Anime: Mononoke-hime

This time for Miyazaki's seminal work "Princess Mononoke". This film has been a necessity for viewing since it came out in 1997 and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere soon from the top lists of animation in Japan and the world.

Plot: Four major players are in this film. Ashitaka, a prince from a small village who fends off a cursed boar and inherits the curse. Princess Mononoke or San is a human girl raised by ancient wolves who are fighting against the humans destroying the great forest from their base called Irontown. Lady Eboshi is the ruler of Irontown and cares very little for the forest and the old traditions, her interests lie in technology and creating better firepower to take over Japan. The final player who switches sides throughout the film is a wandering monk named Jiko-bo and he seems to provide an outsiders look at the situation everyone else is involved in. For the plot a 4/5 is what it deserves for doing a lot with a rather simple plot and ideals.

Character Development: Probably one of the better examples of an animated film pushing it to change its characters' attitudes about the world they live in and what they feel about other races and cultures. Ashitaka goes through the least amount and STILL does more to make others understand why neither the forest nor the technology is a good direction to go towards fully. A balance is clearly evident when peace exists in this film and any extreme belief in either philosophy leads to death and destruction. 5/5 here because the film uses every character interaction to make us understand why they are fighting for their belief and show them changing after a realistic amount of discussion.

Art: Honestly its Ghibli, nearly everything that studio makes is excellent in the art department so a 5/5 is in order for hand-drawn with crazy detail to backgrounds too.

Sound: The soundtrack is absolutly one of the best I've heard in a long time. You will be feeling like you are in another world and also you might become teary-eyed in its final scenes. Joe Hisashi is the composer and has handled many Miyazaki films before and since, the beauty he brings to this film cannot be overstated. Now for the very controversial Japanese or English track decision. Disney created a good dub to rival the original Japanese dub. Sadly the English dub fails to deliver on several key scenes so the Japanese takes a the victory easily since its acting and realism in relation to the setting fit much better. 5/5 here too because Hisashi and both casts gave it their all.

Overall, this film has been shown in animation and film classes worldwide for a special reason: Its works. Not only that but it also creates the sense that our world and the beauty that naturally inhabits it should never be taken for granted and this film presents the symbolism necessary to convey a very large message. Final score is 9.5/10 for preforming great in all critical areas of cinema!

Visually, Princess Mononoke shines right off the bat. The design and movement of the demonic boar god is among the most impressive bits of animation I've come across. In addition to the fluid and gorgeous animation, the action is done so well it will immediately pull you in. And we will witness several more sequences of this caliber before the end.
While the dark slithering appearance of the boar god’s manifested hatred is by far the coolest design Studio Ghibli made in this film, everything ‘fantastical’ have wonderful designs. From the adorably odd looks of the tiny Kodama spirits who rattle their heads all through the forest, to the vicious, intimidating and realistic looking wolves, and the dignified yet strangely unsettling deer-like appearance of the spirit of the forest.

The rattling Kodama spirits
Fortunately, it’s beauty and action are merely the outer shell of it’s brilliance. The most impressive aspect of Princess Mononoke is its ability to display each side of every conflict – and how well it all ties in with the movie’s core theme: Man Vs. Nature. We understand what both the people of Iron Town and the inhabitants of the great forest fight for and why. We sympathize and even root for both sides to win. Even Jigo – the main antagonist – is given clear motivation for his actions, not to mention a likable personality.
The only side which Hayao Miyazaki and his crew at Studio Ghibli seem to have no respect for are Lord Asano and the samurai, who throughout the movie attacks both peasants and Iron Town. All we’re given about Asano is the fact that he wants Iron Town for his own, nothing more. We never even get a glimpse of Asano.
When speaking of the characters in Princess Mononoke, it has to be mentioned how great the performances are in the English dub. Best are Minnie Driver as Lady Eboshi and Billy Bob Thornton as Jigo.

All of the major characters have distinct ‘good’ and ‘bad’ facets, creating an intriguing and multilayered cast. All but one, that is; The hero, Ashitaka. He is one of the most perfect heroes you will ever come across. Having nearly unmatched fighting capabilities - which are enhanced even further by his curse - he only takes a life when he feels the situation absolutely demands it, whether it’s the life of a human or animal. He has a near flawless ability to perceive and understand each side of every struggle even if they go against his beliefs, and last but not least, he is very, very polite.
Perfect characters are almost always intolerable to follow in stories. But Ashitaka isn't just tolerable, he is one of the reasons why this story works as well as it does. He is our viewing platform. We observe everything through his perspective and follow his ideals since he is our hero. He is neutral - so we become neutral. If he would have been fighting solely on one side, the film’s ultimate message; man & nature needs to function more cohabit-ably together, or all will perish - would have differed greatly.

Princess Mononoke’s message is a good one, mainly because it shows that both sides have validity instead of portraying one purely good side against a monstrously evil one. You’d think this would be an apparant take and would be used in most stories with this theme, but no. Stories of this kind tend to view humanity - outside of one or two human main character - as an unrelenting force destroying everything in its path for no other reasons than greed and pure evil.
There are several more themes and real world allegories filling Princess Mononoke, but if I typed them all out this would turn into an in-depth analysis rather than a review, so I'll leave it be.

In the end I'll simply say that Princess Mononoke is the best Studio Ghibli film, the best anime movie, one of the greatest animated movies ever made and a personal favorite of mine. I urge anyone and everyone to watch this movie and see for yourselves what a gem it is.

Critic's Log - Earthdate: December 2, 2012. Review #24: Princess Mononoke


Throughout the months and days that I have been reviewing animes, I
have been reviewing anime shows and OVA's, and I just previously
reviewed one movie which would be Resident Evil: Degeneration. I will
say that I was not originally planning on reviewing this movie this time
around. I was actually hoping to do a series of reviews of Studio
Ghibli films someday. This review was actually requested by a good
friend of mine who goes by "BlackAngelReinae". Today just so happens to
be her birthday. She did not request the Resident Evil: Degeneration
review, I threw that review in as a little "Tribute" review since she
just started getting into the Resident Evil series and encouraging me to
cosplay as Albert Wesker at Aki-con which is an anime convention in
Bellevue, Washington which isn't too far from where I live. She did not
suggest the Wesker cosplay, it was one of her friends. My trip in that
convention was 20% badass. Yeah, I just used the 20% Cooler meme from My
Little Pony: Friendship is Magic except I twisted it around, and
yes...I'm a Brony, deal with it. Just so you know, I am not one of those
super-obsessed fans of the show but I actually enjoy the show because
of its humor. I consider myself a "Brony" because I will admit that I am
a fan of the show, I'm what you could call a "Normal Brony". I think
enough has been said for the intro, my friend wanted me to review this
movie on her birthday and I shall begin the review of Hayao Miyazaki's
epic masterpiece...Princess Mononoke!





Somewhere
in Japan, a rampaging boar-god is heading towards a villiage and the
confident young warrior and prince Ashitaka defends and protects his
village. In the process, he is hit with a deadly curse and is told to
leave his village. To save his life, he has to journey to the forests in
the west. Once he arrives there, he gets involved in a fierce conflict
that humans are waging on the forest. The ambitious Lady Eboshi and her
loyal group use their guns against the gods of the forest and a brave
young woman, Princess Mononoke who was raised by a wolf-god. Ashitaka
sees the good in both sides and attempts to stem the flood of blood.
This ends up with both sides showing animosity towards Ashitaka as he
supports both sides. An epic battle that the humans will never forget
ensues and the fate of the world rests on the courage of one warrior.





To
be technical, this is a Studio Ghibli production and stating the
obvious could not be avoided here. This film shares quite a history that
I will love to dive deep into. Princess Mononoke is a film that was 4
years in the making, it was also the most expensive Japanese animated
film at the time which was more expensive than the 1988 landmark anime
film Akira. This was also the final Studio Ghibli film to have
hand-painted animation cels. It was also the highest grossing film in
Japan before being surpassed by Titanic. It also won Best Picture in
Japan while being the first animated film to ever win Best Picture in
Japan. Princess Mononoke was declared by Miyazaki-san that it would be
his final film before he went into retireme...Oh wait, he never retired
yet. I guess Miyazaki-san changed his mind at the time. Princess
Mononoke has been highly regarded as Miyazaki-san's masterpiece and
magnum opus and I can obviously see why. This is the pinnacle of
Miyazaki-san's career and by far the most environmental film that he has
ever made. His other films have some environmental themes thrown in but
not as heavy as Princess Mononoke. This is the film that we can assume
that he always wanted to create and the film that is closer to his
heart. This is the only Miyazaki movie that is not really meant for a
younger audience. Sure, there's violence in the movie as well as some
blood and gore. Not only that, there is also some mature themes that are
thrown into the movie as well. Even if parents are okay with the idea
of having their children watch Princess Mononoke, there are a lot of
things in this movie that kids wouldn't respond or understand too well.
It has a complex story that has mature concepts that are mixed in a
blender with a big weight on subtext and has great depth in writing that
is made by the same man that gave us the cutesy magically charmed
animated beloved classics such as My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery
Service. This is a man who happens to be an environmentalist, a
pacifist, and a feminist. I think us otakus know full well that this is
present in all of his films. Princess Mononoke is obviously an
environmental film that might as well be called an environmental epic.
The reason I consider it to be an environmental epic is because the
atmosphere in Princess Mononoke (in a metaphorical sense) brings a lot
of wonder and mysticism as well as having a vast landscape with vivid
imagery that I think all people that watch movies can appreciate the
extremely detailed animation in all its beauty. I think we can all agree
that all the Studio Ghibli films are gorgeous. Princess Mononoke is so
well detailed with a sense of realism in the ancient fantasy world that
is shown in this film. The production value somehow bolsters and
supports the writing (strangely enough). Even though the setting is in
an ancient fantasy world, the realistic aspect is that it has a conflict
in a world that could reflect on our own. With all the background info
on the animation said, Here's what I think of the animation. It is
beyond gorgeous, It is the most majestic and breathtaking film that
Hayao Miyazaki has ever produced. Every scene from beginning to end is a
visual tour de force and a Thanksgiving Dinner to the eye. It is so
well-detailed which it comes to no surprise as to why this is considered
Miyazaki-san's masterpiece and magnum opus. This is a real treat to
animation lovers and otakus alike.





The music by Joe Hisaishi compliments every
scene in Princess Mononoke and is a great listen without the movie. If
Miyazaki-san is compared to Walt Disney, I guess it could be fair to say
that Joe Hisaishi could be compared to John Williams. Walt Disney was a
wonderful animator in the U.S. and Hayao Miyazaki is still a wonderful
animator in Japan. Joe Hisaishi and John Williams are also wonderful
music composers as well in their respective countries. The music is
beautiful and always makes the worlds that Miyazaki-san creates feel
magical and wonderful. Joe Hisaishi is a very talented composer and is
easily one of my favorite composers in anime alongside Yoko Kanno, Shiro
Sagisu, and Taku Iwasaki. Princess Mononoke is one of his more
recognized film scores but the music Princess Mononoke has adds up to
the "majestic" quality that this film has.





The
Japanese cast performs quite well in this movie and I should point out
that you'll get a better understanding in cultural settings as well as
Japanese mythology (possibly religion too) if you watch this film in
subtitled form. The Japanese cast is well casted in this film. Yoji
Matsuda is terrific as Prince Ashitaka, Yuriko Ishida has a believable
voice as San, Yuko Tanaka is great as Lady Eboshi. I think I know what
you're thinking. You are probably wondering what I think of the English
Dub of Princess Mononoke. Before I tell you that, I will share some
background info on the dub which is somewhat relevant to what I think of
it. Back at the time that this movie was picked up in the U.S. Disney
had a thing where all the Studio Ghibli films would be licensed and
distributed stateside by Disney. Disney decided not to pick this movie
up because of its content and everyone knows that Disney is known for
its family-friendly flicks and most of the crappy TV shows they have on
their channel. Instead, we have Miramax Films which is a subsidiary to
The Walt Disney Company that picked up Princess Mononoke and the English
Dub is often the most debated in all the dubbed Ghibli films. While
Princess Mononoke was picked up, Harvey Weinstein who was the chairman
for Miramax at the time (or still is) gave the ADR voice directing role
to Neil Gaiman, for those who are literary buffs out there, it's that
Neil Gaiman. I've never read any of his books but he has written some
fantasy books in the past and even wrote with Terry Pratchett on the
book Good Omens, If you don't know who Terry Pratchett is, he is a
fantasy writer best known for the Discworld books. Anyway, Since Neil
Gaiman wrote some fantasy stories, it's probably safe to say that he
knew what he was doing while writing the adaptive English script of
Princess Mononoke. The end result leads to Princess Mononoke being one
of the best dubs for a Studio Ghibli film and probably the best of the
Ghibli dubs. Before you go all angry on me, let me me explain. First of
all, the dialogue in the English script is spoken well because Neil
Gaiman really appreciates the beauty of the English language. Secondly,
the dub is performed extremely well. I know that Princess Mononoke has
the most debated dub in the Ghibli films so let me explain right here
and now. I think most people agree that Billy Crudup is an excellent
Ashitaka and you can tell because he sounds like he's extremely invested
in the role too. Claire Danes as San is one of those performances that
people debate over and I understand that but her performance was great.
What I think people don't like is how her voice sounds, I think what
people tend to see towards San is that she is some kind of brave leader
and she didn't sound like that at all. Claire Danes' portrayal of San is
angry, immature, and upset and that's San's character. I honestly can
say that I got used to Claire Danes' performance in the dub. Minnie
Driver is terrific as Lady Eboshi because she has that confident
sounding voice which she pulled off quite nicely. She sounds like
someone you could trust. Another debatable role would be Moro which is
voiced by Gillian Anderson in the dub while Akihiro Miwa voices her in
the subtitled version. The reason this role is debated sometimes is
because the voices sound different from one to the other. That is
because Moro's seiyu is male and Moro has a male voice. The reasoning
for this is because according to Japanese Mythology or Spirituality,
Wolves are considered one of the most divine animals and would always
speak in a male voice typically. This is why Moro has a male voice in
the Japanese version. This is not the case for the dub because it might
have not made any sense to us Americans but Gillian Anderson is also
terrific as Moro. No one has said a bad thing about Keith David as
Okkoto and I guess that's somewhat good because Keith David was also
great as Okkoto. The last debatable dub role that I haven't mentioned
yet is Billy Bob Thornton which he really is a great actor, but I
completely understand where people are getting at with Billy Bob
Thornton as Jigo (Jiko-bo in the Japanese version). I will admit that he
was great as Jigo but he sounds a bit different than Jigo's seiyu. Some
say that Billy Bob Thornton does not fit the Japanese intent of Jigo's
character. Jigo is a well-written character that even though he is a bit
of a corrupt monk but some other characters trust him and Billy Bob
Thornton has that kind of voice that sounds like you could trust him,
that is until later in the movie. There are some nice extras in both
versions. So here's what I think of the dub, even though it's the most
debated dub of the Ghibli films, I think it is performed extremely well
even if some characters sound a bit off. I really like the dub to
Princess Mononoke, I also like the Subtitled version as well so this is a
movie that I like both versions to.





As
far as characters go, there are quite some interesting ones. Prince
Ashitaka is a young confident warrior that is trying to save his own
life while trying to simmer down the hatred between the humans and the
beings of the forest (which includes San). San is portrayed nicely
because even though she's human, she is raised by wolves and she is
obviously trying to defend the forest because it is technically her
home. She does have a hatred towards humans even though she's human
herself and that made her quite a fascinating character. Lady Eboshi on
the other hand is kind of a villain-ish character but she is not
completely evil, she's actually compassionate towards people who are
defenseless, which is ironic to say that least since because she brings
ruin to parts of the forest. Jigo is a well-written character and
there's really not much I have to say about him except for that I
thought he was nice until he ended up being a bit of a corrupt monk
unless I've spoken wrong about the whole "corrupt monk" thing. Moro is
interesting to watch since she's one of the spirits of the forest
(Wolf-God, Wolf-Goddess, whatever she is.) Okkoto was another character I
thought was interesting because he's sort of a key character later in
the movie. If Toki was the comic relief character in the movie, her
character was good enough for that.





When it comes to the story, this has to
be the hardest thing for me to discuss because there is so much to talk
about when it comes up to the story of Princess Mononoke, it is such a
complex tale. I've said earlier that this movie is a visual tour de
force and a Thanksgiving Dinner to the eye, that does not mean that you
need to turn your brain off at the same time, OH, no, no, no, no, NO!
You need to pay attention while watching this film because it is a bit
complex and for good reasons. There is a lot going on. What is portrayed
well is nature itself. Not only is environmental nature portrayed well,
human nature is also portrayed quite well. What really is quite
effective is that there are no villians in this movie, Lady Eboshi is
not a villian in Princess Mononoke. She is doing a little bad just so
she can help her own people. This is the kind of movie you can really
sympathize with the characters for whatever society or some people think
is "Bad" because this movie really wants you to think that they deserve
to exist as we do. That is probably the strongest element in the movie
and it is enough to get the message of the movie across because nature
isn't pure good and we are not pure evil and not taking over the
defenselessness of nature and we are not being at fault for doing the
wrong thing by nature either because nature isn't completely defenseless
but neither is in a position of moral superiority. It just exists, like
all of us. If there are any flaws that some people address that I
really don't see a flaw to would be Prince Ashitaka from beginning to
end. I've read some comments somewhere that Prince Ashitaka sort of
comes out of nowhere and has no character traits except for the fact
that he falls in love with San while being the bridge that will bring
the two worlds together since San is from the world of the Forest
Spirits (in a metaphorical sense) while Ashitaka is in the human world.
To be honest, there is a bridge between the two. Ashitaka is not
necessarily from the human world either. He's not a force of pure good
at all and there is not force of pure good or pure evil in this movie at
all. Everything Ashitaka does is just so he can survive. He is the last
of his people and he is also the hero because he has to be the one to
save his own life. If this still hasn't convinced you yet, let me make
it clear then. If he didn't have that curse in his arm, he would've been
a boring chararacter. He has valid motivations, he has desires to kill,
he can get angry, he does fall in love. He is a believable character if
you pay attention. He also brings an interesting weight to the story
thematically. There are these two polar forces that are going at
eachother which we already know is Lady Eboshi's group and the beings of
the Forest. Both are not sides of pure good or pure evil and you have
these bridges that are between them. Ashitaka is that bridge, so is San.
It is sort of brilliant in a thematic way. San is the brave warrior of
the Forest Gods but she's not really one of them, that is why she's the
bridge. Ashitaka is a warrior for the human side but sort of isn't one
of them either. The Japanese people portrayed in this story aren't
really his people because he's the last of the Emishi people and he is
trying to survive on his own by associating with these people that drove
his tribe out and they eventually went extinct (what I'm saying is a
part of Japanese history) Ashitaka does not have a direct reason to help
the human side although he sort of does, the same goes for San as well,
she's human, so she shouldn't really be trying to kill one of her own
kind, but it's not hers. When it comes to both sides, they are the last
of their kind or maybe even the only of their kind and they are trying
to survive and exist. There is an extension of a pure force on either
force that cannot link together and cannot reconcile as well as a force
that can't achieve balance. The key to balance in both of them is an
impartial member from both sides that come together to solve the issue.
All out of the need to survive from the individual, to the group, and to
the force at large which really can be the essence of balance which is
kind of the need to push forward and continue to exist. Ashitaka was a
fascinating character to me. Now that may be a complex subject to
swallow but this does all add up to a fascinating story that can make
you root for both sides which is one hell of an accomplishment. It also
touches on the human condition in such a unique way. As a humanist
myself, I think it's safe to say that human nature has some part in all
that which Princess Mononoke does portray. There's so much more to this
movie than meets the eye and that's the one thing I truly admire in this
movie. I tip my hat to Miyazaki-san for being blessed with such talent
and showcasing his masterpiece which is this film.



Princess Mononoke is available from Miramax Films

With
all that said, Princess Mononoke is a film that has a fascinating story
with well-written characters, spellbinding music, and majestic
animation. This is undeniably one of Hayao Miyazaki's best films since
it has been critically acclaimed that even films critics such as Roger
Ebert gave praise towards Princess Mononoke. I consider myself an
unofficial critic and I've already gave enough praise towards this film.
This is a movie that I can watch over and over again and not really get
tired of it. There's always something new that I learn with repeated
viewing. This is a movie that I really don't see anything at fault. It's
for environmentalists, animation buffs, and otakus alike. I have almost
seen all of Hayao Miyazaki's films and out of all of them, Princess
Mononoke is my favorite Miyazaki film. If you haven't seen this movie,
you must see it. Some will tell you that it is incredible, some will say
it's gorgeous. What I can tell you is that it is an unforgettable
experience

I give Princess Mononoke a 10 out of 10, it is a MASTERPIECE!

Feel free to comment below and try to live your life to the fullest.

ANIME EVOLUTION SERIES
Full list of the review series can be found on this page, 3rd post from bottom:
http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?uid=251338&show=userpage&do=blog&blogid=29009&page=0

The spiritual successor of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Princess Mononoke is Hayao Miyazaki’s take on the same subject but under a different light. And it was about time to get another epic because I was getting fed up with his cheery settings and simplistic stories. It is far more violent, angrier, and lacks flying machines, something Hayao loves to add in all his works. We can say it is his darkest work ever, as his protagonists are more anti-heroes, selfish and full of hatred, unlike his usual positive and idealistic ones. At the same time the antagonists have far more understood reasons for all the damage they do to its other, unlike the rather obvious to be wrong from the start ones from Nasicaa. Also, the setting is almost like it takes place in Japan’s feudal era, and even shares its mythology of spirits. It is thus far easier to feel a connection to a seemingly historical period; even more if you are Japanese yourself. That allowed for this movie to not feel as a rehash, but as an interesting variation, far more plausible and sympathetic to the average viewer.

The production values are top notch as always, with everything feeling alive, ever moving and ever feeling like they are there for a reason. The contrast between the war-like human fractions, next to the equilibrium state of the forest spirits is depicted very successfully. It also has some semi graphic scenes of violence that for some may not be suitable for children or family in general.

But anyways, the story is about two nations being at war, their actions resulting to the destruction of the surrounding forest and creating uproar from the spirits, as some of them are poisoned by the charcoal and the gunpowder. The protagonists are Ashitaka, a prince who looks for a cure by a curse inflicted by the war, and San, a human girl raised by wolves after she was abandoned as a baby. Both of them intervene in the war for rather selfish reasons and the whole deal does not play out as morally clear ecology-pro as it did in Nausicaa. Both parties need to maintain their way of life because otherwise they will be annihilated. There are many scenes that make their motives understood and even sympathized.

The premise is again about nature getting angry with mankind and its constant wars and one could easily label this film as again nothing but anti-war propaganda for tree-huggers. The same excuses I mentioned in my Nausicaa review apply here as well; being a family-oriented film is just fine and expected to have that and it is not black and white kiddie stuff either. I was also impressed to see Hayao’s usual character archetypes to have a far more selfish, complicating and violent demeanour. I also liked the action scenes, which being earth-based and mostly based on classic means of warfare meant for a far better feel of realism and choreography. They sure feel more real and exciting than any shonen show ever did.

Another thing of notice is the conclusion itself, which feels almost like a bad ending of sorts. Although the basic disputes are solved, the characters are left before an unknown future, away from one another, hoping to rebuild their worlds as better places. It is not for certain if they succeed or even if they meet each other again as friends. It is again left to speculate anything the viewer feels like would happen. That allows for some food for thought even after the movie is over.

Princess Mononoke is more mature, complicating, and greyer than Nausicaa, a movie that was already all that in comparison to most other family oriented films. In fact, it might even not be for families at all because of some really nasty violent scenes. I consider it an equally, if not a bit higher, good feature; yet I must point out that the Nausicaa manga version was better for being long enough to make you see various aspects of the world, as well as watching them long enough to like them. That does not make Mononoke any less significant and I still recommend it as a very good feature.

And now for some excused scorings.

The first truly magnificent anime movie I had ever watched, Princess Mononoke is a must-see for all movie fans, whether they are anime fans or not.

The animation is very well done, and for the time it was spectacular. You won't find any flaws in either the character designs or backgrounds, and the detail is amazing.

The sound is a grea part of this anime, with the orchestral soundtrack and hauntingly beautiful almost surreal songs really enhancing the epic nature of this anime.

The story was amazing; Princess Mononoke did a great job of emphasizing both sides of the conflict between man and nature, rather than picking one side. The story is as complex as the real life issues of man vs. nature are, and every aspect of the story, from Ashitaka's journies to the tribulations of the people of iron town and Mononoke herself are explored.

The line between good and evil is blurred in this anime; the movie takes a stance on neither the side of man nor the side of nature as the flaws in both are revealed and the story progresses.

The characters are amazing. Ashitaka is a very deep and complex character who attempts to take a neutral stance regarding the war between man and nature, and above all these concerns is the factor of his own mortality due to the nature of his curse. Mononoke is also a very interesting and complex character, representing the nature side of the war as a girl adopted by wolves who can not forgive the humans for their trespasses against nature, but respects Ashitaka for his beliefs.

Other supporting characters like the strong-willed leader of Iron Town, Lady Eboshi, and the wolf-God mother of Princess Mononoke are also well developed and interesting.

I truly enjoyed this anime, and have rewatched it dozens of times; this is an emotionally gripping and dramatic anime that is easily one of the top 5 best anime movies of all time, and probably among the top 50 or 100 movies in general of all time.

This is quite a stunning Ghibli venture. The most mature Ghibli film I've seen; it manages to incorporate violence and heart very expertly without being too much of both.

Visuals
When it comes down to it, Princess Mononoke is a movie of visual beauty. The film is set in a forrest, where there are numerous living creatures of all varieties. But it's this feeling of really being in an environment where everything is living and breathing, which really engrosses you. The atmosphere is outstanding, for lack of a better phrase. I still find it odd just how captivated I was by the surroundings of the main characters.

There are several aspects and nice touches that enhance the visuals. For one, the animation is kept at a consistent high pace, and the design is extremely well thought-out. The effects when an animal god turns into a demon - whilst simplistic in nature, have the perfect tone and evoke the the right feelings from the viewer concerning the situation. The little woodland creatures with the big heads; the budding of new plants growing and withering by the footsteps of the Deer god; the practical inner-workings of the Ironworks - everything has been represented with such meticulously effortless detail that I once again am in sheer awe of Miyazaki's imagination.

I would mention, however, that the texturing of the characters and foreground objects perhaps is not as great as it could be. I have seen other anime films from the same time period that have better texture quality than this one. But just how much better is "better"? To be honest, it's not better enough for me to lower the visuals score. The overall achievement in the visuals is what has motivated my opinions of it.

Sound
The voice acting is pretty much spot-on in this movie. One of the voices confused me however - Moro the Wolf god - I was under the impression that Moro was a female, yet had a male voice. But now we're just splitting hairs. The sound effects were sharp and distinct, projecting subtleness as well as being bold. The ambiance was the strongest aspect - the subtle noises of the forrest really helped to position you into it. The music, whilst decent enough, was nothing spectacular.

Story
Princess Mononoke was almost like Nausicaa but on a smaller scale, and much more focussed. The underlying themes of saving the earth and all it's inhabitants were strongly present, and like with Nausicaa, didn't feel too corny because the world was portrayed in such a way that direct comparisons with our world seem thankfully too farfetched. There was a sense of the supernatural (animal gods etc.) mixed in with the practical (the ironworks and destruction of the forrest), and together these elements captivated me without it being difficult to understand or comprehend.

The movie flowed incredibly well, with a pretty quick pace melded into some calmer and peaceful scenes. I was pleasantly suprised at times with the level of violence too - a Miyazaki film with a touch of gore? Excellent. But this was sensibly kept under control by keeping it in context. For a movie to deal with the subject matter of destroying nature, the killing of animals is suitably not a pretty site.

One downside to the story was the somewhat open ending. A few issues concerning the characters and state of the villages were left unanswered. It generally felt a bit rushed.

Characters
I don't think that this movie was a character piece. However, i think that the majority of the characters did well with what they had. The lead character, who is the focus of 99% of the movie, was a pretty steadfast character - not someone who would change their beliefs or morals. In a way, he was the ideal. Some could say too perfect, which made it sometimes difficult to really feel any emotional connection to him. But in a way this was his strongest aspect - for the viewer, you know that whatever descision he makes is the right one.

The wolf girl heroine who the film is named after, was more of a support character than a film lead. She showed more range of emotion than the male lead, and overall I think was more interesting to watch. She as a character showed a healthy amount of development during the course of the movie.

There are numerous similarities between the way the two leads in this movie are portrayed, and the two leads in Castle in the Sky. They both have a similar bond as well as character roles.

The "villain" of the movie is a lady intent on destorying the animal gods in order for her people to prosper without any obstacles. I use the term 'villain' loosely - she is actually a very well thought-out character who isn't really evil, but perhaps somewhat ignorant. She believes what she is doing is right with the limited knowledge she has. In many ways, she is reminiscient of the female villain in Nausicaa, but here she appears more humane.

The other support characters in Princess Mononoke were not bad, but at times I felt they were being developed for no particular reason. By the end of the movie I felt that they hadn't contributed strongly enough to the plot at times.

Value
This is a movie with strong replay value for its subject matter. I would personally be more inclined to rewatch an anime that deals with maybe more shounen elements, since there are likely to be particular scenes to look forward to in that case. But Princess Mononoke is more of an epic tale that deserves the right atmosphere to really be appreciated.

Enjoyment
This was a highly enjoyable movie, with a quick pace and gorgeous visuals. Suprisingly watchable even though it deals with sensitivity, it has excellent attention to detail and ideas coming off it from every angle. A definate for any Miyazaki fan, and for those unaquainted with him too. Highly recommended.