Articles about Mononoke Hime

Asia Pulse, 5/16/97    Interview of Miyazaki
Variety, Aug 4-10, 1997
Japan Economic Newswire, Aug 25, 1997    Domestic record!
Daily Variety, Aug 26, 1997
Agence France Presse, Aug 26, 1997
Daily Yomiuri, Aug 28, 1997
The Hollywood Reporter, Sep 2, 1997
The Hollywood Reporter, Sep 30, 1997    Subtitled release?
CNN News; Entertainment, Oct 3, 1997    Transcript of the program
U.S. News & World Report, Oct 6, 1997    Box office figures
Agence France Presse, Oct 29, 1997    12 million attendance?
The Hollywood Reporter, Oct 31, 1997    More accurate numbers
The Guardian (London), Nov 5, 1997
Daily Variety, Nov 5, 1997    'R' rating?
Japan Economic Newswire, Nov 17, 1997    12 million+ viewers
Asiaweek, Nov 21, 1997
Star Tribune (Minneapolis), Dec 21, 1997    Roger Ebert on MH
Asiaweek, Dec 26, 1997

USA Today, Aug 27, 1997   at usatoday.com
Hayao Miyazaki, The Princess Maker   at j-pop.com
Pictures worth a thousand words   at yomiuri.co.jp
Girl Meets Wolf, Sep 8, 1997   at pathfinder.com (TIME Magazine)
The Wolf-Girl Of Japan, Sep 17, 1997   at washingtonpost.com

Animated film breaks box-office records in Japan (CNN), Oct 30, 1997
'Phantom Princess' Sets Japanese Record, Oct 31, 1997

For more articles (and all those previously here), go to Nausicaa.Net.

Links to MH reviews can be found at the links page.

May 16, 1997

SECTION: Nationwide Financial News

ANALYSIS: DIGITIZATION ZOOMS IN ON JAPAN'S FILM INDUSTRY

TOKYO, May 16

There are those who respond to the cyberspace revolution with calls for a return to human sensibilities, suggesting one song can move the human heart more than a terabyte of digital data. But Hayao Miyazaki, a creator of animated films, is a leading figure in the industry who sees technology as a necessary means, although not an end in itself. Excerpts from an interview with Miyazaki follow:

Q: Why did you set your animated film, "Mononokehime" (ghost princess), due out in July, in the Muromachi Era (14-16th centuries)?

A: I feel the relationship between the Japanese and nature has changed greatly over the centuries, becoming what it is today around the time of the Muromachi Era. While holding nature in awe, the Muromachi people approved of cutting down trees. Iron production jumped, people came to feel they could control nature. I've come to the point where I just can't make a movie without addressing the problem of humanity as part of an ecosystem.

Q: What is your view on the rapid shift to digitization of animation, propelled by the cyberspace revolution?

A: Nowadays, only U.S. studios really have the capacity to realize -- with their own facilities -- computer graphics or the digitization of soundtracks. We are using the Dolby Digital sound system at one of our studios, but it takes a great deal of time, and to make a digital film costs 300 yen per frame. In the U.S., 100 yen is apparently sufficient.

The principal area in which Japan is lagging in terms of competitiveness in film software is infrastructure, rather than scenario. This is a serious problem. Governments overseas are supporting the construction of such infrastructure. The Japanese government would do well to offer such support.

Q: Increasingly, companies are investing in film content, in anticipation of a jump in the number of TV channels.

A: I get the feeling it's not going to go so well. "Video On Demand" makes it possible to see a video every thirty minutes whenever you want -- is that such a great thing? I think it's a mistake to believe that demand for such a service will be unlimited. We're talking about three hundred channels here! Who wants to watch baseball when you already know the final score?

Q: Doesn't the multichannel system represent a good opportunity to have more of your work seen?

A: No, I don't think so. It's just a squandering of the blood, sweat, and tears that went into the making of my films. We've sold our videos up until now for 12,800 yen.

People have told us that we could sell more if we lowered the price, but we have refused. I want my films to be seen in a theater. I don't care if you watch the video fifty times; it's nothing more than background music.

Q: There are rumors that Mononokehime will be your last film.

A: A pictorial animator has to make pictures move. Even if I have others do it, I end up having to fix a majority of it anyway. This is the most exhausting aspect of my day-to-day work. Physically, I just can't go on. I suffer from everything from poor eyesight to shoulder tension and hip and thigh pain. I may assist in some capacity in the future, such as pictorial content.

Q: Do you think it will be possible for quality works to be produced in Japan?

A: Even now, there are people investing in animated films.

Unfortunately, many think you put money into the project, and -- like a vending machine -- out tumbles a blockbuster.

Investors often say ridiculous things. Very few companies are willing to take the risk, the time, or are willing to experience the cold sweat and utter fear that comes from creating such a work of art.

Things have not gotten any better. Far fewer people want to become film animators. The talented are running off to game software. The future of animated film in Japan depends on whether a person of talent will emerge. A truly gifted person, I believe, might be able to change things.

(Nikkei)

August 4, 1997 - August 10, 1997

SECTION: FILM; Pg. 9

Japan's towering animator

JON HERSKOVITZ

TOKYO   Animator Hayao Miyazaki has been billed as the Walt Disney of Japan, especially as his latest animated feature "Mononoke Hime" (The Phantom Princess) appears ready to break the record for a Japanese film at the domestic box office.

However, the comparison is not all that accurate. Disney built an entertainment behemoth that touches almost every corner of the world that has television and movie theaters.

Miyazaki on the other hand, built a three-story animation house in a western Tokyo suburb that could fit rather snugly into the Enchanted Tiki House at Disneyland with plenty of room to spare for the company's 100 staff members and their bicycles.

The other major difference between the two is that year after year, and time after time, Disney animated features have lost out at the Japanese box office to animated features from Miyazaki's venture, Studio Ghibli. This summer should prove to be no exception.

Buena Vista's Japan branch is taking the animated feature "Hercules" nationwide. The company will not disclose an estimated B.O. for the film, but if "Hercules" does about the same in the country as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," at 1.3 billion yen ($ 11.3 million), the Miyazaki offering of "Princess" should beat it by about four, five or even eight-fold.

"Princess" opened July 12, the same weekend as "The Lost World: Jurassic Park." As of July 30, it has garnered about 4 billion yen ($ 34.8 million) in film rentals, the Japanese equivalent of the box office. No other Japanese film has made as much money as quickly as "Princess," which is all but certain to top "Nankyoku Monogatari" (The South Pole Story) as the top domestic movie of all time. "Nankyoku Monogatari" pulled in $ 50.43 million after it was released in 1983.

Great expectations

The big question about "Princess" is if it will become the first Japanese movie to top the $ 100 million mark. After its run in Japan, Buena Vista Home Entertainment will take "Princess" to five countries including the U.S. Disney signed an agreement with Studio Ghibli's parent company Tokuma Shoten (Publishing) Co. in 1996 to distribute eight animated features made by Miyazaki worldwide along with taking "Princess" to theaters outside of Japan.

"Princess" has been distributed by Toho Co. to 250 theaters in Japan. A Toho official said the film "was doing much better than anticipated" at the box office and plans to increase soon the number of theaters showing "Princess." The film had a $ 20 million production cost and about $ 3.5 million has been spent on advertising.

A lack of blockbusters this summer and strong word of mouth about "Princess" have led to packed movie theaters around Japan.

"Princess" takes place in a mythical forested area during the Muromachi Period (1333-1568). A village that is using steel for weapons sets off a chain of events that threatens the region's pristine nature. Humans, animals and natural spirits battle for power and preservation of the pristine surroundings.

The princess, named San, was raised by wolves and can communicate with animals and spirits.

The epic tale has no clear dividing line between good and evil, but it does stress the need to live in harmony with nature. This is a theme that runs through almost all of Miyazaki's works.

Miyazaki's career as the creative center of Studio Ghibli began in 1984 with his first animated feature "Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind." The film took in $ 6.45 million. In 1988 he turned out "My Neighbor Totoro," the tale of two sisters who meet a warm and fuzzy creature that is a cross between a rabbit and an oversize beanbag chair.

Totoro enchants the two by showing them the glory of nature. The movie was released on video in 1994 in the U.S. through an agreement separate of the Buena Vista deal and has hit sales of about 560,000 units.

Since "Totoro," Studio Ghibli has had five No. 1 hits at the Japanese box office. Miyazaki's 1994 movie "Pom Poko" took in $ 17.95 million. The movie tells the tale of a community of groundhogs trying to protect their natural home from industrial encroachment during Japan's postwar rebuilding.

The 1993 movie "Porco Rosso" took in $ 23.56 million. The movie about an aviator with the body of a human and the head of a pig takes place in post-World War I Europe and includes stunning flight animation.

Among Disney releases in Japan, "Aladdin" is at the top of the revenue list with $ 19.7 million, and films such as "Beauty and the Beast" have reached $ 14.8 million.

The Disney people recognize a good thing. Buena Vista will take "Princess" to five countries including the U.S. Disney signed an agreement with Studio Ghibli's parent compant Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co. in 1996 to distribute eight animated features made by Miyazaki worldwide.

Miyazaki is no fan of some of Disney's most recent animated offerings. In interviews with the New York Times and Reuters, Miyazaki said recent Disney films are boring and lack decency. The Japanese animator said movies should offer viewers a glimpse into the world's secrets and should go beyond the simple and quick laugh.

Miyazaki was not available for an interview. After wrapping up the "Princess" project, in which he drew about 80,000 of the 140,000 animation cels, and a brief publicity tour, Miyazaki, 56, is taking a break.

Many people in the Japanese movie industry are wondering if Miyazaki's films can make the jump to international success. The broad themes of "Princess" and Disney's marketing expertise may prove to be a winning combination.

AUGUST 25, 1997, MONDAY

Hit Japanese animation film breaks box office record

TOKYO, Aug. 25 Kyodo

'Mononoke Hime' (Princess Mononoke), an animation film, has broken Japanese viewer and net earnings records for a first running in just a month and a half since its release, its distributor said Monday.

The fantasy film, directed by veteran animator Hayao Miyazaki, has drawn 7.69 million viewers and net receipts of 6.29 billion yen since its release July 12.

The previous record was set in 1983 by 'Nankyoku Monogatari' (The Antarctic Story), with 7.62 million viewers and net receipts of 5.9 billion yen.

Mononoke tells of a mythic struggle in the Muromachi period (1333-1568) between man and gods to control nature.

The net profit record for any first-run movie, Japanese or foreign, remains American director Steven Spielberg's E.T. (The Extra-Terrestrial), released in 1982, which made 9.6 billion yen.

August 26, 1997 Tuesday

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 18

'Princess' rules Japan B.O.

JON HERSKOVITZ

TOKYO --- Japan has a new No. 1 movie at the domestic box office.

The animated feature "Mononoke Hime" (The Phantom Princess) has passed "Nankyoku Monogatari" (Antarctica) to become the all-time leader among Japanese films. "Antarctica," produced by Fuji Television Network Inc., held the record for about 14 years, with film rentals of 5.9 billion yen ($ 50 million) since it was released in 1983.
According to Toho Co., the distributor for "Princess," the animated picture has taken in $ 88.8 million as of Aug. 24. It has also attracted some 7.7 million viewers. "Antarctica" drew 7.62 million viewers.

Precise film rental figures for "Princess" are not yet available, but Toho said "Princess" passed "Antarctica" last week to claim the No. 1 domestic slot. Japanese rankings are based on film rentals, the distributor's share of box office grosses.

"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" is the No. 1 movie among foreign and domestic films in Japan, with rentals of $ 78.8 million.

"Princess" opened at about 250 theaters nationwide July 12, the same weekend as "The Lost World: Jurassic Park." Toho has worked to increase the number of theaters carrying "Princess," and the movie is slated to run through the fall.

The animated feature, written and directed by Japan's premier animator, Hayao Miyazaki, is set in Japan several hundred years ago. A village using steel for weapons sets off a chain of events threatening the region's pristine nature. Humans, animals and natural spirits battle for power and preservation of the surroundings.

Miyazaki films almost always do better at the Japanese box office than animated offerings from Walt Disney. This summer, the only film even close to "Princess" at the Japanese B.O. has been "Lost World." Japanese B.O. receipts for the Disney animated feature "Hercules" have been negligible.

The only question that remains is if "Princess" will become the first Japanese film ever to break the $ 100 million box office mark. After its run in Japan, Disney will take "Princess" to five countries, including the U.S. Disney reached an agreement with Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co., parent company of Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli, to distribute eight of its animated features worldwide via Buena Vista.

August 26, 1997 26:08 GMT

SECTION: International news

Japanese princess beats Steven Spielberg's dinosaurs

TOKYO, Aug 26

A movie about a 14th century Japanese princess who fights to save forests has grossed 6.3 billion yen (54 million dollars) since its Japanese debut in mid-July beating Steven Spielberg's "Lost World," a film distributor said Tuesday.

The animated film "The Princess of Mononoke" has attracted 7.7 million viewers in Japan so far and set an earnings record for a Japanese movie, a spokesman for Toho Co Ltd said.

Spielberg's "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" attracted five million people in Japan during the same period, according to a spokesman for its distributor United International Pictures Far East.

The spokesman declined to say how much "Lost World" has earned so far in Japan.

"The Princess of Mononoke, " which cost 2.5 billion yen to make, was directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who created a series of hit animated movies including "Nausicca of the Valley of Wind" and "My Neighbor Totoro."

Set in 14th century Japan, it tells the story of a young girl raised by animals who join her in battling humans trying to destroy their forests.

"The Princess of Mononoke" , which opened in Hong Kong and Taiwan early this month, will also be released in the United States, Europe and Brazil early next year with Walt Disney Co as distributor, the Toho spokesman said.

August 28, 1997, Thursday

SECTION: Pg. 7

The future of animation illustrated by the master

Kanta Ishida Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer ; Yomiuri

Japanimation, manga (comic strips) and anime (animation). These words have become universal and point to the increasing appeal of Japanese animation in the international community. Has animation become a part of Japanese pop culture that the country should be proud of? Ironically, Hayao Miyazaki, creator of this summer's box office hit Princess Mononoke, thinks otherwise.

Miyazaki said the fact that Japanese animation has found a place in youth culture everywhere does not necessarily "open a new chapter in the history of Japanimation." He goes so far as to call the belief that Japanese animation will change the world an illusion reflecting "an inferiority complex on the part of the Japanese as an ethnic group."

For an animator whose latest work is to be distributed worldwide, Miyazaki is awfully coolheaded. The distribution deal was made between Walt Disney Co. and Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co., parent company of Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli.

"(Disney) will pull out of the deal if it doesn't pay off. Just like the deception of Japanimation as a global phenomenon, this is also something that's been blown out of proportion. I never understood why people made so much fuss about the deal."

Miyazaki may be approaching the issue of Japanese animation's popularity from the standpoint of a filmmaker, rather than an animator.

"The chief inspiration for Japanese animation is manga. Manga's main mode of expression is emotions. Time and space are often skewed to convey these emotions." Miyazaki believes that there are discernable patterns of evolution in Japanese animation. "It ended up becoming something else in the process of being influenced and changed by manga," he said.

Miyazaki said there are tacit rules to animation that animators and devoted fans of the genre understand but the average moviegoer does not, which makes it impossible for him or her to fully enjoy the medium.

"It's only a few Westerners who are beginning to join a group of people who like that kind of peculiar touch. Should that make us happy? Some people misunderstand this, thinking otaku (people with a mania for a certain subject or activity, who are becoming more visible in Japan these days) are spreading worldwide."

Miyazaki said he strived to achieve a universal appeal in setting the time and space in his films so that "an old country bumpkin watching them for the first time can still understand them." This was part of his effort to create a film, and not an animation, he said.

He contends that Japanese pop culture as we know it today has its roots in manga. Comic strips, which were initially influenced by movies, became a common denominator of our culture with "an amazing assimilative power," he said.

Despite his sense of crisis about manga's powerful influence on pop culture, he is not entirely disparaging of manga. He said the possibilities manga opened up for self-expression are immeasurable, and it's ridiculous to throw the whole legacy away.

"But when people use the world depicted in manga as a reference point, it leads to a lack of realism," he said. "Take a situation requiring people to let it all out and face one another. Somehow it wouldn't seem real if it involved the Japanese. That's also one of my favorite traits about the Japanese, though, I must add."

With the release of Princess Mononoke, Miyazaki is retiring from mainstream filmmaking. But he is far from being content with what he has achieved. Will Miyazaki pin his hopes on the younger generations?

He said he doesn't want to anoint anyone as his successor. "Just as (cartoonist Osamu) Tezuka was bound by Disney's spell, I couldn't break the spell cast by director Akira Kurosawa. It is time for the next generation to free themselves (from the legacy of such artists)."

Creating unconventional characters and digging deeper into human expressions of a universal nature is the direction Miyazaki believes the country's filmmakers should go--regardless of whether the Japanese animation succeeds commercially in the world market.

September 2, 1997

'Princess' crowned king of Japanese boxoffice

Wayne Karrfalt, TOKYO

It's official. Studio Ghibli's animated historical adventure "Princess Mononoke" is the top-grossing Japanese film of all time at the nation's boxoffice.

Early last week, the Toho-release surpassed 6.3 billion ($53.4 million) in rentals and an estimated $93 million at the domestic boxoffice. Those six-week figures catapult the film over 15-year domestic record holder "Story of Antarctica," and places it on a pace to overtake "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial," the top money-maker ever.

Toho and Tokuma Shoten, Studio Ghibli's parent company, were scheduled today to issue new predictions of 9.8 billion yen ($83 million) in rentals and an astounding $136 million at the boxoffice. Toho is prepared to leave the film in its theaters through the end of the year.

The first feature directed by Hayo Miyazaki in five years, "Mononoke" was the most eagerly anticipated Japanese release in recent memory. It is a story with strong environmental overtones, pitting the ancient Tatara clan against powerful deities of nature.

Toho originally projected it to earn 6 billion yen ($50 million). But then Japan's top distributor and exhibitor shuffled its release schedule to accommodate one of its own films. "Mononoke" ended up opening head-to-head with Universal-UIP's "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" on July 12.

Despite the heady competition, crowds lined up overnight in a few Tokyo locales to get opening weekend tickets for the animated film.

"Ticket sales show that 'Mononoke' has had many repeat viewers," said a booking manager for Warner Mycal, Japan's biggest multiplex operator. "Its dropoff has been minimal compared to 'Lost World.'"

Animation, particularly Studio Ghibli's productions, have historically excelled at Japanese theaters.

The animation house's last five theatrical releases have all been No. 1 domestic hits. Japan is the only overseas territory where Disney animated product lags in market share.

With limited international distribution for homegrown animation, little income comes from overseas sales, which keeps budgets low. Producers spent $20 million to make "Mononoke".

"The Japanese animation industry lags behind the United States in terms of digital graphics technologies," said Toshio Suzuki, a producer at Studio Ghibli.

But "Princess Mononoke" will be the first Ghibli hit to receive international theatrical distribution under a recent agreement with Disney.

Buena Vista International, Disney's overseas distribution arm, plans to release a dubbed version of the film in the United States, Europe and Brazil as early as this fall.

Buena Vista Home Entertainment has already begun worldwide distribution of eight previous video titles.

"We're going to do a lot of guerrilla marketing on this one," said Michael Johnson, president of BVHE. "We must break through their foreignness if these titles are going to reach their potential."

The effort will mark Hollywood's second attempt to market Miyazaki's works. Fox's video release of "My Neighbor Totoro" notched sales of 650,000.

September 30, 1997

'Princess' is no fairy-tale sell

Disney may find it hard to market violent Japanese ani hit

Wayne Karrfalt, TOKYO

Disney marketing mavens have a tough assignment: How do they sell in the United States a Japanese animated hit that has serious adult themes, social commentary and violence?

Hayao Miyazaki's "Princess Mononoke", for which Buena Vista Home Entertainment picked up the international rights last year, continues to dominate the Japanese boxoffice, rapidly approaching "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial's" 15-year-old record of $136 million.

Disney's biggest challenge will be to break through the perception in the United States that animation is for kids. "Mononoke" is a sweeping, at times bloody historical epic with complicated environmental and human themes.

Although it is attracting some children in Japan, the bulk of the audience is adults. The film is so popular that lines are forming from 6 a.m. to see it, with waiting times of up to four hours.

"Outside of the U.S., animation is a mature art form," said Buena Vista Home Entertainment president Michael Johnson. "Only in America do people confuse it with cartoons."

He said "Mononoke" will be released in both dubbed and subtitled versions, predicting that older audiences will prefer to see the latter.

Disney struck a deal last year with Studio Ghibli parent Tokuma Shoten for eight other Miyazaki titles, the last five of which were top boxoffice hits in Japan. The deal gives Buena Vista the rights to distribute "Mononoke" theatrically.

The company's aim is to take it theatrically initially, a Buena Vista spokesman said Monday, but plans are still to be determined. Speculation in Japan is that Miramax will handle the theatrical release, but Disney has yet to decide which branch it will give it to.

"We're going to give it the widest possible release here," said Johnson, who is expected to meet with Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki to iron out the details. "We want to build a mystique around this film; I think it deserves it."

It does seem certain that Buena Vista International will be taking charge outside of the United States, however, with releases planned in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Australia and Brazil, where there is a sizable Japanese population.

Another concern is the two-hour-plus length of the film, which under the Tokuma agreement cannot be cut. Miyazaki personally insisted on this condition.

Meanwhile, several video titles of Miyazaki's back catalog are being prepared for an aggressive distribution plan beginning next April. BVHE will hire "A-level talent" for the voices, and attempt smaller-scale theatrical releases in art-house and college campus theaters.

October 3, 1997; Friday 2:52 pm Eastern Time

Transcript. SECTION: News; Entertainment

Japan's Animated Film Hit Silver Screen

A Japanese animated film has hit the silver screen. Producers say that by the end of the month, the animated film will have broken the local box office record set by "E.T." 15 years ago.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: "E.T." has been the big man at the box office in Japan for 15 years. It holds the record as the biggest grossing movie, but the little alien is getting a run for its money from an animated princess. CNN's Tokyo bureau chief John Lewis reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN LEWIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Princess Mononoke has hit the silver screen in Japan and has struck gold. Producers say that by the end of the month, the animated film will have broken the local box office record set by "E.T." 15 years ago.

WOMAN #1 (through translator): I was surprised that they have to understand the view to movie. I haven't seen the movie so popular here in many years.

LEWIS: The story is of a little girl raised by wolves in ancient Japan. She and her wolf family fight the evil humans who are destroying the forests by mining iron to make weapons. The film's success caught its creator Hayao Miyazaki by surprise.

HAYAO MIYAZAKI, PRODUCER (through translator): I didn't think my film would be such a success. I just want to make a movie about the need for humans to live with nature in harmony.

LEWIS: The public reaction is an indication Miyazaki has hit the right note.

MAN, AUDIENCE (voice-over): It's an often-told story, but the message is so clear, easy to understand, and the animation is beautiful too.

WOMAN #2, AUDIENCE (through translator): It was so fun.

WOMAN #3, AUDIENCE (through translator): The film was beautiful. It taught us that we must balance nature and the development to value modern society.

LEWIS: With lines still long and the box office stakes still climbing, expectations of the little princess's chances outside Japan are high too.

STEVEN ALPERT, TOKUMA INTERNATIONAL: I think for the same reasons that people like it in Japan, people in the United States will like it as well. I mean it's -- again, the quality and just the beauty of the animation is just wonderful. It's a fun action film.

LEWIS: The film is headed to America next year, but Miyazaki is not concerned about making box office magic in the U.S.

MIYAZAKI: I am only worried about how my film would be viewed in Japan. Frankly, I don't worry too much about how it plays elsewhere.

LEWIS: And chances are good, he won't have to, not with the animated film already having grossed some $117 million in Japan in less than three months with the cash registers still ringing.

The film may not have a happy story line, but for theatergoers and the producers, there are plenty of smiles.

John Lewis, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

October 6, 1997

SECTION: NEWS YOU CAN USE; NEW & NOTABLE; Pg. 82

A bizarro Charles Kuralt; Blood and guts in ancient Japan; Critics' choice

By Thom Geier; Steven Butler; Ian Baldwin; Brendan I. Koerner

HIGHLIGHT:
World of the weird; Animated animals; Television; Music; #1 with a twist

[cut]

ANIMATED ANIMALS

Blood and guts in ancient Japan

A Disney movie it is not. Princess Mononoke tells the story of a girl in ancient Japan raised by a wolf goddess. The feature-length animated film is also an epic full of bloody battles between fierce animal gods who inhabit the forest and villagers who must destroy it to survive.

Eleven weeks after Mononoke debuted in Japan, it is smashing box office records. It has grossed $ 121 million from 10.6 million viewers, and will soon beat E.T.--The Extra-Terrestrial's 1982 record.

Hayao Miyazaki, the director, has a cultlike following in Japan for his imaginative creations. My Neighbor Totoro, a gentle tale of children's encounters with magical spirits, found an American audience in 1993. Walt Disney Co. is bringing Miyazaki's visually stunning film to the United States next year.

[cut]

October 29, 1997 03:34 GMT

SECTION: International news

Cartoon Japanese princess set to beat Spielberg's E.T.

An animated film about a Japanese princess who fights to save a forest is likely to gross more than "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," the biggest hit ever in the country, a business daily said Wednesday.

Since its debut in mid-July, the movie, "The Princess Mononoke", has attracted 12 million people across Japan, with earnings set to reach 10 billion yen (83.3 million dollars), the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said.

If "The Princess Mononoke" continues to draw large audiences, it will break the record of 9.6 billion yen in revenue by "E.T.," the daily said.

The movie has also had bumper spin-offs selling about one billion yen worth of character goods as well as 2.5 million copies of the movie pamphlets, it added.

A spokesman for the film distributor Toho Co. Ltd., however, declined to confirm the news reports, saying the company would release the detailed statement later this week.

With its production costing 2.5 billion yen, the movie was directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who created a series of hit animated movies including "Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind" and "My Neighbor Totoro."

"The Princess Mononoke" is set in 14th century Japan and tells of a young girl raised by animals who joins them in battling humans trying to destroy their forests.

It opened in Hong Kong and Taiwan in August. It will also be released in the United States, Europe and Brazil early next year with Walt Disney Co as distributor, a Toho spokesman said.

October 31, 1997

'Mononoke' Japan's all-time b.o. champion

Hayao Miyazaki's animated feature "Princess Mononoke", which Disney will release in the United States next year, broke Japan's all-time boxoffice record on Wednesday, according to distributor Toho.

The film's success is nothing short of a phenomenon, taking in 16 billion ($135 million) in roughly a quarter of the time it took previous record-holder "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial."

"Mononoke" also grabbed the rentals record, with 9.6 billion ($79 million). Admissions total 11,704,225 so far, another record.

Toho released "Mononoke" on approximately 250 screens July 12, the same day "The Lost World: Jurassic park" bowed. Although the UIP-distributed "Lost World" opened stronger, "Mononoke" surpassed it as word-of-mouth spread. Lines were four hours long all summer long, beginning each day at 6 a.m.

The film's performance is even more miraculous considering it cost only 2.35 billion ($19.5 million) to make. Studio Ghibli is old-fashioned compared with U.S. animation houses, lagging far behind in computer graphics technology.

Seven-eighths of "Mononoke" was created from hand-drawn cels.

Disney will release it next year in five territories, including the United States, in addition to eight of Miyazaki's back titles on video. "'Princess Mononoke' will probably reach 30 billion ($252 million) thanks to distribution by Disney," said Yasuyoshi Tokuma, president of Ghibli parent Tokuma Shoten. "If it is received well on the world market, it would be a big confidence booster for the Japanese film industry."

November 5, 1997

SECTION: The Guardian Foreign Page; Pg. 16

Japan in grip of blood-soaked cartoon film: E.T. sent packing

JONATHAN WATTS

JAPAN's appetite for animated films reached a new peak last week when the fantasy Princess Mononoke broke the country's box office record, set by E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial 15 years ago.

In a market dominated by Hollywood, this domestically made feature cartoon about a girl raised by wolf spirits has beaten off competition from Steven Spielberg's The Lost World and Disney's Hercules to surpass E.T.'s record takings of pounds 47 million. It is also on course to break the record attendance of 12 million before the year's end: more than 10 million people have seen it since its August release. Many cinemas have seven showings a day, and at some queueing for tickets begins at 6am.

Japan's previous biggest-grossing movie, The Antarctic Story, was also an anime (animated film), suggesting that Princess Mononoke's success can be partly attributed to the fervour in Japan for this genre and its comic-book cousin, manga, which together constitute a domestic industry said to be worth pounds 2.65 billion a year.

(This is in error. The Antarctic Story is NOT animated. -ed)

Princess Mononoke is the creation of Hayao Miyazaki, Japan's most celebrated animator. He spent three years and pounds 12.5 million making the 133-minute movie. Its 144,000 drawings make it almost twice the length of any of his previous works.

The story, set in Japan about 500 years ago, concerns a battle between the natural spirits of the forest where Mononoke lives and a community of social outcasts who cut down the trees for fuel.

"The equation of 'nature equals good' does not apply here," Mr Miyazaki has said. "I have given up making films about good and evil."

As well as being morally complex, Princess Mononoke is at times extremely violent: humans and animals spill buckets of each other's blood in the battle for survival.

The grim tale of a doe-eyed, knife-wielding heroine attracts a diverse crowd of families, trendy young couples and middle-aged businessmen.

"I'm a big fan of Miyazaki. I have seen everything he has done, but this was the best," said Midori Shibasaki as she left a central Tokyo cinema with her two young children. "The plot was very dark but I guess that suits Japan."

Her children said they enjoyed it but preferred Disney.

Others said they had come because the movie was a hot topic of conversation.

"I'm not really interested in anime but everyone said this was great, so I thought I should see what all the fuss was about," said Shoko Kuramitsu.

"I was surprised. It was very beautiful, very thought-provoking and, although it was a long film, the time passed quickly."

The success of Princess Mononoke caps an impressive year for the Japanese film industry: Unagi (The Eel), directed by Shohei Imamura, was a joint winner of the Golden Palm in Cannes; Hanabi (Fireworks), by Takeshi Kitano, was awarded the top prize at the Venice Film Festival; and Masayuki Suo's Shall We Dance? has been a hit in the United States.

Toho Co, Princess Mononoke's Japanese distributors, say it could be released in Britain and the US in the spring, but the decision lies with Disney, which has bought the rights to all Mr Miyazaki's work.

November 5, 1997

[snip]

"Mononoke" was acquired by Disney in 1996 as part of an eight-pic package with Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. Currently in release in Japan, "Princess Mononoke" is an adult, ecologically-themed adventure fable. Pic recently passed "E.T. the ExtraTerrestrial" as the top box-office champ in the country with a current gross of $ 135 million.

Miyazaki has script approval and veto power over all artistic and commercial decisions. "Mononoke" isn't designed for youngsters and could well be tagged with an R. Insiders speculate it will go out via another Disney label or possibly as a Miramax title.

November 17, 1997

'Mononoke' pushes box office record to 10 bil. yen

The animation film ' Mononoke Hime' (Princess Ghost) has extended its box office record in Japan, raking in more than 10 billion yen in net earnings since its July release, its distributor said Monday.

Since opening July 12, the fantasy film has drawn an audience of more than 12.16 million through to Sunday when it was still playing at 164 cinemas nationwide, major filmmaker and theater operator Toho Co. said.

Toho said it will continue screenings in major cities until the start of next year.

Mononoke Hime, directed by veteran animator Hayao Miyazaki, has had a phenomenal run at the box office, breaking late last month the 15-year net earnings record held by Steven Spielberg's 'E.T. The Extraterrestrial' for a first-run movie in Japan.

November 21, 1997

PEOPLE; Pg. 56

Princess With A MISSION

Watch out, Princess Mononoke is on the attack. Not even cute, homesick aliens get in the way of this warrior woman. Her highness, left, showed no mercy as she clobbered E.T. The ExtraTerrestrial at Asia's biggest box office. The 1982 Spielberg fantasy flick had raked in $ 38.6 million to become the all-time record holder in Japan. But since opening in July, the animated feature Mononoke Hime has leaped past that mark and is still climbing. It has been seen by 12 million moviegoers -- one tenth of all the people in Japan -- and is still playing at some 190 cinemas. Though the film has had a limited release in Hong Kong and Taiwan, Mononoke is due to hit international screens in early 1998. Made by veteran animation director Miyazaki Hayao, the film recreates the myth of a young 14th-century maiden brought up by wolves to become a tree-hugging, dagger-wielding defender of the forests. Go, girl!

December 21, 1997, Metro Edition

SECTION: Entertainment; Pg. 8F

Japanese film 'Mononoke' causes a buzz

(Universal Press Syndicate)

Roger Ebert

Q. Have you heard anything about "Mononoke Hime" ("Princess Mononoke"), the Japanese animated film that broke the Japanese box-office record set by "E.T."? Disney plans to release it in the States next year. There's a theater across the street from my school. Every afternoon for the last three months, there was a line outside the theater. The animation is amazing, very realistic.

- Jason Chau, Niigata, Japan

A. "Princess Mononoke" is said to be the last film planned by the great Japanese master of animation, Hayao Miyazaki ("My Neighbor Totoro"). According to RoboGeek, a Web-based expert on "anime" (the Japanese style of animation), it has grossed $ 140 million in Japan, and broke the box-office record four times faster than "E.T." A 10th of the population has seen it. (Disney's top grosser in Japan, "Aladdin," took in $ 19.7 million.)

Disney will release the film in the United States, but since it's R-rated, it might be handled by the studio's Miramax division, perhaps opening in spring or summer of 1998.

There's feverish advance interest; in animation circles, it's said to be "Star Wars" and "Braveheart" wrapped up into one.

December 26

1997: Twelve Months of Turning Points

[snip]

A Samurai and a princess

Modern-day heroes in two Japanese films

It has been a grand year for Japanese films, and they don't come much grander than Hana-bi, a poetic, violent masterpiece from Kitano "Beat" Takeshi, and Princess Mononoke, a superb animation by Miyazaki Hayao. In Hana-bi, a tough cop leaves the force to seek revenge on the gangsters who crippled his artner. Like Kitano's other heroes, he follows the Samurai code -- that a man should choose the correct time and method of his death.

Nishi, played by Kitano, dispenses some very rough justice as he comforts his ailing wife, his partner's spouse and a young police widow. This might sound like a Clint Eastwood script, but on screen Kitano's vision is unique. Hana-bi creeps around us and gets under our skin. The editing (by Kitano) moves the film quickly and seamlessly between moments of extreme tranquillity and hard violence, while Kitano's performance is quietly intense. He's like a black hole in the screen, drawing us in, deeper and deeper. The movie's wistful locations are a strong counterpoint to the physical violence. Hana-bi is Kitano's best film yet, and won the prestigious Gold Lion award at the 1997 Venice Film Festival.

Princess Mononoke was this year's hit in Japan. The animated film broke box office records, and Disney is interested in distributing it in some key countries. Miyazaki has fashioned a complex ecological fable about the conflict between industrial progress and nature, town and countryside. He doesn't shrink from occasional violence and he doesn't jump to easy conclusions. This is part of what makes it a movie for adults too. But there is much, much more. The forest landscapes are fabulously rendered, the characters innovative -- ranging from huge, shape-shifting beasts to floppy little Dali-esqe forest dwellers. And the storyline so sophisticated that it puts most Hollywood live-action features to shame.

In a mythical ancient Japan, the young warrior Ashitaka is thrown into a conflict between two powerful women. Lady Eboshi is the compassionate ruler of the Tatari people, who live deep inside the forest and survive by harvesting iron ore and trees. She is at war with Princess Mononoke -- a young woman raised by a wild wolf. Mononoke despises humans because she has never found one who treats her animal friends kindly. Eboshi is, unfortunately, no exception. Riding bareback on a wild boar, Mononoke frequently attacks the Tatari fortress. Ashitaka must find a way for the two women to co-exist in peace. But that is just one layer of the narrative. There are so many others that in the end, Princess Mononoke rises to the grand scale and spectacle of a Kurosawa epic. This animated film is a classic of the cinema of imagination.

-- By Richard James Havis

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