By: Alina Fang

Hayao Miyazaki wrote and directed the 1997 Japanese animated epic historical fantasy film Princess Mononoke (Japanese, Hepburn: Mononoke-Hime). It was animated for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, and Dentsu and released by Toho. Yji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yko Tanaka, Kaoru Kobayashi, Masahiko Nishimura, Tsunehiko Kamijo, Akihiro Miwa, Mitsuko Mori, and Hisaya Morishige provide the voices for the movie.

Despite having magical aspects, Princess Mononoke is set in the late Muromachi period of Japan (about 1336 to 1573 CE). The plot centers on Ashitaka, a young Emishi prince, and his involvement in a conflict between the forest’s gods and the people who exploit it for their own gain. The Japanese word for supernatural, shape-shifting beings that possess people and bring about sorrow, disease, or death is Mononoke.

On July 12, 1997, the movie was released in Japan, and in the United States on October 29, 1999. It was a critical and financial success, becoming the highest-grossing movie in Japan in 1997. Until the release of another Miyazaki movie, Spirited Away, in 2001, it also held the record for domestic box office in Japan. Despite having a dismal box office result, Miramax initially distributed it in North America with an English dub and script, where it did well on DVD and video sales. Ghibli’s fame and influence outside of Japan were significantly boosted by the movie.

Princess Mononoke is causing a stir in Japan. It grossed more than 19 billion yen ($160 million) at the box office, well ahead of the country’s previous record holder, Steven Spielberg’s ET, and propelled Miyazaki to a new level of popularity and influence.