Mononoke The Movie: Phantom in the Rain: Colorful Euphoria

 There are many things that I enjoy in this world. And one of those things is when art breaks the boundaries of their conventions. Something middling can drown out these faults because of how the presentation is handled. It's that creativity and willingness to try that makes me love something. An example of this for me is the game, Killer is Dead. An action game from Grasshopper Manufacture that outperforms because of how beautiful the art style is, along with the over-the-top nature of the gameplay and storytelling. It makes this impression that lasts amongst a sea of other titles. 

While this example is more about my love for silly, and sometimes creepy action titles. The reason for the season is Mononoke The Movie: Phantom in the Rain. A movie that I have been waiting for since it was announced years ago. The original anime captured my love for Japanese Folklore stories along with an art style that I had not seen used much in animation. Mononoke was not only able to convey the time period, but was also able to do add some color that would only be manageable in a medium like animation. 

For context, Mononoke follows the Medicine Seller (Kusuriuri) as he (they?) investigates the phenomenon surrounding Mononoke. These investigations require knowing the Form, Reason, and Truth of the apparitions. With these three pieces known, the Medicine Seller is then able to exorcise the Mononoke in a sense. 

The arcs in Mononoke follow a play-like structure that was common in Japanese theater. So, when it was in television form, each episode would conclude the act. These arcs would typically last three episodes. And what makes the series so approachable, is that it is episodic. This means that there isn't much of an overarching plot. Audiences are allowed to just watch it in these small chunks. Even if you have never watched an episode of the show, you can still watch the movie. 

Now, I am going to go into some spoliery details. So, if you want to avoid that, I would leave now. Without further ado, let's dig into the masterpiece that is Mononoke The Movie: Phantom in the Rain. 

The story follows Asa and Kame, two new workers at the Ooku. A large complex where maids work in order to service Lord Tenshi and his harem, with some even becoming one of his concubines. While Asa is independent, hard-working, and diligent. Kame is absent-minded, easily overwhelmed, and lazy. They are pretty much polar opposites. There personalities reflect this as well. 

Asa is more reserved, but still soft. And Kame is this very bubbly, air-headed girl. When they arrive at the Ooku, they get roomed together. For much of the film, we get to see there relationship and how it progresses. And to be frank, it is one of the strongest parts of the film. Asa and the way that she views and interacts with Kame is cute. You can see the sapphic energy exuding from the scenes between the two. The trials and tribulations that these two go through are harrowing, and I was left wishing that they would make it out together. 

What made there time at the Ooku so harrowing was the Mononoke that inhabited the space, Karakasa. This apparition was so imposing that it caught the eye of not only the Medicine Seller, but some government officials as well. These investigators were Tokita Saburomaru and Saga Heiki. And what they had come to investigate was the sudden disappearance of a maid and the reason for the delay of the Birthing Celebration Ceremony. An event that is typically held before the birth of the child, yet has seemingly been set for months after. 

In order to understand more of how the disappearances and the delay of the ceremony correlate. We have to understand the practices of how the maids function at the Ooku. When Asa and Kame arrive, they are instructed to throw away something that is most precious to them into this massive well. This practice is being instructed to them by senior maids, Lady Awashima and Lady Mugitani. Lady Awashima is more of a stern, stickler for the rules type. While Lady Mugitani is more or less a bully that unravels behind closed-doors. 

So, when Asa refuses the custom, she gets noticed by the head maid, Lady Utayama. And Lady Utayama is interesting because she rewards Asa for going against the grain. A choice that not only shocked me, but the other maids as well. Asa's combative nature was not seen as detrimental to the pack. It was seen as a beneficial attribute. Something that wouldn't come to fruition until later on. 

So, it takes quite a while for the Mononoke to appear. And in that time we see what is supposed to happen when you fall in line with the customs enforced by Lady Utayama. The easiest detail to spot for me were the faces. Most maids were represented as this black hole with a spiral in the middle. For maids with unique appearances, anytime they would fall in line, there faces would change. This wouldn't happen to any of the major characters,  but there were some uniquely designed maids that would produce this change. 

An interesting design choice that worked for me when I was trying to discern some aspects in the film. This choice also made it easier to spot emotional distress or changes in the major characters. It made them standout that much more. Before we are formally introduced to our Mononoke, Karakasa. We get an interesting scene with Asa fixing a room.

During this time, she finds a doll. As she finds it, Asa is approached by a mysterious woman. That woman is Lady Kitagawa. They briefly talk, and then Lady Kitagawa disappears without a trace. This conversation is interesting to me because so many branches come out of it. And that is one of the reasons why I love Mononoke so much. The structure of the arcs allow for the audience to think about the next move. It makes every moment matter because each scene is adding some significance to the next event. 

That next event is an intense scolding from Lady Mugitani towards Kame. This is because Kame forgot to do a task and is now paying for it with an attack from Lady Mugitani. This is not just some verbal beratement, but an assault on her appearance. Lady Mugitani is taking out her frustrations on Kame, an easy target. This young, beautiful, ditzy maid has been fucking up while given constant second-chances. This event causes Lady Mugitani to dry out. 

While the Medicine Seller notices the manifestation of Karakasa, he is too late. A victim has been claimed. And now Lady Mugitani is nothing but a dried out husk. An event that shakes Lady Awashima to her core. She has seen a friend drained and discarded by some monster. Who wouldn't be shaken up by this? The answer to that question is Lady Utayama. She plans to sweep this under the rug and proceed with the ceremony. The pieces are all there and nothing can stop her from fulfilling this job. 

What I like about this progression in the film, is that I know why this happened. I am now interested in the how. I understand what they mean by drying out. But knowing that answer is not enough. It's getting to the root of the problem. And the movie does a great job in answering the necessary questions, while giving appropriate answers. 

The hallmark of the Mononoke series has always been answering the important questions and then leaving others up to interpretation. So, I am not going to just recite the whole movie. I think that explaining things up to this point is enough. I want people to watch this for themselves and come to their own conclusions. Mononoke is one of the best in the medium, and I want others to experience that. Now, I want to give some props to some of the standouts for me.

First off, I want to shout out not only Takashi Hashimoto for the Original Character Design, but also Kitsuneko Nagata for the movie Character Designs. I have always been a big fan of how characters look in Mononoke. And I feel that this sentiment still rings true. The Medicine Seller looks fresh, and I really enjoyed the looks of the maids and concubines. They each had distinct looks when appropriate. This also allowed for the animators to get creative in how they portrayed certain actions and expressions. 

You can't really praise a movie like this without giving props to the Director. Kenji Nakamura had already worked on Mononoke previously, so this must have felt like second nature to him. When I was looking at staff, it clicked. Because Phantom in the Rain felt like another Mononoke arc. So, having that familiarity made for a smoother transition to the big screen. And I felt like those limitations from being a television production over fifteen years ago weren't there. They got to just run wild with it. 

My last big shout out has to go to Taku Iwasaki, who was credited for the music in the film. I was quite surprised to hear these Techno Battle scores. And even more surprised when I heard Lotus Juice, an artist know for collaborating with Atlus on the Persona franchise. Even outside the fights, the music paired really well with each scene. The proper emotions were being conveyed through the rhythm. I was fully engrossed on all fronts. 

So, I would love to shout out every single person that worked on this film, but I would be here all day. I'll settle with thanking not just EOTA, but every studio and person that contributed to this film. So many people worked on this project that it would feel disingenuous to not thank them all. And you could say this for anything, but I just feel like doing it for this movie. A series that I never thought would get another chance is back. And I can't wait for more. 

Before I go, I want to talk about the obvious reason why you should watch Mononoke The Movie: Phantom in the Rain. Not only is it beautiful in design. The way that scenes are structured and details are delivered are unique. Things come and go in the blink of an eye. What you are left with are some answers with some more questions to go along with it. Each arc is so flashy and unique while dealing with very human ordeals. It reminds me of the film Miss Hokusai. Hyperbolic tellings of grounded, human stories. What makes you want to watch them over and over again is that oddness. 

Like, why did this story about abortion need to have these fantastical elements? Because exaggerating the details makes the brutality that much more intense. Hallucinations seem to be the basis for how Mononoke approaches storytelling. The colors and expressions give that idea to me. It's a series that if you tried to get high and watch it, it would fry your brain. 

I sometimes forget I am watching a horror property and then someone dies horrifically. Being this bright and colorful as a horror series should be a crime, yet it accomplishes its goals extremely well. So, now I wait in anticipation for the next movie. Will the Medicine Seller actually sell any medicine? Maybe he does in the next one. I'll just have to wait and see. Support this masterpiece. Or else you too will become a Phantom in the Rain. 

And remember to Free Palestine, Free Congo, Free Sudan, Free Venezuela and to Free Lebanon from the onslaught of their oppressors. Never stop talking about them. They think that we don't care, but we see everything. Never forget that. They are trying to suppress our voices because they matter, remember that.