Mononoke The Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage: Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned

 The time has finally come for another Mononoke Movie. A series that I can't get enough of. There's nothing out right now that matches the creativity and chaos that makes Mononoke so unique. Even when looking at contemporaries like In/Spectre or Mushishi, Mononoke manages to take everything a step further. Where In/Spectre feels like a more violent and less complex version of Mushishi when it comes to the investigations of Spirits. Mononoke takes a more fantastical approach. A key aspect that has made the TV Series and Movies pop that much more. But this isn't a catch-all for Mononoke, this piece is about my thoughts on the second film, The Ashes of Rage. 

A surprise sequel that expands on the Ooku (The Harem of Palace of Lord Tenshi) after the events from Phantom in the Rain. With the first film focusing on the Lower Rank Maid Activities and the stress that comes with the service, the second film delves into the Upper Rank Concubines. And what better way than to put the focus on the pressures of succession and the status quo. Lord Tenshi is a noble and his potential heir needs to be on the same playing field as him. Otherwise, there might as well be no heir at all. 

So, my initial thoughts on this film are very positive. In the moment, I loved the harrowing story for what it says about Motherhood, and the pressures of society and tradition. But then I thought about how this story compares to another arc in the series. That arc happens to be the first, known as Zashiki Warashi. In this story, the audience sees Shino deal with a pregnancy that she was happy with, but the father was not. There's this discussion on having autonomy over your body and whether abortion was the right move. In some ways, I think the show frames abortion too negatively, yet the perspective comes from a guilt-ridden mother who felt like they had no other choice. So, the Mononoke in this scenario was tied to the child, whereas the Mononoke in The Ashes of Rage was tied to the Mother. 

So, it kinda came full circle for the series as the first and the  most recent arcs dealt with similar ideas, but managed to approach them from different perspectives. Now, I have talked enough about my initial feelings, let's get into the meat and talk about these Raging Ashes.

Like I said earlier, The Ashes of Rage takes us back to the Ooku as there are still Mononoke lurking around the palace. So, that means the Medicine Seller (Also known as Kusuriuri) returns once more in order to deal with the dilemma. Despite having helped them the month before, it seems Sakashita (The Head Palace Guard) and some other higher ups, like Lady Botan, want to keep him out still. A gesture that I understand, but can seem a little confusing at first. Like yes, there are standards to be upheld. Yet, the previous months events could have swayed them a bit more early on. And this does prove to be the case almost immediately for Sakashita, but takes a bit for Lady Botan.

So, why has the Medicine Seller returned to the Ooku? Because he's a freak, however he's a freak with knowledge. And when the Medicine Seller shows up, I'm listening and looking at the surroundings. Mononoke never tries to hide too much. The audience is always given information when relevant, and is given space to fill in the blanks if they feel like it. And this arc very much has those slottable puzzle pieces that make it feel a little more forward than previous arcs. Maybe that's because of the shorter runtime, but even in the film itself, the Medicine Seller remarks on the speed of the current Mononoke before it tears through the maid, Sayo.

A disturbing spectacle that sees her flail in agony as she claims to be burning. An aspect that does not become apparent to the others until they physically see her body turn to ash. What I like about this scene, and some of the other deaths in the movie, is that they look absolutely bizarre to bystanders. The form of the Mononoke is invisible without the proper means. So, in Freddy Krueger-like fashion, you see the victim in agony as they are consumed by an invisible force. But why would a Lower Concubine like Sayo be the target? Well,  it all comes down to her malice and aggression towards Lady Fuki. One of the Upper Concubines that has recently seen favor with Lord Tenshi. Surely that wouldn't be enough of a reason to hate Lady Fuki, right?

The answer to that is no. Sayo did not hate Lady Fuki because she had favor with Lord Tenshi. She hated her because of her familial standing. Lady Fuki did not come from the Upper Crust of Society. She worked tirelessly, and put her family on her back. Carrying the Tokita name much further than it seemingly deserved. And Sayo was one of the people that felt the status quo needed to be upheld. So, seeing Lady Fuki vie for the Head Mistress position of the Ooku against Lady Botan felt aggravating. She should know her place, she should be grateful for where she's at. Ultimately, it's those feelings that cause Sayo to be the first victim. A spiteful little thing that helps perpetuate the efforts of the elite. 

I like this being the catalyst. Sayo's death sets the standard for what constitutes as a trigger. The Mononoke clearly protects Lady Fuki in some capacity, and any form of ill will is seen as an attack. This distinction becomes important to events that proceed the climax. As physical attempts of harm aimed at Lady Fuki get made by others within the Ooku. The first being poison, with the other being a medicine that essentially aborts the fetus. And that's the one I want to focus on right now. 

This abortion elixir is important to the current event and the Truth behind this fire-based Mononoke. It does exactly what you think it does. The Birther drinks, and then baby dies. What ties this altogether is the administrator for this scene, Doctor Gentaku. A bizarre physician that clearly works in favor of those above him. As he prepares the drink for a sleeping Lady Fuki, he spills the details on how this concoction has been used for years. In the same manner, with the same intentions. Can't be having unwanted children potentially becoming heirs, right? Getting more context into how the heir system is controlled, leads into that Truth aspect. So by now, the audience learns of the Form. The Mononoke is a network of Fire Mice known as Hinezumi. The ones that are doing the killing are not the Host Body, or the Mother in this instance. 

While the Hinezumi Children make a spectacle out of Gentaku as they drag him up and down the walls. The Reason starts to play out. A tragedy that was mentioned after Sayo's death due to the similarities, known for a woman's suicide by fire. That woman would be Lady Suzu. A character that parallels the life of Lady Fuki in many ways. Similar social standing with the same choice. Kill the baby or your family is ruined. A question that has no answer. It's rhetorical. Lady Suzu and Lady Fuki are not meant to have choices in this scenario. The Invisible Hand is not expecting autonomy, only conformity. 

While Lady Fuki grapples with this realization, the film expands upon Lady Botan and Sakashita as characters. Two characters that I think were more in the background in Phantom in the Rain, but got starring roles in the events of The Ashes of Rage. With Sakashita, you get a more friendly relationship with the Medicine Seller over the course of the arc. Alongside an expansion on his relationship to the Ooku. 

There's a scene where Lady Fuki talks to her Father about her pregnancy. And in that scene we also see Sakashita listening in because he wants to know if the events that plagued Lady Suzu twenty years ago would repeat. Much to his delight, Lady Fuki makes the choice that Lady Suzu didn't. Keeping the baby became less about being a tool for status, and more about wanting to be a mother. Seeing the decision that his friend couldn't make, made Sakashita emotional. Sakashita has been around the Ooku for thirty years. So, seeing the women take control for once was a much needed change. 

But what about Lady Botan? How does Lady Botan manage to become the standout of this film? She simply changes. Taking over the as the Head Mistress of the Ooku made the most sense to me. She had a sizeable role in the first film, yet she was more proactive in protecting the women than the fragile egos of old men in this one. Like, when Lady Fuki challenges her on the nomination at the beginning, Lady Botan sees through Lady Fuki's shallow goal. She's not worried about the child as a human at that point, she's just using them as a stepping stone. So, Lady Botan becomes this overprotective guardian that eventually loosens up because she knows that stubbornness gets them nowhere. It's what got Lady Utayama killed in the first movie. Keeping that status quo does nothing but to appease a few, while the others are left in the aftermath. 

My favorite aspect in Lady Botan's development comes when she goes against her own father, Roju Otomo. He wants to abort the fetus because the blood within Lady Fuki isn't rich enough. And he's willing to pin a crime on her that was orchestrated by the Katsunuma Family, the antagonists to Lady Fuki in this arc. Lady Matsu, the daughter, is one of the other Upper Concubines, and she saw Lady Fuki as an obstacle toward her own schemes. So, it was quite thrilling to reach the climax and see her fall through this Inner Chamber Floor like a Tekken Floor Break and then get incinerated before falling into a psychedelic abyss. A cathartic scene enhanced by the deaths of the other villains.

To get back to the Lady Fuki and Lady Suzu parallel, I really liked how the Reason was revealed. Lady Suzu wasn't just upset at those keeping the status quo and causing women to make choices they hated. She was upset that she just went with it. And seeing Lady Fuki break away from that fate made her own decision "Unforgivable." This revelation got me thinking about the Hinezumi Children. Lady Suzu is obviously the Mother, but what are they? Are they the children like in Zashiki Warashi or are they the Mothers that were forced to do the same. I'm leaning more toward the former as Lady Suzu is a target herself in the Mother Hinezumi form. This begs me to think that the enemy of the aborted are those that have done or wish to do harm. 

There's much to think about with The Ashes of Rage. I'm excited about the future, while also wanting to go back and rewatch the other arcs. My biggest critique is that I wanted more. This arc did well within the time limit, but I think Phantom in the Rain benefitted heavily from that extra run time. Regardless, The Ashes of Rage is another rock solid story within the world of Mononoke. 

I like what EOTA is doing with the series. Compounding these arcs into a film allows for a fluidity that can be lost in those twenty minute chunks on TV. You get a more concrete act structure, but can lose people over the course of the arc. Especially when the subject manner can be as dense as some of those from TV Adaptation. But remember to keep watching these movies. Mononoke is one of the most unique things in Anime, and I would hate for it to disappear again. 

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. There may have been a ceasefire in Gaza, but Palestine still needs to be completely free.