Princess Mononoke

[Nature Boy]

I bought the movie a few weeks back (one of four Anime flicks). Watched it last night with my wife. I *really* enjoyed it - thanks to all who posted in the Anime 101 thread and recommended it.

I'd like to know what people's thoughts are on it though. Specifically the end.

****Spoiler Alert****
Specifically, why does the spirit god's death bring the forest back to life? Or did I miss the boat totally here and that's not a death?
****Spoiler End****

[Raedon]

Hayao Miyazaki's Animated films are probably the best ever created. I don't even really consider them "Anime" even though he is Japanese.

Check out Spirited Away(2001) and Kiki's Dilivery Service(1989) (Target has all his DVD's atm for $19.99) He also did Castle in the Sky(1986), My Neighbor Totoro(1988) and the TV series Lupin III(1971.)

His next Film is Howl's Moving Castle set to be released in Japan in 2004. The film is based on this book:
http://suberic.net/dwj/pix/covers/howl_us_hd.jpg

He hasn't released anything that wasn't an instant classic.

[Sotenga]

I just saw Spirited Away yesterday! :o

Too... friggin... great... I'M NOT WORTHY! Miyazaki has now become one of my gods. :hail:

[Daniel Thomas]

Miyazaki is unquestionably the best animator in the world; some will argue that his stature is even greater than Walt himself. Mononoke was a masterful film, certainly one of his best.

SPOILER ALERT! ----
As to the movie's ending, I'm trying to remember (I haven't seen it in some time), but I thought the forest spirit was revived at the end. His presence brought about the revival of the forests, just as his decapitation brought apon creeping death. By the end, Miyazaki is pleading his case for the preservation of nature, and man's need to live in harmony with the Earth.

Fortunately, it's never to PC to seem corny, and I enjoyed how all the players are seen in a sympathetic view; the lady of the fort isn't some cliched cartoon villain (as she certainly would have been in a Disney film), but shown as compassionate human being seeking the best interests of her people.

I strongly suggest you see Miyazaki's other films, especially 2001's Spirited Away, which is arguably his finest hour. My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Castle in the Sky are all available on DVD (although the DVD of Totoro is in the pan-and-scan, cutting off half of the picture), and his other films not yet seen in the West can be found over P2P services like Kazaa Lite. Most notably, 1984's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and 1992's Porco Russo.

Finally, I must again plead the case for what I consider to be the finest animated movie ever made: Grave of the Fireflies. This 1988 film was first shown in Japan on a double bill with My Neighbor Totoro, which is notable since both films are polar opposites (one is the happiest movie ever made, the other is the saddest). Fireflies was directed by Isao Takahata, a collegue of Miyazaki at Studio Ghibli, and is a masterful movie that will haunt you forever. An excellent 2-disc DVD was released last year, but is hard to find, so you may want to purchase a copy via the Internet. If you want to know more, just head over to Internet Movie Database.

Hope that helps.

[Raccoon Lad]

This does NOT belong in the main forum!

[Jorpho]

Ah, yes, Howl's Moving Castle. I've read a few of Diana Wynne Jones's books; they are somewhat novel because Ms. Jones is so woefully inept at explaining anything. This undoubtedly means her book will make a very successful anime. ;)

I still think Laputa: Castle in the Sky and Castle of Cagliostro are some of Miyazaki's best work. Does anyone else think that engineer in Laputa looks a lot like Dr. Robotnik? (There we go, back on topic. :) )
________
California medical marijuana dispensary (http://california.dispensaries.org/)

[Raedon]

That is one thing about his films that is cool.. they teach things like alternative lifestyles (kiki's Delivery Service) without being all IN YOUR FACE.

[Nature Boy]

This does NOT belong in the main forum!

My mistake. Can somebody shuffle this over to Off Topic? My thanks and apologies.

****Spoiler Alert****

As to the movie's ending, I'm trying to remember (I haven't seen it in some time), but I thought the forest spirit was revived at the end. His presence brought about the revival of the forests, just as his decapitation brought apon creeping death.

That's where I thought maybe I missed the boat. He does get his head back, but I thought he had died. Then again I was *extremely* tired by the end of the movie (we started it late, so it finished *late*) and I might have nodded off during bits of it (I'm not sure).

If he is revived, I'm not sure I understand *why* his revival brings on the revival of the forest. I guess my logic is that, if man has brought down the spirit in the first place, they don't necessarily deserve it's restoration. Then again, maybe I have to rewatch that ending (re: above).
****Spoiler End****

Don't worry about "Spirited Away" - of the four movies I bought that was one of them (along with "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie" and "Akira").

[Half Japanese]

Does anyone else think that engineer in Laputa looks a lot like Dr. Robotnik?

YES! That was my first thought upon seeing him. I also thought that the guy in the Boiler Room in Spirited Away had a face that resembled Dr. Robotnik.

[ubersaurus]

Lupin III wasn't done by Miyazaki. He did the one Lupin movie Castle of Cagliostro, which is rather interesting, since Lupin characters are still done in Monkey Punch's style, but other characters are drawn in Miyazaki's, and somehow it works.

[hezeuschrist]

Best part of the whole movie: Those little forest spirits with the crazy heads. Oh man.

[Nature Boy]

Best part of the whole movie: Those little forest spirits with the crazy heads. Oh man.

The first thing I thought of, while watching that, was Wind Waker and the forest spirits with leafs-for-a-head. Very eery.

[Kid Fenris]

Lupin III wasn't done by Miyazaki. He did the one Lupin movie Castle of Cagliostro, which is rather interesting, since Lupin characters are still done in Monkey Punch's style, but other characters are drawn in Miyazaki's, and somehow it works.

Miyazaki also co-directed the first Lupin TV series with Isao Takahata and created two episodes for the second series. If you scour secondhand shops, you might be able to find Streamline's old VHS release of Tales of the Wolf, a dubbed-only collection of these two excellent, Miyazaki-helmed Lupin episodes. One features a robot straight out of Castle in the Sky and a female lead who's a dead ringer for Nausicaa.

Anyway, Miyazaki has crafted a lot of anime that's not widely available in the west. (I'd really like to see Future Boy Conan.) For more info on his films and related works, check out http://www.nausicaa.net/

As for Mononoke's end, I thought that the forest god's sacrificial healing of everything was an extension of the power he used to cure Ashitaka's wounds earlier in the film, the implication being that the forest god, unlike other denizens of the forest, is willing to forgive the humans. It's sort of a manipulative conclusion, but it's sufficiently foreshadowed.

[IntvGene]

It's a great film. One of the best.

You didn't mention how you watched it. I hope it was with the original Japanese voices and the subtitles. I thought that the English version was a decent effort, but the Japanese voices are still preferred. I really didn't like Gillian Anderson or Billy Bob.

[Nature Boy]

You didn't mention how you watched it. I hope it was with the original Japanese voices and the subtitles. I thought that the English version was a decent effort, but the Japanese voices are still preferred. I really didn't like Gillian Anderson or Billy Bob.

I left it out because (a) I don't think it's really that important and (b) I don't want this to become an issue of subtitles versus dubbing.

Having said that, I watched the dubbed version. And both my wife and I thought the voice acting was good.

[Jorpho]

Neil Gaiman helped write the dub, apparently. (I find it very subtle how in the end, the dub has Lady Iboshi saying "We will build a new Iron Town", whereas the Japanese subtitles read "We will build a good town"...)
________
Suzuki sx4 history (http://www.suzuki-tech.com/wiki/Suzuki_SX4)

[Raedon]

Lupin III wasn't done by Miyazaki. He did the one Lupin movie Castle of Cagliostro, which is rather interesting, since Lupin characters are still done in Monkey Punch's style, but other characters are drawn in Miyazaki's, and somehow it works.

Check it out.. He sure did.. At least enough of it to get a IMDB.com credit for it.

Director - filmography
(In Production) (2000s) (1990s) (1980s) (1970s)

Hauru no ugoku shiro (2004) (pre-production)
... aka Howl's Moving Castle (2004) (International: English title) (USA)


Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
... aka Miyazaki's Spirited Away (2002) (USA: poster title)
... aka Sen (2001) (Japan: informal short title)
... aka Sen and the Mysterious Disappearance of Chihiro (2001)
... aka Spirited Away (2002) (USA: US version)
... aka Spiriting Away of Sen and Chihiro, The (2002) (USA: literal English title)


Mononoke-hime (1997)
... aka Princess Mononoke (1999) (USA: US version)
On Your Mark (1995)
Kurenai no buta (1992)
... aka Crimson Pig (1992)
... aka Porco rosso (1995) (France)


Majo no takkyubin (1989)
... aka Kiki's Delivery Service (1998) (USA)
... aka Witch's Express Mail, The (1989) (literal title)
Tonari no Totoro (1988)
... aka My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Tenku no shiro Rapyuta (1986)
... aka Castle in the Sky (1989) (USA)
... aka Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986)
"Meitantei Holmes" (1984) TV Series (episodes 2, 4, 5, 12, 17 and 26)
... aka "Sherlock Hound, the Detective" (1984)
Kaze no tani no Naushika (1984)
... aka Kaze no tani no Nausicaa (1984)
... aka Nausicaä (1984)
... aka Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds (1986) (USA)
... aka Warriors of the Wind (1984) (USA: US version)


Rupan sansei: Kariosutoro no shiro (1979)
... aka Arsene Lupin and the Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
... aka Castle of Cagliostro, The (1979)
... aka Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
"Mirai shônen Conan" (1978) TV Series
... aka "Future Boy Conan" (1978)
"Rupan sansei: Part II" (1977) TV Series (episodes 145 and 155) (as Tsutomu Teruki)
... aka "New Lupin III, The" (1977)
"Rupan sansei" (1971) TV Series
... aka "Lupin III" (1971)

[kainemaxwell]

Mononoke's one those films you can definitly enjoy on multiple levels.

[Nature Boy]

Neil Gaiman helped write the dub, apparently.

That definitely gave me confidence the dubbing was going to be good. Not that I've experienced Gaiman's dubbing work before, but I've loved his work both in comics and novels. He's a great story teller.

[WiseSalesman]

I thought the American dub of this particular film was extremely competent, as far as dubs go. Now Trigun, OH MAN! MY EARS!