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Princess Mononoke #4
Princess Mononoke, Vol. 4
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 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.
A full-blown war has erupted in the forest surrounding the iron town of Tatara. An elder forest god by the name of Lord Okkoto has arrived and is leading an attack against the humans with his tribe of militant boars. Meanwhile, Ashitaka is hoping that his newly formed alliance with the wolf tribe will avoid any further bloodshed.
It was the Age of 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.
A full-blown war has erupted in the forest surrounding the iron town of Tatara. An elder forest god by the name of Lord Okkoto has arrived and is leading an attack against the humans with his tribe of militant boars. Meanwhile, Ashitaka is hoping that his newly formed alliance with the wolf tribe will avoid any further bloodshed.
166 pages, Comic
First published November 1, 1997
5 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Hayao Miyazaki
369 books3,515 followersHayao Miyazaki (Japanese: 宮崎 駿) is a celebrated Japanese animator, filmmaker, screenwriter, and manga artist, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of animation. He is the co-founder of Studio Ghibli, the animation studio responsible for producing many of Japan’s most beloved and internationally acclaimed animated films. Over the course of a career spanning decades, Miyazaki has developed a reputation for creating visually rich, emotionally resonant stories that often explore themes such as nature, pacifism, flight, childhood, and the human condition.
Miyazaki was born in Tokyo and developed an early interest in drawing and animation. His father’s work in the aviation industry had a significant influence on him, particularly in fostering his fascination with aircraft and flight, motifs that would become prominent throughout his later works. After studying political science and economics at university, Miyazaki began his professional career in animation when he joined Toei Animation. There, he worked under the mentorship of directors like Isao Takahata, with whom he would later form a lifelong creative partnership.
In his early years at Toei and other studios, Miyazaki contributed to several television series and animated films. He worked as a key animator and storyboard artist, gradually gaining recognition for his storytelling abilities and attention to detail. Among his early projects were contributions to series such as Heidi, Girl of the Alps and Future Boy Conan. His directorial debut in feature films came with The Castle of Cagliostro, a film adaptation of the Lupin III manga series, which already showed signs of his distinctive style and sensibilities.
Miyazaki's breakthrough came with the film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, based on his own manga. The success of that film prompted the establishment of Studio Ghibli, which he co-founded with Takahata and producer Toshio Suzuki. From that point forward, Miyazaki directed and wrote many of Ghibli’s most iconic works, including My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, and Howl’s Moving Castle. His films are known for their hand-drawn animation, strong character development, and philosophical underpinnings.
In 2001, Miyazaki directed Spirited Away, which became one of the most critically and commercially successful animated films of all time. The film received numerous awards and international recognition, including an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It also became the highest-grossing film in Japanese history at the time of its release. The film’s success further solidified Miyazaki’s reputation as a master storyteller and a visionary in global cinema.
Despite announcing his retirement several times, Miyazaki repeatedly returned to filmmaking. His later works, such as Ponyo and The Wind Rises, continued to showcase his evolving themes and storytelling maturity. His most recent project, The Boy and the Heron, marked a highly anticipated return to the director’s chair and once again captivated audiences with its dreamlike visuals and emotional depth.
Miyazaki’s films are often distinguished by their complex female protagonists, environmental messages, and moral ambiguity. Rather than presenting clear-cut villains and heroes, his stories explore the nuances of human behavior and often focus on characters finding their place in the world. Throughout his career, he has received numerous accolades and honors for his contributions to the arts, including lifetime achievement awards recognizing his impact on both Japanese and international cinema.
His legacy continues to influence generations of animators and filmmakers worldwide, and Studio Ghibli remains one of the most respected names in animation.
Miyazaki was born in Tokyo and developed an early interest in drawing and animation. His father’s work in the aviation industry had a significant influence on him, particularly in fostering his fascination with aircraft and flight, motifs that would become prominent throughout his later works. After studying political science and economics at university, Miyazaki began his professional career in animation when he joined Toei Animation. There, he worked under the mentorship of directors like Isao Takahata, with whom he would later form a lifelong creative partnership.
In his early years at Toei and other studios, Miyazaki contributed to several television series and animated films. He worked as a key animator and storyboard artist, gradually gaining recognition for his storytelling abilities and attention to detail. Among his early projects were contributions to series such as Heidi, Girl of the Alps and Future Boy Conan. His directorial debut in feature films came with The Castle of Cagliostro, a film adaptation of the Lupin III manga series, which already showed signs of his distinctive style and sensibilities.
Miyazaki's breakthrough came with the film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, based on his own manga. The success of that film prompted the establishment of Studio Ghibli, which he co-founded with Takahata and producer Toshio Suzuki. From that point forward, Miyazaki directed and wrote many of Ghibli’s most iconic works, including My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, and Howl’s Moving Castle. His films are known for their hand-drawn animation, strong character development, and philosophical underpinnings.
In 2001, Miyazaki directed Spirited Away, which became one of the most critically and commercially successful animated films of all time. The film received numerous awards and international recognition, including an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It also became the highest-grossing film in Japanese history at the time of its release. The film’s success further solidified Miyazaki’s reputation as a master storyteller and a visionary in global cinema.
Despite announcing his retirement several times, Miyazaki repeatedly returned to filmmaking. His later works, such as Ponyo and The Wind Rises, continued to showcase his evolving themes and storytelling maturity. His most recent project, The Boy and the Heron, marked a highly anticipated return to the director’s chair and once again captivated audiences with its dreamlike visuals and emotional depth.
Miyazaki’s films are often distinguished by their complex female protagonists, environmental messages, and moral ambiguity. Rather than presenting clear-cut villains and heroes, his stories explore the nuances of human behavior and often focus on characters finding their place in the world. Throughout his career, he has received numerous accolades and honors for his contributions to the arts, including lifetime achievement awards recognizing his impact on both Japanese and international cinema.
His legacy continues to influence generations of animators and filmmakers worldwide, and Studio Ghibli remains one of the most respected names in animation.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 12, 2019
::Princess Mononoke's Characters::
Okkotonushi
Inoshishi Gami (Boar God) from Chinzai (Kyuusyu), who can understand human language. He is 500 years old and the oldest of the Boar Gods. Leading other Boar Gods, he commands the big offensive against humans. He is in conflict with the Wolf God Moro's family, but it has not escalated to the point of fighting.
***
Kodama
They are a kind of spirits, and live in the rich forest. They have pale green, half transparent bodies. They showed a way to Ashitaka and others who lost their way in the forest. It seems that they don't particularly have any ill feeling against humans.
Okkotonushi
Inoshishi Gami (Boar God) from Chinzai (Kyuusyu), who can understand human language. He is 500 years old and the oldest of the Boar Gods. Leading other Boar Gods, he commands the big offensive against humans. He is in conflict with the Wolf God Moro's family, but it has not escalated to the point of fighting.
***
Kodama
They are a kind of spirits, and live in the rich forest. They have pale green, half transparent bodies. They showed a way to Ashitaka and others who lost their way in the forest. It seems that they don't particularly have any ill feeling against humans.
March 5, 2024
I’ve always wanted to watch Princess Mononoke. From the days when I had Funimation I think Ituned into snippets of the movie or watched enough trailers to feel like I had seen snippets of the movie. I’ve only watched a handful of Miyazaki films. Let’s see…I’ve downed Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away , Ponyo,KiKi’s Delivery Service, and Nausicaa of The Valley of the Wind(favorite). Oh and Tales From Earthsea. Some of these I never watched start to finish. I watched more than I thought.
Anyway, it turns out that the film can make a wonderful comic adaptation. I’m assuming that these panels and the art are directly from the movie with little variation. It’s almost like viewing a storyboard for the movie with the same quality. Obviously the art is spectacular. It’s a wonderful story. It checks off a lustful of items I love seeing anywhere.
Wolves. Check!
Nature. Check!
Human nature. Check!
Spirits. Check!
Swords. Check!
Coming of age technology. Check!
Diverse characters (in terms of character). Check!
Anyway, it turns out that the film can make a wonderful comic adaptation. I’m assuming that these panels and the art are directly from the movie with little variation. It’s almost like viewing a storyboard for the movie with the same quality. Obviously the art is spectacular. It’s a wonderful story. It checks off a lustful of items I love seeing anywhere.
Wolves. Check!
Nature. Check!
Human nature. Check!
Spirits. Check!
Swords. Check!
Coming of age technology. Check!
Diverse characters (in terms of character). Check!
July 1, 2020
A great scene by scene comic of the movie. If you wanted to go through the plot at a slower pace to analyze and take your time this is for you!
October 20, 2020
This is a review of the entire series.
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. Marked with the curse of a rampaging boar god, young Ashitaka sets off on a journey to cure his mysterious affliction.
A great fantasy tale about the importance of the environment told through the constant battle between human evolution, animals living in the wilderness and the tragic and fearful embodiment of nature's rage in physical form. The story begins with Ashitaka seeking to undo a curse placed on him by an enraged boar god that's been corrupted by pollution, only to learn that the curse wouldn't have existed in the first place if a human hadn't defiled the boar's forest and turned the animal into a demon by poisoning the land with their greedy industrial and agricultural practices. The curse represents the rage and sorrow of nature taking back the land after being destroyed and mistreated by the greed of humans and the pollution of the earth for so long.
Along his journey, Ashitaka meets a mysterious girl named San who was raised by wolves and lives in the wilderness. She has a deep hatred toward humans that hunt for sport and poison the land with crooked industrial/agriculture practices. She represents the rage of the denizens of the forest in human form, seeking to destroy those who would harm the earth for their own selfish needs. Though she's unhinged, dangerous and full of hate, she also represents the only hope that Ashitaka has of bridging the gap between the denizens of the old world and the denizens of the Age of Iron. The two have no choice but to see eye-to-eye for the sake of their mutual survival.
The most enjoyable aspect of the story is that not a single character is portrayed as evil. Even the ones responsible for destroying the land, causing pollution and seeking to enrich themselves at the expense of the environment are painted as sympathetic and understandable people in their own right. It really emphasizes the message that the people we paint as one-dimensional villains destroying the world in our minds are often just normal, well-meaning people trying to make ends meet and improve the lives of their loved ones. It's difficult to tackle such a complex issue while making all sides equally sympathetic and understandable, which is something Miyazaki does exceptionally well in many of his works. There can be good in evil and there can be evil in good, it's all a matter of perspective and understanding.
***
My Social Media
My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
My Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/michael_sor...
My Wattpad Account: https://www.wattpad.com/user/Michael-...
My Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/SorbelloHorror
My Facebook Account: https://www.facebook.com/michael.sorb...
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. Marked with the curse of a rampaging boar god, young Ashitaka sets off on a journey to cure his mysterious affliction.
A great fantasy tale about the importance of the environment told through the constant battle between human evolution, animals living in the wilderness and the tragic and fearful embodiment of nature's rage in physical form. The story begins with Ashitaka seeking to undo a curse placed on him by an enraged boar god that's been corrupted by pollution, only to learn that the curse wouldn't have existed in the first place if a human hadn't defiled the boar's forest and turned the animal into a demon by poisoning the land with their greedy industrial and agricultural practices. The curse represents the rage and sorrow of nature taking back the land after being destroyed and mistreated by the greed of humans and the pollution of the earth for so long.
Along his journey, Ashitaka meets a mysterious girl named San who was raised by wolves and lives in the wilderness. She has a deep hatred toward humans that hunt for sport and poison the land with crooked industrial/agriculture practices. She represents the rage of the denizens of the forest in human form, seeking to destroy those who would harm the earth for their own selfish needs. Though she's unhinged, dangerous and full of hate, she also represents the only hope that Ashitaka has of bridging the gap between the denizens of the old world and the denizens of the Age of Iron. The two have no choice but to see eye-to-eye for the sake of their mutual survival.
The most enjoyable aspect of the story is that not a single character is portrayed as evil. Even the ones responsible for destroying the land, causing pollution and seeking to enrich themselves at the expense of the environment are painted as sympathetic and understandable people in their own right. It really emphasizes the message that the people we paint as one-dimensional villains destroying the world in our minds are often just normal, well-meaning people trying to make ends meet and improve the lives of their loved ones. It's difficult to tackle such a complex issue while making all sides equally sympathetic and understandable, which is something Miyazaki does exceptionally well in many of his works. There can be good in evil and there can be evil in good, it's all a matter of perspective and understanding.
***
My Social Media
My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
My Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/michael_sor...
My Wattpad Account: https://www.wattpad.com/user/Michael-...
My Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/SorbelloHorror
My Facebook Account: https://www.facebook.com/michael.sorb...
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews