JB

Mononoke follows Ashitaka, a young prince who is cursed by a demon and travels to a far off land in search of a cure. He soon gets caught up in a war between the animal gods of the forest and a group of humans led by Lady Eboshi. He also meets Princess Mononoke, a human girl raised by wolves who fights alongside the animal gods. In this strange world, Ashitaka strives to create peace and remove his curse.

Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli have a reputation for quality movies, and this is no exception. The visuals are stunning, with beautiful imagery, animation which, although not particularly smooth, is highly detailed, and the best background art I've ever seen. The attention to detail is incredible and must be seen to be believed. Hair and fur blow gracefully in the wind and tiny blades of glass wave to and fro underwater. Also impressive is the way the characters are portrayed. Rather than having a distinctly evil & good side, both the humans and (ironically) the animals are given strong senses of humanity. This endears them to the viewer much more, but unfortunately also means that there is ultimately no victory for either side, and the film is left without much closure. This is the main problem with this film, but the imagery and underlying messages are far more important than one flaw.
This film is recommended to every otaku - with the exception of action fans (stick to Violence Jack) who will find it boring. Other than that, even non-otakus of all ages may get some enjoyment from this film.