Princess Mononoke

Princess Mononoke was the first anime I ever watched. This was back in the early 2000s when I was in college. I had no idea what was going on. Since then Mrs Titan and I have watched Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and a few others. I decided to get it again to share it with her and to see it myself again.

The story is about a young man who teams up with the forest Gods and creatures to fight back against the human "Iron Town" exploiting its resources. I think.... A whole lot more is going on. The woman who runs the town is kind to women, hiring them from brothels and arming them. There are sentient wolves, boars, and gorillas who are often at odds witrh each other. There is a crazy monk, and samurai. There is a lot going on in this film, and, like most of Hayao Miyazaki's films, it doens't always make sense to Westerners (or maybe just me).

Now, don't get me wrong. I have loved all of the anime that we get. It may be a little confusing at times, but these movies are magical. They are incredible creative and unique. They are action-packed and funny. And, most of all, they are beautiful. The animation in these films is incredible and really make watching them a great occasion.

I really only had one complaint with Princess Mononoke. I got distracted by some of the voice acting. Because of the popularity of this film they signed some famous actors to so some of the voices. Billy Bob Thornton and Jada Pinkett Smith were the two worst offenders in the sense that they didn't fit. Thornton's southern drawl made no sense in the historic Japanese setting and Smith's sassy black woman style didn't fit the white woman she played. I really like Thornton and Smith, but not when they are in anime. It would have been much less distracting if they cast unknowns in these parts.

If you've never seen an anime, check this out. It will open your eyes and your mind and it should be a lot of fun in the meantime!