most beautifully animated films ever. Knowing this, you may be a bit in a awe by the score I gave one of his most beloved works. First, I want to say that Princess Mononoke was GREAT; no doubt about it. Even after Sixteen years from it's debut, this movie still holds up as being an enjoyable film to watch with messages being something that many of us still need to consider today. ... However, reputations aside, after watching the film from a critical standpoint there are flaws that definitely hamper the experience and may generate disinterest, especially to new coming viewers. There is certainly more good than bad; but in the end, I walked out of this experience satisfied, but not in awe as many claim it to be. This is: Princess Mononoke!

Story:
When looking at the story, I considered this movie to be split into two different scenarios rather than one. (Two for the Price of one, Yay! xD) The first scenario dealt with a prince who had been bestowed by a curse and must travel the mountains to find a cure by a Spirit God. The second scenario dealt with the animals living in the mountains waging war against the humans who constantly destroy their forests as well as hunt for the Spirit God. In the end, the two scenarios merge and conclude together. To start off, the themes of this story are powerful morals which are displayed wonderfully and provokes discussion way after the credits roll. The first half of the film dealt with the pursuit of Peace and to abolish all hate for one another since the curse fed off the people's hatred. The last half of the film focused more on trying to save the environment and wildlife; as well as to live in harmony with one another. The actions in the story show strong symbolism that's easily understandable and may change the way you look at forests differently. This is for sure a movie that both kids and adults can enjoy!

The negatives I had with the show lie more on technical and execution issues. The first problem being the pacing. The first half of the film had a dramatically slow pace; as we saw our hero travel to different lands, showcasing his journey to get to the forest. We see our hero converse with others in wonderful dialogue; but I never truly got that feeling of urgency that the protagonist might be in any danger because of his curse, since he would occasionally stop to help out injured people. I could tell that Miyazaki tried spending the first half showcasing the setting our hero would be involved in, but even still, this movie took quite some time to get going. The second half of the film is where we see the action begin to pick up as war is broken loose between the animals and humans. The pacing of this segment does pick up, but like the first half, I never felt any urgency when we would see the two sides waging war or experience the impact when a person or an animal would die. This is all due to the fact that the second half is based on several different point of views. Because of this, I found the story to be convoluted as it would jump to various battles; making me confused time to time as to what each person's specific goal was. Another issue I had was the ending. By the conclusion of the film, all the situations were settled but I never truly felt resolution between the two opposing sides; even though the actions of the movie made me think other wise. Looking from it at a realistic stand point, the ending truly is fitting but because of this, it kind of contradicts the whole set up of the second half of the film.
7/10

Art:
The art of Princess Mononoke is standard level for a Miyazaki film: BEAUTIFUL! Since most of the film is in the wild life, the scenery of these forests are well done: full of lush greenery and very detailed animal drawings. Blood from a wolf or guck from a Boars mouth are very descriptive and for an action movie, the swings from a sword or a shot from an arro feels very realistic since time to time, body parts will get severed at a graphically gruesome rate. This is for sure one of Miyazaki's more mature styled films. The art of Princess Mononoke is something that tells a story on it's own and can even hold up with some of today's work in terms of detail.
10/10

Sound:
The sound of Princess Mononoke is probably one of the more disappointing aspects of the film, as I tend to even notice or remember any pieces from the movie. Instead I can only remember the noise that the Wild Life would make or sound effects such as the splashing made when walking in water. To me, I found the sound of Princess Mononoke was only there to compliment rather than generate any emotion than what it's future successors would do later.
6/10

Characters:
The characters in Princess Mononoke are interesting. To begin, you have your normal protagonists, Ashitaka and later, San. What makes this story interesting though was no side is truly evil. Along the way Ashitaka will encounter different people that you will later see again but as he converses with these people, you can tell that each one of them doesn't have a very deep negative intention. However, I think that many will side with the Animals when watching since they are mostly the underdogs (No Pun intended) and they simply wish to preserve their land. This is in comparisons to the humans who more or less want to destroy the entire forest near the end. This was a very original approach since in life, people are almost never laid out as: good or bad, and instead it's all on how we perceive it to be.

On the other hand, lack of a clear villain can also be considered a flaw to the movie. It can be difficult to invest yourself with the characters since you don't know which one to root for. Because of this, it may take you out of the experience. Character development was another problem I had. Ashitaka encounters plenty of people along his journey, but I never saw him or anybody else grow because of these encounters. Also, I never saw San, our female protagonist as a vital part to the film. To me she was only there to provide a love interest with our main character, Ashitaka and unfortunately, needless to say: she too also didn't get any development and in the end she remained almost as the same person we were introduced to as.
7/10

Overall/Enjoyment:
In the end, Princess Mononoke is not the best Ghibli movie out there. Pacing issues, lack of a grounded OST, and weak character development prevent this movie from being a classic Ghibli film that can easily earn my first recommendation. I found myself currently being pulled out of the experience and checking my watch time to time with the slow movement this film had. Still, looking at the film as a whole, I had an immense amount of fun while watching it! This animation just overflowed with it's strong life lessons that doesn't take an expert to figure out. This was also accompanied by daring original concepts the movie challenged itself with and has been defined in its age as being one of the best! In the end you won't be in an urge to check your "Ecological footprint" but I guarantee that this is an anime, you won't wanna miss!
7/10

Miyazaki has got be one of the greatest filmmakers of time. Not just anime, but films in general. Without a doubt, definitely in my top 5 directors of all time along with Scorsese, Kurosawa, Hitchcock, and Leone. Including Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke is one of his masterpieces. The plot here is about our main protagonist, Ashitaka, trying to find a cure for a curse given to him by a boar god, after an attack on his village. During his journey he meets a monk named Jigo, who tells him that his best chance to rid himself of the curse is to seek out ... the Great Forest Spirit. Later on, Ashitaka eventually gets caught up with a conflict between a town and the guardians of the forest. Now this is one of the many great aspects of Princess Monoke; there are no good guys or bad guys. Both the forest gods and the towns people, have justifiable reasons for why they are involved in this whole situation. No character here is down right evil nor good; each one has their own faults and setbacks. The film very much explores the grey areas of morality(similar to Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven). Through out the movie, you’ll question who here is right and who is wrong. Which perfectly adds a layer of depth and complexity to the plot; so yeah, this definitely isn’t your conventional narrative as expected from an innovator like Miyazaki. To top it off, the narrative is filled with fantastic action and stunning set pieces; so there isn’t a dull moment. Thematically, Princess Mononoke mainly delves into the theme of man vs. environment, a trademark of Miyazaki directorial style, and I got say that he handles it most effectively here. In regards to the score, it doesn’t disappoint. A lot of it is orchestrated which fits in perfectly with the epic scope and grandeur of the film, complementing the tone and atmosphere of the experience. In terms of production values, Studio Ghibli delivers some of the most breathtaking animation that you’ll ever see as always; seriously, this film is an orgasm for the eyes. With the art style included, from the beautiful panoramic shots of the landscape, to the well choreographed action sequences, to the character designs, it’s pretty much perfect. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the CGI. Originally, when I first watched this film, I was shocked when I found out that it actually incorporated CGI. I mean, they did a magnificent job of blending both traditional hand drawn 2D animation and 3D CG. This, in my opinion, is how CGI should be done when it‘s put into anime. It shouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb. CGI should be smoothly incorporated when being used simultaneously along with 2D animation. Just pay close attention to the scene where Ashitaka took out those group of bandits after he had receive the curse, and you’ll see what I mean. Overall, this is a mandatory viewing for not only anime fans but film buffs as well. It’s a personal favorite of mine and I highly, highly, highly recommend it.

This is likely one of the few animes that exist I will give the title "Masterpiece" to. There are a few reasons for this.

1) The story actually has substance. It isn't some little kid being sent off on a fool's errand to collect treasure or magical items.

2) You could consider this one of the more..... artistic works available. Think of old Disney vs new Disney. The solid outlines that bring definition to the characters.

3) Sound..... well this one is a personal thing, but sound doesn't actually matter to me. If I can tell ... something blew up, that's all I need. I don't need to actual hear the direction it comes from.

4) Characters are all very well done, and well established. Even minor characters are implemented so well, you actually care about them.

5) Without giving away anything, go into this movie expecting a well thought out story, great character development, and a very great delivery of itself.

If you enjoy Edo-Style anime, I would suggest checking this movie out. It runs about 2 hours, so for an anime, its pretty long, and worth every second.

Story 10/10

An excellent story which keeps the viewer entranced the whole way through with a story of man against nature which forces you to think about whether continued development and the destruction of nature is a good or evil thing. With a lesson learned that it is better to work with nature than to fight it.

Art 10/10

Even after over 20 years the artwork here is phenomenal it is truly a thing of beauty.

Sound 8/10

... Sound and music is very good with some excellent voice acting.

Characters 10/10

Some brilliant characters here the MC Ashitaka is a sympathetic character which you want to cheer on as he journeys throughout the story with the worthy goal to save himself from a curse and create a better world where nature and humans can live in harmony the titular character Princess Mononoke who is known as San is also brilliant having been raised by wolves in the forest she is weary of Ashitaka at first and Ashitaka will have to earn her trust as the story goes on.

The support cast from the more villainous characters to the animals in the forest play their parts in an excellent manner which really helps the story as it continues.

Enjoyment 10/10

A brilliant film which makes you think and provides entertainment the whole way through with plenty of drama and tension in a world of both beauty and darkness.

Overall 10/10

Ooo what is this? Miyazaki making an anime that targets older audiences? If it wasn't for the knowledge that I had before hand, I'm not sure I could have identified "Princess Mononoke" as Miyazaki's handiwork very easily. In fact the only thing that might have given it away is design of the main protagonist Ashitaka, who's appearance reminds me of Haku from "Spirited Away". The story of "Princess Mononoke" essentially revolves around Ashitaka, the prince of a tribal village, going on a journey to try and lift a curse that he has been afflicted with.

Compared to the other Miyazaki films I've seen, "Princess Mononoke" is ... an unexpectedly grim piece of work. You can feel there's something different about this one from the intensity that's there right from the word go. The sight of the demon boar charging through the forest covered in those... maggot like things is quite unnerving. From there on, the show never lets up. People with their arms/head/ separated from the rest of the body; men and beast being slaughtered aplenty on the battlefield etc all contribute in making this film a rather "heavy" viewing experience.

The differences don't stop here either. Another thing that caught my attention is that it's not a typical Miyazaki main cast. The main character is a boy, and it's the girl who's the one taking the back seat in "Princess Mononoke". In fact, Princess Mononoke's involvement in the anime isn't that great at all, so I don't know why the title is named after her in the first place.

Despite these differences, other more subtle elements that tend to come with Miyazaki works are actually firmly embedded in this film upon closer inspection. The great soundtrack that gives this work such an epic feel; the strange but wonderful "monster" designs (especially the the wood spirits that made me chuckle); and of course that all important magical element that's like the blood that courses thruogh the veins of pretty much all his work.

The older age bracket targetted by "Princess Mononoke" isn't limited to superficial features such as the bloodshed and brutality - it's something that extends to the maturity of the story line, a story line that looks to go beyond his usual wonderfully imagined but thematically simplistic adventure premises. I had heard before how Miyazaki's earlier work "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds" (or just "Nausicaa" for short) is often seen as a prototype of "Princess Mononoke", but didn't really know why until I watched this film. In essence, "Princess Mononoke" is a retelling of the same human vs nature theme that's the backbone of "Nausicaa". The big difference though, is the sense that "Princess Mononoke" is crafted by an older and wiser Miyazaki with a more rounded view of the world. As much as I like the rough charm of "Nausicaa", there's no denying that "Princess Mononoke" is the more mature work. Gone is the raw preachiness found in the earlier film, and in its place, there is a much more understanding tone, arising from a carefully constructed no-win situation that's all too easily belivable. In "Princess Mononoke", there are no real, big villains - everyone is just doing their best to survive in a harsh world. Which party is in the wrong in this conflict? The forest gods who are trying to prevent their homes from being destroyed? Or the ironworks people, rejects of society who finally found their place in the world, and are cutting down the forest in order to make a decent living?

There is no right answer, and "Princess Mononoke" recongises this. After all the bloodshed and slaughter, there is no magic solution to the conflict. What the film does offer though, is hope. Hope that the groups involved can find a way of living in harmony. It's a more realistic rather than a fairy tale ending where everyone comes away happy, and it's an ending that I really like.

On the art and animation side of things, this does seems to be one of the best looking Ghibli films, at least to me (but then, I'm not very good at judging the technical stuff, so what do I know). The imageries in the film are incredibly rich and colourful, with typically well drawn backgrounds that never fails to be anything other than beautiful and detailed. The action sequences are mostly fluid and dynamic, although I have to say that things like people's arms flying off look a bit odd - I guess Miyazaki just isn't used to drawing stuff like that :P

In the audio department, the music and the sound effects are of a high standard, really adding to the atmosphere, but some of the voice acting sounds a bit flat at times to me.

Despite being the spirital successor to "Nausicaa", "Princess Mononoke" feels like a different beast from Miyazaki's other works. A thoughtful, sophisticated story told with startling intensity and naked savagery, "Princess Mononoke" is a fascinating watch and definitely one of Miyazaki's finest - right up there "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds" itself.

For those of you who haven't seen this film, I pity you. Out of all the masterpieces that the great Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghilibi have created, Mononoke Hime is the greatest one; easily my favorite movie as a child, and even today. Honestly, this movie isn't even for children unlike Miyazaki's other films. Thinking back on it now, I wonder why I loved the show so much considering I couldn't possible have understood the complexity and themes from the movie as a child. Perhaps it was just the natural beauty of the movie just like all of Miyazaki's films. Spirited Away? Totoro? Castle in ... the Sky? Howl's Moving Castle? Nausicaa Valley of the Wind? Kiki's Delivery Service? Sure, they're great in all, but nope, for me they're not even close to the greatness of Mononoke Hime. Why? Well, first of all I should point out that unlike Miyazaki's other films, Mononoke Hime is very violent and serious which is actually to my liking. Furthermore, the creativity, beauty, wondrous, sadness, darkness, and deepness level of Mononoke Hime is just unexplainable in words and nearly unmatchable by other films. The movie is a magical glimpse of what the real world, what our reality truly is behind the curtains of our own delusion and idealistic dreams... It is not a simplistic tale of good and evil, but the story of how humans are connected to the beauty and darkness of nature, and how all living things fight for their belief of the order and happiness, no one is truly wrong.

The story is set in medieval Japan, during the dawn of the Iron Age. Mankind still lived in harmony with nature but slowly mankind was trying to tame and overtake it.
In simplest form, the film revolves around a young prince of a tribe, Ashitaka who after having protected his village from the Boar God/Demon, inherits an incurable evil curse that's going to eventually kill him. In order to save himself from the curse, he travels into the great forest of the west with his trusted elk, Yakul. There, he plans to find the source of the iron ball, found in the decomposed body of the Boar, as a way of diminishing the curse's plague on his body. Once he reaches the forest however, he is caught up in the middle of a long raging war between the technologically advancing humans and the forest spirits, lead by the female protagonist, Princess Mononoke (San). Ashitaka's journey brings him to the situation where he must try to stem the flow of blood being spilt, reach out and show the good in both of the sides. This is met by animosity by the human and forest spirits and seeing him working to help each side leads to them approaching him as an enemy.

I guarantee that you won't find Hollywood films as philosophical as this film. The obvious message of the film is to represent the relationship between humanity and nature. But even deeper within that outer layer, there are plenty of themes: such as the concept of "right vs wrong", "good vs evil", "freedom vs confinement", "reality vs dreams", and most importantly, "technology-future vs agriculture-past". Miyazaki doesn't only bash technology though, he shows that technology can be the demise of mankind as well as nature, but it can also be the greatest innovation ever if handled properly. The show shows being alive and being happy in any form in itself is a magical thing that people should appreciate. I could go on and on about the symbolism and themes, but moving onto why the show was enjoyable. The love in this show was handled beautifully (& metaphoric). Ashitaka and Princess Mononoke's lives and points of views differ despite them being in love. They realize that neither of them can really lead the life of the other, and so they learn to grant each other "freedom" (reality). There's no holding back despite it being a Ghibili film in the violence part of the show, which was a nice surprise.

The characters were symbolic figures rather than relatable and solely enjoyable to watch. Ashitaka symbolizes purity and innocence, which is what he loses when he kills the Boar (despite it being to protect his village), hence leading him to set off to the great forest of the west, to purify his curse/himself and repenting for his sins. San symbolizes the harmony between humanity and nature. San is a human despite living and fighting alongside nature, who become torn between her origins vs her ideals. Eboshi, who most people call "the villain" of the show symbolizes the evolution of humanity. But in Princess Mononoke, no character is intrinsically bad or good, just like in our reality which avoids the usual simplifications and shows the difficulty in judging things easily; there is no "bad guy". Lady Eboshi may be massacring the forest animals, but she is also rescuing prostitutes and lepers. Just like how San and her wolves may have killed humans, but they were merely defending the forest; their home. Genius.

The images are gorgeous, the lighting is amazing; concept of "illuminating light at end of the dark tunnel", and the lavish backgrounds of mankind's civilization vs mother nature: Perfection. The addition of forest spirits was beautiful as well. Furthermore, the portrayal of the animals of nature was like a shameless addition of magical icing on top of the perfect cake. I mean honestly, the great white wolves and their threatening look/teeth that give the message, "mess with nature, and we're going to kill you filthy human beings" to the sad writhing dying body of the boar (god). But, the character's I must admit aren't unique at all though... They look just like all of Studio Ghibili's film's characters, except with addition of "nature" on them. The realism of the show is scary as hell. The lush and lavish green forests --- Empty, destroyed wasteland. Animals scurrying around the woods --- extinction due to mankind's hunting. Vast beautiful trees --- dying trees, cut down trees. How can an anime have such beautiful art?

Do I even have to say anything about the music? You already know that it's 10/10 stunning, beautiful, fitting to Miyazaki's films, masterpieces of music once you hear that Studio Ghibili + Joe Hisashi are involved. The music fits the film's themes and emotions by amplifying scenes level of emotion; Sadness, Pity, Anger, Violence, Ominous, and Love/Unification (between nature and humanity). "Legend of Ashitaka" is a piece that I've played in my orchestra; it is beautiful. Alongside Joe Hisashi's stacks of great music, Legend of Ashitaka tops it alongside other masterpieces such as Laputa (Castle in the Sky), One Summer's Day (Spirited Away) and Kaze no Toorimichi (Totoro). Of course, there are more than 1 good song, the entire soundtrack of Princess Mononoke was dazzling (another great piece is "Journey to the West"). The voicing of the characters (in japanese) gives the entire film a whole new level of feels. I want to mention that the dubbed version of Princess Mononoke isn't terrible, but it's certainly worse than the subbed version, so.. I recommend the sub if you haven't seen this masterpiece yet (what are you doing with your life, go watch the movie). Oh my goodness, I love Joe Hisashi's music... His music fits Miyazaki's films so well that it's scary.

Now having said all of this, I hope you've either already seen the movie, or are planning to see it now, otherwise I don't know what you're doing with your life.

There are few films I have ever cried in but there are even fewer animated films to that count, however Princess Mononoke provoked emotions I don't think before, I had ever experienced. This film for me is the first one I talk about it when people ask me "What films have inspired you?" This film practically forced me to take an interest in the frighteningly beautiful area that is anime. Although to this day, nothing has instilled so many emotions in me.

What Miyazaki did with Princess Mononoke was create a world, which nowadays is in my mind taken for grated especially with computer generated effects ... being able to make whatever the director really desires. Mononoke is different then all those surreal Avatar-esque productions because in my mind it really taps into something that is underlyingly real.

It is a story of humans pitted against gods and spirits, set in a lavish, beguiling landscape. Disney it isn't... Miyazake's work has a luminous, transcendent quality with a consistent gift for the visually memorable. There are moments in this film when you completely forget it is animated, the visual quality is that good.
As I said, be aware of the fact this is all NOT Disney. The first time we meet San (or 'Mononoke') she is holding a dagger, and her mouth is framed by blood after attempting to suck the poison from her wounded wolf mother's chest. This isn't Cinderella, this is a mighty powerful image Disney would never attempt.

Either its the well established characters such as the melancholy warrior prince Ashitaka who seeks to end a war or the wild wolf princess San who hates her own people, or the beautiful visual bliss that is the feudal Japanese countryside and it's forests. All just accumulate and build into a dense story about war, the environment, greed and love.

If you have never come across the work of Hayao Miyazaki you are in for
a wonderful surprise. The Japanese anime director and writer has earned
global fame for his extraordinary work - 'Spirited Away' won
an oscar - and Princess Mononoke bears all the hallmark style of this
great creator. Its a movie that will definitely stick in my mind as one filled with incredible gusto as something that started as just pen and paper.