This Princess Mononoke review contains minor spoilers…
What day is it? I don’t really know. Every cycle is the same to me. Monday. Thursday. Wednesday. Sunday. Do these words mean a thing? Time… Oh, the wheels of this construct… is moving ever so slowly.
As I lumbered atop the balcony for the first time in a while, my optics picked up a blinding light. That burning sensation trickles to the tip of my rugged beard. I have not felt it in so long, that energy, that life. I peer into the distance, my eyes adjusting to the burst of light. Sparrows. I witness an avian flock. “Hark!” I cried, as they flew toward the wispy clouds in the distance. My envy rose. The vast freedom the sparrows enjoy in the breeze, flittering about with their aerial gifts, I longed for it. That green soon turns to dread. I start fearing the worst. Does mankind still exist? Are there more of us out there?
I cusped my head in my hands, pondering upon the day we were told to distance ourselves. That announcement on that damned box could have only spelt out isolation. We were cut off, left to sulk in our rooms, scratching off the days on our prison cells. It has been an eat, sleep, work (who am I working for anyway?), eat, sleep, eat, sleep, work, etc. flow with every sunset and sunrise.
However, there has been a piece of information that I have been poring through: Princess Mononoke. It’s dated, having been conceived in the year 1997. Nevertheless, its contents have certainly been a balm in these dire circumstances. Allow me to share my findings with you.
“In ancient times, the land lay covered in forests, where from ages long past dwelt the spirits of the gods. Back then man and beast lived in harmony but as time went by most of the great forests were destroyed, those that remained were guarded by gigantic beasts who owed their allegiance to the great forest spirit. For those were the days of gods and demons…”
The man behind the art is Hayao Mizayaki, an individual revered for his animating skills and the ability to tell beautiful tales through the medium. He has won several accolades for his work and has been christened as one, if not the best, Japanese animated filmmaker. I’ve got to admit that I’ve only watched one of Miyazaki’s other works – Spirited Away – and this may not be the most ideal situation considering my plight. I NEED MORE DATA! But, oh well, it is what it is. I’ve got to work with what I have.
The plot of Princess Mononoke follows Ashitaka, the last Emishi prince, who finds himself on a journey to the west. After an unfortunate encounter with a demon in his village, Ashitaka is cursed to death, his fate unchangeable. However, the village Oracle gives him a hope, by which he must leave, and seek out the Shishigami, otherwise known as the deer-god, for a cure.
With his trusty red elk, Yakul, he traverses vast mountains and plains, pushing forward until he finds himself at a crossroads with both nature and man. Iron Town, a technologically advancing community-led by lady Eboshi is at odds with the forest. The animal gods are displeased with the way the mankind has been destroying the land. San, a child of the forest, whom Eboshi dubs “Princess Mononoke”, vows to defeat the leader in order to restore peace to the land. As tensions boil, can Ashitaka intervene in this battle of ideologies before they both consume each other?
The animation of this feature is breathtaking. It reminds me of the world I used to live in before the lengthy sentence to loneliness. The slight movement of the grass stalks, whistling in the plains, while a creature trods upon it. Or the icy caps of the mountains far in the distance, white and pure. Man, the environment was a sight to behold, its fantastical elements bringing a luminous joy to the forest, sparkling with fiery glows. There were no limits to Miyazaki’s fluid imaginations as the hand-drawn animation glues on to the audience’s eyes. Combined with Joe Hisaishi’s visceral score, it truly conjures an epic portal through the forest, rattling us with awe like a tiny Kodama.
Princess Mononoke teaches us to not go to extremes but instead find an equilibrium. The stimulus of fear is perilous, raising unnecessary panic and frustration. If these emotions are left unchecked, hostile reactions will eventually cause woe and anguish. So, yeah, humans should strive to be more like Ashitaka.
During the time of writing this, I have come to realise that it was irrational to fear the solitude that had befallen upon me. I look back at the birds in the air, no longer envious, but rather with a feeling of joy.
Harmony.
Note: The writer actually has friends and is doing fine.
Princess Mononoke is currently streaming on Netflix.
