Therapist Reacts to PRINCESS MONONOKE

How do you untangle force, anger, and hate? And how do you control them all?

Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright continue their Ghiblification by reacting to Princess Mononoke. They talk about Ashitaka refusing hatred in a world full of it and his quest for peace between the humans and the forest. Jonathan talks about the role of hatred in our own lives and how we can exercise control in our anger and forcefulness, especially in tone and word choice. Alan points out the clever animation techniques of animating "on ones" and "on twos." Can you see it?

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Cinema Therapy is:
Written by: Megan Seawright, Jonathan Decker, and Alan Seawright
Produced by: Jonathan Decker, Megan Seawright, Alan Seawright, and Corinne Demyanovich
Edited by: Emily Colton
Director of Photography: Bradley Olsen
English Transcription by: Anna Preis

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[thehopeofeden]

“Three Japanese animators died to make this movie for us”

I know this was said us a joke, but it’s worth mentioning that at least one *did.* Yoshifumi Kondō, the man who was supposed to succeed Studio Ghibli from Miyazaki died from an aneurysm due to the stress of working on this movie right after his directorial debut Whisper of the Heart.

So we do, in fact, honor his sacrifice

[CalliopePony]

It's a little thing, but I love when San meets Yakul (Ashitaka's pet elk). Her immediate reaction is to pull off his bridle and tell him that he's free and can leave. But then she sees that he doesn't want to. He loves Ashitaka and chooses to stay with him. San had probably never even thought it possible that an animal would want to stay with a human, and I think that's a very important moment for her to start opening up her world view.

[onewheeledcar]

My favorite line from this movie is from the guy who got his arm broken near the end: “I didnt know the forest spirit made the flowers grow.” It really shows the perspective shift of “the forst is my enemy “ to the one they come to at the end, that they can live in peace. What a brilliant movie.

[LeahLuciB]

In the subtitled version, Ashitaka is instructed to "See the world with eyes unclouded." The "by hate" only exists in the dub (probably for animation matching), and I that subtle difference of meaning really makes an impact for me. Ashitaka isn't just there to fight hate, but he's there to realize that love can cloud his mind too. His love for San seems to run deeper than for Eboshi or Irontown, but he doesn't let that stop him from seeing the harm San is doing Love can blind people to hatred, and that's one of the truths that "seeing with eyes unclouded" reveals.

I think his acceptance of that apparent contradiction is how he and San are cured from their affliction of hatred.

[NickJohnCoop]

That laugh the English voice actress gives is stunning. Not exactly evil but it’s the sound of an eternal cynic encountering a pure optimist.

[saramoya]

I gasped out loud when I saw the thumbnail. Ashitaka is a perfect example of positive masculinity.

[solezeta]

The scene where San bird-feeds Ashitaka is just beautiful. No words needed there.
I also like how Miyazaki didn't make them end up together at the end. Their love for each other is clear as day, but San still hates humans. Ashitaka is just an exception. And he respects her decision.

[mistygraves]

Gillian Anderson deserves props for her voice acting as Moro. her deliver of the line, “now my poor, ugly, beautiful daughter is neither wolf, nor human.” makes me cry every time i hear it! it’s good!!!

[Erin-tsul]

Ashitaka really embodies the way many Buddhists in Medieval Japan reconciled violence with their--without hate or attachment. It is so interesting.

[kristianprigl]

"An eye for an eye leaves the world blind." That is such a powerful quote.

[Firegen]

The best Princess movie.

But seriously, the plot is so rich and wonderfully complex. Lady Eboshi is one of my favourite antagonists in media.

[Ellary_Rosewood]

Princess Mononoke is my favorite Ghibli film of all time. It changed my life when I first saw it and it never gets old. I watch it every year and it still feels like watching it for the first time. I grew up with Ghibli films and they have shaped how I live my life, the things I notice, and the art I create. ❤

[Jessi-]

Princess Mononoke is one of the few Japanese media’s if not the only media that actually shows an indigenous community in Japan. Ashitaka is Emishi and him being an indigenous character I personally feel adds so much significance to the story. Like he has every right to be angry and hateful because his people are disappearing but he isn’t hateful at all even though he would be totally justified in being so.

[katerynaberidukhova]

Lady Eboshi herself is an incredibly interesting character. For the historical/cultural context: this movie is set in the 1200s-1300s in the Muromachi period, characterized by an incredible uptick of violence directed against the peasantry by the samurai, bandits, nobles warring for power etc. The ideal noblewomen's behaviour for the time would be to sit around and look pretty (the time of famous women-warriors like Tomoe Gozen hadn't come yet). Someone like Lady Eboshi would be only educated in literature, calligraphy, possibly art, composing poems, *a bit of* written Chinese and perhaps music.
Instead, she is wearing men's hakama (fancy, but not the style that a woman would wear), she knows how to shoot (and presumably has negotiated a trade route with China to get samples of those powder tubes in order to reverse engineer them), is on a much equal standing with the townspeople than a proper lady of the time ever would be, and literally founded a town from scratch. We're forever left wondering what her story was. What a woman <3

On another note, I would recommend a movie called Princess Arete for a review. It's not Ghibli, but you'd have a field day with it!

[sabledragonrook]

The bristling hair thing (that characters seem to be affected by a breeze that rustles their hair and clothes) is a Ghibli hallmark that you can find in almost all of their movies. It's their kind of "fingerprint" method of enhancing or representing the emotional states of characters, so you often see it when people are angry or facing a very Big(tm) emotion relevant to the story's plot or that character's developmental journey. Pay attention to when it happens and what's going on plot-wise! It's a fun little exercise once you start noticing it!

[hallezavlick]

What I love is that by the end his hand is still scared. He still went through the trauma and pain, it does not magically go away at the end of the film. He wants to rebuild, heal, do what's right and he will always carry that with him, because he knows what is out there, the anger and hate that is part of all of us. But we don't have to fall to it. It is ok to be hurt, to have lived through things and have regrets, but it never justifies hurting others. This movie shows people that you are not just a product of the things that have happened to you or your worst actions, but someone who is capable of growth, healing, and peace. That you can live on even with your scars.

[wolfriver]

You made me spit out my coffee with the Jono's Ghiblification Era! I was not expecting that, but it's hilarious

[lizzyrank]

I love how Ashitaka is the inbetween of the forest and iron town. He doesnt comand the elk instead he works with him at the same time he can connect with other people and empathize with them.

[ferngirltlc]

Did anyone else notice that at the end, those that had leprosy have been healed? There's just one brief shot of the townsfolk that survived by escaping into the lake. You can see one person whose bandages have fallen off, and they're staring in amazement at their skin, which is now healthy. Because the blood of the forest spirit can heal anything, just as Lady Eboshi said.

[MATTierial]

Princess Mononoke is one of the greatest films of all time, let alone animated films. The fact that there isn't any true villain in the film yet the conflict is so raw and believable. Also, Joe Hisashi absolutely blew it away with the score. Such an incredible film!