Princess Mononoke – The Spooky Red Head Blog

What’s Your Favourite Studio Ghibli Movie?

Our ‘favourites’ are often dictated by what we have an emotional connection to. It’s a complex idea that doesn’t have much explanation – but really the idea is that something that aligns with our tastes and has the most emotional impact upon us is our favourite of something.

My favourite Studio Ghibli movie is Howl’s Moving Castle. I think this is because it was the first I ever saw, I find Sophie relatable, and think it’s a story line and world that I love, and just has a lot that I really like in it.

What’s your favourite Studio Ghibli movie, and why?

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THE 2 THINGS I AM ALWAYS WATCHING

I guess the normalcy of it helps just set a ‘relax routine’ too?

I have 2 go-to things that I always watch. Usually after something like exam block when all I want to do is sleep; or if the week hasn’t been amazing and I just need something to do that’s calming and nice.

The first one of these things is Studio Ghibli films. Whichever one I feel like watching in that moment. I love Studio Ghibli and their films. They’re cute, visually lovely, story wise amazing and I don’t think I could ever get sick of watching them because of how wonderfully made they are.

My usual go-to ones though are Howl’s Moving Castle and Ponyo. With then The Wind Rises, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, Princess Mononoke, Kiki’s Delivery Service, From Up On Poppy Hill and When Marnie Was There making frequent reoccurrences too. They’re engaging, pretty to watch and easy to have an emotional response too. Lying down on the couch huddles in blankets alone watching these is truly the way to go.

My other one then is Daria. I love Daria so much. It’s funny and relatable, and I’m also always inspired by Daria and Jane and how there are in constant pursue of their passions throughout the series. Daria makes me want to invest more of my time into writing, and Jane makes me want to take up art again (both things that I struggle to maintain when life gets busy). There’s also enough episodes to give variety to choose from, so usually I just pick a random season to watch episodes from so that I don’t watch it so much that I become bored.

Studio Ghibli films and Daria both are things that I am always watching. And I do think that I have the mindset of ‘watching these are nice, and I’m going to enjoy it, and I’m going to feel relaxed and happier after watching these.’ Because so far they both seem do this trick very nicely!

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GHIBLI CHALLENGE DAY 28: TOP 4 MOVIES

“It’s okay to cry. Just know that I love you forever.” – Marnie, When Marnie Was There

Howl’s Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, Ponyo, Kiki’s Delivery Service. Bam. Done.

Day 1: First Ghibli Film
Day 2: How You Discovered Ghibli Films
Day 3: Favourite Ghibli World
Day 4: A Lesson
Day 5: Favourite Quote
Day 6: Favourite Soundtrack
Day 7: Favourite Ghibli Song
Day 8: Favourite Main Female Character
Day 9: Favourite Main Male Character
Day 10: Favourite Cast
Day 11: Favourite Animal
Day 12: Favourite Spirit
Day 13: Favourite Couple
Day 14: Funniest Movie
Day 15: Saddest Movie
Day 16: Favourite Scene
Day 17: Weirdest Scene
Day 18: Least Favourite Character
Day 19: Films You Haven’t Seen
Day 20: Favourite Director
Day 21: Fanart
Day 22: A Sequel You Wish For
Day 23: Last Movie You Saw
Day 24: Repeat Watching
Day 25: Cosplay
Day 26: A Character You Identify With
Day 27: A Move That You Would Recommend

GHIBLI CHALLENGE DAY 9: FAVOURITE MAIN MALE CHARACTER

“I understand. You’ll live in the forest, and I’ll help rebuild Irontown.” – Ashitaka, Princess Mononoke

Ashitaka. Before I watched Princess Mononoke I was expecting a more traditionally ‘masculine’ male protagonist. But I was so happy and glad when he was actually the more level-headed, emotionally mature and encouraging of talking and understand others before engaging in any violence that’s not necessary. And he was very sweet, but also a good fighter, leader and person in general.

GHIBLI CHALLENGE DAY 8: FAVOURITE MAIN FEMALE CHARACTER

“You cannot alter your fate. However, you can rise to meet it.” – San, Princess Mononoke

Hmm… it’s a toss up between San and Sophie. But Sophie is an answer saved for later so I’ll go with San! She’s determined, passionate, strong and fights for what she believes in and for her home.

Day 1: First Ghibli Film
Day 2: How You Discovered Ghibli Films
Day 3: Favourite Ghibli World
Day 4: A Lesson
Day 5: Favourite Quote
Day 6: Favourite Soundtrack
Day 7: Favourite Ghibli Song

GHIBLI CHALLENGE DAY 5: FAVOURITE QUOTE

“Ugh, I smell like human.” – San, Princess Mononoke

Aha! Finally not a Howl’s Moving Castle answer I hear you cry out in relief! My favourite quote isn’t the most profound or anything, and I wouldn’t even say it’s my favourite… But it’s definitely the one I think of the most. The one where San is at Ashitaka’s throat about to kill him, and he tells her she’s beautiful.

Day 1: First Ghibli Film
Day 2: How You Discovered Ghibli Films
Day 3: Favourite Ghibli World
Day 4: A Lesson

3 INTERESTING STUDIO GHIBLI THEORIES TO KNOW ABOUT

Why are the majority of Ghibli film theories always so dark?

1. My Neighbour Totoro is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland

This theory suggests that My Neighbour Totoro is an unofficial retelling of Lewi Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland. The similarities that have been made between the two to support this theory is that there is a shapeshifting cat (CatBus vs Cheshire Cat), there’s a ‘rabbit’ (Totoro vs White Rabbit), there’s anamorphic plants and animals that disappear in puffs of smoke (Spirites vs most things in Wonderland), there’s small passages that characters through and a young female protagonist. Another similarity that people have thought of is that both stories have young children who space reality and enter into a more magical world for a period of time.  What do you guys think of this theory?

2. Ponyo is an angel

This theory explains that everyone in the seaside village died in the flood. The boats that everyone are on carry them in one direction, and some fans have thought that this water is meant to represent the Sanzu River (a Buddhist religious belief that states that this river must be crossed by the dead on their way to the afterlife). Tunnels are often used in Ghibli films as a way for characters to travel ‘between worlds’ too, and Ponyo and Sosuke do travel through a tunnel in the movie. But none of these characters are seen travelling back through the tunnel or in the opposite direction of the river again, so perhaps they were taken to the afterlife then…
Another point for this theory is that Ponyo goes back and forth between the sea and the land, or between ‘Heaven and Earth’ because she is an angel.
And then to add to this, some fans believe that the soundtrack song Flight on Ponyo is influenced by Ride of the Valkyries, which is a song that’s strongly associated with death and destruction.
Essentially, this theory states that Ponyo is guiding Sosuke through to the afterlife…

3. San wears the corpse of her dead sister

In Princess Mononoke San is raised by wolves after her parents abandon her while running away from the wolf goddess. The wolf goddess tells the story as, “I caught her humans parents defiling the forest. They threw their baby at my feet as they ran away.” When the question was then raised about where San got her fur coat and the wolf teeth necklace she wears from, a link was drawn upon. We are never specifically told what San’s parents did to ‘defile the forest,’ so this theory suggests that what they were did was hunt the wolf goddess’ pups and kill one of them. When the wolf goddess then caught San’s parents, the goddess killed them as punishment for their brutal actions but spared San because she was just a baby, and then decided to replace her late pup with her. To then help San feel more at home among her wolf family, the wolf goddess gave San the fur and teeth or her deceased pup to wear.