Princess Mononoke

An oversized, lavishly illustrated storybook featuring original watercolor art by legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki! This is the original Princess Mononoke story, created by Hayao Miyazaki in 1980 while he was first conceptualizing the landmark animated film that would be released to universal acclaim seventeen years later. As an initial version of the tale, it offers a new and different perspective from the final version presented in the film. After a long, exhausting war, a samurai lost in a forest encounters a giant wildcat--a mononoke. The beast saves his life, but at the price of his daughter's hand in marriage...

Set in the remote splendor of the forests of northern Japan, Princess Mononoke is a spectacular "eco-fable" that pits the forces of industry and civilization against the fierce yet fragile natural environment. Drawing on Japanese folklore, myth, and legend, the filmmakers have created powerful gods and spirits who command a lush forest that is being threatened and polluted by the presence of an ironworks. More a chronicle of the struggle between civilization and nature than a battle between good and evil, Princess Mononoke introduces us to such characters as Prince Ashitaka, Lady Eboshi, and, of course, Princess Mononoke herself.

Raised by wolves and calling the forest her home, a young girl by the name of Princess Mononoke is the only one who can save the planet! It was the Age of Iron: a time when mankind was just starting to understand its ability to exploit the earth and all its natural resources. But a war was brewing--a war between a village of iron miners and the animal gods of the surrounding forest. The battle continues with no easy resolution in sight. Still fighting to bring peace to both sides, Ashitaka walks a fine line between the two warring factions. First, he has to convince Princess Mononoke to trust him. Secondly, he's got to reach Lady Eboshi before she single-handedly eliminates the revered god of life and death.

Princess Mononoke (1997) is one of anime's most important films. Hayao Miyazaki's epic fantasy broke domestic box office records when it came out in Japan, keeping pace with the success of Hollywood films like Titanic (1997). Princess Mononoke was also the first of Studio Ghibli's films to be distributed outside Japan as part of a new deal with Disney subsidiary Buena Vista International. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the release of the film, Rayna Denison curates this new collection to critically reflect on Princess Mononoke's significance within and beyond Japanese culture. The collection investigates the production, and re-production, processes involved in the making of Princess Mononoke into a global phenomenon and reevaluates the film's significance within a range of global markets, animation techniques, and cultures. In revisiting this undeniably important film, the collection sheds light on the tensions within anime and the cultural and social issues that Princess Mononoke explores, from environmental protection to globalization to the representation of marginalized groups. In this remarkable new collection, Princess Mononoke is examined as a key player during a major turning point in Japanese animation history.

With the popularity of Pokemon still far from waning, Japanese animation, known as anime to its fans, has a firm hold on American pop culture. However, anime is much more than children's cartoons. It runs the gamut from historical epics to sci-fi sexual thrillers. Often dismissed as fanciful entertainment, anime is actually quite adept at portraying important social and cultural issues like alienation, gender inequality, and teenage angst. This book investigates the ways that anime presents these issues in an in-depth and sophisticated manner, uncovering the identity conflicts, fears over rapid technological advancement, and other key themes present in much of Japanese animation.

The story of filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki's life and work, including his significant impact on Japan and the world A thirtieth-century toxic jungle, a bathhouse for tired gods, a red-haired fish girl, and a furry woodland spirit—what do these have in common? They all spring from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki, one of the greatest living animators, known worldwide for films such as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and The Wind Rises. Japanese culture and animation scholar Susan Napier explores the life and art of this extraordinary Japanese filmmaker to provide a definitive account of his oeuvre. Napier insightfully illuminates the multiple themes crisscrossing his work, from empowered women to environmental nightmares to utopian dreams, creating an unforgettable portrait of a man whose art challenged Hollywood dominance and ushered in a new chapter of global popular culture.

A 13-year-old girl sets off on a journey to become a witch. In the process, she learns how to be a woman. From the movie of the same name, this prestige format, lavishly illustrated hard-bound book gives fans a rare glimpse into the creative process of Academy Award-winning director, Hayao Miyazaki. A 13-year-old girl sets off on a journey to become a witch. In the process, she learns how to be a woman. From the movie of the same name, this prestige format, lavishly illustrated hard-bound book gives fans a rare glimpse into the creative process of Academy Award-winning director, Hayao Miyazaki.