For some reason, the majority of my favorite anime are in a movie format. Maybe it's because the story can be told efficiently, and the characters still get enough time to be likable. Princess Mononoke is one of those amazing anime films.
Ashitaka is a member of an isolated clan in Japan, probably set in the feudal era. He is the prince of his people, but he must leave because a demon places a curse on Ashitaka. And so, Ashitaka must try to cure himself or die.
During the journey, he meets a greedy monk and joins a band of miners who are going back to Irontown. They are attacked by the wolf god Moro and her cubs, and my favorite scene occurs here.
While Ashitaka is rescuing a miner who fell down into a river, he also notices the wolf god with a bullet wound. Taking out that bullet is San, the human girl who was raised by Moro. With the music playing in the background (great work by Joe Hisaishi), the scene is inspiring. The contact between two different cultures occurs for the first time. And then, just as fast as it occurs, the scene disappears with Moro and Sans disappearance.
Princess Mononoke is a powerful piece of work. It can easily be seen as a message against deforestation, but I see more of a conflict between two cultures that cannot understand each other. Because of the emotions that it was able to create, Princess Mononoke remains one of my favorite.
Rating: 9/10
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