A Japanese animation that breaks the traditional styles of anime

Rating: Null/10 (18 December 2008)

For those that are not fans of anime this is one of the few Japanese animations that is worth seeing. Princess Mononoke is not the typical Japanese animation where facial features are over exaggerated and the characters over react to the slightest events. This film brings a fresh look at 2D animation and the artistic capabilities that creative minds can bring to an animated feature.
The style of this film is no doubt one of the most creative pieces of art. However, this film goes beyond the artwork and creates an epic tale that analyzes society and the negative impact of progress. There is a war between the developed world and the natural one. Through creative outlets this film is able to tell this story that is effective and creative at the same time.
The details in the animation pull audiences into a world of color and vividness. Characters seem to come alive and pop out from the background. While the film has some real world attributes to the animation, the creativity of the animals and their habitats make this imaginary world so captivating.
There is no doubt that the artwork is astonishing, but being able to tell a story of such a magnitude, while keeping audience entertained throughout is something that is very difficult, but Miyazaki is able to successfully accomplish. The story is entertaining from start to finish and the characters have a depth to them that is rarely found in anime.
Even with a plot that is enjoyable and characters that are interesting, this film is worth seeing if just for the animation. It is a nice refreshment to see an anime that has a fully developed story and animation that is not over exaggerated but instead is detail oriented. Overall this is an animation that adults will enjoy without having to be a fan of Japanese anime.