This epic Japanese historical fantasy film was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and animated by Studio Ghibli. It is set in the late Muromachi period of Japan (approximately 1336 to 1573 AD) and reveals the story of a young Emishi prince named Ashitaka and his struggles with the gods (kami) of a forest and the humans who consume its resources. The term mononoke (物の怪) is a Japanese word for describing the supernatural, shape-shifting beings that possess people and cause suffering, disease, or death. The film was a critical and commercial blockbuster, becoming the highest-grossing film in Japan of 1997.
