{"id":3317,"date":"2009-08-02T22:16:33","date_gmt":"2009-08-03T02:16:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/?p=3317"},"modified":"2009-08-02T22:16:33","modified_gmt":"2009-08-03T02:16:33","slug":"princess-mononoke-anime-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/2009\/08\/02\/princess-mononoke-anime-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Princess Mononoke&#8211;Anime Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/image\/stars\/5o5.gif\" alt=\"5 Stars\" \/><br \/>\nHayao Miyazaki&#8217;s second most successful movie (after <a href=\"\/fun\/2009\/03\/22\/spirited-away-anime-review\/\"><em>Spirited Away<\/em><\/a>) is a dark, exciting adventure story that resonates with the power of myth.<br \/>\n<!--more--><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ItemList\">\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Original Title<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\"><em>Mononoke Hime<\/em><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Genres<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Historical Fantasy, Adventure<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Languages<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">English, French, Japanese with subtitles<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Contents<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">134 minutes.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Director<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Hayao Miyazaki<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Screenplay<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Hayao Miyazaki<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Original Story<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Hayao Miyazaki<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Producer<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Toshio Suzuki<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Art Director<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Norobu Yoshida, Youji Takeshige<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Animation Director<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Kazuo Oga, Naoya Tanaka, Nizo Yamamoto, Satoshi Kuroda, Youji Takeshige<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Animation Supervisor<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Masahi Ando, Kitaro Kosaka, Yoshifumi Kondo<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Music<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Joe Hisaishi<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Animation Studio<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Studio Ghibli<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Released<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">1997<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Region 1 Publisher<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Walt Disney Home Entertainment<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This was one of the all-time top grossing films in Japan (surpassed by <em>Titanic<\/em> and <em>Spirited Away<\/em>) but it was less successful overseas. While it was in production Disney negotiated a long-term multi-film licensing deal with Studio Ghibli, under which they agreed, sight unseen, to give <em>Princess Mononoke<\/em> an American theatrical release. They were distressed when they received the film and found that it was over two hours long and not particularly child-friendly.<\/p>\n<p>Even though the contract made it clear that the American release could not be re-edited, Disney asked for permission to shorten it and trim out some of the violence. The producer sent Harvey Weinstein an authentic samurai sword with a note attached that said &#8220;No cuts.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Disney ended up giving the film a limited theatrical release and it did not make much money. However the DVD sold well and is a favorite of many <a href=\"\/fun\/terms-used-in-anime-reviews#anime\">anime<\/a> fans. Disney has indicated that they plan to issue a new 2-disc version of the DVD with additional bonus features.<\/p>\n<h3>Parental Advisory<\/h3>\n<p>This movie is not suitable for young children due to violence that includes numerous shots of severed limbs and heads flying around. (These are generally distance shots with much less blood than one might reasonably expect.) Teenagers and most ten-year-olds should be able to handle it.<\/p>\n<h3>Premise and Characters<\/h3>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/Samurai.png\" alt=\"Samurai\" title=\"Samurai\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3410\" \/>The story is set in the late 15th century at the beginning of the Warring States period, a time of social upheaval and a weak central government, with the country torn apart by battling warlords.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/EmishiVillage.png\" alt=\"Emishi Village\" title=\"Emishi Village\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3397\" \/>Hidden in the eastern forests is a surviving village of the Emishi, an aboriginal people of the main island of Honshu who fought the Yamato Japanese for centuries before being wiped out or assimilated.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/EmishiMeetingHouse.png\" alt=\"Emishi Meeting House\" title=\"Emishi Meeting House\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3396\" \/>The Emishi are long extinct and little is known about them, but Miyazaki imagines them as noble primitive warriors who live in harmony with nature and ride large antelopes (referred to as &#8220;elk&#8221; in the translation.)\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/Ashitaka.png\" alt=\"Prince Ashitaka\" title=\"Prince Ashitaka\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3384\" \/><strong>Prince Ashitaka<\/strong>, the last descendant of the Emishi royal family, is the tribe&#8217;s most promising young warrior, brave and idealistic.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/Yakul.png\" alt=\"Yakul\" title=\"Yakul\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3416\" \/>His steed <strong>Yakkul<\/strong> is faithful and intelligent.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/MonsterWall.png\" alt=\"Monster Breaking Wall\" title=\"Monster Breaking Wall\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3406\" \/>At the beginning of the story the village is attacked by a horrific monster, a giant boar covered with poisonous tentacles. Any living thing that it touches is blighted and destroyed.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/AshitakaRiding.png\" alt=\"Ashitaka Riding\" title=\"Ashitaka Riding\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3388\" \/>Ashitaka rides to stop it and manages to mortally wound it with his arrows,\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/AshitakaWorms.png\" alt=\"Worms on Ashitaka&#039;s Arm\" title=\"Worms on Ashitaka&#039;s Arm\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3390\" \/>&#8230;but during the struggle his arm is injured by its tentacles.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/HiiSamaAndTribesmen.png\" alt=\"Hii-sama and Tribesmen\" title=\"Hii-sama and Tribesmen\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3400\" \/><strong>Hii-sama<\/strong>, the village shaman, tries to mollify the evil spirit,\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/DyingBoar2.png\" alt=\"Dying Boar\" title=\"Dying Boar\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3392\" \/>&#8230;but the dying monster just curses them and expires.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/HiiSama.png\" alt=\"Hii-sama\" title=\"Hii-sama\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3399\" \/>Ashitaka&#8217;s arm is festering with the beast&#8217;s malevolence. Hii-sama says that he is doomed to be destroyed by it. His only hope is to leave the tribe and travel to the west from whence it came, in order to find the source of the creature&#8217;s anger.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/AshitakaJiko.png\" alt=\"Ashitaka and Jiko\" title=\"Ashitaka and Jiko\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3387\" \/>On his journey Ashitaka encounters <strong>Jiko<\/strong>, a wandering monk. Jiko is clever and knowledgeable, but seems untrustworthy.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/AshitakaJiko2.png\" alt=\"Ashitaka and Jiko\" title=\"Ashitaka and Jiko\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3386\" \/>Jiko advises him to seek out the Forest of the Deer God, a primeval forest where animals still grow to the sizes they attained in ancient times.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/Kodama.png\" alt=\"Kodama\" title=\"Kodama\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3402\" \/>The forest is infested with <strong>kodoma<\/strong> or tree spirits. They are odd-looking but they seem harmless.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/Shishigami.png\" alt=\"Shishigami\" title=\"Shishigami\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3414\" \/>The <strong>Deer God<\/strong> <a href=\"#shishigami\">[1]<\/a> is a very powerful and mysterious being whose form sometimes resembles a deer with multiple antlers. Legends say that he can be used as a source of eternal life.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/Ironworks.png\" alt=\"Ironworks\" title=\"Ironworks\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3383\" \/>A settlement has sprung up next to the forest. The settlers are mining the plentiful iron ore and cutting down trees to make charcoal for their forges.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/Eboshi.png\" alt=\"Eboshi\" title=\"Eboshi\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3394\" \/><strong>Lady Eboshi<\/strong>, the leader of the settlement, has recruited her followers from among society&#8217;s outcasts. She cares deeply about her people and will stop at nothing to protect them.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/EboshiGunmen.png\" alt=\"Eboshi and Gunmen\" title=\"Eboshi and Gunmen\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/>The local lords covet the settlement&#8217;s iron. To defend against them Lady Eboshi has equipped her followers with primitive Chinese firearms, and has encouraged them to develop improved models.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/Gonza.png\" alt=\"Gonza\" title=\"Gonza\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3398\" \/><strong>Gonza<\/strong> is Lady Eboshi&#8217;s hot-tempered second in command.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/Toki.png\" alt=\"Toki\" title=\"Toki\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3415\" \/><strong>Toki<\/strong> leads the women who operate the bellows for the forge. She is cheerful and high-spirited but has a rather sharp tongue.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/KourokuAndToki2.png\" alt=\"Kouroku and Toki\" title=\"Kouroku and Toki\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3404\" \/>Her husband <strong>Kouroku<\/strong> the ox-driver is a well-meaning by ineffectual man. Toki bosses him around unmercifully.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/SanMoro2.png\" alt=\"San and Moro\" title=\"San and Moro\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3411\" \/>Years ago when the wolf goddess <strong>Moro no Kimi<\/strong> was pursuing some humans through the forest, they threw a baby in her path. Moro adopted the child and raised her. She is now a fierce wolf-like young woman named <strong>San<\/strong>.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/SanWolves.png\" alt=\"San and Wolves\" title=\"San and Wolves\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3413\" \/>San hates humans and is outraged by the damage that the settlers are doing to the forest. She leads the wolves in attacks on the settlers, hoping to kill Lady Eboshi. The humans call her <em>&#8220;mononoke hime&#8221;<\/em> (vengeful-spirit princess).\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/Okkoto.png\" alt=\"Okkoto\" title=\"Okkoto\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3408\" \/>The boar god <strong>Okkotonushi<\/strong> leads his followers from the southern island of Kyuushu to fight the humans and defend the Deer God&#8217;s Forest.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<\/div>\n<h3>Links<\/h3>\n<p>Wikipedia <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Princess_mononoke\">entry<\/a> (spoilers).<\/p>\n<p>ANN Encyclopedia <a href=\"http:\/\/www.animenewsnetwork.com\/encyclopedia\/anime.php?id=197\">entry<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nausicaa.net\/wiki\/Princess_Mononoke\">Entry<\/a> on nausicaa.net.<\/p>\n<h3>Notes<\/h3>\n<p><a name=\"shishigami\">[1]<\/a> Actually <em>shishigami<\/em> or &#8220;beast god.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hayao Miyazaki&#8217;s second most successful movie (after Spirited Away) is a dark, exciting adventure story that resonates with the power of myth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,2],"tags":[249,295,250],"class_list":["post-3317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-anime","category-movies","tag-miyazaki","tag-princess-mononoke","tag-studio-ghibli"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3317"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3317\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3429,"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3317\/revisions\/3429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}