5 Recommended Anime Films Similar to Princess Mononoke
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Studio Ghibli, one of the most famous Japanese anime brands worldwide, has created renowned movies with the top director Hayao Miyazaki for a long time. And, Princess Mononoke is what receives the most international recognition from all over the globe in all Studio Ghibli movies and the entire anime industry ever.
For the fans of the 1997 fantasy movie, here is the introductions of best anime movies and series like Princess Mononoke including other similar Miyazaki movies and modern anime franchises.
About Princess Mononoke
Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫), released in 1997, is a fantasy anime movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki in Studio Ghibli. The Miyazaki’s masterpiece broke a record at the national box office at that time.
It is also regarded worldwide as one of top Japanese films focusing on the themes of some social problems such as the nature environment and diseases.
Princess Mononoke is set in the Muromachi Period (1336-1573) with the two main characters a tribe’s prince Ashitaka and a young woman San raised by wolves in the forest. The conflict between humans and nature is featured there, and Ashitaka seeks a way for both to coexist.
5 Recommended Anime Movies and Series like Princess Mononoke
1. Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind
Every fan of Princess Mononoke should watch Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ), an early Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece released in 1984. It is based on a part of the stories of the original manga created by him.
Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind is set in the world, where industrial civilization is destroyed after the disastrous war. It forms the enormous Toxic Jungle where large mutant insects live. The protagonist Nausicaä, the princess of the Valley of the Wind, seeks a way for both people and nature to co-exist harmoniously.
2. Pom Poko
Pom Poko (平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ), a comedy and drama Studio Ghibli movie released in 1994, has been loved by adults and children for a long time. It was written and directed by the Studio Ghibli’s top director Isao Takahata.
The symbol of Pom Poko is tanuki, which is sometimes depicted as a fictional raccoon dog in Japanese folklores. The setting of Pom Poko is the edge of Tokyo in the 1960s under the city development. The forest, which is also the tanuki’s habitat, is destroyed due to the deforestation, and they decide to stand against human beings.
3. Wolf Children
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed1xwAtF728&t=1s
If you like Hayao Miyazaki’s anime films like Princess Mononoke, it is also recommended to watch the movies directed by Mamoru Hosoda, especially Wolf Children (おおかみこどもの雨と雪) released in 2012.
Wolf Children revolves around a young lady Hana and her half-human, half-wolf children Yuki and Ame who can change their forms into wolf and get back into human. As they grow up, their inner conflicts are increasing: they should live as a human or a wolf. The fantasy anime movie depicts the human society and nature in a Japanese countryside.
4. Inuyasha
Inuyasha (犬夜叉) is a popular fantasy anime series that is recommended to watch if you like Princess Mononoke. There are two anime series: the first part based on the manga vol.1-36 and the second one (titled Inuyasha: The Final Act) based on the rest of the original manga story.
The story of Inuyasha begins when a 15 years old girl named Kagome is transported to another world in the past and meets the half dog-demon named Inuyasha. In the old period, human beings and yokai (a kind of Japanese demon) fight for the Shikon Jewel that grants the owner’s wish. Kagome and Inuyasya with their party travel to complete the shattered Shikon Jewel.
5. Golden Kamuy
Golden Kamuy (ゴールデンカムイ) is a popular modern manga and anime series, categorized as historical and adventure. The manga series has been serialized on Weekly Young Jump since 2014, and they are adapted into the three seasons of the anime series (as of 2020).
Golden Kamuy is set in Sakhalin, Hokkaido, which is the northernmost island of the Japanese archipelago, in the Meiji period (1868-1912). The story centers on a soldier named Saichi Sugimoto, who meets a young Ainu girl Asirpa. Their adventure begins to take back the stolen gold to the Ainu group.
For more info about popular anime and anime movies, check these articles below, too!
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I'm writing by my motto: helping travelers spend their limited time experiencing something priceless in Japan. My articles won't let you down! Living in Tokyo and traveling many popular and hidden sites all over Japan, I deliver well-selected and latest tourist information to you from the perspective of “100% Japanese local”. My specific interests are island hopping, eating countless bowls of ramen, watching anime and reading manga. Enjoy Japan Web Magazine for recommended food spots, hidden gems Japanese Otaku (geek) culture, and everything about Japan :)
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