Princess Mononoke (Patreon Pick) – GTGC #253

Welcome back to your favorite movie analysis podcast, the GoodTrash GenreCast! On this week’s show, we tackle a Patreon-sponsored pick from Keithan Smith by the name of Princess Mononoke! That’s right, we once again move to the world of Anime—specifically Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki.

Want to Choose a Movie for the GenreCast?

You can always suggest movie ideas to us on Twitter or via email (goodtrashgenrecast@gmail.com) or in the comments. But, if you want to guarantee we’ll do a movie of your choice, go to Patreon. There are a variety of bonuses that are awarded at different support levels, including monthly and quarterly content, specially curated goodies and of course a chance for you to program our show. This money is used to cover basic operating expenses, and if we ever get enough, hopefully some cool swag.

Diving in to Princess Mononoke

Princess Mononoke is the 10th feature film from Studio Ghibli, and the fifth to be directed by Miyazaki. It tells the story of Ashikata, the last Emishi prince who is cursed by a demon. He is told to travel to the western lands to search out the Great Forest Spirit in hopes of a cure, but in doing so, he will be exiled from his community. In his journeys, Ashikate encounters San, the Mononoke Hime (Spirit Princess). There is actually a lot more to it than that, it’s pretty complex.

In this week’s episode, we give our quick reviews and then play our game: Movies that Would Make Interesting Anime. We follow this up with round table analysis: discussing the film’s complexity, and the use of animation as a mode of storytelling. We then discuss the film’s complex themes and Miyazaki’s refusal to enter strict black and white territory. Dustin brings up the film’s dialogue with nature and spirituality and brings the conversation into the station.

So, grab your bow and mount your horse, we’re going on an adventure!

More GTGC Anime Discussions

You can find our shows on other Anime films, as well as a written discourse on Japanese cinema, below:

Japanese Film, a (very) brief history
Akira
Pokemon the Movie (a live show)
Paprika
The Wind Rises
Ghost in the Shell
Summer Wars
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

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Supporting the GenreCast

If you’re interested in offering financial support for the show, that would be awesome. We use these funds to cover production costs and hosting and domain fees, as well as occasional events and merchandise. Support on Patreon comes with a variety of rewards and additional content, such as physical rewards, bonus shows and fun stuff and even programming opportunities. Our January bonus content is live! This month, all Patreons who pledge $1 or more can have access to this first piece of content.