Animated by the famous Studio Ghibli in 1997, Princess Mononoke does not fail to impress with its aesthetics and animation throughout the two hours.  With the immense amount of detail in the illustrated background and characters, every frame in the film can be seen as an art piece in itself.  It is, therefore, no surprise that it was the highest-grossing film of the year in Japan.

For those familiar with My Neighbour Totoro (1988), Spirited Away (2001), and Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), this film is also directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki, who clearly has a flair for writing stories with dialogue that cuts deep.  This very reason makes subtitles a must for audiences that are not fluent in Japanese.

The story follows a young prince, Ashitaka, and how he is implicated in the conflicts between the gods of a forest and humans who desire for its resources.  Similar to the concept of Avatar (2009), both films describe the greed and obstinate obsession of humans that lead to the destruction of weaker communities and the environment for their resources.

The word ‘Mononoke’ refers to supernatural beings that cause suffering and death to humans, which is ironic as the word is used to describe San, the adopted daughter of the wolf god that protects the forest. Indeed, to the humans desiring for the forest’s resources, any obstacle must appear as the cause of hatred and suffering.

For nature lovers, this film will surely hit hard for you will find yourself relating closely to Ashitaka—how can you reconcile the opposing desires of those who wish to protect their homeland and livelihoods, and those who care about the well-being of the environment?

As the story pulls you into a loop of serene to chaotic and violent scenes, nature lovers like me might find it difficult to switch from enjoying the scenery to witnessing conflicts and destruction.  Fortunately, the message of Princess Mononoke reminds us of nature’s resilience and hopefully sparks the hope of a future where Man and the environment live in harmony.

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Ling Jia Shin: A graduate in Environmental Science, Jiashin enjoys spending time on the arts, especially in film and writing, exploring different genres from animation to documentary. She hopes to direct one of her scripts in the future.