Studio Ghibli's iconic 1997 film Princess Mononoke introduced anime audiences to the Kodama – a tribe of adorable nature spirits living in the heart of the Mononoke forest. Now, Ghibli's popular Kodama figurine collection has finally returned to the company's online store.
According to Donguri Sora, Studio Ghibli's official Kodama character collection includes “Plump Kodama”, “Little Kodama”, “Walking Kodama” and “Kodama on the Ride”. Each character has a unique body type, facial expression, and pose that effectively represents the diversity of Kodama appearing in Princess Mononoke. Each also glows in the dark, adding a sense of atmosphere to a dark room. The figures vary slightly in size, with the tallest figure measuring approximately 5.1 inches tall. Each figure is sold separately and costs 3,630 yen (or $23.14 USD), including tax.
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Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke focuses on the gap between humans and nature
Written and directed by Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke is one of many films from the studio that explore the rift between humans and nature. Set in a fictional version of ancient Japan, the film revolves around a young warrior prince named Ashitaka from a small but peaceful village. One day, an aggressive wild boar god started attacking the village residents. Ashitaka tried to kill the monster but ended up being touched by the same deadly curse that infected the god's body and drove him crazy. After informing Ashitaka that this curse would eventually kill him, the wise woman of the village advised him to go west to find a cure.
On his journey, Ashitaka meets San, a human girl raised by a powerful wolf god named Moro. While seeking information from the residents of a prosperous settlement called Iron Town, Ashitaka learns that San is Lady Eboshi's mortal enemy, who is slowly destroying the surrounding forest. The iron works in her town also produced the same iron ball that caused the boar god's curse. Throughout the film, Ashitaka tries to mediate the conflict between Eboshi and the nature gods, and hopes his efforts will eventually lead to a cure. After beginning a tentative friendship with San, Ashitaka meets not only Kodama but also the Great Forest Spirit – a fantastic creature with the body of a deer and the face of a man.
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Princess Mononoke is one of Studio Ghibli's most financially successful films
Princess Mononoke is one of Ghibli's most successful films to date. In addition to receiving near-unanimous critical acclaim, it became Japan's highest-grossing film of 1997. Miramax, which produced the English dub of the film, brought the film to theaters. North America in October 1999. Although released nearly three decades ago, Princess Mononoke is still considered by many to be one of Ghibli's best works. The film is also included in this year's Ghibli Fest lineup, an annual theatrical showcase of the studio's most famous works. As part of this event, Princess Mononoke will return to select theaters across the United States this July.
Audiences in the US can stream Studio Ghibli's film library, including Princess Mononoke, on Max. Netflix already makes these movies available to people living in most other major territories, including Canada, the UK, Europe, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, among others.
Princess Mononoke (1997)
On his journey to find a way to break Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. During this mission, he also meets San, Mononoke Hime.
Release date December 19, 1997
Studio Ghibli Studio
Cast Yôji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yûko Tanaka
Running time 2 hours 14 minutes
Production company DENTSU Music And Entertainment, Nibariki, Nippon Television Network (NTV)
Extend
Source: Donguri Sora (Plump Kodama, Little Kodama, Walking Kodama, Kodama on the Ride)
