Classics - Why Princess Mononoke Still Hits

A cursed prince walks into a war between an iron town and the gods of the forest, and refuses to pick a side.

Words by Jamie Harper 10 November 2026

Why Princess Mononoke Still Hits: the main characters

A cursed prince walks into a war between an iron town and the gods of the forest, and refuses to pick a side.

Princess Mononoke came out in Japan in 1997, and we think it is the angriest and bravest film Hayao Miyazaki ever made. It still hits because it has no villain, only people with good reasons on both sides.

The premise - A curse that starts in the first five minutes

Studio Ghibli: a curse that starts in the first five minutes

Ashitaka, a young prince of the Emishi, kills a raging boar god to save his village. The wound it leaves on his arm is a curse, and it is slowly killing him.

He rides west on his red elk Yakul to find out why the god went mad, and walks into a fight between Irontown, run by Lady Eboshi, and the forest it is cutting down.

Why it still works - A forest that is alive

The forest is a place you can feel: little white kodama clicking in the trees, wolf gods the size of horses, and the Forest Spirit, a deer that walks and flowers grow under its feet.

San, the girl raised by the wolf goddess Moro, hates humans, and Eboshi gives work and dignity to people nobody else would hire. Miyazaki makes you understand both. Joe Hisaishi wrote the score.

The verdict - The Ghibli film for grown-ups

Studio Ghibli: the ghibli film for grown-ups

Studio Ghibli made it in 1997, and when it reached American theaters in 1999, the English script was written by the novelist Neil Gaiman.

If Totoro is the Ghibli film for kids, this is the one for everyone after. Watch it on the biggest screen you have, and listen to what each side wants.

Where to watch

Streaming catalogues for Studio Ghibli differ between the USA, the UK, Canada and Australia, and they change from month to month, so check the services you use.