Anime Hajime Review: Mononoke

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Mononoke. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Spirits exist in their own plane. That is where they belong. And that is where they should stay.

Yet these entities seek to attach themselves to our world. When they do they become the beings known as the Mononoke. Filled with anguish, these creatures can cause great harm and need to be destroyed.

Thus, enters the Medicine Seller (voiced by Takahiro Sakurai).

A drifter, the Medicine Seller hunts the Mononoke. In his possession is a mysterious sword that can exorcise these demons. Although the sword's power can only be unleashed after meeting three criteria.

In order to defeat a Mononoke, the Medicine Seller must learn the form the spirit takes. The truth behind its existence. Plus, the reason why it lingers.

This is a task easier said than done. Though the Mononoke are dangerous, they are born from the evil that resides in the hearts of men. The darker the secret, the tighter a person holds on to it. And some people hold some very dark secrets.

Series Positives

The Medicine Seller

In my review of Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales, I concluded the show to be a general miss. Of its three stories, two failed to capture any sense of tension or fear. They were and have proven to be forgettable. Yet Ayakashi, the series, has managed to stick with me thanks to its third segment.

The tale of Bake Neko and the Medicine Seller rose above the mediocrity surrounding it. This one was unsettling. It dealt with a darkness its companions pieces tried to tap into. Yet where they failed, the Medicine Seller shined. This story wasn’t given the chance it otherwise deserved. Or least, it wasn’t in Ayakashi.

Where our samurai horror tales ended, Mononoke began. Except, so what?

Though the Medicine Seller worked once, that’s not an automatic translation. Here, an entire series rested on his exploits. Was there an actual idea here or was this lightning in a bottle? This time, there would be no comparison. These stories needed to stand on their own.

And stand they did. Proud and firm. Mononoke was great.

Like Ayakashi, this series was a collection of segments. There was no central plot. Sure, the Medicine Seddler was a constant. But there was nothing connecting these arcs. You could watch them in any order. Something akin to Yamishibai.

Yet unlike Ayakashi and unlike Yamishibai, there were no weak links in Mononoke. These stories were fantastic. They were all eerie. They were all unnerving. And they were all scary for their own reasons.

While I loved each of them, for the sake of it here’s how I would rank each segment.

5. Nue

4. Umibozu

3. Noppera-bo

2. Zashiki-warashi

1. Bake Neko

Although I said you could watch these in any order, let me offer one piece of advice. Watch Bake Neko last. There’s an instant difference to it. One that is both brilliant and terrifying. It puts the Medicine Seller in an even more mysterious light.

And for those who noticed, no Mononoke’s Bake Neko is not the same as Ayakashi’s. In fact, Mononoke’s is better. Think about that.

The Animation and Horror

These two aspects could not be more linked in this series. They went hand in hand to create an atmosphere of intrigue. This show was thick, I’m not going to lie. This is going to require some thought and self-deduction. It will help to pay attention. Which is not a problem since Mononoke will have your attention.

This series’ visuals were fascinating. The art work made everything unnatural. And in a horror series, that’s perfect.

When experiencing a scary story, you try to find something to ground yourself. The scarier the story, the more inherent this becomes. This may be something you’re not even aware you’re doing. It’s a sense of control which is something most of us want to keep. For when you’re not in control, it’s often not comforting. Good horror takes that control away. Good horror is uncomfortable.

This is what the animation of Mononoke did. This series was overt in its stylization. It played up the fantasy side of everything. Nothing had a confined size. Buildings, rooms, and even outdoors fluctuated between infinite and constricted. Neither were preferable since both were ensnaring. When stuck behind four walls or trapped in an infinite loop, what’s the difference?

Also, this series got graphic. But not in the usual sense. Blood did exist. There were scenes of carnage and gore. People died in brutal ways. What made Mononoke unique was not only what it showed. Instead, it was more, how did it show it?

The level of violence in this series is subjective. How disturbing or tame a situation looks is on you. Your brain will be the one to fill in the gaps. That said, Mononoke doesn’t leave everything up to your discretion.

The Medicine Seller segment from Ayakashi was dark. The segments here took it up a notch. This series dealt with topics that are quite cringe-y. Zashiki-warashi, in particular, was a bit rough. These elements go back to the uncomfortableness I was talking about.

And then there was the imagery that was straight up creepy. Mononoke was not afraid to take the direct approach. I’m not talking about jump scares. Those did not exist. Despite that, there were a few moments that made me freak out a little.

It’s clear which series should be known as samurai horror tales.

The Medicine Seller

What I have to say about the Medicine Seller I already said in the Ayakashi review. He was much of the same in Mononoke. Calm, collected, professional. He was a lead character who knew what he was doing. And this series was smart with how it handled him.

While the Medicine Seller was an experienced exorcist, he wasn’t overpowered. He did need to meet the three criteria to fight the demons he faced. Doing so made Mononoke a decent mystery series as well. Discovering the full picture required some effort.

The Medicine Seller wasn’t infallible. He did make mistakes. He did get things wrong. His experience and expertise aided him, but they didn’t give him an easy out. Then again, it was hard to tell if someone ever got the better of him. A setback to us may have been a step six in his well thought out plan.

Plus, it was nice to see the three criteria, Form, Truth, and Regret were on equal terms. None of them were givens. Sometimes Form was obvious. Other times, it was the last thing uncovered. Truth and Regret were often similar. Not always though. Sometimes they were logical and sometimes they were petty. Their severity didn’t matter. The Medicine Seller needed to account for each of them.

And though it existed in Ayakashi, it was much more evident here. The Medicine Seller was actually rather funny. His level headedness made him appear not caring. When others were losing their minds, he never flinched. He had a lot of sarcasm which was much appreciated.

At the time of this review, it’s been a decade since Mononoke’s release. Although not likely, it would be wonderful to see more adventures of the Medicine Seller.

Series Negatives

Two things. There were just two things about Mononoke I want to bring up here. Both are small when compared to the quality of the rest of the series. But I still want to bring them up.

The first is about Umibozu. Of the five segments, this was a direct sequel to Ayakashi’s Bake Neko. It’s the only one that referenced events from the previous series.

Though an enjoyable nod to what came before, these were references that weren't necessary. In the long run, it would’ve been better without them. They felt out of place.

At first, I thought this was the show’s way of integrating some recurring characters. When that didn’t happen, it made the whole inclusion weird. Why bother? To be fair, though, I’m glad this didn’t end up happening.

Had there been more references, that also would’ve been weird. Mononoke was doing fine by itself. Each segment as its own entity worked. Having these additions were more of a distraction than anything.

That leads me to my second point. This series didn’t always make sense. There will be a few exchanges that could leave you asking, “What?”

The dialogue leaned more towards the philosophical. That’s not a problem when done right. And Mononoke didn’t get this wrong. Yet a casual knowledge of Edo Period Japan wouldn’t hurt when watching. That’s never fun.

That and this type of storytelling isn't for everyone. There's nothing wrong with that. I know I get into moods where I don't want to challenge my brain. And that's why I wanted to bring this up.

Should you decide to go into this series, you should know what you're in store for. That way, you can adjust yourself as need be. Then you can enjoy this show even more.

Were these two things that bad? Not in the slightest. Mononoke is strong enough to power through these moments.

Final Thoughts

Ayakashi was pick-and-choose. Mononoke is a definite choose.

This just goes to show. You never know where something good is going to come from.

Between the animation and art work, this series is a sight to behold. It grabs your attention and you can’t look away. A dangerous dilemma in horror. Especially when the horror happens to land. Which it did here.

If the day should ever come that sees the return of the Medicine Seller, I’ll be there in an instant. Until then, Mononoke is a must.

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