I think I have found my favourite Studio Ghibli movie.

Story

Princess Mononoke tells the story of a young Emihsi prince named Ashitaka and his involvement in the struggle between the gods of a forest and the humans who want to tear it down for its resources.

Much like with Spirited Away, this is not the story I expected going into the movie but I have to say that the surprise was welcome. It’s intense and moving while also being starkly different from the other Studio Ghibli films I’ve seen.

Voice Acting

The stand out voice performances are Yōji Matsuda and Yuriko Ishida who voice Ashitaka and San respectively. They bring emotion and cadence to the film and make you feel whatever their characters feel.

Even though I didn’t watch the dubbed version, I have to shout out the English cast, Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Tara Strong, Minnie Driver, Billy Bob Thornton, Gillian Anderson and Keith David? That is a powerhouse voice cast if I have ever seen one.

Writing/Direction

Even though I’ve only seen four Studio Ghibli movies, it’s safe to assume that all their films have messages (some more obvious than others). The movies that I have seen so far, make a point to reference human’s connection with spirits and religion. And they focus on…