Hi everyone and welcome to the cursed video lol. This was supposed to be an easy vid right? It’s just an anime, manga came second, but it turned into one of the most intense research projects we’ve had so far, then we had behind the scenes issues in the last days, had to push the video back, just WOW. A ton of issues, but hopefully you enjoyed and thank you from watching!
There is just way too much going on in Mononoke. I have a feeling you came across a certain ~65 page document, if that is the case and you read the whole thing I salute you-I only made it 3 pages in ^_^;;
Little sad you didn't touch on the original 3 episode ova about the Bakeneko (In Samurai Horror Tales/ Stories last 3 episodes were technically the first eps of Mononoke), but im so glad someone gave this anime the light of day. Also, Higurashi no naku koro ni is amazing, please give it a watch!
Love this anime. At the end of bakeneko episode Kusuriuri tell us that "as long mononoke roam this world..." and then his swords clench its teeth, indicating this must be Kusuiri's kotowari or makoto.
I didn't like it, was pretty boring actually. Even for a mystery I get that it's supposed to be confusing because that's part of the mystery but you have boring as episodes and then like 1 episode each arc that reveals the mystery. So if there's like 4 arcs in the anime then you only really have 4 good episodes throughout the whole show which is when the mystery is revealed and the fights happen
@@GrowingDownUnder funny part is, the fights were just a placeholder, they were by far the worst part of the anime. Its symbolism, and what things might have been ment to mean, and what they mean to you is the strenght of the anime. It is a masterpiece wirh beeing on the edge of your seat all the time. Mystery films/animes etc are good when you get everythign before the reveal, and the reveal is just a check back That hey, I was right. Mystery animes are not for everyone, if you don't enjoy trying to find every little piece of the puzzle, just the reveal, you should really watch them in my opinion,because you wont like them. And Monoke actually goes layers below this, so some ppl just wont like it, but those who think its good, are thinking of it a fucking masterpiece.
@@orsdekany2594 haha funniest thing i've heard all day, mononoke a masterpiece. It's a pile of trash, bruh you're trying to say mystery as an excuse to justify it being bad so explain why no other mystery anime had the same problems? monster is a mystery and the best anime ever made, yeah saying it's a mystery does not make up for it simply being a trash anime. It's not about finding the puzzle pieces and getting answers, i'm saying the way it's written is garbage. It's too rushed, it's too slow at times, the characters suck, the MC doesn't even talk much has the personality of a cardboard box, there's no likeable characters in the whole series, the mystery even when revealed aren't even good in the first place. It's boring, it's bad, it's everything a bad anime is. And mononoke is small arcs, it's not 1 continuous story so all you get is short rushed stories with extremely bad story writing and no character development at all.
@@orsdekany2594 But the worst thing is that everything should be clear to the audience in order to follow the story. This does not happen in mononoke...nothing is clear, it's hard to follow, it's confusing, it makes no sense. Sure once the answers are revealed that's the only time it makes sense but you cannot simply even follow wtf is going on the whole time because it's just a mess, they haven't taken any direct way of making any clarity in the anime. All anime must at least make sure things are clear in order to follow and so the person watching doesn't get lost, you can still do this with mystery as long as each individual component is clear. The art style may be good but that's also untrue at the same time, the art style just makes things even harder to follow because there's too much going on it's often just a bunch of random colours and scribble moving around too messy and there's no clarity even of animation. Simplicity needs to exist in order to be able to follow it as well, can you find a needle in a haystack or would you be able to find the needle easier when it's just sitting right in front of you? simplicity is better when it comes to visual story telling and animation and for the reader/watcher to follow
@@GrowingDownUnder Not everything is for everybody. When you've been watching watered down basic shonen anime for a long time, you won't know what a good anime is lmao.
I don't really consider Mononoke to be a horror anime... It's more like an occult detective series and has more in common with Mushi Shi than any other anime I've yet seen.
Finally, someone who actually understood Mononoke rather than just talking about the amazing colouring in Nue. And this is the first time I've heard of the "medicine seller is a kitsune" theory, honestly quite interesting. If you think about it, he let almost every person who created the Mononoke in the first place get taken/killed by the Mononoke (he let the bakeneko woman at the end kill the mayor and her boss, probably like "yeah, I don't feel like saving them") I never thought the masked man in Nopperabo is the medicine seller himself, and its an interesting theory as well. I always thought the masked man is part of Ochou herself due to her desire to fall in love with someone who loves her in return. Since the mask turned into her face at the end, indicating that her neglecting her desires all those years has turned her into a Mononoke after she killed herself. And I said that she killed herself because there was a scene where the masked man gave her the kitchen knife and it was revealed in the end that she did not kill her family, just herself. When the medicine seller show the mirror in front of the masked man, the scene of the kitchen appeared. That is where Ochou spends most of her time, and it is hinted that she has always wanted to escape that place. Almost every scene of the Nopperabo arc has 4 walls and windows. And the scenery outside of the windows is always the same. When she does leave her cell, the scenery is exactly the same as the scenery outside of her window, surreal and beautiful. Because that is how she perceive the outside world, which is where she will have freedom. But this also means that she never actually escaped and see the outside world, that's why the masked man is reflected as the kitchen. But this theory is quite sad, cause it means that no one actually loved Ochou, and the masked man is just a manifestation of herself. So I also feel like the masked man could be another Mononoke that was drawn in by her negative emotions of constantly cutting away her desires, and eventually became a part of her. With the different methods of murder that they showed Ochou killing herself, it seems like the masked man (or Ochou herself) is creating the illusion of the family abuse over and over and her killing herself over and over, since she feels relieved everytime she does, which cause the Mononoke to think this is the way to save her. The ending part where the medicine seller said that the masked man may have fallen in love with her is really sweet, and probably means that the masked man IS another entity from Ochou, and that she was loved. It never occurred to me that the masked man might be Medicine seller himself though. Anyway, congrats to anyone who actually reads this long comment lol. Nopperabo is my favourite arc of the story after all.
if you want a more positive reading: you could also see her killing herself in a metaphorical way (especially if you go with the interpretation from the video that the medicine vendor is the one in love with her). Whenever she was put under a lot of preassure from others she would disassociate and put on a mask in order to meet the expectainos of those people. so when she killed herself over and over what she killed were actually all the masks (the fake hers) she used to please other people. After getting rid of all the expectaions of her social environment she finally mangaed to find the courage to just walk out the door an run away. that why at the end when her husband calls for more sake the Medicine Vendor says "there's no one in here" because she ran off.
This is a horror show that doesnt revolve around jump scares and super creepy imagery or gore to scare you. No it revolves on exstensialism , fear, monsters that aren't true monsters at 1st. It revolves around... things that are easy told at 1st, but expands upon it and hunts it down. (also you missed the fact Mononoke was part of a mini series Ayakashi.. the last 3 episodes of that were the 1st 3 episodes of Mononoke!) I am not a horror a fan but I like this series since it does something I think true horror should focus on. The unsettlingness... the area is colorfull but disturbing... it does weird imagery but not too much to make you turn away... thats the art of this show.
What I loved about it is that the horror imagery showed isn't that scary, it's the reasons and thought-out correlations of the animated medium to the story that make the show filled with underlying dread, the symbolic use of actions and items in the show that you can use to think about the arcs in depth is truly what gives my soul some meta-physical chills.
Existential Anime is both my favorite and least favorite type of anime. It's so infectious the ideas and concepts that are used in these shows but also always leave me f#ked up in the end and sad.
Vindication! The medicine seller’s face markings and his hatred of mononoke made me realise that he was probably a kitsune or inari, and this video is such an in-depth and well-researched look into that theory. It’ll be interesting to see it reimagined in the upcoming movie (which seems to be set in an imperial courtesans’ chamber), and also see your take on it at some point :)
There was a time the whole series was on RUclips. Used to point out the time stamp of the last episode where you could see the dead mayor or whoever he was smeared on the subway column in the background. Good times.
I remember I used to think the first arc was anti-abortion, but when you pay attention, it is clearly pro-women. These things happened to so many women, against their will. It's honestly quite pro-choice when you think about it.
Yes, had the same impression at first, but i believe everything is explained in the last moments of the show: Mononokes aren't inherently evil, they are a product of an event, purifying them doesn't mean killing them, it means to heal them. The babies turned into mononokes because they were killed against their mother's desire and looked for a mother that could fullfil this desire once again.
Why can't that arc be both anti-abortion and pro-women? The zashiki-warashi didn't choose to be what they became and they had no say when they were being aborted. The landlady was exploiting her workers when the inn used to be a brothel.
@@mmyr8ado.360 because it doesn’t actually say “abortion = bad’. It said a lot of things but not that. It was pro-baby, pro-woman, pro-love and had powerful themes of grief but it doesn’t make a moral judgment on the act, or say it shouldn’t exist, it makes a moral judgment on what *forced* the act and implies the lack of options/help/compassion from the landlady/society was the problem. (This is cultural, since Japan has a fairly recent history of culturally ‘accepted’ infantcide and little to no influence from the anti-abortion Christianity angle. They are commenting on their own history and how it relates to their present - the ‘lost’ children of Japan’s shrinking population is a big concern to Japan’s future - rather than the other flavors of fertility-rights like the conversation of anti/pro-choice in the West).
@@vysharra That's the beauty of appreciating cultures since you can admire on what is common between your culture and theirs and what is good and beautiful at the same time you can point out on what's different and what not to follow. Restricting the analysis of culture from an outsider's perspective would be like a Chinese person would not understand Shakespeare because of his cultural background. We can put labels on any type on this particular episode and call it a day, and there is nothing wrong with that. Even with the anti-abortion label that I put on it removed, the fact that the woman was willing to protect her child against the landlady is still there, and is a heroic attribute that is present. Even if anybody would not consider the child as anything special, for the woman, it is something of value, which the landlady would like to take away. Two forces are at play in that episode if you put the woman as the protagonist: Love and apathy. The love of the mother for the child versus the apathy of the landlady towards anyone to reach her goal. In regards to the cultural background of the setting, there is still something wrong about the situation before the Medicine Man arrived. The aborted children themselves aren't prayed by a Buddhist priest for them to pass on because they were literally hidden, and no Jizo statues placed for them. This alongside the negative emotions and lingering attachments from the brothel and and the mizuko themselves (the 'hidden children'), the latter became the mononoke that are the Zashiki-warashi we see on the first story. Although irrelevant, many of you would say that the anime has little to no Western influences, Art Nouveau is abound within the first few episodes. The scales that the Medicine Man uses are based on the Jugendstil jewelry. Art Nouveau itself was inspired by the Ukiyo-e art style. While there are practices of abortion within Japan, it has increased ironically because of the Post-War occupation of Japan by the Americans.
@@mmyr8ado.360 how is it ironic that abortion has replaced infantcide as one facet of family planning in Japan? It seems to be a modern approach to an age old custom.
Fuck yeah, rarely see Mononoke get the love it deserves. Such a gem of a work of art. Great breakdown too, now I needa rewatch n actually understand it for once.
B pop is the place to go for a wholistic look at manga and anime. Delving deep into the media nothings left out, nothings forgotten … nothings off limits
I watched Mononoke almost a year ago. I loved the ukiyo-e art style, edo culture and Japanese folklore in this whole show, yet it was confusing to fully understand it, so I'm very glad to see Bonsai Pop make such a great video and dabble in deeper storylines of the show, where some of it went unnoticed first time watched the show.
something nobody has noticed about the medicine seller's other form is that...his other self has black teeth. iirc, this is likely a reference to something called 'ohaguro,' a practice that noblewomen would engage in where they would swish iron-laden water around in their mouths to color their teeth black. what makes this interesting is that this is specifically an old-fashioned practice specifically done by women. possibly a reference to inari being an androgynous deity? or kitsune being somewhat androgynous?
This was such a great in depth summery of Mononoke which is super impressive considering how confusing this series can be lol. I love that you put so much historical research into this as well because while it is an explanation for many details in Mononoke, its also super respectful that you'd take the time to really look at the history. Something that always struck me about episode 1 is that during the edo period many people believed that a baby wasn't fully human until they became an older child. Abortion was seen as not a big deal to many people because they thought it was just "sending the spirit back". The fact that the woman was so adamant about having her child was really profound. Also I totally agree Kusuriuri is a Kitsune, you gave great supporting evidence I hadn't even thought of.
By the gods my friends not only did I never expect someone to cover this well but I would have never dreamed this anime would pop up in my subscriptions very very well done. If I had a penny to spare it would be yours.
Mononoke is one of my all time favourite anime, and I'm so glad I found this video. Something I thought of while watching the section of the Nopperabou and how the man is the Medicine Seller relates to the higher ranking kitsune. You stated how as kitsune age, they gain and lose tails after 3,000 years. It may relate that the Masked Kitsune man has two tails tied in his hair, but has the same features of the Medicine Sellers slaying form. Perhaps this happens before he is able to switch between forms and he is about to go on his journey to become the Medicine Seller we know today. Idk something I thought about that kinda adds more support to the Fox Medicine Seller theory. Great video and I'm happy to have found it!
Leaving a comment before I'm even done watching to say YES YES YES EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH THIS SHOW, THANK YOU FOR MAKING A VIDEO ABOUT IT, ALSO I LOVE THIS SO FAR AND LOOK FORWARD TO WATCHING THE REST. WOO!
I'm so happy to see you do a video on this series, it's probably my all time favourite anime. I would also highly recommend people check out the last 3 episodes of Samurai Horror Tales because of how it ties in so closely with the final arc of this series. It has me wondering if the characters in Mononoke aren't simply descendants but reincarnations, replaying some sort of karmic cycle.
The color scheme of this anime straight-up reminds me of Dario Argento's Suspiria and I wish the neon hell aesthetic was more prevalent in the West. I love this show and it's a perfect one for Halloween, so I'm glad to see other people discussing it.
You said it exactly and I read someone's theory with one other person in the fandom who thought the same thing that the medicine seller is a Kitsune. I thought that Kusuriuri was a Kitsune just based on his looks, although not the typical Kitsune having pointed ears and no tail. He doesn't look quite human (like with the face of the Kitsune Yoko Kurama from Yu Yu Hakusho, only with Kurama it's a lot more noticeable). His supernatural abilities also make it obvious that he is a demon. The "edge of this world" that he was talking about at the end makes me think that he is referring to another dimension that intertwines with Earth, that is covered by the veil that no human eye can see unless the vail is lifted. A place where the ones who are part fallen angel and part human went to after they died. As old as the medicine seller is he won't live forever. Even in the other world fear doesn't end.
Even though this is kind of a niche classic that isn't too far from your normal wheelhouse I was still very surprised to see this video show up. I think you did a good job covering it within a time budget. Would have liked to see the 3 episodes from another series that are related to this at least given a passing mention though.
This is honestly such a fantastic video, so intensely well put together and easy to follow along, I learned so much about the specifics of the culture that went into Mononoke thanks to you, it's truly a gem! Completely understand why you'd never go episode by episode explanations, just know if you ever do, ya got an audience
Oh hell yes. Videos with little summary that go hard on analysis are my absolute favorites. I never thought I'd get insight into why the hell a concertina in the intro of such an unapologetically Japanese work, bravo.
I absolutely adore this show, it's my 2nd favorite anime of all time. Actually, it's probably my favorite of all time. It's such a beautiful show, amazing characters- I'm so glad I found Samurai Horror Stories and made it to the final arc just to find the master peice known as Mononoke! Literally no one knows this show and it hurts when I say "I love Mononoke", and they think the movie OK, rant over, thank you so much for doing this I freaking love Mononoke!!
YESSSSS fucking FINALLY somebody talks about this anime! I watched this back in highschool and I saw nobody even mention this show! Which was surreal because I just watched this really good and thought provoking show with an incredibly striking and beautiful art style but had nobody to talk to about it. Almost made me question if what I saw was real at all
Mononoke was one of the first shows I saw when I was introduced to what the great anime landscape was. Mononoke, Mushishi, Monster were all around that time. Should go back and rewatch them
Out of all of the videos that I have seen you make, review, and talk about, this is the most profound piece of work that I've watched you do. It hit me in a place in my heart that I actually enjoyed because being the person that loves everything about periods of Japan that you mentioned going from the Heian all the way up to Edo, as well as all of the mythology and philosophy that goes along with it, made it more than interesting. And then seeing this anime, maybe literally go "holyshit what is this?" I legit want to see this now. Continue doing what you do man
This is one of my favourite shows of all time from my childhood. And as an artist, heavily influenced my art style. It is a masterpiece so terribly close to my heart, yet even though I found it one of the most beautiful, profound, and innovative anime I’ve ever seen, it was never well known. So thank you from the bottom of my heart for covering it so well and doing it justice.
woah had no idea this existed but such an interesting vid. looooove the art style and your breakdown is very insightful. gonna have to check it out. still so grateful for your konosuba vid, that has been my happymaking go to when i'm down. thanks for all you do, looking forward to the next one. take care!!
Yoo dude great video! Such a rewarding surprise to see Mononoke pop in my yt recommendations! This show is the most hauntingly beautiful thing I ever seen. I watch and rewatch it from time to time because it's so rich, that everytime I watch it again it feels like I notice or understand something new, something I missed before.
I'm so glad I stumbled upon your video essay on this show. It's one of my absolute favourites although I couldn't fully understand the meaning behind the show. I had a feeling the Medicine Seller could have been Nopperabou while watchinh, however I never understood why. The aspect of him being a Kitsune and the audience viewing the world through his eyes recontextualises the show in a whole other way. Each story shows the viewers just as much about him as it does the other characters and the mononoke. Did you know this series was first realised as part of an anthology show called Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror? I definitely recommend a watch of it though I can't say the same for the other two stories in that series.
I remember watching the show that spun-off into Mononoke and it got me really interested in Japanese folklore. I ended up watching Mononoke one winter and did so with one story per night (2-3 episodes). What an amazing show.
Your video is good I can't stop engaging, I loved your idea that what the medicine seller fears most is the fact that his work will never end and that he can treat the sickness but can't stop the core of the disease, and at the same time I also love the interpretation that the medicine seller fears a world where he no longer has a purpose and ergo will cease to exist! It's all so good!
Very illuminating! Thank you! I've been a fan of this show for several years, and this really opened my eyes! I first saw Mononoke at my college anime club (the Nue chapter), & later found the series on dvd.
The Medicine Man reminds me of a description Terence McKenna gave of the role of a Shaman in indigenous cultures, "the Spiritual Plumber". Other ethnobotanists have since provided ample evidence of this. In her book about the importance of Ayahuasca to the tribes of the Amazon basin, Sophia Rokhlin describes how the medicine (which is what they call it) was used for everything from ridding the tribe of evil spirits to finding out where someone's wife was sneaking off to at night. Western society doesn't really have an equivalent role: a person who helps us directly confront our malignant fears, like the Medicine Man. We have plenty of roles that deal with the issue piecemeal (therapists, coaches, teachers, priests, etc.) but there isn't a person whose singular purpose is to help us unravel our fears. We don't have anyone who can guide us into the underworld, that psychic realm of myth, belief, and nihilism. Or, maybe I just have a shit therapist. Really good shit, man. You made me do a Think.
Oh. Medicine Peddler's identity being a kitsune really makes sense. So probably the next one's will be an orochi or some other Japanese snake, judging from the first visuals (mostly his sword's hilt).
Dude I appreciate the hard work you guys put into this video so much. The script, the editing, the research, the delivery, it's all awesome. I'm impatiently waiting for your guys' videos to finally become as popular as you deserve them to be and the yt algorithm finally shines its light on you. Your vids are *always* top tier. ♥
I was first introduced to mononoke through the ayakashi: samurai horror tales. I was so excited about the medicine seller getting his own series, and now netflix is doing a trilogy movie series! I love how much this story has grown. 🎉
That was really good. I thought I knew a lot about Japanese religion, culture, and history but you really did your work here. I could break down maybe half of that stuff but as soon as I looked up the Kanji It was already on it and just kept going. I don't think I could express how awesome this video is.
Wow! Amazing video essay~ 👏otsukaresamadeshita!👏 Mononoke has flown under my radar for the longest time, but seeing as it has everything I love about Japan and wild visuals, it's a show I must see now!! Thanks again~
there is a version of yourself within every person that knows about you my worst fear, is the fear of me, the me within others that is what i fear most
Hey Mike! Hi rarely take the time to write comments, but I really feel like I need to tell you this. I've been watching all your videos for the last year or so, and I've noticed a significant improvement at every one of them. You've found a very unique format in which you really put your soul and heart in every video, you're very vulnerable and therefore come across as very honest. Your videos are the only ones that I watch from beginning to end when they are more than 30min. You've manage to do something very unique by including a lot of philosophy, history and personal experience to put the media that you're talking about in perspective. Congratulation on making it on RUclips by going against the codes, I'm very happy for you that you're now able to make a living doing something that your enjoy, it's such an amazing thing. You seems to be a very awesome person, I hope I'll get the chance to meet you someday or get to work on a project together. Anyway, just wanted to share a lot of appreciation for your work and encourage you to continue! (I'm acknowledging Mike because he's the one speaking and writing, but also great work on the editing part to anyone in charge of it now and to Tyler)
My biggest fear is absolutely abandonment and loneliness. Like complete and unyielding rejection from society at large. Its such a scary thing to imagine.
12:39 the zashiki warashi is not the first story. Mononoke has 2 bakeneko stories and the first bakeneko is the first story of the show, is just that that one was shown in a different anime
I always loved this show but funny enough it was one of my first anime. I watched it cause in watchmojos top 10 husbandos the medicine seller was in it and I liked the art style LMAO. This was about 6 years ago
Hi everyone and welcome to the cursed video lol. This was supposed to be an easy vid right? It’s just an anime, manga came second, but it turned into one of the most intense research projects we’ve had so far, then we had behind the scenes issues in the last days, had to push the video back, just WOW. A ton of issues, but hopefully you enjoyed and thank you from watching!
There is just way too much going on in Mononoke. I have a feeling you came across a certain ~65 page document, if that is the case and you read the whole thing I salute you-I only made it 3 pages in ^_^;;
Please DO HIGURASHI. It's literally the greatest horror anime of all time imo.
Little sad you didn't touch on the original 3 episode ova about the Bakeneko (In Samurai Horror Tales/ Stories last 3 episodes were technically the first eps of Mononoke), but im so glad someone gave this anime the light of day.
Also, Higurashi no naku koro ni is amazing, please give it a watch!
@@korakys I wish I knew what doc you were referring to but unfortunately I didn’t find it lol
Im that ine G-fuel guy and i dig this video. This is how you keep followers. HIGH-TIER CONTENT. Keep up the solid work!
Love this anime. At the end of bakeneko episode Kusuriuri tell us that "as long mononoke roam this world..." and then his swords clench its teeth, indicating this must be Kusuiri's kotowari or makoto.
Holy fuck you're right. That's such an incredible detail...
Ayyy Mononoke. Such a good and crazy show. Glad to see someone talking about it.
I didn't like it, was pretty boring actually. Even for a mystery I get that it's supposed to be confusing because that's part of the mystery but you have boring as episodes and then like 1 episode each arc that reveals the mystery. So if there's like 4 arcs in the anime then you only really have 4 good episodes throughout the whole show which is when the mystery is revealed and the fights happen
@@GrowingDownUnder funny part is, the fights were just a placeholder, they were by far the worst part of the anime.
Its symbolism, and what things might have been ment to mean, and what they mean to you is the strenght of the anime. It is a masterpiece wirh beeing on the edge of your seat all the time.
Mystery films/animes etc are good when you get everythign before the reveal, and the reveal is just a check back That hey, I was right.
Mystery animes are not for everyone, if you don't enjoy trying to find every little piece of the puzzle, just the reveal, you should really watch them in my opinion,because you wont like them.
And Monoke actually goes layers below this, so some ppl just wont like it, but those who think its good, are thinking of it a fucking masterpiece.
@@orsdekany2594 haha funniest thing i've heard all day, mononoke a masterpiece. It's a pile of trash, bruh you're trying to say mystery as an excuse to justify it being bad so explain why no other mystery anime had the same problems? monster is a mystery and the best anime ever made, yeah saying it's a mystery does not make up for it simply being a trash anime. It's not about finding the puzzle pieces and getting answers, i'm saying the way it's written is garbage. It's too rushed, it's too slow at times, the characters suck, the MC doesn't even talk much has the personality of a cardboard box, there's no likeable characters in the whole series, the mystery even when revealed aren't even good in the first place. It's boring, it's bad, it's everything a bad anime is. And mononoke is small arcs, it's not 1 continuous story so all you get is short rushed stories with extremely bad story writing and no character development at all.
@@orsdekany2594 But the worst thing is that everything should be clear to the audience in order to follow the story. This does not happen in mononoke...nothing is clear, it's hard to follow, it's confusing, it makes no sense. Sure once the answers are revealed that's the only time it makes sense but you cannot simply even follow wtf is going on the whole time because it's just a mess, they haven't taken any direct way of making any clarity in the anime. All anime must at least make sure things are clear in order to follow and so the person watching doesn't get lost, you can still do this with mystery as long as each individual component is clear. The art style may be good but that's also untrue at the same time, the art style just makes things even harder to follow because there's too much going on it's often just a bunch of random colours and scribble moving around too messy and there's no clarity even of animation. Simplicity needs to exist in order to be able to follow it as well, can you find a needle in a haystack or would you be able to find the needle easier when it's just sitting right in front of you? simplicity is better when it comes to visual story telling and animation and for the reader/watcher to follow
@@GrowingDownUnder Not everything is for everybody. When you've been watching watered down basic shonen anime for a long time, you won't know what a good anime is lmao.
I don't really consider Mononoke to be a horror anime... It's more like an occult detective series and has more in common with Mushi Shi than any other anime I've yet seen.
HOLY FUCK MUSHI SHI I REMEMBER THAT SHOW TOO
That’s what I thought too when I watched it 😅
Mushi shi was the bees 🐝 knees
I don't get why people keep calling it horror, there is zero horror element
@@oldcowbb horror comes in many forms. A horror movie doesn´t need to have jumpscares and a lot of gore to classified as such.
Finally, someone who actually understood Mononoke rather than just talking about the amazing colouring in Nue.
And this is the first time I've heard of the "medicine seller is a kitsune" theory, honestly quite interesting. If you think about it, he let almost every person who created the Mononoke in the first place get taken/killed by the Mononoke (he let the bakeneko woman at the end kill the mayor and her boss, probably like "yeah, I don't feel like saving them")
I never thought the masked man in Nopperabo is the medicine seller himself, and its an interesting theory as well. I always thought the masked man is part of Ochou herself due to her desire to fall in love with someone who loves her in return. Since the mask turned into her face at the end, indicating that her neglecting her desires all those years has turned her into a Mononoke after she killed herself. And I said that she killed herself because there was a scene where the masked man gave her the kitchen knife and it was revealed in the end that she did not kill her family, just herself. When the medicine seller show the mirror in front of the masked man, the scene of the kitchen appeared. That is where Ochou spends most of her time, and it is hinted that she has always wanted to escape that place. Almost every scene of the Nopperabo arc has 4 walls and windows. And the scenery outside of the windows is always the same. When she does leave her cell, the scenery is exactly the same as the scenery outside of her window, surreal and beautiful. Because that is how she perceive the outside world, which is where she will have freedom. But this also means that she never actually escaped and see the outside world, that's why the masked man is reflected as the kitchen.
But this theory is quite sad, cause it means that no one actually loved Ochou, and the masked man is just a manifestation of herself. So I also feel like the masked man could be another Mononoke that was drawn in by her negative emotions of constantly cutting away her desires, and eventually became a part of her. With the different methods of murder that they showed Ochou killing herself, it seems like the masked man (or Ochou herself) is creating the illusion of the family abuse over and over and her killing herself over and over, since she feels relieved everytime she does, which cause the Mononoke to think this is the way to save her. The ending part where the medicine seller said that the masked man may have fallen in love with her is really sweet, and probably means that the masked man IS another entity from Ochou, and that she was loved. It never occurred to me that the masked man might be Medicine seller himself though.
Anyway, congrats to anyone who actually reads this long comment lol. Nopperabo is my favourite arc of the story after all.
that's an incredible analysis, thank you.
if you want a more positive reading: you could also see her killing herself in a metaphorical way (especially if you go with the interpretation from the video that the medicine vendor is the one in love with her). Whenever she was put under a lot of preassure from others she would disassociate and put on a mask in order to meet the expectainos of those people. so when she killed herself over and over what she killed were actually all the masks (the fake hers) she used to please other people. After getting rid of all the expectaions of her social environment she finally mangaed to find the courage to just walk out the door an run away.
that why at the end when her husband calls for more sake the Medicine Vendor says "there's no one in here" because she ran off.
This is a horror show that doesnt revolve around jump scares and super creepy imagery or gore to scare you.
No it revolves on exstensialism , fear, monsters that aren't true monsters at 1st.
It revolves around... things that are easy told at 1st, but expands upon it and hunts it down. (also you missed the fact Mononoke was part of a mini series Ayakashi.. the last 3 episodes of that were the 1st 3 episodes of Mononoke!)
I am not a horror a fan but I like this series since it does something I think true horror should focus on. The unsettlingness... the area is colorfull but disturbing... it does weird imagery but not too much to make you turn away... thats the art of this show.
Agreed
If you think that you will love Lovecraft then.
What I loved about it is that the horror imagery showed isn't that scary, it's the reasons and thought-out correlations of the animated medium to the story that make the show filled with underlying dread, the symbolic use of actions and items in the show that you can use to think about the arcs in depth is truly what gives my soul some meta-physical chills.
Existential Anime is both my favorite and least favorite type of anime. It's so infectious the ideas and concepts that are used in these shows but also always leave me f#ked up in the end and sad.
Vindication! The medicine seller’s face markings and his hatred of mononoke made me realise that he was probably a kitsune or inari, and this video is such an in-depth and well-researched look into that theory. It’ll be interesting to see it reimagined in the upcoming movie (which seems to be set in an imperial courtesans’ chamber), and also see your take on it at some point :)
tyler almost breaking his monitor has ben the scariest thing ive seen this october lol
Good jumpscare
This is literally the first time I see mononoke in any form on RUclips. Thanks for the video
There was a time the whole series was on RUclips. Used to point out the time stamp of the last episode where you could see the dead mayor or whoever he was smeared on the subway column in the background. Good times.
@@LadyBern The whole series is still on youtube
@@LadyBern yeah, it is still here. I'm watching rn
Mononoke The Phantom in the Rain, Full length rough draft and colorful Anime thriller 👏👏👏👏👏
I remember I used to think the first arc was anti-abortion, but when you pay attention, it is clearly pro-women. These things happened to so many women, against their will. It's honestly quite pro-choice when you think about it.
Yes, had the same impression at first, but i believe everything is explained in the last moments of the show: Mononokes aren't inherently evil, they are a product of an event, purifying them doesn't mean killing them, it means to heal them. The babies turned into mononokes because they were killed against their mother's desire and looked for a mother that could fullfil this desire once again.
Why can't that arc be both anti-abortion and pro-women? The zashiki-warashi didn't choose to be what they became and they had no say when they were being aborted. The landlady was exploiting her workers when the inn used to be a brothel.
@@mmyr8ado.360 because it doesn’t actually say “abortion = bad’. It said a lot of things but not that. It was pro-baby, pro-woman, pro-love and had powerful themes of grief but it doesn’t make a moral judgment on the act, or say it shouldn’t exist, it makes a moral judgment on what *forced* the act and implies the lack of options/help/compassion from the landlady/society was the problem.
(This is cultural, since Japan has a fairly recent history of culturally ‘accepted’ infantcide and little to no influence from the anti-abortion Christianity angle. They are commenting on their own history and how it relates to their present - the ‘lost’ children of Japan’s shrinking population is a big concern to Japan’s future - rather than the other flavors of fertility-rights like the conversation of anti/pro-choice in the West).
@@vysharra That's the beauty of appreciating cultures since you can admire on what is common between your culture and theirs and what is good and beautiful at the same time you can point out on what's different and what not to follow. Restricting the analysis of culture from an outsider's perspective would be like a Chinese person would not understand Shakespeare because of his cultural background.
We can put labels on any type on this particular episode and call it a day, and there is nothing wrong with that. Even with the anti-abortion label that I put on it removed, the fact that the woman was willing to protect her child against the landlady is still there, and is a heroic attribute that is present. Even if anybody would not consider the child as anything special, for the woman, it is something of value, which the landlady would like to take away. Two forces are at play in that episode if you put the woman as the protagonist: Love and apathy. The love of the mother for the child versus the apathy of the landlady towards anyone to reach her goal.
In regards to the cultural background of the setting, there is still something wrong about the situation before the Medicine Man arrived. The aborted children themselves aren't prayed by a Buddhist priest for them to pass on because they were literally hidden, and no Jizo statues placed for them. This alongside the negative emotions and lingering attachments from the brothel and and the mizuko themselves (the 'hidden children'), the latter became the mononoke that are the Zashiki-warashi we see on the first story.
Although irrelevant, many of you would say that the anime has little to no Western influences, Art Nouveau is abound within the first few episodes. The scales that the Medicine Man uses are based on the Jugendstil jewelry. Art Nouveau itself was inspired by the Ukiyo-e art style.
While there are practices of abortion within Japan, it has increased ironically because of the Post-War occupation of Japan by the Americans.
@@mmyr8ado.360 how is it ironic that abortion has replaced infantcide as one facet of family planning in Japan? It seems to be a modern approach to an age old custom.
Fuck yeah, rarely see Mononoke get the love it deserves. Such a gem of a work of art. Great breakdown too, now I needa rewatch n actually understand it for once.
Your analysis of these shows and manga are so in depth and really make me take a look at the media I consume. I appreciate your video Mike!
B pop is the place to go for a wholistic look at manga and anime. Delving deep into the media nothings left out, nothings forgotten … nothings off limits
I watched Mononoke almost a year ago. I loved the ukiyo-e art style, edo culture and Japanese folklore in this whole show, yet it was confusing to fully understand it, so I'm very glad to see Bonsai Pop make such a great video and dabble in deeper storylines of the show, where some of it went unnoticed first time watched the show.
HELL YES this series is my #1 anime and its criminal how underrated it is.
same for me
Everything in this series it's beautiful
Same for me
something nobody has noticed about the medicine seller's other form is that...his other self has black teeth.
iirc, this is likely a reference to something called 'ohaguro,' a practice that noblewomen would engage in where they would swish iron-laden water around in their mouths to color their teeth black. what makes this interesting is that this is specifically an old-fashioned practice specifically done by women.
possibly a reference to inari being an androgynous deity? or kitsune being somewhat androgynous?
This was such a great in depth summery of Mononoke which is super impressive considering how confusing this series can be lol. I love that you put so much historical research into this as well because while it is an explanation for many details in Mononoke, its also super respectful that you'd take the time to really look at the history. Something that always struck me about episode 1 is that during the edo period many people believed that a baby wasn't fully human until they became an older child. Abortion was seen as not a big deal to many people because they thought it was just "sending the spirit back". The fact that the woman was so adamant about having her child was really profound. Also I totally agree Kusuriuri is a Kitsune, you gave great supporting evidence I hadn't even thought of.
By the gods my friends not only did I never expect someone to cover this well but I would have never dreamed this anime would pop up in my subscriptions very very well done. If I had a penny to spare it would be yours.
Mononoke is one of my all time favourite anime, and I'm so glad I found this video. Something I thought of while watching the section of the Nopperabou and how the man is the Medicine Seller relates to the higher ranking kitsune. You stated how as kitsune age, they gain and lose tails after 3,000 years. It may relate that the Masked Kitsune man has two tails tied in his hair, but has the same features of the Medicine Sellers slaying form. Perhaps this happens before he is able to switch between forms and he is about to go on his journey to become the Medicine Seller we know today. Idk something I thought about that kinda adds more support to the Fox Medicine Seller theory.
Great video and I'm happy to have found it!
Leaving a comment before I'm even done watching to say YES YES YES EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH THIS SHOW, THANK YOU FOR MAKING A VIDEO ABOUT IT, ALSO I LOVE THIS SO FAR AND LOOK FORWARD TO WATCHING THE REST. WOO!
I'm so happy to see you do a video on this series, it's probably my all time favourite anime. I would also highly recommend people check out the last 3 episodes of Samurai Horror Tales because of how it ties in so closely with the final arc of this series. It has me wondering if the characters in Mononoke aren't simply descendants but reincarnations, replaying some sort of karmic cycle.
Mononoke: Underrated, underappreciated, and underwatched.
Thanks for making this video.
Subbed.
The color scheme of this anime straight-up reminds me of Dario Argento's Suspiria and I wish the neon hell aesthetic was more prevalent in the West. I love this show and it's a perfect one for Halloween, so I'm glad to see other people discussing it.
When I was in a rehab, getting sober, I found mononoke and watched it back to back. Such a great show. Kept me very invested the whole ride
The aesthetic of this show transcends time. It's mind blowing.
You said it exactly and I read someone's theory with one other person in the fandom who thought the same thing that the medicine seller is a Kitsune. I thought that Kusuriuri was a Kitsune just based on his looks, although not the typical Kitsune having pointed ears and no tail. He doesn't look quite human (like with the face of the Kitsune Yoko Kurama from Yu Yu Hakusho, only with Kurama it's a lot more noticeable). His supernatural abilities also make it obvious that he is a demon. The "edge of this world" that he was talking about at the end makes me think that he is referring to another dimension that intertwines with Earth, that is covered by the veil that no human eye can see unless the vail is lifted. A place where the ones who are part fallen angel and part human went to after they died. As old as the medicine seller is he won't live forever. Even in the other world fear doesn't end.
Even though this is kind of a niche classic that isn't too far from your normal wheelhouse I was still very surprised to see this video show up. I think you did a good job covering it within a time budget. Would have liked to see the 3 episodes from another series that are related to this at least given a passing mention though.
I really hate how the RUclips algorithm treats this channel. The quality and effort yall do deserves more views again.
This is honestly such a fantastic video, so intensely well put together and easy to follow along, I learned so much about the specifics of the culture that went into Mononoke thanks to you, it's truly a gem! Completely understand why you'd never go episode by episode explanations, just know if you ever do, ya got an audience
Oh hell yes. Videos with little summary that go hard on analysis are my absolute favorites. I never thought I'd get insight into why the hell a concertina in the intro of such an unapologetically Japanese work, bravo.
I absolutely adore this show, it's my 2nd favorite anime of all time. Actually, it's probably my favorite of all time. It's such a beautiful show, amazing characters- I'm so glad I found Samurai Horror Stories and made it to the final arc just to find the master peice known as Mononoke! Literally no one knows this show and it hurts when I say "I love Mononoke", and they think the movie
OK, rant over, thank you so much for doing this I freaking love Mononoke!!
Eyyyyyy. Its 2021 and its such a joy to find someone still talk about mononoke!!!!
YESSSSS fucking FINALLY somebody talks about this anime! I watched this back in highschool and I saw nobody even mention this show! Which was surreal because I just watched this really good and thought provoking show with an incredibly striking and beautiful art style but had nobody to talk to about it. Almost made me question if what I saw was real at all
Mononoke was one of the first shows I saw when I was introduced to what the great anime landscape was. Mononoke, Mushishi, Monster were all around that time. Should go back and rewatch them
Out of all of the videos that I have seen you make, review, and talk about, this is the most profound piece of work that I've watched you do. It hit me in a place in my heart that I actually enjoyed because being the person that loves everything about periods of Japan that you mentioned going from the Heian all the way up to Edo, as well as all of the mythology and philosophy that goes along with it, made it more than interesting. And then seeing this anime, maybe literally go "holyshit what is this?"
I legit want to see this now.
Continue doing what you do man
This is one of my favourite shows of all time from my childhood. And as an artist, heavily influenced my art style. It is a masterpiece so terribly close to my heart, yet even though I found it one of the most beautiful, profound, and innovative anime I’ve ever seen, it was never well known. So thank you from the bottom of my heart for covering it so well and doing it justice.
First dorohedoro and now mononoke. I think i'm in love with your channel
Ohhhh I love these ideas, as expected from Bonsai pop . Thanks for the video I mean who needs to do homework anyways ;)
woah had no idea this existed but such an interesting vid. looooove the art style and your breakdown is very insightful. gonna have to check it out. still so grateful for your konosuba vid, that has been my happymaking go to when i'm down. thanks for all you do, looking forward to the next one. take care!!
I've watched and rewatched Mononoke, and always take away a little more every time. Well done Sir!
Pure fire. Another anime I knew nothing about that I now have to see.
thank you for this great in depth analysis, i wish more people talked about this series...
Thank you so much for covering this show!! 😭 I remember watching it once when I was a teenager and only thought it was a fever dream lol I
Yoo dude great video! Such a rewarding surprise to see Mononoke pop in my yt recommendations!
This show is the most hauntingly beautiful thing I ever seen. I watch and rewatch it from time to time because it's so rich, that everytime I watch it again it feels like I notice or understand something new, something I missed before.
I'm so glad I stumbled upon your video essay on this show. It's one of my absolute favourites although I couldn't fully understand the meaning behind the show. I had a feeling the Medicine Seller could have been Nopperabou while watchinh, however I never understood why. The aspect of him being a Kitsune and the audience viewing the world through his eyes recontextualises the show in a whole other way. Each story shows the viewers just as much about him as it does the other characters and the mononoke.
Did you know this series was first realised as part of an anthology show called Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror? I definitely recommend a watch of it though I can't say the same for the other two stories in that series.
I remember watching the show that spun-off into Mononoke and it got me really interested in Japanese folklore. I ended up watching Mononoke one winter and did so with one story per night (2-3 episodes). What an amazing show.
One of my top three fave animes I rewatch it often.
Your video is good I can't stop engaging, I loved your idea that what the medicine seller fears most is the fact that his work will never end and that he can treat the sickness but can't stop the core of the disease, and at the same time I also love the interpretation that the medicine seller fears a world where he no longer has a purpose and ergo will cease to exist! It's all so good!
EVERY VIDEO IS THE BEST VIDEO. you guys just keep getting better. Love you guys so much!
Gonna watch this tonight! Thanks for the badass video!
Another great video guys, yall never disappoint.
Very illuminating! Thank you! I've been a fan of this show for several years, and this really opened my eyes!
I first saw Mononoke at my college anime club (the Nue chapter), & later found the series on dvd.
Oh man I gotta watch this now. That looks awesome! Great video deep as always!
Such an underrated video, beautifuly done!
One of the most gorgeous art style, memorable story and unique anime I have watched.
Mononoke is incredible, I rewatch it every time I re enter the anime fandom. And I first discovered it on youtube sometime in 2016
The Medicine Man reminds me of a description Terence McKenna gave of the role of a Shaman in indigenous cultures, "the Spiritual Plumber". Other ethnobotanists have since provided ample evidence of this. In her book about the importance of Ayahuasca to the tribes of the Amazon basin, Sophia Rokhlin describes how the medicine (which is what they call it) was used for everything from ridding the tribe of evil spirits to finding out where someone's wife was sneaking off to at night. Western society doesn't really have an equivalent role: a person who helps us directly confront our malignant fears, like the Medicine Man. We have plenty of roles that deal with the issue piecemeal (therapists, coaches, teachers, priests, etc.) but there isn't a person whose singular purpose is to help us unravel our fears. We don't have anyone who can guide us into the underworld, that psychic realm of myth, belief, and nihilism.
Or, maybe I just have a shit therapist.
Really good shit, man. You made me do a Think.
Dope video!! I definitely have to check this one out!
Getting a new movie finally.
Hey Tyler, thank for stepping up and helping with the video
Love your videos Mike and Tyler, keep up the great work :))
Oh. Medicine Peddler's identity being a kitsune really makes sense. So probably the next one's will be an orochi or some other Japanese snake, judging from the first visuals (mostly his sword's hilt).
Tyler promo is best promo.
Genuinely love this show. Beyond underrated.
Omg finally something about this anime. It’s crazy good and I rarely see people talking about it at least in Europe. Thank you
Mononoke has been added to Netflix's Library
I’ve always thought that this show, and maybe Berserk, would be a great opera. Like it has all of the pieces there!
My dumb self came here thinking this was about Princess Mononoke lol. But I'm glad, I found a new anime to watch now!
This show is SO AMAZING!!!
Dude I appreciate the hard work you guys put into this video so much. The script, the editing, the research, the delivery, it's all awesome. I'm impatiently waiting for your guys' videos to finally become as popular as you deserve them to be and the yt algorithm finally shines its light on you. Your vids are *always* top tier. ♥
13:03 earned my insta-like we need more of you
Beautifully said, I love you!
Thank you bro you covered one of my favourite anime series of all time
every year i tell people to watch this anime. its been my favorite for over a decade now and it's just.
please y'all watch it
When you mention the fox spirit it all made sense. I went back and watched it again after you video and enjoyed more.
i'm experiencing such genuine, unbridled joy seeing somebody else who cares about and LOVES this show as much as i do
Remember to like and comment, these lads deserve it.
Awesome to see a video on this underrated anime. The aesthetic. I think about it anytime I see people using umbrellas.
I was first introduced to mononoke through the ayakashi: samurai horror tales. I was so excited about the medicine seller getting his own series, and now netflix is doing a trilogy movie series! I love how much this story has grown. 🎉
That was a cool theme breakdown. Thank you for a wonderful video essay!
That was really good.
I thought I knew a lot about Japanese religion, culture, and history but you really did your work here.
I could break down maybe half of that stuff but as soon as I looked up the Kanji It was already on it and just kept going.
I don't think I could express how awesome this video is.
Underrated video
man is it good to hear some talk about this since no one ever does
Honestly one of the best videos you guys have made keep up the great work :D
THANK YOU! you explained everything I was confused about
This is definitely your best video.
Wow! Amazing video essay~ 👏otsukaresamadeshita!👏
Mononoke has flown under my radar for the longest time, but seeing as it has everything I love about Japan and wild visuals, it's a show I must see now!! Thanks again~
there is a version of yourself within every person that knows about you
my worst fear, is the fear of me, the me within others that is what i fear most
Hey Mike!
Hi rarely take the time to write comments, but I really feel like I need to tell you this. I've been watching all your videos for the last year or so, and I've noticed a significant improvement at every one of them. You've found a very unique format in which you really put your soul and heart in every video, you're very vulnerable and therefore come across as very honest. Your videos are the only ones that I watch from beginning to end when they are more than 30min. You've manage to do something very unique by including a lot of philosophy, history and personal experience to put the media that you're talking about in perspective. Congratulation on making it on RUclips by going against the codes, I'm very happy for you that you're now able to make a living doing something that your enjoy, it's such an amazing thing. You seems to be a very awesome person, I hope I'll get the chance to meet you someday or get to work on a project together. Anyway, just wanted to share a lot of appreciation for your work and encourage you to continue!
(I'm acknowledging Mike because he's the one speaking and writing, but also great work on the editing part to anyone in charge of it now and to Tyler)
FINALLY! so glad to see someone talking about this show
My biggest fear is absolutely abandonment and loneliness. Like complete and unyielding rejection from society at large. Its such a scary thing to imagine.
Wow what a ride that vid was haha thanks!
This anime is super slept on
The visual style alone is something to behold.
Jugular sustainenance is welcome.
12:39 the zashiki warashi is not the first story. Mononoke has 2 bakeneko stories and the first bakeneko is the first story of the show, is just that that one was shown in a different anime
That hit way too close to home
Well done. I loved this show.
I always loved this show but funny enough it was one of my first anime. I watched it cause in watchmojos top 10 husbandos the medicine seller was in it and I liked the art style LMAO. This was about 6 years ago
My favorite Anime, easily on par with some of the biggest materpieces in cinema, a true work of art
YES YES YES YES FINALLY someone talks about this masterpiece THANK YOU!!!
Just wow that was deep I really enjoyed this