Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Xerox96
*Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain* is the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to reading a book; I felt it throughout its entire runtime. It’s like reading a book in an audiovisual format. What I mean by this is the following: the work demands an active reading at all times. Again, it’s just like reading a book—it requires concentration, memory, and close attention. It is by no means a show where you can just sit back, relax, and turn your brain off. I’m not saying its story is complex; following the main plot isn’t abstract or impossible by any means, but it does ask for your constant attention. In return, the film rewards you with thousands of details that aren't strictly necessary to understand the main arc, but give the movie a depth and flavor that adds an incredible amount.
T…
Read at the sourceknivessorrows
might be annoying to read again countless of times but the visuals were amazing especially compared to the 2007 production. medicine seller looked more beautiful which was nice to see (surprised there isn’t more women and men going heart eyes for him lol) but this movie did a good job of making you do some critical thinking about what is yet to come. i think mononoke is a show/movie that you should watch with someone else so you can have discussions!
i was so sad to see the two girls go on their separate ways towards the end 😔.
there was a change of voice actors for the medicine seller which i do understand why… regardless kamiya hiroshi did amazing like always and same for kaji yuki !
will i rewatch? i think if a friend/partner asked me then i would ! there’s a lot to see visually a…
Read at the sourceTalha_R
The original 12 episode TV Series, Mononoke (2007), which consists of multiple arcs, is about a roaming Medicine Seller specialized in terminating malevolent deities, traveling around Feudal Japan in order to find & slay them.
The trilogy is the version of the story from the perspective in another setting, with another such Medicine Seller, as there are multiple specialists.
The Key Premise remains the same, the Medicine Seller must find the Deity's:
1. Form (Metaphysical shape)
2. Truth (Incident behind the origin of the deity)
3. Reason (what it tries to accomplish),
which are born from the residue of negative human feelings, primarily originated through various human rights violation. After the revelations of these three requirements, he is able to slay the Deity before it causes any…
Read at the sourceneofe
I'm conflicted as to why I love this as much as I do. Honestly, I walked in ready to expect more of Mononoke, and to dislike it if it wasn't that; it wasn't. It's cinematic rather than theatrical, it's nearly Michael Bay-esque in its editing and score, it has synths and guitars in its soundtrack, Kusuriuri is a whole new character, it's just... different. It's not what I wanted or what I expected to get, and yet, I am in love. The reason, I think, is because it's a story. This movie has something to say about friendship, depression, agency, it is feminist commentary and an exploration of girlhood, it is simply an immensely good portrayal of incredibly difficult topics. It is a story, and for every fantastic thing the show does, it never really tells one. It has tales, parables, puzzles for…
Read at the sourceNever_Know_Best
I still love this series’ presentation. It’s a kind of self-aware, dizzying post-modernism that I can certainly get behind as a valid, artful approach to detailing the pained struggles of doomed souls caught in difficult, rigid situations in the Japanese past. The psychedelic, maximalist opulence of everything, everywhere all over the screen barrages you with detail after detail about how these people live, how unknowable the other world quite naturally must be, and just how damn angry these abused spirits rightfully are.
As for the story in this particular chapter, I have to admit I wish we’d had a little more time with the characters. A lot of good ideas and great direction from the 00s series’ director, but I think the writing needed a little work.
Also, yeah, I miss Takahiro Sakurai,…
Read at the sourceGunsl1ng3rGIRL
This is the most unconvincing, unscary, and obvious entry in the franchise. Medicine Seller gets sidelined just to promote that modern anime girl aesthetic. Women of the show looked better because the show has unique style this studio abandoned. His transformation is lamer (they gave him a lighter tan with red paint instead), and the mononoke is 100% CG, mostly background. The whole production is entirely too 3D, making it impossible for it to take on the series' classical Japanese art aesthetic which is what draws appeal in the first place.
The plot twist is exactly what you think it is; there's no mystery. There is no sense of discovery between the Truth, Form, and Regret. Medicine Seller immediately recognizes the Form, and the other two are told to him with no prelude.
This is not a fi…
Read at the sourceemberreviews
Mononoke: Phantom In the Rain was like settling into a familiar old couch, if that old couch kept you in a heightened state of tension for over an hour straight and blasted you with as much visual information as possible. This franchise made the leap from TV to film remarkably well, with its thriller/mystery base keeping my attention fully locked in, while the character drama unfolding on top of it constantly tugged at my heartstrings. Asa and Kame have incredible chemistry, and seeing their bond evolve and stand up to the trials of supernatural threats was supremely captivating, with the ever-relevant theme of “what will you throw away to move up in the world” keeping me in a constant mood of worry and anxiety, all while the medicine seller is doing bizarre exorcism rituals to lead the au…
Read at the sourcesurroundgatari
Wow. I came into this knowing nothing about Mononoke, and was blessed with an absolute masterpiece. I was expecting flashy visuals and that's about it. This is a true use of cinema as a creative medium - everything fits together perfectly.
As somebody who enjoys the Monogatari series I was immediately captured by the very unusual dialogue. Unlike Monogatari though here everything hits you at light speed. Yet I found myself completely entranced, from the mystery of the malevolent mononoke to the inner workings and intrigue of the Ooku.
The character designs are absolutely stunning and charming, they are finely woven down to every little detail. And dripped out from head to toe, of course.
The way this movie uses various objects to symbolise people or concepts is done flawlessly, and I l…
Read at the sourceMarithe
Mononoke is a full sensory experience. Its color palette and the composition of each frame are so meticulously crafted that they simply leave you speechless. Add to that a hypnotic soundtrack and a story that grips you from the very first minute, and the result is a 10/10 masterpiece.
The protagonist is, without a doubt, one of my favorites; who could resist such an eccentric and enigmatic character? From his very first appearance in Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror, he already left you wanting more. Fortunately, the Mononoke series and this film exist to satisfy that craving for a horror story told with elegance, brimming with visual details, immersive sounds, and images that stay etched in your memory.
Read at the sourcetomoyo98
Great movie, though i dont know a thing whats going on here. I've got massive overstimulation from flashing 1 second scenes, couldn't keep up with subtitles and properly understood scenes.
Love the art style, very eye pleasing only if it wasn't so flashing, fast, sudden. The action was moving from one sec to another second, there were overwhelmingly too many sounds almost all the time. After watching i felt extremely weird. I can't even summon it up properly, cant really describe what i just saw lmao. What I can recall were two young women and idk what happened with them next cuz I couldn't comprehend action here 🤣
Read at the sourcedirect0rr
holy shit, what a movie
the soundwork, the settings, the set designs, the cinematography, the shot composition, the character designs, the visuals, the tense timing of the music paired with what seems like the exact perfect pacing needed for the storytelling, the intrigue, the unusual nature of it all, something youve never seen before, all of it breathtaking
telling a story, youve never heard told before
its not avant garde in a confusion or needless fashion, oh and did i forget to mention the insane visual work they did on the action scenes??? jesus what a feast for the eyes
its really so damn cool how they reinterpret small things in a way that still makes them understandable despite the fact they dont look like what weve seen before
it may be a little hard to keep up with at times so…
Read at the sourcekevintloney
It feels eerie and intense. It is beautiful. It almost never presents anything identifiable as ambience. It doesn’t evoke any feelings aside from being swept along like a spell. You end each watch with mixed feelings. You are left wondering what it is that you just finished watching. It is a great example of the beauty in animation. It excels in visuals, but it doesn’t present enough story. It prefers to use symbolism rather than holding the viewer with something palatable. I could expect this to be in an art museum. It makes so little sense even after rewatch that its like you are being tricked into watching.
Kame is a highlight of the movie. She is so overtly normal. She is very MEMcho. She is a lot like Kumoko from So I’m A Spider, So What? She conquers in spite of the lackluster work…
Read at the sourceMoiraCarey
The film's predecessor is one of the most aesthetically striking anime series. However, the only real similarity between the two Mononoke installments is that both are masterpieces. Even if it initially seems like the same morally grey, observant, and mysterious Medicine Seller has returned, this one is fundamentally different. He acts more like a romantic, nameless hero - because, in fact, they’re not the same person.
The original Mononoke was alienating because you could feel the deep cultural heritage behind it - something you instinctively know you could never fully understand. The new Mononoke, on the other hand, feels like it was made with Netflix as the target audience: it's alienating because it deliberately exoticizes itself. The plot structure and pacing are very Western; the se…
Read at the sourceLitora
It's been quite a few years since I watched the Anime Series Mononoke and the original 3-episode story from Ayakashi. From my understanding the Kusuriuri from these movies are different from the one in the anime. Just to note. This review will be comparing heavily based on the anime, since that's where much of the love of the series come from.
As for animation, I believe the artwork and general character designs nailed the vibes from the anime. It's very intricate and colorful with familiar art direction. It's more similar to the first 3 episodes of the anime, with heavily kabuki-inspired art. It can be a bit much for the eyes, especially during the first half of the movie where the scenes are constantly switching with no breathing room, I feel this issue relaxes a bit in the later half, b…
Read at the sourceNorthernazzlem
The original TV show is my favorite anime show of all time, so coming into this movie my expectations were very high. Now would I rate this movie as highly as the original show? Simply put no. Do I think that this movie is better than 90% of the other anime released these last 10 years. Hell yes. I honestly think that while this movie was not perfect, at least it’s trying to do something new.
I read some of the reviews before I saw this movie (yeah I know that was stupid of me but hey, we’ve all done it before) and honestly I was a little worried for the movie. Were my expectations going to be to high? Would this be one of the biggest disappointments of the year? The short answer is no. While this was not as good as the original, it is no where near as bad as a lot of other popular anime’…
Read at the sourceSengir
I watched the previous Mononoke anime and it seemed like a wonderful series with an incredible aura. It was captivating, mysterious, serene, intriguing. The main character Kusuriuri was mesmerizing, and the rest of the supporting characters in each story all have their own original looks, personalities and background. This movie has none of that, it's a nonsense, a complete waste of time.
The studio in charge of making it isn't the same as before and hasn't understood anything about the magic of the previous work. They thought that putting in lots of colors and constant flashy scenes was enough. All aspects seem much worse to me in comparison. I had to make an effort not to drop the movie before finishing it.
To have made such a poor continuation I would have preferred that they did noth…
Read at the sourceDaubeny117
If it wasn't for Gankutsuou, Mononoke would be my all-time favourite show. Despite being critically acclaimed, it's still relativelly unknown nowadays (at least in the West, I don't know about Japan) and I don't think ever saw mainstream success purely because of how strange it is, so having a movie made for it a whole 17 years after it first aired is in itself kind of a miracle that I was going to appreciate whether or not it was actually delivered on what it promised.
And boy did it deliver.
I've seen some people say that it doesn't quite feel like Mononoke, that it is too modern and lacks the soul of the original, but it may only be their nostalgia speaking, as a someone who first saw the show two years ago and the original Ayakashi episodes last year, I found that the movie very mu…
Read at the sourceitikitty
Happy New year ✨
actually it has nothing to do with this review, but colors are very beautifully, scattered and artistic, 7/10 if you like something like this.
overall satisfying mystery, plot twist, moral dilemma and a bit of horror, soundtrack that will make you shiver. well 7/10 (for mystery lovers maybe 6/10).
a stand-alone movie that can promote a series that has become a legend (perhaps artistically weak in the eyes of a new generation spoiled by high quality at the expense of humanity).
try watching this movie no need to be dedicated or think about being elite, just prepare to be surprised 🎉.
Read at the sourcepitcher11
The power of lesbianism and kindness, with a hint of magical artifacts.
This movie was really cool, the animation never disappointed, and the story was okay for the most part. If you get really picky you will notice some plot holes or you might want to rewatch several times to get the full picture, but honestly? For this type of story, I thought most things were nicely done. It felt a lot like reading a myth, instead of a full developed story.
I loved the characters, but I would have loved to see more of the concubines because their designs were so cool.
The mononoke was really interesting, because the animation took another route of manifesting the water elements which I appreciate a lot. It was so mesmerizing but also dense, and the music made everything flow intensely.
Read at the sourcebakeneko
A Mononoke story that doesn't feel like Mononoke. Often times I find that series that get revived after a long time lose some of their original elements and just feel slightly 'off' because of it. Most often, the element that gets lost to time is atmosphere and in Mononoke's case, that's a key component. This movie definitely suffers from that.
The main elements of a Mononoke story are definitely there. The gorgeous art, the subtle horror, the creeping tension, all wrapped in plentiful symbolism and an intriguing mystery. However, in trying to recreate the original's success, some aspects have been cranked up to eleven, and others have been lost because of it. While the art is certainly as gorgeous as I remember it, it feels like this movie doesn't give the viewer the time to stop, breath…
Read at the source
