Princess Mononoke: The Art and Making of Japan's Most Popular Film of All Time

by Mark Schilling

Cover for Princess Mononoke: The Art and Making of Japan's Most Popular Film of All Time

Summary

This gorgeously animated film is the brainchild of Hayao Miyazaki, one of Japan's most acclaimed directors -- and is Japan's most successful film ever, breaking the attendance records previously set by E. T. This lavishly illustrated volume, tells the story behind the making of the film, and reveals the secrets behind anime, the popular Japanese animation technique.

A-A collection of background drawings, character sketches, cels, computer-generated images (CGI), and image boards from the film Princess Mononoke. The pictures, especially the backgrounds, are stunning in their attention to detail. The CGI are equally impressive because they blend flawlessly with the hand-drawn animation. There is a short and highly technical interview with Yoshinori Sugano, CG director, on the use of CG technology in the film. A 1995 speech by Toshio Suzuki, studio president, provides an insider's perspective on studio history. The text also includes a filmography, staff and cast credits, and several poems by Hayao Miyazaki, the film's director.The strength of the book, however, is in the many full-color pictures that trace the plot: Ashitaka, a young warrior, is cursed after killing a demon-god attacking his village. He journeys to the west to find a cure and stumbles into a battle between the gods of the forest and the ironworkers of clan Tatara. A great choice where anime is popular.

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