Princesse Mononoké

If this is peak anime, I’m not very interested in other representatives of the genre. I didn’t like the animation very much, in fact, though the music was gorgeous. It really makes you feel like you are in an ancient mythical world ruled by animal gods, where humans are not at the top of the food chain yet. The clear eco-philosophical message can be seen throughout, but considering the runtime, it could have been expanded a lot more. As such, this a pretty charming film, but also a bit shallow. 7/10 (04/03/2009)

For me, the weakest epic of Hayao's magnificent filmography, yet still with a feeling of a complex work. As soon as San appears after an unusually unremarkable start, the story grabs hold and, with a few exceptions, doesn't let go until the impressive and visually stunning conclusion. Those exceptions are the episodes set in Iron Town, which try to fit a somewhat clumsy humor into Princess Mononoke, which this time around feels like a punch in the eye. Everything else, however, is a fairytale in the most positive sense of the word. Whenever San and Ashitaka are in the same frame, but especially when Miyazaki unleashes ideas from his rich treasure trove called imagination. Wolves, forest creatures, or even the Great Forest Spirit made me feel like I was watching a filmed poem. (22/06/2006)

I'm used to Miyazaki's work being tinged with "let's protect nature – sort trash – don’t burn forests", but this time it was too much. Again, no expense is spared when it comes to fantasy, I really liked the white creatures in the forest, the story was also interesting, the ending was kind of bittersweet (which I didn't mind at the time), yet for me this is one of the weakest films I've seen from Miyazaki so far. It just didn't touch me, not this time. His work has always left something in me, now not a peep. Still, it's a quality piece of work that's definitely worth seeing; me once. A weaker 4 stars. (18/02/2009)

I approached Princess Mononoke in the proper mood set by Spirited Away, which set the bar quite high. I must say that while the director did not surpass the success of his Oscar-winning film, I am certainly not disappointed by it. Unlike the playful fairytale-like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke works more with myths and is heavily influenced by both Shintoism and animistic cults of indigenous peoples. The environmental element contained in the film is much less kitschy and cheap than, for example, in the popular Avatar. At the same time, Miyazaki's film is heavily influenced by Japanese history, so the world of thinking animals and forest spirits intertwines with human civilization and mortal lives. Viewers have the opportunity to follow the adventurous epic story of warrior Ashitaka on a quest to be cured of an evil curse. Along the way, he must confront ruthless samurais, cunning emissaries of the Japanese emperor, and above all, the greedy inhabitants of an iron manufactory who, in the name of human progress, destroy forests in the surrounding area. The world Miyazaki has created is meticulously crafted as usual, and good and evil do not have a clearly identifiable face at first glance. The hero and the viewer must gradually come to the truth. An emotionally and visually successful spectacle. Overall impression: 95%. (14/07/2010)

I am watching Hayao Miyazaki's films in chronological order, and I like how his work evolves over time, but his signature remains safely recognizable. Princess Mononoke is another story with a strong ecological subtext, but it is one hundred percent serious fantasy with very few moments of lightness, but with a large number of magical and poetic scenes, and with characters who are by no means clearly divided into good and bad – each of them can be understood with a certain vision of the world, which adds to the story's impact. The monster finale is awesome, but there are plenty of memorable scenes. (06/08/2023)

I actually have hardly anything to complain about; whether it's the amazing mythical story, the score, or the stunningly engaging visuals, which would be unimaginable in any other animated movie. The problem is simply that the plot, however brilliantly developed and imaginative, failed to effectively pull me in and make me sit still in front of the monitor for two hours. So all OK, I had fun and enjoyed an unconventional adventure movie, but I still like the top American cartoons much more. (03/08/2012)

A hardcore fairy tale set in an imaginative world with a strong appeal to sensitive and conscientious behavior towards nature, which is very ambitious and broad in its many themes and (sub)plots (I honestly got a little lost at times). Miyazaki has really created an extremely diverse world here, which, though rendered (only) in animation, has absolutely full-blooded and morally quite contradictory heroes. [90%] (16/01/2022)