Inumako's Studio Ghibli

|| Tonari no Totoro || Spirited Away || Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa || Kiki's Delivery Service ||
|| Mononoke Hime || Hotaru no Haka || Howl's Moving Castle ||



= Mononoke Hime =

[ Princess Mononoke ]

Ashitaka and San

 

Finally I made the page for my first Ghibli's project, Mononoke Hime. This anime was the one which had made me so much in love with Studio Ghibli for the first time. Sou ja, I won't waste your time longer, let's begin the journey of the brave young warrior, Ashitaka. Iku zee!!!

demon boar Somewhere in the time of classic Japan, lies an isolated village where lives an abandoned tribe, Emishi. There lived a young prince named Ashitaka (totemo kakoi otoko no ko da yo!), together with his pet, a pretty elk named Yaku, he looked after his village from any dangers came from the outside. One of those days, came a giant wild boar from the forest, it wasn't an usual one because it was filled with evil spirits. Then Ashitaka with risking his life tried to save the village. Although he finally killed the demonic boar, he got himself injured by the evil spirit on his right hand.

rideThe wise lady in his village said that the wound on his right hand soon will grow larger and cover his body then finally kill him. He was then ordered to leave the village as an outcast. Ashitaka decided to search for what caused the boar filled with evil spirits, so off he goes with Yaku to start his journey. On his journey he met with a monk who then told him about the Forest Spirit who could heal his wound. After he heard the he decided to go to the forbidden forest where the Forest Spirit lived. On his way he saw 2 men's body floating on the river, so he pulled them to the shore.

hime But then he heard something's coming, so he hid behind a log on the river. There he saw a young girl at his age, riding on a giant wolf. The girl came to another giant wolf which lies wounded on the shore, then she sucked out the blood from the wound. Ashitaka encouraged himself to come out and introduce himself. He asked whether he was in the forbidden forest or not, but the girl was only watching him with vengeful eyes and told him to go away, then she's gone with the wolves. Ashitaka was wondering who's the girl he'd just seen, but later on he knew she was the Mononoke Hime.

ashitakaWhen he came back to the men he saved, he saw the tree spirit, Kodama. Then he asked them politely to show the way out of the forest. Ashitaka carried one of the men who's badly wounded on his back and let the other one rode on Yaku. Inside the forest he saw traces left by Mononoke Hime and her wolves. But then he saw another trace he'd never seen before but he knew that trace was made recently. When he looked around he saw a strange deer on a distance place, and when the deer is looking at him the wound on his hand is struggling out.

eboshiAshitaka, by the guide of Kodama, finally came out of the forest and found a village known as Iron Village where those 2 guys he saved lived on. Although he had saved them, Tatara tribe didn't welcome him because he was a stranger. But then came a woman named Lady Eboshi who thanked him from saving his men, and told him to take a rest in the village. After talking with her, Ashitaka finally discovered that Lady Eboshi was the one who shot the wild boar who attacked his village and made the boar was filled with vengeance so that evil spirits possessed him.

spiritAshitaka was so mad at her but he knew that he couldn't change Lady Eboshi's mind so he decided to leave the village soon to find Mononoke Hime. But he didn't need to look for her because Mononoke Hime came to the village to kill Lady Eboshi. Then happened a duel between Mononoke Hime and Lady Eboshi, but Ashitaka with the evil spirit on his hand stopped them. He took away Mononoke Hime, but he was shot by one of the female villagers. However, with his remain strength he carried out Mononoke Hime. Poor Ashitaka, he finally fell down, dying on the ground.

wakeupMononoke Hime was indeed about to slay him until Ashitaka told her how beautiful she was (Kyaa!! @_@). Then Mononoke Hime knew that Ashitaka was actually not as bad as she thought. Mononoke Hime then called the Forest Spirit to come and spare Ashitaka's life. When he finally conscious, he found himself lying on the pastures and his gun-shot wound has gone, but still he lost so much power that he even couldn't eat by himself, so Mononoke Hime had to feed him mouth-to-mouth (Alert: Boys and Girls, Please don't try this at home. It's very.. stimulating ^v^).

sleepTo restore his power, San (the real name of Mononoke Hime) took him to her place. Ashitaka was awaken on his sleep and found San was lying asleep by his side. He came out and talked with one of the Wolf God, he argued that San is a human, but the Wolf God said "San is not a wolf, nor a human, and what can you do to save her?!". Ashitaka was confused but he convinced that human and animals should live together in peace (AGREE!). On the next morning he couldn't find San again, so he left without saying good bye. But before he gone he gave a crystal dagger which used to belonged to his lil sister, Kaya, to the Wolf God and told him to give it to San as his thank.

arrowWhen he was on his journey leaving San and everything else with burdened heart, he saw the Iron Village was ambushed by a huge number of samurai. So he headed back to help the people at Iron Village. He was told that Lady Eboshi and the men has gone to the Forbidden Forest to get the head of Forest Spirit. Ashitaka suddenly remembered to San, so he hurried back to the forest. But he was hold up by a group of samurai. Although he wasn't desire to fight to he has to defeat them at once. It was a very cool battle, especially when Ashitaka catched up a shooting arrow, Sugoi!!!

hugWhen he finally found San, she has already been possessed by evil spirits inside a giant old boar named Okoto. By the help of Wolf God, Ashitaka could save San before she became a demon. But Lady Eboshi came and beheaded the Forest Spirit. Then the Forest Spirit turned into a headless Nightwalker and search everywhere to find his missing head which was carried by the monks who worked for Lady Eboshi. The Nightwalker destroyed everything he touched, the forest, Kodama, except the water. So Ashitaka told everyone to get into the water and saved Lady Eboshi.

talkWhen Ashitaka return to see San, she was outraged and call him betrayer because he'd saved Lady Eboshi. Ashitaka tried to convinced her but she was too mad so that she stabbed Ashitaka with the crystal dagger. However, Ashitaka didn't heed it, he hold San on his arms and San finally calmed down (Ah.. how sweet $_$). Then they together ride on the Wolf Gods to stop the monks who carried the Nightwalker's head and return it to its owner. But it wasn't that easy since the monks were so stubborn, they believed that the Nightwalker will gone as the sun rose up.

wolvesAfter a hard try, Ashitaka and San got the head of Nightwalker back. Ashitaka and San rose it up above their head and called the Nightwalker to take his head back. The Nightwalker heard them and slowly reached for his head. Then a blazing light burst out and the Nightwalker was slowly fell to the ground. As his body hit the ground, a huge wind blown and destroyed everything left behind. When it's over, slowly the grass is growing on pastures, and the tree is blooming. As Ashitaka and San got conscious they saw everything has turned into green pastures and trees.

endSo then, no one won, not human nor the animals, but it was the mother nature who healed everything we have destroyed. San knew she had to live in the forest so she have to depart. But Ashitaka said that he will lived in the Iron Village and recover it, he also promised that he will go with Yaku to the forest to see San. They smiled to each other realizing that it wasn't the end of everything ^_^. Here we can learn how we have to treat the mother nature, we may use it but not exploiting it for our own sake. Remember, it was the mother nature who looks after us day by day.


[ Post Note from Inumako ]
I'd like to dedicate this page to my best pal, Tetchan, who had accompanied me watching this anime and request for this page. Also to my ex-GO partner at SaiGO club, Dhani-kun, and her lil sister who also came to see the movie and sat next to me. Last but not least, my Shaman pal, Mi-chan, and his metalhead big bro, Irfan-kun, who had come after my invitation ^ ^. And to the Shaman Shrine who had supported this movie at the J-Movie Festival on January 19, 2003. Arigatou, minna-san!

Mononoke Hime are copyright of Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, and Studio Ghibli, Japan©1997 and Miramax Films, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, USA©1999

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