Princess Mononoke
もののけ姫
Princess Mononoke
もののけ姫
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Watch-outs
What this film brings
Content barometer
Violence
4/5
Strong
Fear
4/5
Intense
Sexuality
1/5
Allusions
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
2/5
Moderate
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
Princess Mononoke is a Hayao Miyazaki animated film set in medieval Japan, where animal gods, forest spirits, and humans clash in a brutal struggle for survival. The film portrays an intense ecological and military war, featuring graphic battle scenes, characters corrupted into oozing demons, firearms causing on-screen deaths, and a giant divine creature decapitated whose dissolving body unleashes a dark fluid that destroys all life it touches. These violent and frightening elements are frequent, central to the story, and never softened or comedic, making them particularly distressing for younger viewers. The film also addresses complex themes such as prostitution (referenced in characters' backstories), leprosy shown explicitly, the death of divine figures, and ecological despair, marking it as a work intended for a mature teen audience. Parents are strongly advised to reserve this film for teenagers aged 12 and above, ideally watching alongside them to discuss the moral complexity of the characters and the intensity of certain sequences.
Synopsis
Ashitaka, a prince of the disappearing Emishi people, is cursed by a demonized boar god and must journey to the west to find a cure. Along the way, he encounters San, a young human woman fighting to protect the forest, and Lady Eboshi, who is trying to destroy it. Ashitaka must find a way to bring balance to this conflict.
Difficult scenes
Right at the opening of the film, the boar god Nago appears transformed into a gigantic demon covered in writhing black worms oozing from his body. The scene is lengthy, visually repulsive, and deeply unsettling: the creature charges toward the village and Ashitaka must kill it. As it dies, the demon curses Ashitaka's arm with dark marks that creep across his skin, evoking a slow and inevitable death. This opening sequence can strongly disturb or traumatize sensitive children. During a battle scene, Ashitaka's cursed arm takes control of his body and decapitates or dismembers several human enemies with supernatural force. Bodies fall and the violence is shown bluntly, in a graphic register unusual for an animated film. The scene is brief but shocking in its realism and brutality. The Forest Spirit, a central and benevolent figure in the film, is beheaded on screen by Lady Eboshi. This moment triggers an explosion of dark viscous liquid that spreads across the entire forest, killing everything it touches including trees, animals, and humans. The sequence lasts several minutes in an atmosphere of apocalyptic catastrophe that is particularly oppressive and despairing. The wolf goddess Moro and the boar god Okkoto die on screen in long, emotionally heavy sequences. Okkoto transforms into a dying demon that engulfs San within his mass of black worms, and Moro uses her last strength to rescue the girl before passing away. These deaths of protective divine figures, presented as deep and irreversible losses, can be very distressing for young viewers who have grown attached to them. The leper village is depicted without softening: characters with bodies damaged by disease work manufacturing weapons under harsh conditions. While the portrayal is compassionate in its intent, the images of disfigured bodies may surprise or disturb children unprepared for this level of visual realism.
Where to watch
Availability checked on Apr 04, 2026
About this title
- Format
- Feature film
- Year
- 1997
- Runtime
- 2h 15m
- Countries
- Japan
- Original language
- JA
- Directed by
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Main cast
- Yoji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yuko Tanaka, Kaoru Kobayashi, Masahiko Nishimura, Tsunehiko Kamijô, Akihiro Miwa, Mitsuko Mori, Hisaya Morishige, Sumi Shimamoto
- Studios
- Studio Ghibli, dentsu, Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network Corporation, Nibariki, TNDG
Content barometer
Violence
4/5
Strong
Fear
4/5
Intense
Sexuality
1/5
Allusions
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
2/5
Moderate
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
Princess Mononoke is a Hayao Miyazaki animated film set in medieval Japan, where animal gods, forest spirits, and humans clash in a brutal struggle for survival. The film portrays an intense ecological and military war, featuring graphic battle scenes, characters corrupted into oozing demons, firearms causing on-screen deaths, and a giant divine creature decapitated whose dissolving body unleashes a dark fluid that destroys all life it touches. These violent and frightening elements are frequent, central to the story, and never softened or comedic, making them particularly distressing for younger viewers. The film also addresses complex themes such as prostitution (referenced in characters' backstories), leprosy shown explicitly, the death of divine figures, and ecological despair, marking it as a work intended for a mature teen audience. Parents are strongly advised to reserve this film for teenagers aged 12 and above, ideally watching alongside them to discuss the moral complexity of the characters and the intensity of certain sequences.
Synopsis
Ashitaka, a prince of the disappearing Emishi people, is cursed by a demonized boar god and must journey to the west to find a cure. Along the way, he encounters San, a young human woman fighting to protect the forest, and Lady Eboshi, who is trying to destroy it. Ashitaka must find a way to bring balance to this conflict.
Difficult scenes
Right at the opening of the film, the boar god Nago appears transformed into a gigantic demon covered in writhing black worms oozing from his body. The scene is lengthy, visually repulsive, and deeply unsettling: the creature charges toward the village and Ashitaka must kill it. As it dies, the demon curses Ashitaka's arm with dark marks that creep across his skin, evoking a slow and inevitable death. This opening sequence can strongly disturb or traumatize sensitive children. During a battle scene, Ashitaka's cursed arm takes control of his body and decapitates or dismembers several human enemies with supernatural force. Bodies fall and the violence is shown bluntly, in a graphic register unusual for an animated film. The scene is brief but shocking in its realism and brutality. The Forest Spirit, a central and benevolent figure in the film, is beheaded on screen by Lady Eboshi. This moment triggers an explosion of dark viscous liquid that spreads across the entire forest, killing everything it touches including trees, animals, and humans. The sequence lasts several minutes in an atmosphere of apocalyptic catastrophe that is particularly oppressive and despairing. The wolf goddess Moro and the boar god Okkoto die on screen in long, emotionally heavy sequences. Okkoto transforms into a dying demon that engulfs San within his mass of black worms, and Moro uses her last strength to rescue the girl before passing away. These deaths of protective divine figures, presented as deep and irreversible losses, can be very distressing for young viewers who have grown attached to them. The leper village is depicted without softening: characters with bodies damaged by disease work manufacturing weapons under harsh conditions. While the portrayal is compassionate in its intent, the images of disfigured bodies may surprise or disturb children unprepared for this level of visual realism.