Princess Mononoke ─ Understanding Studio Ghibli's Monster Princess

Princess Mononoke (1997) is one of anime's most important films. Hayao Miyazaki's epic fantasy broke domestic box office records when it came out in Japan, keeping pace with the success of Hollywood films like Titanic (1997). Princess Mononoke was also important because it was the first of Studio Ghibli's films to be distributed outside Japan as part of a new deal with Disney subsidiary Buena Vista International. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the release of Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, Rayna Denison curates this new collection critically reflecting on Princess Mononoke's significance within and beyond Japanese culture. The collection investigates the production, and re-production, processes involved in the making of Princess Mononoke into a global phenomenon; re-evaluating the film's importance within Japanese and world animation culture. It also examines Princess Mononoke's significance within a range of global markets and cultures.

In doing so, the book reveals how Princess Mononoke was released at a turning point in Japanese animation history. By revisiting this undeniably important text, the collection brings the tensions in anime production at that time to light. The tensions include the important cultural and social issues that Princess Mononoke explores, including: environmental protection, globalization, representation of marginalized groups, gender, economics and ideology.