#2
Princess Mononoke
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Studio Ghibli's 1997 Muromachi-era ecological epic pitting wolf-raised warrior San against Irontown leader Lady Eboshi, mediated by cursed prince Ashitaka.
Struck by a demonic boar curse, Emishi prince Ashitaka journeys west to see with eyes unclouded by hate, stepping into a war between wolf-raised San and musket-forging Irontown ruler Lady Eboshi. Hayao Miyazaki refuses easy villains, giving both the ancient forest gods and Eboshi's marginalized workers sympathetic dignity.
About Princess Mononoke
Struck by a demonic boar curse, Emishi prince Ashitaka journeys west to see with eyes unclouded by hate, stepping into a war between wolf-raised San and musket-forging Irontown ruler Lady Eboshi. Hayao Miyazaki refuses easy villains, giving both the ancient forest gods and Eboshi's marginalized workers sympathetic dignity. Presents an adult ecological conflict where industrial antagonist Lady Eboshi shelters lepers and former brothel women. Blends over 144,000 hand-drawn animation cels with lush Yakushima cedar-forest background paintings. Became the first animated feature to win the Japan Academy Film Prize for Picture of the Year. Drives epic scale through Joe Hisaishi's sweeping Tokyo City Philharmonic orchestral score.
⛩️ Anime Details
- Studio
- Studio Ghibli
- Premiere Year
- 1997
Also Ranks On
View canonical entity profile (6 lists) →Struck by a demonic boar curse, Emishi prince Ashitaka journeys west to see with eyes unclouded by hate, stepping into a war between wolf-raised San and musket-forging Irontown ruler Lady Eboshi. Hayao Miyazaki refuses easy villains, giving both the ancient forest gods and Eboshi's marginalized workers sympathetic dignity.
Key Metrics
Studio
Studio Ghibli
Release Year
1997
Runtime
134 min
Director
Hayao Miyazaki
Key Recognition
Japan Academy Picture of the Year
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Presents an adult ecological conflict where industrial antagonist Lady Eboshi shelters lepers and former brothel women
- Blends over 144,000 hand-drawn animation cels with lush Yakushima cedar-forest background paintings
- Became the first animated feature to win the Japan Academy Film Prize for Picture of the Year
- Drives epic scale through Joe Hisaishi's sweeping Tokyo City Philharmonic orchestral score
Cons
- Keeps protagonist Ashitaka stoically noble compared with more volatile leads San and Lady Eboshi
- Runs 134 minutes with dense Muromachi samurai-and-emperor politics in its middle third
- Features sudden limb-severing arrow shots that surprise viewers expecting gentle Ghibli fare
Eligibility
- Viewers craving mythic fantasy epics with zero black-and-white morality
- Fans of sweeping environmental cinema and hand-crafted cel animation at peak scale
- Viewers tracking Studio Ghibli works from 1997 directed by Hayao Miyazaki (Japan Academy Picture of the Year)
- Community voters weighing narrative closure, animation craft, and replay value across 134 min
Things to Watch Out For
- Rated PG-13 for graphic battlefield dismemberments and writhing boar-demon corruption
- Not suitable for young toddlers accustomed to My Neighbor Totoro or Ponyo
- Structure and pacing require 134 min of focused viewing rather than passive background play
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