Anime: Mononoke-hime v6au

La tan así llamada Opus Magnum del estudio Ghibli, o esa es Chihiro, bueno, eso no importa. Vayamos a ver que hace interesante a La Princesa Mononoke, o Mononoke Hime.Se podría resumir como una versión mas oscura de la ya de por sí poco apropiada para niños, Nausicaa en el valle del viento, en su versión fílmica, por supuesto, el manga es otro tema. Por estos años, Miyazaki aún estaba haciendo lo contrario a sus obras actuales, en vez de un recuentros de la vida (aka. Slice of Life) era una épica, llena de acción, destrucción y crudeza. Esos buenos tiempos que no se contenía el viejo a la hora de hacer sus queridas peliculas.Como todo de Ghibli, hablar del apartado tecnico es una tiradera de flores. cada frame de la pelicula es hecho a mano, sin técnicas de animación límitada, ni ilusiones opticas, nada de eso trucos de pobres. El resultado es un movimiento vivo, la kinesica es muy bien cuidada. Todo en el escenario se siente real junto un movimiento único que hace distintivo cada elemento dentro del escenario. Es muy detallista en efectos, las sombras y el contraste de colores son muy bien hechos. Los diseños son muy distintivos, cargan consigo el sello de Miyazaki, ya saben, este estilo semi caricaturesco mas semejante a la exageración de lo realista frente a la cara de frijol de los animes comunes. En ocasiones el manejo de la ilustración es tan ridiculo dicho en el buen sentido, que pareciera una especie de CGI muy pulido. La banda sonora es perfecta, orquestal fusionada con musica tradicional japonesa, muy inmersiva y acorde con el periodo presentado. Por otro lado, las voces son muy buenas, nada de actuaciones exageradas ni frasesitas retrasadas de nenas moe, se escuchan como lo que son, adultos maduros y como los diseños son muy detallados en expresividad bucal, es impresionante, al menos en japonés, como cuadran las frases dentro de sus bocas. Las peleas destacan, las escenas de acción no se contienen en muertes, son rapidas y al incorporar monstruos y maquinas, la tecnologia y las capacidades físicas mezclados con la planificación y la estrategía dan resultados creativos e ingeniosos en los combates y las batallas.Pero ya yendo a la parte jugosa. Que hay de la historia. Pues, es como una especie de epopeya clasica, no parecidas a las occidentales, sino a las asiaticas, duh, todo el setting es identico al periodo feudal japonés, y con ello, sus mensajes y mitologia. La obra es identica a Nausicaa en mensaje en lo proecología. La diferencia es que, argumentalmente hablando, es mas gris con su manejo del bien y el mal. En Nausicaa era obvio quien era bueno y malo. Mononoke es lo contrario, la historia es una guerra entre diversos bandos, samurais y herreros, los cuales contaminan la naturaleza, y por ello se suman los seres fantasticos a la lucha por la supervivencia, en medio se cuela un joven principe que es victima de una maldición transmitida por uno de estos seres al ser infectado por un demonio nacido de la contaminación. Si bien, uno podría decir que los humanos empezaron los problemas, no es como que ellos hubiesen tenido opción, ya que había una guerra en curso y el desarrollo militar era necesario para evitar la caida de la ciudadela. En ese sentido, se siente como una confrontación entre dos ecosistemas que son corrosivos mutuamente y que se necesita la destrucción de uno de los bandos para que el otro conviva.Los personajes son igualmente balanceados entre aspectos negativos y positvos. los habitantes de la ciudadela tienen que sobrevivir al avance samurai, y para ello, deberán sacrificar a la naturaleza a su alrededor, no es que el lado de la naturaleza sea distinto, su objetivo es la aniquilación de los humanos y la industrialización. Ambos lados tienen su propia agenda y por ello sus objetivos son egoistas y justificados al mismo tiempo. La princesa Mononoke quiere exterminar a los humanos, a pesar de que ella misma es uno, está llena de odio junto a sus divinos familiares adoptivos, y ese odio tiene su razón de ser, miles de seres fantasticos han fallecido a causa del o humano y la civilización. El lado de los humanos van por el mismo cuento, aunque ellos empezaron la guerra, tambien han perdido a centenares de sus a causa de la naturaleza y se cuidan entre ellos mismo, la reina de Irontown es una mujer conciente de que su coexistencia con los espiritus es imposible, por ello va darlo todo para que su pueblo prospere, incluso con los leprosos. Ambos lados del conflicto tienen ese tribalismo que hace complicado saber quien es el menos malo. El único que no podría entrar en esa categorización es el principe, su inclusión es la mediar ambos lados del espectro. No es un espectador, el mismo se incluye en las disputas, quiere evitar las muertes y es el único que no es guiado por el odio, no es parte del conflicto principal, solo fue incluido por acción de los contrincantes sin su voluntad. Es un joven pacifico e idealista que choca con la visión violenta de ambos, nunca siendo egoista.Pese a la complejidad del argumento en lo que respecta a las motivaciones de los bandos, se tiene una clara predilección en la naturaleza, y no es que sea malo, no hay que olvidar que ellos son en parte quienes mantienen a los habitantes de Irontown al depender de los recursos naturales. Por lo que la proecologia es mas desarrollada frente a cagadas a lo Captain Planet. La conclusión lo demuestra, el solo intentar eliminar a la naturaleza es imposible por su carácter divino, y que lograrlo, a medias por supuesto, dará paso a un mal peor que el circulo de odio.Lo que tenemos al final es mucha exploración tematica, personajes justificados, una guerra desarrollada hasta cierto punto y un setting creativo por el lore que lo compone y lo interesante que es debido a su incorporación de mitos del lejano oriente. Entonces, eso significa que es la obra maestra que todos claman? Ehh, dolorosamente, no. La trama es muy reducida si uno se pone a pensar. Todo se siente como un pequeño segmento de una trama mayor, tomen el bando de los samurais, quienes nunca obtienen enfasis, pese a ser uno de los antagonistas principales y la razón por la que la guerra empezó. Se sienten como un obstaculo en vez de enemigos reales y todo ese aspecto del conflicto queda en nada. De hecho, el final es muy abierto respecto a las resoluciones de los personajes. Ni la princesa, ni el principe, ni la reina cambían durante el transcurso del show, a lo mucho, hay una paz momentanea. Pero, ponganse a pensar, y qué? Es como volver al status quo, ni siquiera los que robaron la cabeza del Dios del Bosque fueron castigados y su paradero queda sin concluir, no hay nada. Supongo que es aproposito, como si fuese para que reflexiones si esta nueva paz será permanente. Lo malo de la idea es no dejar muchas cosas en claro. El destino del protagonista es dejado al aire o la de su pueblo, acaso no piensa volver o qué? Entiendo que es una pelicula y que contar el resto del conflicto es imposible. Sin embargo, no me interesa, las historias deben contar lo que tienen, no dejarlos a interpretación, no es como Lain o Haibane Renmei, donde las ambiguedades son adrede, la historia de Mononoke Hime no era ambigua o de díficil comprensión. Ah, y ese romance entre San y Ashitaka, igual que todo, queda a la deriva.Por ello, la considero potencial desperdiciado. Se metió mas a la boca de lo que podía masticar y la resolución es la nada absoluta. Nausicaa, en su versión gráfica, es lo mismo, con los mismos mensajes, y a diferencia de Mononoke, se expande a niveles de ensueño en su construcción incorporado con una rica exploración temática.Para resumir, es una buena pelicula… y ya. Funciona principalmente como diversión por la dirección y la acción, la filosofia no va a ningún lado junto al mundo.

Review
Studio Ghibli was already an established animation maker in the industry by the end of the last century. It released multiple incredible titles and it gained a boost with the aid of the respected Hayao Miyazaki helming some of their pieces. Mononoke-hime comes to bring about the perfect marriage between renonwed man and studio: a tale of conflict between men and nature, between progression and tradition, one that may be perhaps the most mature and darkest of all the Studio Ghibli's movies.

It all begins when a demon god attacks the village where young warrior Ashitaka lives. Fighting against the demon to defend his people, Ashitaka ends up deadly cursed and his only hope to survive is traveling to the woods where the Deer God lives. These woods, however, are now a battleground between a samurai nation and the people under Lady Eboshi, a greedy woman forging firearms to her subjects and destroying the woods around her city in the process.

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1. Nature and men
   Mononoke-hime is, first and foremost, a tale about nature. It depicts a fantasy feudal Japan where the woods are inhabited by sacred spirits, protected by animal gods, who are reponsible to maintaining balance in the world. Within such setting, humans find their progression directed against the norm of nature, having the need to destroy it in order to feed their cities, craft their weapons, and survive in their wars.
   
   Gods and men
   Humans, however, have found an enemy in the woods while working on their causes: gods. The gods from the woods will do anything to fight off men and protect their realms, and their retaliation brings about a spiral of conflict that adds to the already installed fight of men against men. Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of such conflict, trying to lift his curse with the help of the forest god, meeting San, a young girl raised by wolves in these woods, and searching for a way to find balance where it cannot be found.
   
   Good and evil
   Perhaps what is most interesting in this show is how none of the characters are depicted in clear white or black. Ashitaka hopes to find balance, but he is doing all that for selfish reasons. He wants to lift his curse, yet he swings between helping the carefree women and soldiers under Lady Eboshi or befriending the forest gods, spirits, and the savage San. Every other character is in such way, a mixture of right reasons with wrong choices, or wrong reasons with right choices. The initial impression that this is a tale trying to sell you into "Protect nature! Men are savage beasts destroying the green of the world!" slowly shows other colors, making you see the forest spirits are just as evil and selfish as the men they fight.
   
   Blood and sweat
   All of this conflict happens in a world where, although people can be happy, they are more worried in working and defending their causes. The women under Lady Eboshi lead happy lives as clearly shown during the movie, respecting their governor and making young Ashitaka see value into protecting their city, even it means burning half the woods to sustain them. Diseased people find a place to call home under Lady Eboshi even if she is devastating nature to guarantee their safety. At the same time, war is a bloody mess and fights are as shady and terrifying as they should. Blood, severed limbs, gruesome deaths, slaughter, every element of a true war piece is shown in Mononoke-hime, taking the meaning of the show even further than the simple "protect nature" mantra.
   
   Art and animation
   Studio Ghibli once again delivers a stunning piece of work. Not only the animation is fluid, things are always alive and moving in a background worthy of an art presentation. Add to that the exquisite and creative character design that mixes fantasy with terror and you have one of the most intriguing movies from the studio and the most balanced work from Hayao Miyazaki. Mononoke-hime is not meant for children as many other works from this studio and this creator, but it manages to deliver far more than just a simple message in cute colors and smooth animation.
   

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Comments
Mononoke-hime is an outstanding work. It may lack the charisma of My Neighbour Totoro or perhaps the grand scale of other works from Hayao Miyazaki, but this personal tale of human greed, angry nature gods, and the question raised between what is right and wrong in this search for balance between civilization and wilderness is something rarely achieved in the japanese animation industry.

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 it 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
s 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 sured 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
s 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 it 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 comionate 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 ire 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.

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.