Someone Explain Princess Mononoke to me. (Mononoke-hime)

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krotchy

Golden Member
Mar 29, 2006
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Seriously, I absolutely hated this movie. The animation was great, but it felt like I was watching a tale of a bunch of incredibly stubborn angry people making their own lives and the lives of everything else worse with their actions. I really feel like I don't get it, because it has an 8.3 on IMDB and is in the top250.

Meanwhile I absolutely loved both Howl's Moving Castle and Sprited Away. The characters in that movie were much more interesting and their actions at least seemed to make sense to me. Both of those movies drew me into a magical place where things seemed mysterious and elegant. Mononoke brought me into a bitter world that I just wanted to get out of and it kept dragging on.

Seriously what did I miss with Princess Mononoke because I have never been more disappointed with a movie in my life. I know there are people who will defend to the death this is the greatest animated film ever, and I want to hear why.
 
UncleWai

UncleWai

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2001
5,701
68
91
With a lot of Miyazaki's animation, the story is not the important. The way he uses imagery and interactions between human and nature are just phenomenal. Princess Mononoke was way better spirited away.
 
Siddhartha

Siddhartha

Lifer
Oct 17, 1999
12,505
3
81
I think visually it is an amazing movie. I agree that alot things in the movie I do not understand.

After watching the movie three times I have decided that it was produced by and for the Japanese and not for the US. To try to understand it in US cultural and political terms is projecting.
 
W

Whisper

Diamond Member
Feb 25, 2000
5,394
2
81
Originally posted by: UncleWai
With a lot of Miyazaki's animation, the story is not the important. The way he uses imagery and interactions between human and nature are just phenomenal. Princess Mononoke was way better spirited away.
Click to expand...

I actually liked Spirited Away more (although I enjoyed them both), but that's just me.
 
B

blue1friday2

Senior member
Mar 22, 2006
387
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I definitely think that Princess Mononoke is the best Miyazaki movie. Yes, it is bitter and angry, but isn't that the way of things sometimes? I think it's themes are more geared towards an adult audience and everything isn't as sugar-coated as in some of the other movies. I definitely appreciate it when things aren't wrapped up in a nice little package with a bow on it for you. Use your noodle and watch it again. It will be worth taking the time to do so.
 
W

Whisper

Diamond Member
Feb 25, 2000
5,394
2
81
Originally posted by: Siddhartha
I think visually it is an amazing movie. I agree that alot things in the movie I do not understand.

After watching the movie three times I have decided that it was produced by and for the Japanese and not for the US. To try to understand it in US cultural and political terms is projecting.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Culture can play a HUGE part in how a film is interpreted, despite the many "universal" messages it might attempt to make.
 
angminas

angminas

Diamond Member
Dec 17, 2006
3,331
26
91
The truth is, life is bitter and angry. Not all films are about the same things, which is good. Princess Mononoke IMHO is more than anything about man's helplessness in the face of nature, including his own. The others were more about "oh look, something weird, let's play with it and justify the time spent doing so with the most basic of stories". No offense, but Princess Mononoke was definitely a more complex and adult film. This doesn't mean that it's better or worse, just that it's aimed at a different audience.

I was ok with HMC, but I was very disappointed by SA. PM is one of my favorite movies. I can handle fluffy anime if it's not trying to be anything but fluffy, but when it tries to act like it's actually important when all it has is dancing monsters, I lose my suspension of disbelief. It's like a Garfield arc where he spends three weeks rewriting the Constitution. Newp, newp, newp.

Did you ever see Heavy Metal? It blends childishness and adult themes together. I'm not saying it's good, but it is an interesting view.

You might like Steamboy. I thought it was horrid, so you'd probably enjoy it.

I think Patlabor is the second greatest of all anime movies, behind PM. It's not an action movie.
 
Praxis1452

Praxis1452

Platinum Member
Jan 31, 2006
2,197
0
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I remember watching this a few years ago. I loved it. There doesn't have to be some main story for me to love it. The interactions of the characters themselves along with the story is great in itself.
 
alkemyst

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
I would say stick to Disney...but since they bought Studio Ghibli, I will say stick to american films. Only in america is there always happy endings. Check out Grave of the Fireflies if you want to see a good movie.
 
S

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
I'm not a fan of anime, but this movie was widely acclaimed. And well worth it.

There's not much to understand - tons of symbolism. Nature/forest = good. Man/advancement of technolgoy = bad.
 
K

krotchy

Golden Member
Mar 29, 2006
1,942
0
76
Well I just watched My Neighbor Totoro, another one of his movies that made no sense to me, but at least it was enjoyable.

Once I get through Castle in the Sky and Kikis Delivery Service im gonna have to rewatch mononoke.
 
EvilYoda

EvilYoda

Lifer
Apr 1, 2001
21,198
9
81
Originally posted by: krotchy
Well I just watched My Neighbor Totoro, another one of his movies that made no sense to me, but at least it was enjoyable.

Once I get through Castle in the Sky and Kikis Delivery Service im gonna have to rewatch mononoke.
Click to expand...

I loved Kiki's...maybe I'll watch it again. His ability to display such human emotion and reality is amazing.
 
Mrvile

Mrvile

Lifer
Oct 16, 2004
14,066
1
0
Much like music, a lot of movies in Japan is about the artistic side of things, not the storytelling side. In Japan (as well as many other countries), people don't focus as much on lyrics in music as they do the music itself, how things sound, how everything comes together, etc. Movies are similar - focus are the art, animation, and imagery of the movie, not the story.
 
angminas

angminas

Diamond Member
Dec 17, 2006
3,331
26
91
I liked Kiki's too!

Did anyone ever watch Maison Ikkoku? I watched the first 3 episodes, I think, and it's hard to find it for rent now. It's a bit shallow but charming.

Anyone here actually like Steamboy?
 
novasatori

novasatori

Diamond Member
Feb 27, 2003
3,851
1
0
Originally posted by: blue1friday2
I definitely think that Princess Mononoke is the best Miyazaki movie. Yes, it is bitter and angry, but isn't that the way of things sometimes? I think it's themes are more geared towards an adult audience and everything isn't as sugar-coated as in some of the other movies. I definitely appreciate it when things aren't wrapped up in a nice little package with a bow on it for you. Use your noodle and watch it again. It will be worth taking the time to do so.
Click to expand...

 
sdifox

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
98,733
17,216
126
Mononoke Hime does depend a bit on knowledge of the Japanese culture more than the other movies (well, Totoro has some) so that could affect your comprehension a bit.
 
A

Anonemous

Diamond Member
May 19, 2003
7,361
1
71
Originally posted by: angminas
I liked Kiki's too!

Did anyone ever watch Maison Ikkoku? I watched the first 3 episodes, I think, and it's hard to find it for rent now. It's a bit shallow but charming.
Click to expand...

I still have the 24 fansub tapes (LD) of it somewheres... took over half a year to track those down 8 years ago. :) But the DVDs were released and they are available everywhere.


edit: ie Netflix
 
L

LS20

Banned
Jan 22, 2002
5,858
0
0
pprincess pmononoke was cool
spirited away... i stopped after 40 minutes... too effing weird
 
0roo0roo

0roo0roo

No Lifer
Sep 21, 2002
64,795
84
91
i thought it was overrated pseudo deep like much of anime. don't worry about it.
 
FlashG

FlashG

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 1999
2,709
2
0
Originally posted by: angminas
I liked Kiki's too!

Did anyone ever watch Maison Ikkoku? I watched the first 3 episodes, I think, and it's hard to find it for rent now. It's a bit shallow but charming.

Anyone here actually like Steamboy?
Click to expand...
Yes, For some reason some of the visuals remind me of Akira. I just go with what I like and they both please me.

 
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