Joe's Week 6

What are the underlying thematics of Princess Mononoke? How does it 'defamilarise' its historical setting, according to Napier (2005)?


The Princess Mononoke's underlying themes take place in a mythical space deeply removed from the capital comprising "marginals" of "a diverse and unusual group of women, outcasts and non-Yamato (non-ethnic Japanese) tribes and particularly the ancient gods, the kami, which linked to the forces of natures."  The impetus was provided by the war of the kami against the humans or more correctly, the humans against the kami; and led to the story’s “foundation” – “ ‘extermination of ghosts’ ”.  Typical themes in the story are: 

1. Ashitaka's expedition 
2. His relationship with Princess Mononoke
3. Conflicting struggles revealed in Lady Eboshi's protection of outcasts, leper, the humans of the Iron Town;  the survival of Princess Mononoke and Animal Gods
4. Exhibition of the main characters' selflessness and devotion to their dependents.

These themes defamiliarise its conventional Japanese history through Miyazaki's decision to set Princess Mononoke at the Muromachi period of, the fourteenth century, creating "a mythical space deeply removed from the capital, both symbolically and literally", "the marginals of history" by "subversion of conventional expectations". He put emphasis on unusual groups, like "women, outcasts and non-Yamato (non-ethnic Japanese) tribes and, particularly, the kami, the ancient gods of the the Japanese people", neglecting samurai, peasants and feudal lords, but as supporting roles. One of the main drives of the film, which is the narrative impetus and does not follow the convention, is the war between the humans and the kami. (Napier, 2005: 233)




Reference:
Napier, S. (2005). Anime: from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.