Revisiting Mononoke
- Kenny Isibor
- Apr 26, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 15, 2024
Finding the Medicine Seller
When I think about Mononoke, I immediately feel a warm heat travel up the center of my back, that spreads across my shoulders and radiates out of my heart. This anime is one of the most visually stunning, high-caliber, and unintentionally healing shows, that I’ve ever seen.
I initially discovered Mononoke when I was really craving something new and exciting to watch. I had been consuming copious amounts of reality romance competition shows, and I was starting to hit the natural wall that comes after watching one too many people attempt to, “find love.”
So when I saw the Mononoke trailer on Netflix and heard the Medicine Seller's voice for the first time—I had to watch it.
Instant Hypnosis
The Medicine Seller’s deadpan stare, hypnotic intonation, vibrant clothing with subtle feminine touches, elfin ears, and arresting eye makeup immediately hooked me into the show. I found myself entranced like all of the patrons in the first episode, wondering who this mysterious man standing in the doorway was.
The Medicine Seller is given no formal introduction or backstory like most animes, but instead, is dropped into the story like a morning mist appearing across a mountain. His origins, powers, and even whether or not he’s actually human are never truly discussed in the series.
There are several moments in the show, where the patrons are just as confused as the audience, in terms of who and what the Medicine Seller really is. But in spite of the questions, he only answers in a way that he deems appropriate and in other instances, he chooses to remain silent.
The Plot and Background [SOME SPOILERS]
Mononoke (2007, series), is a twelve-episode psychological horror anime series produced by Toei Animation and directed by Kenji Nakamura. The stellar artistic direction of the show draws inspiration from kabuki and ukiyo-e, paired with a vibrant color story that makes every frame a literal work of art. (For more information on the art style, check out https://yattatachi.com/tbt-mononoke)
The plot of the series centers around the Medicine Seller traveling to different locations and slaying Mononoke and the occasional Ayakashi. Mononoke is the physical manifestation of ill will, bad luck, and karma that infects the human heart. In order to slay the Mononoke and unsheathe the sacred sword of salvation, the Medicine Seller must know the shape, the truth, and the reason for the appearance of the Mononoke.
The shape
The shape is the literal form(the appearance) of the Mononoke. In the first episode, the shape of the Mononoke is Zashiki Warashi, or child spirit. These child spirits manifested in the form of vibrant-colored babies with yin-yang symbols at the center of their bellies. The Zashiki Warashi came out of the walls and insisted that the pregnant woman in episodes 1-2, be their mother.
Though the shape is the initial appearance of the Mononoke, it can’t form without the truth and the reason preceding it.
The truth
The truth is the consequences surrounding the cause of the Mononoke. The truth tells us what actually caused the deaths of the people in each episodic arc. To locate the truth behind the cause of the Mononoke, the Medicine Seller will ask the patrons to explain what happened prior to his appearance at the scene. To help the Medicine Seller parse out the truth, he employs ornamental balance scales that tip when something is true, and remain still if something a patron says is false.
The reason
The reason is the attitude of the heart which spawned the initial formation of the Mononoke. The reason also describes the state of the patron’s emotions, which led them to commit or become victims of an atrocity.
In one of my favorite arcs, epsiode 6-7, we see the true reason behind the formation of Oyo’s Mononoke. Oyo herself doesn’t even understand the reason behind her own Mononoke, but the medicine vendor shows her by entrapping her in a box made of talismans, that projects her past back to her.
In the box, Oyo sees her past self disassociating from her body while her mother berates her instrument playing. The medicine seller also shows Oyo disassociating again, as she cleans up the broken tea cups, her husband’s family threw at her. This dissociation is what leads to the formation of a Mononoke that “saves” her—by giving her the physical strength needed to murder her husband and in-laws.
The reason or attitude of the heart behind Oyo’s actions is that she saw herself trapped in other people’s desires, and formed a mental prison for herself. But, as the medicine seller told her, the window was open all along, she just needed the courage to set herself free.
“By satisfying everyone else’s desires, you lost your own face.”
My Final feelings on the show
The show felt like a dream to watch. Though there were many mature themes and taboo topics tackled in Mononoke, the art style and highly unpredictable outcomes of the plot lines kept me watching.
There were many occasions when I had to pause the show and absorb all of the beautiful quotes said by the Medicine Seller. Though he was a man of few words, the words he did speak were never wasted or minced. Every scene he was in carried a presence, an ethereal beauty, and an otherworldly charm that erased any desire I had to question where he came from.
Like a morning mist, he appears in the first episode, and like a beautiful sunset at the end of summer, he fades away in the last episode. My experience watching Mononoke for the first time is something that I’ll always hold onto forever. This show reminds me of why I love to absorb and experience a world created by someone else; and has inspired me to create an interesting world of my own.
My hope is that at least some of you watch this show, and get to bask in the artistic genius and heartfelt dialogue, that makes this show stand the test of time.
Citations
Art Work
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https://www.allmystery.de/static/th/preview/i/t51fb92_NWynB.png_conv.jpg
https://annaneverland.wordpress.com/2010/04/28/mononoke/
References
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