Mononoke Hime

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.

If you are like me who hates pacifist main characters who can't take a side then you are going to hate the climax. Our annoying MC couldn't take a side even though it has been abundandtly clear what he should have done but he continues to help the "villains" who also don't get any punishment whatsoever despite all the cruel things they did. when i reached that point i couldn't wait to stop the movie since it took a really tasteless and infuriatin turn. like get a drip and do what must be done. Hated it felt like i wasted 2 hours of my life ... for nothing. wouldn't recommend at all if you hate pacifist , dumb , dispassionate MC.

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.

I really love Hayao Miyazaki films. Princess Mononoke is probably the darkest one of his films, which as I think makes it that compelling at some point. The great and detailed style of drawing drew me in once again. Just like the great soundtrack, the good pacing and great story telling did.

But there is always one little thing that annoys me: why do especially the main characters in your movies have to look pretty much the same? Why Hayao Miyazaki?
(I know that he is probably doing that on purpose to increase the recognition value of his films, but still I'd fall more in love with ... more individual looking characters.)

Leaving that aside Princess Mononoke is a great piece of art. Since I grew up in a western culture, I don't now that much of japanese folklore by heart. However the way this story was told and animated it was able to evoke the feeling that the idea of kami in the woods shaped like gigantic wolves or boars e.g. was nothing unusual. Watching this movie you get really drawn to this mystic and beautiful world and I for one really rooted for the spirits to win against the humans.

Another part of this film that makes it great is that there is not an absolute black and white way of telling this story. The film tries to get you to view the characters stories "with eyes unclouded". However it is pretty obvious that the kami and other residents of the forest are the characters shown in a more sympathetic way. Thats because the film wants to get its watchers to think more critically about what we humans do to our environment. And I think it really DOES get you thinking. Which is not only own to the course of the story but also the way the environments are drawn. (pay attention to it when you watch it, if you haven't all along)

At the end I have to point out one thing that bugged me a little. Actually this refers rather to another one of his movies: Spirited away. There are really obvious soundtrack similarities, some melodies even sounding pretty much the same. But since Spirited away came out a few years later than Princess Mononoke I don't mean to critizise this movie. It's more or less the same as I stated with the looks of the characters. So, just saying.

Overall it's a great movie. So, watch it! :)

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.

This is by far my favorite Studio Ghibli film (with Porco Rosso and Grave of the Fireflies as close seconds). The setting and just how detailed each character is still amazes me until today.

Story -10/10
From the get-go, the conflict appears and it leads to the origin of the problem which is mankind's neglect of mother nature. The protagonist's journey to find the root cause of what befell his village leads him to come across the titular character, an interesting monk, entities from the magical forest and the antagonist who is really just a greedy businesswoman who has questionable-to-good-intentions.

Art - 10/10
This film is famous for being ... the first Ghibli film to incorporate 3D rendering. Mononoke-hime features the Ghibli quality and attention to detail we have come to expect. Because one of this film's main themes is the environment, you can observe the lush foliage and richness of the forest contrasted to the bleak and grimy qualities of Iron Town. The art and animation just enmesh so cohesively well in this film. An unquestionable 10.

Sound - 10/10
I've always been unsure how to grade sound but I'm just going to say that every sound effect that you are supposed to hear is well done in this film. This is based on the Japanese original dub which I highly highly highly recommend is the one that you watch.

Character -10/10
Again, Miyazaki does not designate a "true villain" in this film. There is no character that represents true evil with no remorse. The main antagonist here is human beings' greed and neglect of the environment. For me, the actual protagonist is Prince Ashitaka as he is seen even helping Mononoke with defending the forest. Lady Eboshi is an interesting sub-antagonist because she has a point in accepting the rejects of society and letting them work and have purpose where no one can judge them (her workers were courtesans and lepers if I remember correctly). How the characters realize how lethal it is to be ignorant of the state of mother nature by greedily taking and taking its resources merits a perfect score in the character category for me.

Enjoyment - 10/10
With all that said, I enjoyed it immensely. It is without a doubt my favorite Studio Ghibli production.

This film is an incredible achievement in Japanese animation with its highly detailed animation, engrossing narrative and memorable characters. It is a required viewing for any anime fan. Enjoy.

In ancient times the land lay covered in forests, where from ages long past dwelt the spirits of the gods. Back then, man and beast lived in harmony, but as time went by most of the great forests were destroyed. Those that remained were guided by gigantic beasts who owed their allegiance to the great Forest Spirit, for those were the days of gods and demons. Princess Mononoke follows Prince Ashitaka and his red elk Yakul as they journey in search of a way to relieve Ashitaka of the curse of the demon boar god. In seeking out the reason for the demons existence and ... a way to live on, Ashitaka will come face-to-face with the battle raging between mankind and the forest.

Little needs to be added by me as evidence to Princess Mononoke's greatness. Until the release of Titanic, Mononoke was the highest grossing film in Japan; the entire film (save some 10 minutes) is hand-drawn, and at the time of its release it was the most expensive anime ever produced, costing some $20 million. All of this suggests that it would be foolish to not give the film a view, but I will add my two cents as well. Mononoke's animation is quite easily the best I have ever seen - you will be able to tell that nearly the entire thing is hand-drawn, especially when you see the amount of detail given to the forest scenes which appear frequently throughout.

The soundtrack is beautifully produced, fitting perfectly with the film's mood, while the English cast includes notable actors such as Billy Bob Thorton, Claire Danes, Minnie Driver, Billy Crudup, and Jada Pinkett Smith. Most importantly, the story is wonderful and well-paced: even at 2 hours, the length felt appropriate and there was never a dull moment. The world in which the story is set is beautiful and represents well the historic Muromachi period in Japan. Characters are well developed and Ashitaka's stance as mediator between the forest and mankind leaves viewers with a timeless environmental lesson. I could easily go on praising the merits of this film, but you should stop wasting time reading a review and go watch it now.

Overall Score: A+

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My dear readers, please try to see this review with eyes unclouded by hate.

Princess Mononoke is another film of the famous Studio Ghibli, which is the studio partially responsible for changing the way we see today's animated films, and in my humble opinion, it's magnum opus.

Story : 7 / 10 "Good"

The story takes place in Japan's Muromachi Period (15th century) and it portraits the state of constant changes of the relationship between man and nature. The prince of the people called Emishi, Ashitaka, takes part in a fight against a demon boar-like god and manages to defeat him, but he does not prevail ... unscathed. A deadly curse is implanted upon him by the demon - god, forcing him to search at his origins for a method to lift the curse. Thus, he embarks on a journey to the West, looking for answers, not knowing the perils he would face and the complicated situations he would get in : a war of epic proportions between man and forest gods of the west, and also between man and a autocratic ruler hell-bent on domination and imperialism. That's exactly when the main plot unfolds, giving a mature take on man's thirst for war and domination, and mainly focuses on man's hatred on everything which seems to be an obstacle on achieving his purpose (the purpose justify the means).

Art : 9 / 10 "Great"

Along with the masterful plot, the gorgeous animation does work wonders for this film, making it enchanting. From the fluid animation in the intense action scenes, to the awe-inspiring portraying of forests and landscapes and the intimidating presence of forest gods, the animation delivers the maximum possible result. Additionally, the character's facial expressions are superbly animated, resulting in a very realistic depiction of a person's emotional struggle. It manages to reach new heights on representing the essence of a quality story, and the animators deserve the utmost respect for achieving this feat.

Sound : 7 / 10 "Good"

The voice acting, from brave Ashitaka to proud San is great. All the characters of the movie feel real and alive when they are talking, and they are all emotionally - charged as a result of great depiction of a real human. Joe Hisashi's music on Princess Mononoke is inspiring and appropriate to every single scene, managing to be strong and simultaneously not overwhelming the scene's content. Varying from gentle when Ashitaka speaks with San, to intimidating when a forest god appears and epic when Ashitaka rides on his red elk crossing huge forests and green landscapes, the music contributes into setting the right mood properly for every scene.

Characters : 7 / 10 "Good"

The big cast of characters, considering the big variation and believability of the different type of characters, adds an extra layer on the complexity and maturity of this film. Focusing on the main characters and the secondary ones who stand out, we have three dimensional and believable individuals, free from the norm of "good or evil character". They all have purposes which must be fulfilled, even if sacrifices are sure to be made, and they differ on sorting out of their priorities. Ashitaka is a brave warrior with a noble heart, who desires peace among gods and man. However, he is initially forced to become a hero, because he wants to lift the curse and save his own life. San is a human protected by the gods and living with them in the forest, because her parents left her behind when were frightened by the presence of the gods. Her disgust and anger against human is justified and profane, but in the end a human cannot forget his real nature, and thus she partially sides with the humans to face the crisis together. Lady Eboshi, who rules the iron-making settlement of Tatara Ba, is a warlike individual who wants to exterminate the gods from the forests, but for a reason : she wants to re-assure the safety of her people, who seem to be a bunch of outcasts that she sympathizes with. She's afraid of the God's total power over the human race and decides to act this way. Kudos to Hayao Miyazaki for not using the common and simplified archetypes of good and bad people, because there are no such a thing in existence.

Enjoyment : 9 / 10 "Great"

I fully enjoyed every minute of this epic saga that lit a fire inside me about how we humans treat our second mother Earth and it's nature, in the name of domination and money.

Verdict : 7.4 / 10 "Good"

The best out of Miyazaki's films, showing a magnetic appeal that no one on this planet can deny. Dark, mature, thought-provoking and intense through all it's duration, never compromised with giving a simplistic answer to a complex matter, Princess Mononoke is not just another movie. It is a life experience.

Give yourself a present today. Instantly watch Princess Mononoke, and be amazed of the food of thoughts and visual experience it will provide you with.

My thought process going into this film was: "Well I like Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki, and thought-provoking narratives, I must like this film as well". This was especially so after hearing so much praise of Princess Mononoke and many acquaintances telling me it was their "favorite Ghibli movie". I'll say this beforehand, I liked Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro much more than this film. And there are reasons too.

Princess Mononoke is definitely an essential film for fans of anime. An undeniable classic that does indeed look breathtaking even by today's standards with the iconic art style and message, but look past the ... semantics and preachiness and what do we have?

*Spoilers ahead*

Story: 3
I don't have a problem with the premise. It is unique and sets up a wonderous setting with endless potential and interesting narratives, each of which are dived into. It's more the fact that the movie starts so abruptly that you have no idea of the stakes at hand and even 20 minutes into the movie, you still feel lost and overwhelmed with the massive world unfurling. While Spirited Away does this after some exposition of the characters, adding relatability to the film, Princess Mononoke just says "here, care for these characters and this world". But really, there is a much bigger issue at hand than abruptness. Why do so many people claim this film is a great take on Man vs Nature when it has no message whatsoever? I've seen people bash Grave of the Fireflies for being another run in the mill anti-war movie yet praise Princess Mononoke. There is no message in this movie. But furthermore, all the praise regarding how each character has motivations that justify their actions which makes the morals complex and understandable are dead wrong. How can anyone look at Lady Eboshi and say she is NOT purely selfish? Man is painted as the pure ugly force within the relationship of man and nature in this film which isn't intrinsically an issue but Princess Mononoke tries so hard to be preachy regarding this message that it's funny how it fails to say anything of value. The overly dramatic ending, in my opinion, is the perfect example of how the film manufactures drama rather than any thoughtful commentary. I really do not care for the Deer God at all because of how quickly I was thrown into the world, neither do I care for anyone else that could have died. It's almost repulsive how it derails from something so thoughtful into a bunch of people who I don't care for about to die and paint it as some message of how humans are killing themselves with the constant harm of nature. And don't get me started on the middle of the movie, a muddled mess where an overpowered protagonist goes around fixing everything without explanation and then gets into a shoehorned romance with the titular San that goes nowhere with no development or even progression to be honest. I hate everything except what could have been in this department.

Art: 10
From an art perspective, Princess Mononoke is the best thing Ghibhli has ever produced. It's even better than things that came after it in Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle (and of course all the films that came after these two) and by a pretty wide margin, in my opinion. The charming yet basic designs of the regular citizens contrasted by the starkly wild animals (that range from simple and satisfying such as Moro to abstract and divine such as the deer god's day form) forms additional statements on the differences and similarities of human and nature. There are a plethora of breathtaking scenes in the film and definitely no shortage of awe-inducing animation (i.e Ashitaka demon arm, demon boar). There's a lot of love here and nothing to hate. And of course, who could hate the wonderful style that Ghibli brings to the table? I'll answer that, no one.

Sound: 9
While there is nothing experimental about Princess Mononoke's soundtrack, I have never had a qualm with Ghibli's prepossessing orchestral soundtracks. In this movie especially, the lulling effects of certain tracks fit the serenely natural backgrounds greatly.

Character: 3
Ashitaka is boring, droll, repetitious, unrelieved, featureless, unexciting, lifeless, grey, but worst of all, perfect. He is super powerful, makes moral choices that always end up working out, and makes every girl in Irontown village attracted to him. It's curious how he seems like such a self-insert main character in an era that saw the rise of weak main characters. San is a much more intriguing character with her enigma-like existence as a medium between wolf and human and yet she loses all the traits that make her an intriguing character after Ashitaka befriends her. The only time this conflict pops up again is when it is revealed Moro is soon to die and she must exist by herself. They even develop a romance which was forced and came after like, 3 scenes. The only positive I can really see in this field is the worldbuilding and as a result, the side characters are humanized very nicely. The other major characters such as Lady Eboshi, Moro, and Okkoto are all morally complex but none of this is expanded upon. Instead, the view stays on Ashitaka's dry interactions with irrelevant characters and sometimes a substantial look at San's life.

Enjoyment: 8
Despite all of Princess Mononoke's shortcomings, I enjoyed this film greatly. It looks great, sounds great, and has a thought-provoking narrative even if only for a short period of time. Of course it has the advantage of the Ghibli label being stuck on it which without it, this film would have lacked the directorial charm of Hayao Miyazaki.

Overall, Princess Mononoke is the definition of mediocre. How this can be above the childishly realistic Totoro, the wondrously brave Spirited Away, or even the imaginative steampunk Howl's Moving Castle (for others) is beyond me. It has the worst aspects of Miyazaki's visions, all of its characters being void of real substance and shoehorned dynamics that accompany a lodged narrative being constantly shoved down your throat but still has semblances of a good film, beautiful and fantastical audiovisuals that go along with a interesting premise. But still, it's buried under a lot of busywork and semantics.

I'm feeling a strong 5 to a light 6 on Princess Mononoke.

Princess Mononoke feels like a movie that gets deep inside you, and stays there. You have a feeling after watching, with huge eyes, how can someone create this. I have had this feeling rarely in the time that I've watched anime, but when it happens, it's truly inspiring.
This is a story about humans, and nature, as well as human nature, and it tells it oh so very well with the powerful scenes of the gods, and their interactions alone.

The story is something to be amazed by, I'm reminded of Inuyasha setting wises, absolutely not story wise, but that may just be nostalgia from watching both ... pictures when I was younger.
Like any great movie, to be able to know and love the characters, to understand their motives and tell a powerful story all at the same time can be difficult to do. Miyazaki has done that in this film.
I don't know if people say this show is for children, but I actually think it's targeted to young adults and up. One being the amount of blood in this film, as well a mature themes (Not sexual, though little is there).
The story has much to do with nature, and how humans treat and respect it.

The art is always something to be amazed by. The animation is top notch as usual. This studio is truly something special, the perfect people have grouped together to create Studio Gibli, and create these amazing films, it's just beautiful.

Joe Hisaishi is amazing in this picture. The power of the scenes are definitely carried through the music, if the music were not there, it would have been a terrible mistake.
The music in this film is much better than Spirited Away's score in my opinion, I always felt the music in Spirited Away was just there to slightly enhance the mood, Not carry the whole picture like this score did. Only a master.
The seiyuu all do a great job with they're roles. The way most of the seiyuu act their roles has a very subdued calmness to it that I have not heard in most anime. This can a be a good and bad things. I felt they were not expressing enough feeling at some parts of the film, like they were not really yelling when they could have been. But that's just me.

There's definitely character here. Ashitaka is the mediator to all sides of the field. Nature, The Gods, the Ironworks (Civilization), as well as San. The Gods definitely feel like gods, you know their roles in nature. San is a human who was left behind by her race, and left with the wolf god, she hates humans and always will.
Yakul, the ever so loyal companion of Ashitaka.
Eboshi is the leader of the Ironworks does her best to protect the ironworks she created, along with the woman she saves from brothels and the the men that help. There are many great supporting characters as well.

People say that Spirited Away is overrated, and they are probably right. Technically, Princess Mononoke is perfect for this type of story. I don't have any problems with it, unlike some aspects of Spirited Away.
But there's something that's in Spirited Away that made me enjoy it more than this film, ever so slightly. It's not that much more enjoyable, they are very close, but I enjoyed Spirited Away slightly more. Despite that, this film is highly enjoyable, it will not bore you in any way, especially in the music department.

Princess Mononoke is a film that you do not want to miss if you are interested in Hayao Miyazaki, or even anime in general. There are some stories that are just too good to miss.

This is one of them.

~ Story ~
Mononoke hime tell a story about Ashitaka, a prince of the Emishi people, he saves his village from an assault by an angry demon God, Nago. After killing the Boar God, Ashitaka discovers that the demon was under a curse and that he in-turn was cursed by coming into contact with the God. The curse will eventually kill him and in order to find a cure Ashitaka is forced to travel west to where Nago had originally come from, with a lump of metal as his only clue. During his travels, Ashitaka learns and becomes part of the great war between Irontown and ... the forest spirits. Caught in in the middle of this raging war he learns that both sides fight for good reasons. The humans want to thrive and grow and the forest spirits want to survive.

~ Art ~
Mononoke hime artwork is simply stunning. All the characters' faces really suited their characteristics and personalities because all the characters had their own individual face shapes, eyes, noses, mouths, hair and bodies which appear almost realistic unlike other animes which have pretty much the same character but with different hair colour and stuff. I think that the most beautiful art was the scenery in which it showed the forest with all its vibrance and life which also made it very realistic and makes us appreciate the beauty of the natural environment where we can also share the love the Mononoke has for the forest. Overall, i really loved the artwork in Princess Mononoke because of its style, colours and the design.

~ Sound ~
The music was one of the best part of this movie, they really fitted well with the theme and the concept of the story. The music was really expressive and emotional and contributes a lot to the film because it makes the audience feel what the character is feeling and makes it possible for us to empathise with the character. I think that the music was very Japanese and classical and fitted perfectly with each of the scenes in the film.

Overall this movie is realy great, one of miyazaki best movie. I would recommend this film to anyone who is interested in animations, a good story or an emotional plot.

I know this might sound extremely biased but: I how could I have lived so long without watching this masterpiece!!!? Here is my review (warning: this review might be extremely biased but nevertheless if you want to know what the big fuss is about or why I loved this movie so much here's why. (or you could simply scroll to my overall if you think the whole review is too long)(sorry for all these confusing parenthesis)):

-story: This movie is often referred to as an environmentalist movie, and it truly is all right but not in the way you'd expect. This is not a tree huger ... movie or one that bluntly states this topic. This story truly has an amazing storytelling all of it's own and it doesn't transmit a message of man vs nature, it's a message that seeks man and nature to cooperate.

-art: The Ghibli studios blew my mind away with the art in this story. It is amazingly detailed: you can see the individual grass blades painted in, along with the textures of the rocks and the dimensions to the foliage just by seeing it it's evident a lot of thought and work was put into the movie.

-sound: I enjoyed the soundtrack from before watching the movie and it's worthwhile checking out if you're into soundtracks (and soft balladic music). There's a great blending of the soundtracks in the story that add a whole new level of depth to some scenes of the story.

-character: Great character development. Each main character has it's own personality well-defined and without seeming stereotypical. Something I also find very interesting is that the village in the story is controlled by women as opposed to the usual men-controlled villages. There are also some interesting twists in character roles.

-enjoyment: Is this part even necessary? It's obvious that I loved the movie!!

-overall: I truly consider this a masterpiece. I was extremely impressed. Before watching the movie I thought that it was probably overrated and wasn't expecting that much until I actually saw it. I truly do recommend this movie, I don't think it'd disappoint you.

I'll make this review short and sweet. This is my favorite Ghibli film by a mile. I have only seen 2 others - Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. This one is my favorite. It is the LOTR of anime for me.

Story 9/10
The only thing not really 10/10. The story isn't really original. It is the same as Avatar (the "blue people" movie) or really any story about humans encroaching on nature. But that isn't to say it is well told. The fantasy elements bring a nice touch and the story never drags.

Art 10/10
Not necessarily a 10/10 for today's standards, but this art does stand ... up really well for its time. As with any Ghibli film, so much attention is put in the details. The characters were designed really well and the whole world put a spell on me.

Sound 10/10
THE. SOUNDTRACK. OMG. This is one of my all-time favorite soundtracks ever. From the beginning, it reminded me of playing Zelda (although I guess it should be the other way around). The music really makes this movie and it has not aged a bit.

Character 10/10
You will see some other reviews point out how stoic the main character is. How he is heartless to the point of having no emotion. I love this. He is a strong character and a smart one too. As is the girl, San. There is no bigger turn off for me than a weak character and this movie has none of it.

Enjoyment 10/10
I was in a trance from beginning to end. A state of euphoria, if you will. This is one of the most enjoyable movies of all time for me.

OVERALL 10/10
This is the LOTR of anime, please watch.

I believe Princess Mononoke can be underrated as one of studio ghibli's films. Although movies like Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle are great, Princess Mononoke gives a different vibe that deals with the battle between man and nature. I really fell in love with the characters; San who tries to protect the forest along with her wolf tribe-family, and Ashitaka who takes no sides and wishes for peace. There's definitely scenes that I found scary as a child, but even now I'd get goosebumps when the movie takes a darker turn. I think the music fits well with the movie as it should, rich ... and full as it should. I watched it dub my first time, which I honestly think isn't bad and I still watch it dub to this day, depends on your taste though. Overall, Ashitaka's journey is definitely one to follow!

Script - Some dude is infected by a monster, goes on a journey and finds a quite problematic place where humans, animals and magical beings are fighting to see who's going to rule the land. The lore is quite basic, even though the subtle references to feudal Japan are more than present. So you have monsters who want to protect the magical forest, villagers who want to stay alive and work hard to get resources and habitation from nature and some samurai warlord who wants the head of a mythological god or something to become immortal and also some iron from the village. The atmosphere ... built is serious and there's a lot of blood and violence going on. Action scenes are kind of realistic since the physics is not deformed and despite having a lot of magic, you can't say the show is innocent or childish. The movie purpose seems to be showing that every side has its interests and that nothing is easily resolved, there are always negative consequences. While that works on a superficial level though, the resolution is actually pretty easy. Yes, a lot of people die, but none of them matter unless you care about the wolves. Both female leaders live and the protagonist also is cured of his problem, you know, so he can meet the girl someday and have children or whatever. There's not too much of infodump and people are not stupid to progress the plot forward. It's overall well written, but it doesn't have that single moment of actual impact in my opinion. Its message is pretty clear, its conclusion felt as magical as the god on the story and well, that's it. Rounded, objective and very well produced. The three protagonists are idealized, mostly the guy that's the male version of Mary Sue. This guy can do whatever he wants due to his illness and is also good and right all the time. Typical from Miyazaki, he never creates a great protagonist, but he makes some decent foils, like Kushana 2.0, aka, Eboshi, that along with San are the only interesting characters in the show. They feel human and real because of their flawed moral. You can sympathize with the old creepy guy, but that's just because he knows some moves. In sum, convenient but effective in the long run. Good as a whole, but didn't hit hard enough at one specific point.

Cinematography - It's very good. The action scenes are among the best I've ever seen. For some reason, the character design of female characters is rather generic while male ones are quite well done. They do a great job at portraying Japan's style and culture through visuals, it's not that easy. Ghibli being Ghibli, I don't see any reason to go further on that. Be sure it's good enough.

Sound - Voices are kind of normal when not forced. I understand monsters gotta have a hell of a different voice, but some men talk forced for no reason. It's cultural I guess. About the silent moments, I appreciate them a lot. Not really silent since there's background music playing, but no one says a word. When the protagonist meets San at the river and they just look at each other, the scene was perfect. He screamed right after but, apparently, he had to. The sound effects are top-notch and the soundtrack is good, but not impressive or special.

1234 - The guy had his arm bitten by a monster and while marked to die developed super strength. That served of course for him to do a lot of stuff that would be simply impossible to make through another method and honestly, that sucks. I don't like magic when it serves to solve problems and when in the end the payoff is convenient af. The guy dodges every arrow in existence from any angle imaginable whenever he wants to. The protagonists survive to a lot of shit that's impossible of going through. Of course, they have to live, so why putting them in such a dangerous situation to begin with? A lot of people die, the village is destroyed but the two main characters are safe and even healed because the forest's god said so. Quite convenient in my opinion. Important characters are beautiful, non-important are not. Quite common in Miyazaki's works, you already know who's the perfect snowflake by looking at him. You already know he's not going to die and will survive to whatever shit he faces. Kind of annoying to be honest, why does everything have to be so pretty when important and/or good? Perfect Blue has a reason to make some things pretty due to its social criticism, but this here is just for the sake of appeal. If the boy were as 'handsome' as the other men in the show I would be surprised, but it's way better than having such a scarecrow boring face.

It's very well-made and offers more than just 'good nature, bad humans'. There's good action, good moments and good characters doing exciting stuff and running for their lives. It's not so impactful or thought-provoking, but it surely deserves to be watched. The End.

Princess Mononoke - 6/10

it's one of the few Midzayaki cartoons that isn't really for children as much as the others, has some very violent moments, but thankfully they aren't the centre of attention of this movie.
The plot follows a boy from a village who gets cursed during fighting a demon and is now seeking the spirit of the forest to beg for a cure.
Instead he gets tangled in wars between regions for resources, and this is where the main point of this movie comes in, it's greed that makes humans want to claim things. "Everyone wants everything, but i might actually get it" and they ... don't care as to what happens to the surroundings, so they try to kill a god for their own greed, thinking that they are the god that can rule over everything.
As you can see the plot is pretty good, it is directed in such a way it gives a sense of an adventure, full of interesting, a little cliche but interesting characters.
One of my favorite things about this movie is the art. Holy shit it is all very smooth and drawn very well, looks like a little smoother version of 'Spirited Away' which is only to be expected from Studio Ghibli, but it is also drawn very nice, the blood isn't just red ketchup, and the animals all have their fur nicely detailed, most backgrounds are in late-80s style so i guess you'll either love it or hate it.

Overall it's very enjoyable, stood the test of time very well, but kinda lacks a sound direction as in soundtrack, and also i just feel it kinda fails to achieve something more than just a good watch.
Not bad though/

OVERATED

The movie is a magic and spiritual trip, such as Chihiro, except that it is bad.

No character is likeble, the spirts are assholes, imperial humans are assholes, the humans from the mountain are protraid as the villains, but actually are the only inocents in the story and the protagonist is poorly explored.

The protagonist is a Jomon, an indigenous from japan, but that doesn't affect the story at all, he lacks indentity and purpose.

And talking about purpose, that may be the biggest problem of the movie. It completely looses itself from the original quest and end with a messy and senceless destruction of everything, and ... the main culprit just get away with it, not because he runs away, or because he defeat the hero, it seems like people just ignore what he did. In the end of the movie you just ask, what was the point?

Sure as a work from studio ghibli it is full of beatifull visual and incredible sound track, which is the only thing that keeps it from been a completely waste of time, probably the shiny technical quality overshadow the poor plot.

Studio Ghibli does it again!

Story - 10/10

Oh wow, what a fantastic original storyline i loved every single development to plot twist in this movie it had my attention all the time. Loved the lore and how the story developed to be completed.

Art - 10/10

Let me say that for the year of release the art work was beautiful and livid with life! Especially when the infection was animated on the boars.

... Sound - 10/10

Music was good and enjoyable while the sounds helped to create a real feeling ad made the movie very more enjoyable with very accurate sounds of things like the boars or leaves crunching, water flowing.

Character - 10/10

The characters were very well shaped and helped to continue the story from each perspective not a single character felt like it had a rushed development and lacked polishing.

Enjoyment - 10/10

I really throughout enjoyed the movie. Would re-watch again and again as i just loved the plot and everything around it. I couldn't believe how cool and smart it was.

Overall - 10/10

I don't i need to say much more the movie sums itself up in my opinion. The work put into it was astonishing!

For the second time watching this movie, I fell asleep in the middle of it. Interesting enough, this time I had paused the movie just before the part where Ashitaka wakes up in the forest as he's recovering from his injuries, such that I awoke as he did. That's a trivia unrelated to the movie plot for you. Let's move on.

Among all of Miyazaki's movies, Princess Mononoke is the director's most blatant attempt at criticizing deforestation and pollution thus far. The poisonous iron that kills the boar is obviously the tar that we spill into the ocean, and the rest of the parts about the ... dying forest speak for themselves. Frankly, I find the whole tree-hugging social commentary uninteresting, but Mononoke does offer a benefit over the more sermonizing Pocahontas and Avatar of America - it makes an attempt to show both side of the coin. By the end of it, there's still a one-dimensional antagonist trying to show how big and bad humanity is in his villainous attempt of destroying the precious forests, but at least this time, the anti-environmentalist humans get to tell their side of our story in industrialization and innovation.

Human innovation is a tricky subject to tackle in cinema. In real life, advancing our technology without provoking Greenpeace has become easier for (ironic enough) Japan, what with all the inventions that run on solar power and electricity as opposed to petrol and ore of the old days. In movies, however, our brilliant urge to advance towards bigger and shinier technology has often been hampered by cautionary tales of mad scientists and tree-haters. Instead of being proud about how far our species has come, we worry ourselves about other species when we can be the dominating species in real life. There are no monsters or aliens or magical deer gods to stop us in reality, so I guess it's appropriate that these are the stuff of fantasies, of fairy tales. Prometheus was right in granting man the gift of fire. Nolan was right about our gift of exploring interstellar travels. This is the nature of man we should be proud of, not be preached about by conservatives. If our advancement towards the future poses a problem, like the pollution of our home, we should merely fix it by crafting solar technology.

And yet, the Japanese seems to be still rooted in ancient folklore and our place in nature. Many Japanese stories lecture about the fallacies in our disregard for Mother Earth, and Miyazaki certainly wasn't the first or the most prominent one. It's a balance that's admirable, I guess, how the most ambitious innovators of Earth are still honor-bound to the traditional ways of mankind.

While I certainly have no love for Miyazaki's naive simplification of the truth about human innovation, I could admit that Mononoke is a well-crafted exception among his other works. Truthfully, I could respect Miyazaki's strive in setting a nuance between environmentalists and evil-doers. There's a fairly neutral theme at play throughout the movie. A particularly memorable line comes to mind: "Life is suffering and pain. This world and its people are cursed, but we still wish to live." Rather than taking the side of Mononoke and the 'heroes' of this movie, I'm more inclined towards the motivations of Eboshi and her brave ambitions to pursue her own goals - no matter the cost. This tireless ambition to 'live' is perhaps the curse mentioned here, but if survivalism is a curse, as a woman no less, then I think I would rather live with such a curse than submit to heavenly forces beyond my control. Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.

Eboshi's struggle as a woman in Japan's feudal period is beautifully depicted here. Much like the western medieval times, women were treated as objects or cattle, so Eboshi's rescue of the women from prostitution is a remarkable example of our desire to be more than who we are supposedly 'fated' to be, to alter our fate rather than "rise to meet it" as the oracle claims. That is the trademark of humanity, and Eboshi proudly displays it. For remember: "There is nothing more human than the will to survive," or as Miyazaki admitted himself in this film, "The thirst to possess heaven and earth is what makes us human."

The titular heroine is indeed a complex character I should perhaps talk about, a more believable version of Tarzan of Rice. It's admirable that Miyazaki didn't just settle for a cheap romance like so many did (Pocahontas in particular), and even put San on an equal footing with Ashitaka rather than a damsel in distress. Yes, she did require him to save her from a swine's corruption (metaphor?) near the end, but it's the both of them that manages to save the day at the same time, not one or the other. The feral child coming to terms with her human side isn't that remarkable, but the execution here is definitely commendable.

One tiny problem stops this movie from being excellent, the classic villain that's the enemy of the forest, Jiko himself. I wish Miyazaki had just stick to what he does best, depicting characters as realistic people. Worst of all, Jiko is as ugly on the outside as he is on the inside, the trademark (and disgusting) stereotyping of ugly people I'm tired of.

Aside from that small flaw, Mononoke is beautifully-crafted, but that should come as no surprise by now in the long line of Miyazaki movies. If anything, I would prefer a more different art style than the same one every movie. The background score is relaxing, but having little appreciation for this genre of music, I couldn't really tell it apart from the music of other high fantasy movies, so I'm afraid it's just as remarkable to me as the animation.

I personally adored this film, as I do most Ghibli films!
Story
I loved the story of this film! I have always been one for mythology and folklore and this film gave me just that! The historical aspect to the plot makes it even more enticing as does the message behind the conflict.
Art
... This film's art was very pretty and followed the usual Ghibli style.
Sound
I watched this film and Japanese (with subtitles) and found the sound perfectly fine.
Character
The characters are both interesting and oddly unique, causing you to wonder if they will develop into something greater. I fell in love with both San and Ashitata.The reasons for me not giving this category a 10 is because I sometimes felt like Ashitata was a bit overpowered and it affected the struggles he had within himself and within the web of people whom he had encountered.
Overall I found the film incredibly unique. I enjoyed watching it and probably will watch it many more times!