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In bringing Humanities Core's theme of "Worldbuilding" to a close, I have decided to focus on the 1997 Japanese animated film, Princess Mononoke directed by Hayao Miyazaki and how its characters allegorize existing and modern concepts such as human impact, environmental concerns, and artificial intelligence. Renowned for its visual aesthetics and complex storyline, Princess Mononoke portrays a young prince, Ashitaka, who must embark on a journey to the west through the forest in hopes of finding what ails the forest, its spirits, and his newfound curse where he meets San, who embodies the strength of the forest and fights for its survival, or Lady Eboshi, who fights for the survival of her people in their need to expand the Irontown.
"You cannot alter your fate. However, you can rise to meet it." - the Oracle, Princess Mononoke
Ominous right? The quote above that is. These are the words that were spoken to Prince Ashitaka after the Oracle pronounces his destiny to be death. Cursed by a forest god-turned-demon whose hatred was initiated from its wounding by human weaponry, Ashitaka's cursed marking signals death. Shouldering responsibility for his tribe's safety and for the life of the forest, Ashitaka faces his destiny head on.
What does this foreshadow for his fate and for us, the audience?
If he accepted his fate, Princess Mononoke would end within the first 10 minutes of the film. But Miyazaki's films are never that simple. Ashitaka's journey and hardships are defined by his sense of responsibility and leadership, but does he answer the debt to humanity or to the forest? Likewise, what debt do we, as humans, owe to the environment and how has that been impacted by our mass civilization and industrialization? Those are the general questions that I hope readers will have an answer to by the end of my capstone research project.
" There cannot be a happy ending to the fight between the raging gods and humans. However, even in the middle of hatred and killings, there are things worth living for...We depict hatred, but it is to depict that there are more important things. We depict a curse, to depict the joy of liberation." ~ Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke proposal pitch (1997)
" There cannot be a happy ending to the fight between the raging gods and humans. However, even in the middle of hatred and killings, there are things worth living for...We depict hatred, but it is to depict that there are more important things. We depict a curse, to depict the joy of liberation." ~ Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke proposal pitch (1997)
Princess Mononoke, created by director Hayao Miyazaki under the production company Studio Ghibli, is a japanese film that embodies humanity despite the main genre being fantasy. Though the aesthetics are fantastical and the visual aesthetics are breath-taking, every visual and plot choice is deliberate in its deeper context and meaning. Similar to another Studio Ghibli film of Miyazaki's whose main critique is on human impact on the environment, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, the film's main setting takes place within a dystopian environment whereas Princess Mononoke takes place within a setting of early Japan. Although they are not an explicit reflection of our present, Miyazaki intends to reflect past and future worlds where humanity continues to be shackled by destructive human activity.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Princess Nausicaä collects fungal spores from the Toxic Jungle, a forest whose air is unbreathable as a result of extreme human pollution and warfare.
Princess Mononoke (1997)
After Lady Eboshi's capture of the Forest Spirit's head, the forest begins to fall and along with it the lives of forest spirits like the Kodama.
As I turn towards a major focus in the characterization within Princess Mononoke, it is imperative that I also address and give credit to the existing scholarly conversation on the film's characterization that has been highlighted and contextualized by scholars and Studio Ghibli fanatics such as Susan Napier, Jen Hurler, and Chika Watanabe.
Top: Chika Watanabe, dijtokyo.org.
Bottom: Jen Hurler, jenhurler.com
Pictured above: Susan Napier, Booknode.com
Susan Napier's "The Faces of Others: Boundary Crossing in Princess Mononoke"
Susan Napier's "The Faces of Others: Boundary Crossing in Princess Mononoke"
When I first started this research project, Susan Napier was introduced to me by my lecturer, Dr. Walsh. After further exploration of this scholar, Napier, a professor of international literary and cultural studies at Tufts University, is both a longtime fan and commentator of Miyazaki's works, allowing her to include both an informed and personal touch to her critique. In her contextualization of the film's making itself, her opinion on how the global audience received the film, and Miyazaki's influences, Napier provided me a stable foundation to start my paper and to further understand the historical and cultural context behind Princess Mononoke.
Jen Hurler's "A Look at Environmentalism in Princess Mononoke and Wall-E"
Jen Hurler's "A Look at Environmentalism in Princess Mononoke and Wall-E"
Although Napier provided a personal touch, I wanted to target non-scholarly sources as well to test the potential of a scholar's perspective and understanding of Princess Mononoke in contrast to that of a fan's. As a animation producer, writer, and historian, Hurler's personal blog/portfolio gave me a way to better understand the themes and messages of Princess Mononoke by cross-referencing it with another beloved film on environmentalism: Wall-E. This deepened by perspective of how environmentalism as a theme is communicated throughout the art medium of film and how filmmakers successfully interpret such themes in their work.
Chika Watanabe's "The Politics of 'Shinto' Environmentalism"
Chika Watanabe's "The Politics of 'Shinto' Environmentalism"
Although Chika Watanabe, a lecturer and assistant professor at the social anthropology department at the University of Manchester who specializes in humanitarian efforts, did not reference the film in this secondary source, her account of a personal experience alongside those who practice the religion of Shinto provided me significant background on the intensity of this religion of Japanese culture. In my assessment of Shinto as a major influence on Miyazaki and his creation of Princess Mononoke, a deeper understanding of the religion and the values it holds was imperative in ensuring I can translate it across my analysis and contextualization of Princess Mononoke.
In my focus of characterization, I've chosen to hone in on the impact of human activity in the face of self-preservation, the destructive and unconsiously retaliatory nature of our environment, and the potential concerns of artificial intelligence's mass unsustainability. In order to achieve this, I've chosen to analyze the binary opposition of man vs. nature that is represented by the conflict between San and Lady Eboshi as well as how characters such as Nago allegorize the potential of nature to wreak havoc upon humanity and how Ashitaka allegorizes the potential for there to be an attempt to balance the coexistence of the natural world and humans.
Above: San violently confronts Lady Eboshi in Irontown territory during a standstill.
Before I leave you to continue this grueling research paper, here's one video essay that I enjoyed and found informative in my understanding of the film. Feel free to watch it, or not, for further understanding and interest in Princess Mononoke. Other than that, I hope you'll enjoy my research project as this film means a lot to me! See you on the other side of this research paper!
Works Cited
Works Cited
Xu, Patricia. Filmmaker Spotlight: Hayao Miyazaki. May 12, 2021. Norwich Film Festival, https://www.norwichfilmfestival.co.uk/blog/filmmaker-spotlight-hayao-miyazaki/.
Spaeth, Ryu. Hayao Miyazaki's Viral Stories. November 19, 2020. Culture, https://newrepublic.com/article/160265/hayao-miyazakis-viral-stories.
“Lady Eboshi.” Villains Wiki, villains.fandom.com/wiki/Lady_Eboshi.
Weber, Torsten. “Online DIJ Talk by Chika Watanabe on Patchwork Ethnography - Deutsches Institut Für Japanstudien.” Deutsches Institut Für Japanstudien, DIJ Tokyo, 13 Jan. 2023, www.dijtokyo.org/2023/01/13/online-dij-talk-by-chika- watanabe-on-patchwork-ethnography/.
“Jen Hurler.” Jenhurler.com, 2025, jenhurler.com/.
“Reddit - the Heart of the Internet.” Reddit.com, 2022, www.reddit.com/r/ghibli/comments/yna4lh/san_and_lady_eboshi_are_the_two_best_written/.
Noble, Barnes . “Miyazakiworld: A Life in Art|Paperback.” Barnes & Noble, 19 Nov. 2019, www.barnesandnoble.com/w/miyazakiworld-susan-napier/1127972350.
“Becoming One: Religion, Development, and Environmentalism in a Japanese NGO in Myanmar.” UH Press, 20 July 2020, uhpress.hawaii.edu/title/becoming-one-religion-development-and-environmentalism-in-a-japanese-ngo-in-myanmar/.
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