Princess Mononoke

is a 1997 anime movie made by Hayao Miyazaki. This movie is a long animation movie made by Studio Ghibli. The catch copy of this movie is _Ikiro(生きろ)_.  Mononoke is not a name, but a word that means spirit or monster in Japanese. The forest in Princess Mononoke looks like Yaku-shima(屋久島).

## Story

This movie takes place in Japan during the Muromachi period. There was a small village in Ezo. People lived peacefully. Ashitaka lived there. One day the evil god attacked the village and Ashitaka was cursed. The evil god was once a god of the forest, but he was shot by human and died in terrible pain. Ashitaka knew when he would die. He went to the west where the bullet which killed the god was made.

On his journey, he met a man called Jikobo. Jikobo told him where the Forest of Shishigami was. Ashitaka decided to go there. On his way to the forest, he met the girl raised by the wolf god, Moro. She was with her family. Ashitaka thought they must know about the forest. He called out to them. She and three big wild wolves disappeared into the forest.

Ashitaka rescues the injured men. They reach the village Tatara, where they live. Eboshi Gozen organized there. People made iron weapons there. She wanted to get the Forest of Shishigami, turn all Gods in the forest out, and make it a men-centered place.

It was said that Shishigami had a power of immortality. Because people wanted this power, they aimed at the head of Shishigami. Then these people, Shishigami, Eboshi and her people, San and Ashitaka started and were involved in huge complicated war for the forest. In this war, Ashitaka and San understood each other little by little.

## Characters

- **Ashitaka** (Ashitakahiko) Main character. A boy with a strong sense of justice. Seventeen years old. He gets a curse on his right hand as a big snakelike bruise. It sometimes gives him mighty power but shortens his life at the same time.
- **San-Princess Mononoke** The girl who was raised by a Japanese wolf. Fifteen years old. She hates humans because they destroy forest, so she attacks Tataraba many times. She puts a red clay mask on her face.
- **Yakul** Ashitaka's antelope, which he rides.
- **Moro** The wolf which is three hundred years old. She is considered to be a god of the mountain. She speaks Japanese.
- **Eboshi Gozen** She is the leader of Tataraba. She is admired and liked by people. She wants to get Shishigami's forest.
- **Shishigami** God who bring life. It turns into a huge blue creature called Didarabocci at night.
- **Okkotonushi** A five hundred year old god of wild boars.
- **Jikobo** The man who told Ashitaka about the Forest of Shishigami. He aimed at the head of Shishigami.

## Music

The song, "Mononoke Hime（もののけ姫）", was performed by Mera Yoshikazu and composed by Joe Hisaishi.

## References

- http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~hn7y-mur/mononoke/monolink01.htm

## Infobox (movie)

- **name**: Princess Mononoke
- **image**: Princess Mononoke Logo fr.svg
- **director**: Hayao Miyazaki
- **producer**: Toshio Suzuki (studio ghibli), Toshio Suzuki
- **writer**: Hayao Miyazaki (screenplay and story)
Neil Gaiman (English adaptation)
- **starring**: Yōji Matsuda
Yuriko Ishida
Yūko Tanaka
Kaoru Kobayashi (actor), Kaoru Kobayashi
(Japan)
Billy Crudup
Claire Danes
Minnie Driver
Billy Bob Thornton
(USA)
- **music**: Joe Hisaishi
- **cinematography**: Atsushi Okui
- **editing**: Takeshi Seyama
- **studio**: Miramax Films
- **distributor**: Toho
 Buena Vista Pictures
 Alliance Atlantis, Alliance
- **released**: July 12, 1997 in film, 1997
 October 29 1999
 November 26 1999
 October 19 2001
- **runtime**: 134 min
- **language**: Japanese
- **budget**: ¥2,400,000,000 (estimated)