You've probably heard about this Anime among the arthouse works like Mushishi, as one of the most unique Anime to date, and it has all the right to be called as one.
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That one ArtHouse Anime
ArtHouse Anime include experimental works, the kind of works that does something different than the general conscience, usually are works that explores brain-aching & deeper ideas.
Mushishi is an artland work that experiments on slow pacing combined with serene visuals and explores human connection with nature, NGE experiments on Mecha genre by taking different spin than the general political mecha stories, and many more examples. Creators like Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue & Paprika), Masaki Yuuasa (Tatami Galaxy & Ping Pong), studio SHAFT (Monogatari) and Kunihiko Ikuhara (Penguindrum & Utena) are some of the well-known names regarding arthouse works. But I haven't enjoyed many of these arthouse works (you can see my list).
These kind of Anime really want you to be in a specific mindset. Unlike mainstream popular Anime, Arthouse works don't stick to the general entertainment value. You've to sit through something that'll most definitely end up 'boring' or 'unenjoyable', but provides an interesting perspective on themes it's trying to explore like consciousness, reality and other similarly deep ideas & concepts. While we can appreciate arthouse works for being experimental, it doesn't always mean these are going to be a pleasant watch, so don't go expecting enjoyment or fun while watching them (I learned it the hard way) and don't force yourself either. It'll just leave a bad taste.
It wouldn't take more than a single scene to tell you that Mononoke is going to be an arthouse work too and it's one of those arthouse Anime that I truly appreciate.The undeniably outstanding element is definitely the visuals. Every frame & every scene looks nothing short than a painting brought into motion. Many objects and some backgrounds are actually CGI, which were well integrated into the scene. Mononoke is a supernatural/mystery/horror Anime, which feels like massive risk as a horror considering it's artistic style but works perfectly, not because of it's gore though. There's a fair amount of blood and gore to give you the horror feel, but the real horror comes not from the visuals alone, but from it's humane stories of inhumane creatures.
In it's 12 episodes, Mononoke tells 5 different stories about 5 different mononoke (Hostile spirits).
- 座敷童子/Zashikiwarashi (the Guestroom Child) - Episodes (1 & 2)
- 海坊主/Umibouzu (the Sea Bishop) - Episode (3 to 5)
- のっぺらぼう/Nopperabou (the Faceless Monster) - Episodes (6 & 7)
- 鵺/Nue (the Chimera) - Episode (8 & 9)
- 化猫/Bakeneko (the Goblin Cat) - Episode (10 to 12)
All taking roots from the traditional Japanese folklore, the setting is also considered to be one of the few anime that depicts feudal Japan accurately. Each mystery is like a ticking bomb, slowly showing each element (character, plot point etc) and then bursting into an amalgamation of colors that closes on an epic but open ending. The slow scenes are aided with little animation, some scenes feels like they have been paused.
But it's ultimate payoff will most definitely be a spectacle to witness.
Each story is a slowburn, that has a layer of mystery and terror getting unfolded in every reveal. But this terror isn't some headscreaming horror or pantshitting fear but an unsettling look into our own human emotions.
We believe we control our emotions & thoughts, when in reality most of us are just played by them. Even the thought in itself is a trick we play on ourselves so that we don't have to look into ourselves, in fear of what unthinkable darkness we discover in our own hearts, and this Anime brilliantly explores this concept. In every story, we see a Mononoke, which is initially treated as an unreasonably hostile spirit, but upon further exploration we understand that more than their inhumane form and more than their unbelievable truth, it's the Mononoke's shattered soul formed by human malice is what unsettles you the most. The opposite happens to humans, who are initially victimized but will gradually show their true colors upon adversity. It's the hidden malice of Human hearts is what brings the unthinkable, and these spirits are given a form to portray these negative emotions.He is a no name wanderer who carries a box and claims himself as a Medicine seller. He exterminates Mononoke using his sword, a sword that can banish these spirits from this world but in order to unsheathe it, he needs to find out 3 things that creates each Mononoke.
Katachi (Shape/Form), Makoto (Truth) & Kotowari (Reason/Soul)
Kusuriuri is a prime example to show that you don't need some backstory or introduction to make a compelling protagonist. He is a man who only speaks what's necessary. He's calm & cautious about his actions, and he's truly the one that feels more mysterious despite the story being revolved around unknown creatures. We never knew who he is, even his name. He solves the problem and saves the day but we'll never know about the nameless wanderer who goes away as mysteriously as he shows up.
#Conclusion
I've been wanting to write a review of this Anime for a lontime but never really got the push to make one, until yesterday when I got a message (Thank you Kuuru, once again) with a link that lead me to know that "Mononoke" has won first place among 70 other Anime that aired around 2005-2009, as in a pole made by noitamina. (Source). And the director Kenji Nakamura, Seiyuu of "Kusuriuri" Takahiro Sakurai and the producer of Fuji TV are going to announce a new project on the occasion of it's 15th anniversary. With a news like this, I couldn't stop thinking about making a review about it and so, I did.
A quick note is that, I don't recommend binging Mononoke. Despite it's uniqueness creating an urge to binge, I definitely don't recommend it. It's slow pacing can bore you and you start to feel like the art style is aching your eyes. So, watch a story per day.
And so the review is going to end, with one of my favourite quotes from this Anime.
Thank You for reading.
