In today's episode, we're covering Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece, Princess Mononoke. Set during Japan's late Muromachi period and incorporating fantastical elements, the tale centers on Ashitaka, a young prince of the Emishi people, as he becomes entangled in a conflict between the forest's spirits and the humans exploiting its resources. The film explores a recurring theme in Studio Ghibli's works: environmentalism, presented as a response to the effects of industrialization, framed within the traditions of Shintoism, animism, and folklore.
State of the Arc Podcast