https://anilist.co/anime/2246/Mononoke/ Its about time I give a review on this one Youve probably heard about this Anime among the arthouse works like Mushishi as one of the most unique Anime to date and it has all the right to be called as one. That one ArtHouse Anime ArtHouse Anime include experimental works the kind of works that does something different than the general conscience usually are works that explores brainaching deeper ideas. Mushishi is an artland work that experiments on slow pacing combined with serene visuals and explores human connection with nature NGE experiments on Mecha genre by taking different spin than the general political mecha stories and many more examples. Creators like Satoshi Kon Perfect Blue Paprika Masaki Yuuasa Tatami Galaxy Ping Pong studio SHAFT Monogatari and Kunihiko Ikuhara Penguindrum Utena are some of the wellknown names regarding arthouse works. But I havent enjoyed many of these arthouse works you can see my list. These kind of Anime really want you to be in a specific mindset. Unlike mainstream popular Anime Arthouse works dont stick to the general entertainment value. Youve to sit through something thatll most definitely end up boring or unenjoyable but provides an interesting perspective on themes its trying to explore like consciousness reality and other similarly deep ideas concepts. While we can appreciate arthouse works for being experimental it doesnt always mean these are going to be a pleasant watch so dont go expecting enjoyment or fun while watching them I learned it the hard way and dont force yourself either. Itll just leave a bad taste. It wouldnt take more than a single scene to tell you that Mononokehttps://anilist.co/anime/2246/Mononoke is going to be an arthouse work too and its one of those arthouse Anime that I truly appreciate. A flood of bizarre and mysterious images that are both horrific and beautiful. by Takahiro Sakuraihttps://anilist.co/staff/95079/TakahiroSakurai. The undeniably outstanding element is definitely the visuals. Every frame every scene looks nothing short than a painting brought into motion. Many objects and some backgrounds are actually CGI which were well integrated into the scene. Mononoke is a supernatural/mystery/horror Anime which feels like massive risk as a horror considering its artistic style but works perfectly not because of its gore though. Theres a fair amount of blood and gore to give you the horror feel but the real horror comes not from the visuals alone but from its humane stories of inhumane creatures. The ticking Mystery In its 12 episodes Mononoke tells 5 different stories about 5 different mononoke Hostile spirits. 1. /Zashikiwarashi the Guestroom Child Episodes 1 2 2. /Umibouzu the Sea Bishop Episode 3 to 5 3. /Nopperabou the Faceless Monster Episodes 6 7 4. /Nue the Chimera Episode 8 9 5. /Bakeneko the Goblin Cat Episode 10 to 12 All taking roots from the traditional Japanese folklore the setting is also considered to be one of the few anime that depicts feudal Japan accurately. Each mystery is like a ticking bomb slowly showing each element character plot point etc and then bursting into an amalgamation of colors that closes on an epic but open ending. The slow scenes are aided with little animation some scenes feels like they have been paused. https://i.ur.com/CqFmng7.gif https://i.ur.com/geZvHiL.gif But its ultimate payoff will most definitely be a spectacle to witness. https://i.ur.com/2HRQMKG.gif Each story is a slowburn that has a layer of mystery and terror getting unfolded in every reveal. But this terror isnt some headscreaming horror or pantshitting fear but an unsettling look into our own human emotions. Form Truth Soul https://i.ur.com/QXx5xTe.jpeg We believe we control our emotions thoughts when in reality most of us are just played by them. Even the thought in itself is a trick we play on ourselves so that we dont have to look into ourselves in fear of what unthinkable darkness we discover in our own hearts and this Anime brilliantly explores this concept. In every story we see a Mononoke which is initially treated as an unreasonably hostile spirit but upon further exploration we understand that more than their inhumane form and more than their unbelievable truth its the Mononokes shattered soul formed by human malice is what unsettles you the most. The opposite happens to humans who are initially victimized but will gradually show their true colors upon adversity. Its the hidden malice of Human hearts is what brings the unthinkable and these spirits are given a form to portray these negative emotions. I am... just... a Medicine Seller He is a no name wanderer who carries a box and claims himself as a Medicine seller. He exterminates Mononoke using his sword a sword that can banish these spirits from this world but in order to unsheathe it he needs to find out 3 things that creates each Mononoke. Katachi Shape/Form Makoto Truth Kotowari Reason/Soul Kusuriuri is a prime example to show that you dont need some backstory or introduction to make a compelling protagonist. He is a man who only speaks whats necessary. Hes calm cautious about his actions and hes truly the one that feels more mysterious despite the story being revolved around unknown creatures. We never knew who he is even his name. He solves the problem and saves the day but well never know about the nameless wanderer who goes away as mysteriously as he shows up. Conclusion Ive been wanting to write a review of this Anime for a lontime but never really got the push to make one until yesterday when I got a messagehttps://anilist.co/activity/391899760 Thank you Kuuru once again with a link that lead me to know that Mononoke has won first place among 70 other Anime that aired around 20052009 as in a pole made by noitamina. Sourcehttps://www.mononoke15th.com/. And the director Kenji Nakamurahttps://anilist.co/staff/102217/KenjiNakamura Seiyuu of Kusuriuri Takahiro Sakuraihttps://anilist.co/staff/95079/TakahiroSakurai and the producer of Fuji TV are going to announce a new project on the occasion of its 15th anniversary. With a news like this I couldnt stop thinking about making a review about it and so I did. A quick note is that I dont recommend binging Mononoke. Despite its uniqueness creating an urge to binge I definitely dont recommend it. Its slow pacing can bore you and you start to feel like the art style is aching your eyes. So watch a story per day. And so the review is going to end with one of my favourite quotes from this Anime. Thank You for reading. https://i.ur.com/a7tydUp.jpeg