Mononoke Is A Visually Dazzling Supernatural Detective Horror Anime
(Welcome to Ani-time Ani-where, a regular column dedicated to helping the uninitiated understand and appreciate the world of anime.)
Horror and animation, particularly anime, don't tend to mix well. There are plenty of psychological thrillers, sure, but there are very few shows that don't just rely on shock and gore to create a horror atmosphere. That makes any show that at least creates an eerie vibe rather special. Shows like "Mononoke."
No, this is not connected to the Ghibli film with a similar title. And no, this isn't technically a scary show, but it manages to create a creepy atmosphere full of disturbing imagery. Plus, it's all about demons and other evil spirits, so it counts!
"Mononoke" was produced by Toei Animation, the studio behind iconic shows like "Dragon Ball, "Sailor Moon," and "One Piece." The 2007 anime is a spin-off of the horror anthology "Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales" and follows a Medicine Seller during the end of the Edo period. The Medicine Seller travels across Japan looking for Mononoke, a specific kind of evil spirit, so he can slay them. To find the Mononoke, he needs to know their shape, their purpose, and why they came to exist. From there, "Mononoke" becomes one of the most gorgeous-looking shows, one that experiments with visuals to tell five distinct stories of loss, crime, and violence.
What makes it great
From the get-go, "Mononoke" is simply stunning. The show employs a unique art style that recreates the aesthetic of Kabuki theater and Ukiyo-e paintings. Like the phenomenal "Gankutsuou: The Count Of Monte Cristo," the characters are painted on top of a textured background so that when they move, the textures in the characters' clothes remain static. This style not only gives the show an aesthetic grounded in the era the story is set in, but it creates a bit of an unnerving look. The unmovable textures look surreal, they look wild, they look eerie, and they add to the story's horror.
Likewise, the use of this distinct art style even helps with some of the more dated elements of the animation. The combination of 3D and 2D at times it creates such an intrinsically uncanny effect that it is easy not to notice the aged CG used in some backgrounds.
I've mentioned before in this column how refreshing and exciting it is to see an anime show — or any show today, really — use an episodic format to tell its story. In the case of "Mononoke," the story is essentially a collection of unconnected detective cases. Each spans two or three episodes, and has distinct monsters, themes, and characters. It is a fantastic choice that makes the unnerving art style easier to take in because the story has natural breaks built into the season.
What it adds to the conversation
"Mononoke" uses its semi-episodic format to explore different monsters through spooky mysteries. Granted, the solutions to the mysteries aren't particularly hard to solve, but most of them are rather emotional — heartbreaking, even.
You see, as cliché as it is to say that humans are the real monsters, "Mononoke" portrays that idea with nuance and craft. The titular Mononoke are vengeful spirits corrupted by negative emotions. Most of the monsters are actually grudges and curses, caused by bad people doing something horrible and angering another person who then became a spirit. The Mononoke, then, are mostly haunting people and places in order to get justice, which the Medicine Seller gives them by solving the mystery of how they came to be.
A few of the cases in the show deal with the lack of agency for women in society, particularly during the Edo period. From a former brothel of dead sex workers forced to abort their children due to their social status, to a young journalist getting murdered for discovering a conspiracy involving the new train tracks. These stories are emotionally charged, and provide some fascinating commentary on Japanese history and culture, all while still portraying absurd and disturbing creatures — like an army of ghoulish dead babies haunting an inn.
Why non-anime fans should check it out
"Mononoke," in some ways, is kind of like a Mike Flanagan show. It isn't necessarily scary, but it is definitely a horror story featuring monsters and ghosts. And yet, what makes both memorable is the emotional layer of the story and the characters you follow. Add in a cool detective, and some clever whodunnit detective mini-stories and this is one of the most unique original anime of the past couple of decades.
Horror and anime aren't the easiest of pairings. The animation medium isn't particularly made to convey a sense of terror, because the suspension of disbelief is bigger than in live-action and a connection to the characters is different in animation. That being said, the best horror anime are the ones that recognize this, and approach horror from an atmospheric or character-driven standpoint. In that regard, "Mononoke" is definitely a show you should add to your Halloween watchlist.
Watch This If You Like: "A Haunting in Venice," "The Haunting of Hill House."
"Mononoke" is streaming on Netflix and RetroCrush.