mccullough.mervin - 2015-03-08 07:05:44

Fucking great, great in every way possible, there is actually nothing bad about this film except for the fact that it isn't 30 hours long. 

kale.koelpin - 2015-03-04 20:44:20

This was my childhood best movie. it resonate with me and the nostalgia levels are through the roof.
a must watch for all anime fans.

it is a cresset for all anime that came after it. 

you will be speechless after watching it for the first time

mayert.rosalyn - 2015-01-07 02:24:25

Another masterpiece from Japanese Watt Disney MiyaZaki.

All these Miyazaki films have been making me lose a some of my paycheck. T_T

hudson.alva - 2015-01-03 00:00:13

Its basicly the japanise lion king if you havent watcht it you are dead or blind

dooley.alberto - 2014-12-06 09:03:21

Out of all the movies that Hayao Miyazaki has made, Princess Mononoke is by far, my favorite. This movie ranks number one on my top 10 list of favorite anime. The story and scenery are extremely beautiful while the small romance and comedy add onto this perfect sundae, along with the great action scenes. This movie still and will forever remain my favorite anime of all time.

blick.burnice - 2014-12-04 06:55:12

Story

Princess Mononoke is a classic story. It has the Humans vs. Forest concept that has been done many times, but makes it a bit more than that by adding fantasy elements to the mix, and some blood. It gives it the feeling of a folk tale, with a surprisingly calming atmosphere for a movie so bloody and action-packed. 

Speaking of the blood… there is a lot of it. There is so much action and disturbingly bloodied animals and decapitation, and that really took me by surprise, coming from a Studio Ghibli film. It was intense, dark, and it set itself apart from the other Ghibli movies out there. However, even though the story is much more grim than anything else Miyazaki has written, it still has that relaxing fantasy feel to it. I feel as though the little wood sprite guys were a big contribution to this atmosphere, but that could just be because I really liked them. I really enjoyed the differences in this movie. It felt like both a fairy tale and an epic action film. I love action and intense stories, and a little bit of blood never hurt anyone... oh, wait...

The story is a bit predictable at times, but overall, it is a wonderful, emotional ride. It even ends perfectly. What more could someone ask for?

Animation

The animation is great, as always, with that classic Studio Ghibli style. The action scenes are amazing and the action choreography is very impressive. Everything looked good, the character designs, the backgrounds, everything. This is what I've come to expect.

Sound

The music is okay. It has a few standout tracks, but there was very that I would listen to outside of the movie. However, the soundtrack fit Princess Mononoke very well, and helped a lot in setting up the atmosphere.

Subbed or dubbed?: Princess Mononoke has both Japanese and English dubs, and both are good. It all depends on your preference.

Characters

The characters are all unique and likeable, even the bad guys to a certain extent. The hero, Ashitaka, is not the typical hero. He isn't overpowered, and he does have a personality. His relationships with his friends develop along his journey, and make him an enjoyable character.

San, or Princess Mononoke, whom the movie is named after, receives a lot of development throughout the movie, and not just in her relationships with others, but as her own individual character. But she doesn't really get enough screen time, definitely not enough for the anime to be named after her. She doesn't contribute as much to the story as I would like her to, but she is still a pretty cool character.

The last character I want to mention is my personal favorite, Lady Eboshi. Now, I do know that Lady Eboshi is the villain in this story, but she's a pretty damn awesome villain. I couldn't help but love her for her badassery. It was great seeing a strong female role like hers, which was another thing I didn't expect, given how Princess Mononoke is (presumably) set in ancient times and it's not as common as it should be to be to see strong female characters from stories that take place in that era.

Every character in Princess Mononoke adds a little something. They help it feel like an epic fairy tale journey, and have a variety of distinct personalities. Even the supporting cast is hard to forget. Everyone faces development through out the movie, and play a big part in weaving the story.

Enjoyment

Princess Mononoke immediately scored on my favorites list. It's set apart from any other Ghibli movie I've seen, and it's a memorable and emotional experience.

Final Conclusion: 9/10

fjacobson - 2014-01-31 10:08:09

Princess Mononoke is a movie that gets deep inside you, and stays there. You have a feeling after watching, with huge eyes, how can someone create this. I have had this feeling rarely in the time that I've watched anime, but when it happens, it's truly inspiring.

This is a story about humans, and nature, as well as human nature, and it tells it oh so very well with the powerful scenes of the gods, and their interactions alone.

The story is something to be amazed by, I'm reminded of Inuyasha setting wises, absolutely not story wise, but that may just be nostalgia from watching both pictures when I was younger.

Like any great movie, to be able to know and love the characters, to understand their motives and tell a powerful story all at the same time can be difficult to do. Miyazaki has done that in this film.

I don't know if people say this show is for children, but I actually think it's targeted to young adults and up. One being the amount of blood in this film, as well a mature themes (Not sexual, though little is there).

The story has much to do with nature, and how humans treat and respect it.

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

Joe Hisaishi is amazing in this picture. The power of the scenes are definitely carried through the music, if the music were not there, it would have been a terrible mistake.

The music in this film is much better than Spirited Away's score in my opinion, I always felt the music in Spirited Away was just there to slightly enhance the mood, Not carry the whole picture like this score did. Only a master.

The seiyuu all do a great job with they're roles. The way most of the seiyuu act their roles has a very subdued calmness to it that I have not heard in most anime. This can a be a good and bad things. I felt they were not expressing enough feeling at some parts of the film, like they were not really yelling when they could have been. But that's just me.

There's definitely character here. Ashitaka is the mediator to all sides of the field. Nature, The Gods, the Ironworks (Civilization), as well as San. The Gods definitely feel like gods, you know their roles in nature. San is a human who was left behind by her race, and left with the wolf god, she hates humans and always will.

Yakul, the ever so loyal companion of Ashitaka.

Eboshi is the leader of the Ironworks does her best to protect the ironworks she created, along with the woman she saves from brothels and the the men that help. There are many great supporting characters as well.

People say that Spirited Away is overrated, and they are probably right. Technically, Princess Mononoke is perfect for this type of story. I don't have any problems with it, unlike some aspects of Spirited Away.

But there's something that's in Spirited Away that made me enjoy it more than this film, ever so slightly. It's not that much more enjoyable, they are very close, but I enjoyed Spirited Away slightly more. Despite that, this film is highly enjoyable, it will not bore you in any way, especially in the music department.

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

This is one of them.

catalina.thiel - 2013-07-26 17:34:26

First off, I'm a big fan of Miyazaki. Second off, this is probably one of my least favorites. The main reason is that it's really weird. And kind of gross. I know that that might sound weird because... it's a Miyazaki film that we're talking about here, but I still didn't really like it.

jharber - 2013-07-20 17:49:38

A studio Ghibli piece.. What can I say. Its an amazing piece, full of art, and heart. Plus imagination~ I love it, and im sure ill always will.

berge.micah - 2013-05-18 10:39:35

Ooo what is this? Miyazaki making an anime that targets older audiences? If it wasn't for the knowledge that I had before hand, I'm not sure I could have identified "Princess Mononoke" as Miyazaki's handiwork very easily. In fact the only thing that might have given it away is design of the main protagonist Ashitaka, who's appearance reminds me of Haku from "Spirited Away". The story of "Princess Mononoke" essentially revolves around Ashitaka, the prince of a tribal village, going on a journey to try and lift a curse that he has been afflicted with.Compared to the other Miyazaki films I've seen, "Princess Mononoke" is an unexpectedly grim piece of work. You can feel there's something different about this one from the intensity that's there right from the word go. The sight of the demon boar charging through the forest covered in those... maggot like things is quite unnerving. From there on, the show never lets up. People with their arms/head/ separated from the rest of the body; men and beast being slaughtered aplenty on the battlefield etc all contribute in making this film a rather "heavy" viewing experience.The differences don't stop here either. Another thing that caught my attention is that it's not a typical Miyazaki main cast. The main character is a boy, and it's the girl who's the one taking the back seat in "Princess Mononoke". In fact, Princess Mononoke's involvement in the anime isn't that great at all, so I don't know why the title is named after her in the first place.Despite these differences, other more subtle elements that tend to come with Miyazaki works are actually firmly embedded in this film upon closer inspection. The great soundtrack that gives this work such an epic feel; the strange but wonderful "monster" designs (especially the the wood spirits that made me chuckle); and of course that all important magical element that's like the blood that courses thruogh the veins of pretty much all his work.The older age bracket targetted by "Princess Mononoke" isn't limited to superficial features such as the bloodshed and brutality - it's something that extends to the maturity of the story line, a story line that looks to go beyond his usual wonderfully imagined but thematically simplistic adventure premises. I had heard before how Miyazaki's earlier work "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds" (or just "Nausicaa" for short) is often seen as a prototype of "Princess Mononoke", but didn't really know why until I watched this film. In essence, "Princess Mononoke" is a retelling of the same human vs nature theme that's the backbone of "Nausicaa". The big difference though, is the sense that "Princess Mononoke" is crafted by an older and wiser Miyazaki with a more rounded view of the world. As much as I like the rough charm of "Nausicaa", there's no denying that "Princess Mononoke" is the more mature work. Gone is the raw preachiness found in the earlier film, and in its place, there is a much more understanding tone, arising from a carefully constructed no-win situation that's all too easily belivable. In "Princess Mononoke", there are no real, big villains - everyone is just doing their best to survive in a harsh world. Which party is in the wrong in this conflict? The forest gods who are trying to prevent their homes from being destroyed? Or the ironworks people, rejects of society who finally found their place in the world, and are cutting down the forest in order to make a decent living?There is no right answer, and "Princess Mononoke" recongises this. After all the bloodshed and slaughter, there is no magic solution to the conflict. What the film does offer though, is hope. Hope that the groups involved can find a way of living in harmony. It's a more realistic rather than a fairy tale ending where everyone comes away happy, and it's an ending that I really like.On the art and animation side of things, this does seems to be one of the best looking Ghibli films, at least to me (but then, I'm not very good at judging the technical stuff, so what do I know). The imageries in the film are incredibly rich and colourful, with typically well drawn backgrounds that never fails to be anything other than beautiful and detailed. The action sequences are mostly fluid and dynamic, although I have to say that things like people's arms flying off look a bit odd - I guess Miyazaki just isn't used to drawing stuff like that :PIn the audio department, the music and the sound effects are of a high standard, really adding to the atmosphere, but some of the voice acting sounds a bit flat at times to me.Despite being the spirital successor to "Nausicaa", "Princess Mononoke" feels like a different beast from Miyazaki's other works. A thoughtful, sophisticated story told with startling intensity and naked savagery, "Princess Mononoke" is a fascinating watch and definitely one of Miyazaki's finest - right up there "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds" itself.