#The forest god from mononoke

[homoqueerjewhobbit]

The point of rewatching Miyazaki films is not just to find new tattoo ideas The point of rewatching Miyazaki films is not just to find new tattoo ideas The point of rewatching Miyazaki films is not just to find new tattoo ideas The point of rewatching Miyazaki films is not just to find new tattoo ideas The point of rewatching Miyazaki films is

[james-stark-the-writer]

finally seated to watch Princess Mononoke after putting it off for like 3 weeks, really interesting opening, right now it feels like it'll be like a variation on Nausicaä's themes.

[tales-from-the-frame]

Princess Mononoke by Hayao MIyazaki (1997)

[ofluckandmagic]

Alixandre Dumont Headcanons

——————

He was born in Baldur’s Gate’s Lower City, and studied through the College of Lore. He never knew his biological parents.

Wanting to prove to himself that he wasn’t a ‘holed up’ scholar, he opted to explore the Entertainer background, and frequented parties in both the Upper City and Outer City with performances.

His father is a Guild Artisan, who primarily fashioned weaponry, but often sold to dealers in the Underground for a profit.

He’s fascinated by magic and mythology, but also had a habit of going against his Adoptive parent’s wishes. They had both hoped he would be an Artisan like them.

Alix is transmasc. He is mostly a guy, but also is not a guy. He uses He/Him and They/Them pronouns, but tends to prefer the former.

His Father wasn’t entirely thrilled about this revelation, despite wanting a son to begin with, and cut Alix out of the family when he went to college and discovered this about himself.

The Tadpole incident, and subsequent adventure was the first time Alix felt like he did not have to put on a performance about who he was, due to finally finding people who saw him as an equal in all ways.

He is Bisexual, Polyam and most certainly some flavor of Acespec. His preferences lean more masculine, but he also equally has found himself attracted to most people.

Alix is autistic and has severe anxiety. He manages the latter with a combination of his music and different herbs.

Despite his severe social anxiety, Alix is fantastic at using his bardic skills to perform songs or poems, showcasing a much more confident version of himself around his companions.

Charismatic but a smidge awkward when attempting to flirt, often blurting out his intentions without thinking only to overthink those interactions later.

Note: the next few headcanons deal primarily with the Startouched God AU

Alix was gifted godhood by being the son of a Tiefling and the star God, Celestian often referred to as the Star Wanderer, a title Alix upholds to this day.

He has tattoos all over his shoulders and back that are blotches of various purples, pinks and blues, which all actively display whatever constellations are in the night sky in all the realms depending on the season.

He spent his summers in the emerald environs, studying the tombs and scrolls there. In turn living among the refugees after his adoptive family disowned him.

The day he was taken by the Nautiloid, he was planning to leave to scout ahead for the refugees to have safe passage to leave the Emerald Grove.

Alix’s magic was partially sealed away and weakened by both the Tadpole as well as what he believes is Celestian abandoning him for a second time.

It is unclear whether this is the truth, or something Alix tells himself to deal with his trauma. Though, he does seem to have less of a grasp on his magic after the Tadpole.

Some minor deity-influenced powers include:

Foresight for weather based on star alignments and wind patterns (astronomy stuff)

The ability to draw magic from the stars themselves.

Minor medicinal/healing magic, often attributed to his bard skills

Mild wildshape-ing. He can take the form of a dark purple, black, and silver antlered stag after a like an attempt to become a Ceryneian Deer. It looks as though this its fur is made of constellations.

He can create small balls of light that resemble stars, which acts as using the ‘Light’ spell without a spell slot.

[artist-issues]

I Hate How She Talks About Snow White

"People are making these jokes about ours being the PC Snow White, where it's like, yeah, it is − because it needed that. It's an 85-year-old cartoon, and our version is a refreshing story about a young woman who has a function beyond 'Someday My Prince Will Come. "

Let me tell you a little something's about that "85-year-old cartoon," miss Zegler.

It was the first-ever cel-animated feature-length full-color film. Ever. Ever. EVER. I'm worried that you're not hearing me. This movie was Disney inventing the modern animated film. Spirited Away, Into the Spider-Verse, Tangled, you don't get to have any of these without Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937.)

Speaking of what you wouldn't get without this movie, it includes anime as a genre. Not just in technique (because again, nobody animated more than shorts before this movie) but in style and story. Anime, as it is now, wouldn't exist without Osamu Tezuka, "The God of Manga," who wouldn't have pioneered anime storytelling in the 1940s without having watched and learned from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in the 1930s. No "weeb" culture, no Princess Mononoke, no DragonBall Z, no My Hero Academia, no Demonslayer, and no Naruto without this "85-year-old cartoon."

It was praised, not just for its technical marvels, not just for its synchronized craft of sound and action, but primarily and enduringly because people felt like the characters were real. They felt more like they were watching something true to life than they did watching silent, live-action films with real actors and actresses. They couldn't believe that an animated character could make kids wet their pants as she flees, frightened, through the forest, or grown adults cry with grieving Dwarves. Consistently.

Walt Disney Studios was built on this movie. No no; you're not understanding me. Literally, the studio in Burbank, out of which has come legends of this craft of animated filmmaking, was literally built on the incredible, odds-defying, record-breaking profits of just Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, specifically.

Speaking of record-breaking profits, this movie is the highest-grossing animated film in history. Still. TO THIS DAY. And it was made during the Great Depression.

In fact, it made four times as much money than any other film, in any other genre, released during that time period. It was actually THE highest-grossing film of all time, in any genre, until nothing less than Gone With the Wind, herself, came along to take the throne.

It was the first-ever animated movie to be selected for the National Film Registry. Actually, it was one of the first movies, period, to ever go into the registry at all. You know what else is in the NFR? The original West Side Story, the remake of which is responsible for Rachel Ziegler's widespread fame.

Walt Disney sacrificed for this movie to be invented. Literally, he took out a mortgage on his house and screened the movie to banks for loans to finish paying for it, because everyone from the media to his own wife and brother told him he was crazy to make this movie. And you want to tell me it's just an 85-year-old cartoon that needs the most meaningless of updates, with your tender 8 years in the business?

Speaking of sacrifice, this movie employed over 750 people, and they worked immeasurable hours of overtime, and invented--literally invented--so many new techniques that are still used in filmmaking today, that Walt Disney, in a move that NO OTHER STUDIO IN HOLLYWOOD was doing in the 30's, put this in the opening credits: "My sincere appreciation to the members of my staff whose loyalty and creative endeavor made possible this production." Not the end credits, like movies love to do today as a virtue-signal. The opening credits.

It's legacy endures. Your little "85-year-old cartoon" sold more than 1 million DVD copies upon re-release. Just on its first day. The Beatles quoted Snow White in one of their songs. Legacy directors call it "the greatest film ever made." Everything from Rolling Stones to the American Film Institute call this move one of the most influential masterpieces of our culture. This movie doesn't need anything from anybody. This movie is a cultural juggernaut for America. It's a staple in the art of filmmaking--and art, in general. It is the foundation of the Walt Disney Company, of modern children's media in the West, and of modern adaptations of classical fairy tales in the West. When you think only in the base, low, mean terms of "race" and "progressivism" you start taking things that are actually worlds-away from being in your league to judge, and you relegate them to silly ignorant phrases like "85-year-old cartoon" to explain why what you're doing is somehow better.

Sit down and be humble. Who the heck are you?

[shark3va]

he reminds me of the forest god from princess mononoke

[gorjee-art]

In light of your most recent colt art, I wanted to ask if they rule in the same/similar way as the old bishops?

Are the bishops and Nari long gone by then or are they a witness to the lamb’s change?

And does your lamb have a name/are you gonna give them a separate name?

Ok! This is a super interesting question, let's go one by one. Regarding Lamb's Name: I've thought about it, and I'm not sure! I'm leaning in the direction that after their beheading they just ...forgot their true name! So many followers, including the one who waits, called them "Lamb" or "Leader" that they just began responding to it as their name. Maybe in the future, I'll give them a real name. How does the "Shepherd of Souls" Rule? : Lamb in their Elder God form is, beyond what even a bishop is... bishops only claim they have authority over a certain title, deluding themselves into claiming their godhood but they were never true prophets of their crown. Like Narinder, they became paranoid and tyrannical with their power, mortals having a taste of godhood rarely goes well. Lamb however is different, for they are a true prophet, the true "royal" that claims the crown, as Arthur pulling the Sword from the Stone made him a King, The One Who Waits failed to realize that. What they become is essentially the legendary story of the Echo, no longer even resembling a human, just...a part of nature! There's no decision or thought at play, there's just instinct, a response, it is but fate. They do not speak, they do not answer, they do not play, they do not pass time with fun, they do what they must, and guide souls into their rightful place. Lamb is not just a god, they are now just a part of nature, and many mourn what they used to be... But theatrics aside, a good reference is the "Forest Spirit" from "Princess Mononoke" that'll give you a good idea of how they rule. Does Nari/The Bishops See the Change?: Unfortunately, they do! The Bishops are still tainted with the powers of their respective crowns, thus making them live twice...even thrice as long as other mortals, seeing the physical and mental changes of Lamb, as their silly personality starts to disappear into a mist. Narinder however takes it the hardest, a mixture of confusing feelings, friendship, and perhaps even unrequited love. Lamb despite their early dislike and hatred of Narinder, over these years of caring for the now..."village" they're in. They've grown wise, patient, and sickly sweet, passing on their leadership to the poor heartbroken animal, as they walk into the lush forests, bells tolling, echoing the chiming, jingling, now omen of everlasting sleep.

[waeirfaahl]

The issue with Moro's wound

Although "Princess Mononoke" is one of my all time favourite animated films, since deep childhood I couldn't understand the one certain aspect. Why Moro was afraid that the Forest Spirit will take away her life instead of healing? And why would the Forest Spirit take her life away instead of healing?

This question bothered me many years not only because Moro is my favourite character in the film (and Adagio of Life and Death sequence still gives me goosebumps even after many years), but also because the movie doesn't give proper explanation, why she is ready to accept her fate and to die. So, despite her hatred toward humans, Moro still saw in Ashitaka the worthy one, who can and will care about San. The theories like "Moro is too old already, what's the point to prolong the life of old suffering animal?" are very weird, if you realize that Moro is 300-year-old wolf goddess. At least, the official artbook states exactly this age.

While Okkoto is 500-year-old boar god.

He is twice older than Moro, so what's the deal? Especially, if Okkoto himself was sure that the Forest Spirit will heal him after really deadly wounds and serious blood loss (not to mention, how the Forest Spirit saved Ashitaka, who already was almost dead).

The poisoned bullet could be removed from Moro's chest, and if San is less experienced in it (I guess), Ashitaka could help her for sure. I doubt that the bullet broke into several fragments, which are stuck in the bones and are located next to the internal organs. Probably it stuck in layers of skin and muscles. So, technically the removing of this bullet and then sewing up the wound are possible. Especially if to remember that Moro got this wound like a day ago or even only couple of hours ago.

So, most likely there's no threat of sepsis, for example. Again, the Forest Spirit saved Ashitaka, who was almost dead due to the bullet wound in the heart.

Near the end of the film the Forest spirit saved and healed both Ashitaka and San from the hatred curse they got during confrontation with demonic Okkoto and Nago earlier.

And if to look closer, you can notice that the deadly blood/body of the decapitated Forest Spirit is very similar to the snake-like worms that were inside of the demonic boars and spreaded the curse, as well as the liquid around the Forest Spirit's head either accelerated the spread of demonic poison through the body or it added another curse itself. And only after the head was returned, the Spirit healed both Ashitaka and San.

Hence the versions like "Moro confronted Okkoto, trying to save San, so she got Okkoto's hatred curse and will become the demon herself or will die, devoured by the curse, so that's why she can not be healed" also are not valid.

I can only assume that Okkoto couldn't be healed, because he fully transformed into the demon and lost his self irrevocably, so the only way was to give him rest in peace. Plus, mentioning Nago, he kinda hinted that becoming the demon is also some kind of tragedy for entire tribe and the one, who became the demon, is lost forever for his family/tribe (in pretty similar way Ashitaka became lost and dead for his tribe after Nago cursed him during confrontation). And the cherry on the top of a cake — according to early sketches, originally the Forest Spirit actually helped to San and her wolf brothers, healing Moro from the poisoned bullet.

He can do this easily, he is the patron of the forest. So, why on Earth would he refuse to heal and save the wolf goddess, who is not only the wise and useful ally, fighter and guardian, who protected him, the forest and its habitants for many centuries, but also she is mother with the three children, who are not adult for now and hence less experienced?

Maybe there was some allegory for cultural aspects of Feudal Japan or symbolism for warrior-emperor relationships (you know, the idea of "I exist only to serve and to protect my king and kingdom to my last breath, it is forbidden to ask my king for help" or whatever, and the line "She is the daughter of the wolf tribe, when the forest dies, so dies she" kinda gives impression of it), but looking at acts of the Forest Spirit near the end of the film, I don't think so. There was a chance to heal Moro at least from the poisoned bullet.

[goldenshrikecomic]

The Tongue here reminds me so much of some kind of Studio Ghibli spirit, like something between the forest spirit from Princess Mononoke and the river god from Spirited Away

Unsettling ol' guy

I loved Okkoto from Princess Mononoke! His sickly white colors especially, how washed out he was. The Seer wasn't inspired by any of these but I'm honored you'd be reminded of Ghibli.

[trickstarbrave]

People being wrong about Princess Mononoke is gonna be the death of me I swear

Ashitaka did NOT go on the journey to cure his curse. “Well then what’s the point if he was going to die anyways? Then the story is meaningless!” No it’s not. Princess Mononoke is a story about war, imperialism, and colonization.

Ashitaka is told he can’t cure the curse. It will slowly kill him. The poison from a conflict that has NOTHING to do with him will be the death of him. He is the last prince of their people and he doomed to die. He can sit here and die quietly, or he can lead to seek answers and resolve the conflict that caused it so no one else has to suffer like he did.

Both sides are morally grey. Lady Eboshi is not evil. She took in people others left to die: lepers, beggars, prostitutes. She wanted to build them a life they had agency in and could be proud of. A place they could call home, fall in love, have children in. She wanted to give them the ability to defend themselves. And in the end she made tools of war that poison those around her.

The forest gods can be finicky and cruel. The ape tribe are ready to rip humans apart and eat them in violence. They will kill and maim civilians for the crime of being on the same side. Their territorial battles get people killed. And they also will take in humans as their own and raise them and love them. They try to have balance.

Even the god of the forest, beautiful giver of life and guardian, is at night the thing of nightmares. A being that can curse those who look at it and roams the forest. He takes life away, sometimes in ways that seem too soon. He refuses to curse Ashitaka when he probably could. When his head is cut off in a rage he destroys the whole forest, poisoning it and killing all the animals and spirits within it.

Each figure thinks themselves justified. Are you going to condemn a widow mourning her husband who was ripped apart by wolves when his only job is to carry rice? Who never even shot a gun? Are you going to condemn the wolves protecting their home and the trees humans are uprooting for iron, weapons that are unnatural and rot away in their bodies? Condemn Nago who was driven mad by hatred and war till he couldn’t think straight and ended up trying to kill people who had literally nothing to do with the conflict?

It’s a cycle of violence. In the end more bloodshed won’t undo the tragedies. Won’t end the conflict. They will fight until they’re dead and the whole forest is destroyed along with iron town in total annihilation. Ashitaka cannot undo his curse caused by the conflict by killing them, or asking a higher power to undo it. He knows this.

In the end the curse was undone, but that wasn’t what he expected, and it still left a scar. Iron town and the forest were destroyed. But more people lived. The forest can grow anew. Eboshi resolves to build a new town that doesn’t need iron and smelters so they can live in peace and also be left alone by the emperor (hopefully). Both sides still don’t like each other and can’t forgive the other, but they’re also both victims of imperialism and colonialism like ashitaka’s people were.

The story has meaning. Sorry it isn’t a traditional quest where the hero uses violence or magic to undo all the wounds of the past. That’s not how real life works. We can dismantle institutions, but we cannot undo all the harm. More bloodshed or a higher power won’t resolve it.

[ganondoodle]

Since you said it's ok to send you random ask, i've always found your "monsters" design to be really really gorgeous, and I wanted to know : in any form of media you've interacted with, what's PEAK monster design for you ?

i have been thinking about this ask alot bc ... i dont ... know? theres a problem with what counts as a monster really too, most are either some sort of anthro/furry or the horror gore type of monster that instills you more with disgust than awe

i guess theres some i really like but idk if thats what id call 'peak' (though its rarely JUST the design but their vibe and stuff too);

(its a lot of zelda.. sorry)

Eldra, Farodra and Naydra (engl Dinraal, Farosh(?)) though Eldra is def my fav one of them, i like how they are a little more less typical dragon- with the fur around the neck the floppy ears and kinda goofy face yet manage to be the most ethereal, awe inspiring creature i have ever seen in a game with how they act and are presented as (in BOTW!!! do not mention anythign sonau/zonai with stupid magic pebbles to me about them i will manifest worms into your tea)

Leunen (Lynels) (botw) -i could not find a better picture wtf, fav are white and silver ones) FINE they had some pretty neat new horn designs in totk- idk i just like them alot, rather simple if you think about it, horse lion plus horns- but its so well put together it just kinda scratches my brain in a good way (also how intelligent they clearly are, like the way they fight and act and also even their death animation is so??? huh?? you are just gonna treat them like any other mindless monste- *remmbers they treat ganondorf even even worse all things considered* .. nevermind you're good)

'Beast' Ganondorf (twilight princess) its my favorite beast ganon design (even if it technically is just kinda a man boar .. again) though if ww gan had a non puppet beast form that one would most definitely be my fav lol (i will not get over the fact that some descriptions call this a hideous beast EXCUSE ME???? WHERE???) (honorable mention here, darkbest ganon from botw, pig on fire but it looks cool as fuck)

Nimbusgarde (ww) .. (engl .. darknuts?) do i need to say anything? (i could throw alot of ww design here) not sure if it counts as monster but they are not human so ????

the pathless bosses- (here in order, Cernos, the Godslayer, and Kumo) all of them are rad as hell (except for the final version of the godslayer ... liek im sorry but it looks to boring compared to any other one lol) again not just the design but man do i love them

since i dont know what would count as a monster or no i could just list my fav characters here bfmjbfmjsbmj like radahn (elden ring) is just kinda a zombie, aurelion sol (league of legends) is a space dragon, the forest god in princess mononoke, Narisha (skyward sword- sky whale)- i could go on but this post is long already (honorable mention to Omus in nausicäa, weird bugs but also something divine, though it is much more how they are treated and the vibe etc)

in all honesty though i cant think of one that i would describe as perfect, what i want of a monster design is to be ... cool but also a little weird, big hulking monsters that have something off about them and something that makes them 'other', but also not, as much as i like bloodborne, just bloody gory messes of rotting flesh, AND not just as a monster to kill, i just crave a game or otherwiese piece of media where the cool monsters arent just there for you to kill- the perfect one i guess would be something kinda big scary weird and off but while non verbal clearly not a mindless beast?

and here is the thing; my own characters do not furfill that, my designs are really rather conservative, much to my dismay, anthro of a mix of animals, maybe an extra arm thrown in- Eadrya, one of my favorites, is really just a blueish furry (yes they have fur) and their demon form is a mix of seals and catfish with some extra arms, too many teeth and a mouth that goas wayy to far (if they want) - Shargon is a feather dude with extra arms and his demon form is really just a chinese type dragon crossed with a bird, throw some darts at the color wheel, done

together with my problem of my monster characters losing their 'otherness' vibe within the story rather fast bc the majority of my characters are non human and speak and you see them in all sorts of emotions and parts of life- they lose that divine, unknown vibe and i HATE that that happens, i want them more akin to the forest god in mononoke but thats not possible unless i start from scratch

and i really dont mean to make myself look bad to sound self depre- ... however you spell that; i really am rather dissatisfied with my own designs but mostly just roll with what i got bc i never seem to be able to actually achieve what i want

even my redesigns often really make things LESS interesting (unless maybe the og was just ... human, but they are blue eyed with golden hair and white so that makes them divine you seE-), the skyward sword dragons as i redesigned them made them much more classical dragon, in part intentional bc i was drawing a connection of them becoming the botw dragons at some point, but by all means the canon design is much more weird and unusual than what i did with them, you could apply the same to even demise, his canon design might seem a little uninspired but really what did i do? inject him with some classic satan spice like that makes it in any way less stereotypical evil demon ??? lol

im sorry this post devolved into whatever this is but i really am trying to answer sincerely, i am confused about it myself, what counts as a monster, what doesnt, there must be more that i really loved but why cant i think of them, why do i design characters like this when i really want something much more different, i dont know, i feel like my brain is in a cage, why do i keep making things less interesting in an effort to make it interesting, am i falling into the corporate trap of cool sells who am i what am i doing

(theres a zelda artist with a style so strikingly genuis in shape, color and just .. DESIGN that i want to chew my nails off bc i cannot design like them, their designs and redesigns are so different yet sensical and so full of crisp shapes i have never seen before it drives me nuts and i would want to give them a shoutout but i think they dont like me so aaaaarhekjbfhgdknbgdfklbg)

[lanaflowerz]

Every day praising an indigenous character Day 40-

Ashitaka and San from Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime)

The term "native coded" refers to fictional characters who, although not explicitly identified as indigenous, present characteristics, behaviors, cultural traits, appearances or elements of their stories that are associated with indigenous peoples.

Princess Mononoke is a timeless tale of indigenous colonization and survival. The animated feature is set in late Muromachi period (approximately 1336 to 1573) Japan with fantasy elements. The story follows the involvement of young Emishi prince Ashitaka in a struggle between the gods of a forest and the humans who consume its resources. The term “Mononoke” is not a name, but a Japanese word for spirit or monster: supernatural beings that change shape.

The characters in Princess Mononoke are based on indigenous peoples of Japan, specifically the Emishi and Utari (often referred to as Ainu). Princess Mononoke is a 2016 Japanese animated film directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. Its release date in Japan was July 12, 1997, and worldwide release began in 1999.

[alpaca-clouds]

Explaining Solarpunk With The Help Of Princess Mononoke

Recently I was asked to write an essay about Solarpunk - and especially the "punk" of Solarpunk and how it is used to tell stories - for a German publication that will be released later this year. Originally someone else had been asked to write an essay, but the publishers were not happy with that essay, becuase that essay very much focused just on the history, and worse, on the history in "the west". So, I did what I already do in this blog over and over: Ramble about Solarpunk. Though for that essay I tried to get it a bit scientific sounding. ;)

I did talk about the history of the genre, too, and about how the punk genre came to be. But with Solarpunk I especially talked about the influence of Hayao Miyazaki and Ursula K. LeGuin. And while discussing how those stories influenced Solarpunk as a genre, I realized one thing: The most Solarpunk Ghibli movie is Princess Mononoke. In fact, that movie is so Solarpunk, that I think it can be used to explain the genre more than anything. And that is despite the fact that this movie is not science fiction, but set in the Japan of the 14th century.

Because, well... I will repeat: No, Solarpunk does not necessarily need to be a SciFi setting. You can write a story that is fundamentally Solarpunk in almost any setting.

Now, let me talk a moment about Princess Mononoke, for everyone who has not watched the movie (at least in a while):

Princess Mononoke is the story of Ashitaka, the prince of the Emishi (one of the technically erased indigenous cultures of Japan). After his village gets attacked by a corrupted god, he travels west to find one of the last mountain gods in the hope that this god can heal him. Before he finds the god, however, he gets drawn into the conflict between a settleman calling itself Irontown and the minor gods of nature living around it. The gods try to bring down Irontown, which is lead by Lady Eboshi, as the iron extraction is destroying nature and with it the gods themselves, too. On the side of the gods, there is also San, a girl who had been abandoned in the forest by her parents and was taken in by the wolf gods. Ashitaka finds, that he will have to help both sides to find a peaceful solution.

Now, the movie is very interesting from so many Solarpunk aspects.

The central conflict is very much a conflict between men and nature, but one where both sides are shown with a lot of nuance. As well as having some aspects that a lot of people tend to overlook - like the importance of Ashitaka's perspective as an indigenous man.

Now, the movie could have been quite simple, but Miyazaki chose to not make it that way. Because the quite interesting point is, that Irontown is filled with people from the Untouchable Caste of Japanese society. (Because yes, Japan has a Caste system - untouchables exist to this day.) Untouchables were prostitutes, people who worked certain other jobs like mortician, sick people and such. And Eboshi is a former prostitute, who knew of this and decided to fill her town with only other untouchables, often rescuing them from abject poverty. And she does care about them. She wants to help those people. She just does not see the value in the nature she is destroying compared to the value she can create for herself and her people by selling weapons.

The mythology shown in the movie, rather than depicting classic Shinto mythology, actually is build more around what we know about pre-Shinto Japanese mythology, which has a lot more animalistic gods than what it evolved to with Shinto.

And again, the very interesting aspect that a lot of people ignore is that Ashitaka is indigenous. He is not Japanese, he is Emishi - he is from a culture that the Japanese culture (that came from Chinese and Korean colonialism of the Japanese islands) eradicated. But within the world of the movie some Emishi have survived and have hidden in the mountains.

Which brings me to the point that actually makes me say, that this is the most Solarpunk movie: The ending. Because the ending of the movie is, that both sides decide that they will need to find a way for both of them to live. And they will learn that with Ashitaka staying with the people of Irontown and helping them live together with nature.

Because the movie quite clearly says: Yes, the methods that Eboshi choses are wrong. But her goals - helping those people outcast by normal society - are still good ones. And there has to be a way that these people can live a good life at this place surrounded by this ancient nature without being antagonistic towards it.

Now, of course the movie leaves in a very open end. It does not say whether they manage and how they manage. But they at least try.

And I think that is what makes this movie so inherently Solarpunk: The mixture of those themes. The indigenous culture. The nature and its protection. And the survival of those outcasts. That is a lot of themes - and it is the themes that I think are at the very core of what Solarpunk should be.

Again... I keep harping on this in this blog, but I will say it again: No, Solarpunk is not an aesthetic. It is about themes and content. Which is exactly why so many of the stories people will tell you about when you ask them about it, are not very SciFi in fact - and not at all fitting with the tumblr aesthetic. They are a lot more like Princess Mononoke and Nausicaä. And... Well, I think that this is something people really should take more to heart. Allow for it to be more thematic - rather than necessarily fitting with the aesthetic.

[ersetu-gazette]

So after rewatching Princess Mononoke I suddenly realized it would be a great media to crossover with Mother of Learning (sorry I have crossover-itis, it's chronic). Internal political conflicts due to imperialism, two sides fighting (one side more in the wrong than the other) where mitigating damage and diplomacy is the best option and sometimes force is required, one side working against the gods, one character chosen by them, and a protagonist only tangentially involved forced into the conflict (and he jumps in once he knows the stakes).

Obviously they're very different media, but I think their framing and how characters approach their similar conflicts would be an interesting thing to play with. So out of curiosity what would everyone think would be more compelling?

Explanations on how I would do each version below the cut:

1st option: The Princess Mononoke movie plays out exactly how it did, and then the characters wake up at the start of the movie before Ashitaka was cursed but after Eboshi shot the first boar god. Ashitaka, San, and Eboshi have to find a permanent solution that leaves the Deer God alive by the end. This requires the three of them to team up and deceive Jigo and the emperor. 2nd option: The plot of Princess Mononoke takes place on Hsan. Most of the gods (the wolf, ape, and boar gods) are instead fey, except for the Deer God who is the last god left, who descended to the material plane to incorporate into a more mortal form (as he is the god that designed souls and believed they had to experience and protect mortals there). The main cast are all mages. Lady Eboshi got her nobility by inventing a stable method of making cold iron, an easier method to kill spirits. San is a battle mage raised by the fey chosen by the angels to help save the last god from dying. She used to be the heir to a native nation that was only recently conquered by the empire. Ashitaka is a minor soul mage/exorcist from a small nation trying to resist being conquered. When he was cursed at the beginning it persists throughout the loops, the more he relies on its power the more easily it taints his body throughout the loop. Eboshi is convinced the time loops are a way to allow her to succeed at killing the Deer god, San is doing everything in her power to stop her from destroying the forest, and Jigo is a high ranking soul/mind mage spy in the imperial church (who has partial awareness of the loop). In previous loops Ashitaka never made much impact but in one of them gets Jigo's attention when he triest to take a more neutral side, Jigo assumes that Ashitaka is a looper on San's side and worsens the curse he was inflicted with, (but somehow gets him into the loop? idk I'll workshop it)

The cast over the story are forced to find an uneasy alliance and recognize the emperor needs to be stopped. There's a lot of parallels to the original Mol plot but it goes in it's own direction. There's a chance for MoL cameos but they won't be a major focus. 3rd option: Zach and Zorian are pulled into the Monosuke plot and forced into a time loop until they can stop the Deer god from dying. (Still not sure if they're natives to the world or have been isekaid). 4th option: Straight up isekai. Zorian and Zach have to stop the Deer God's death and the conflict between humans and nature before things go bad. Of course there will be some type of extra burden or problem they'll have to deal with so they can't just use their magic to brute force solve everything.

[roninreverie]

Kamui Woods' tragic backstory that was made into a documentary

I've got side character brainrot, so watch me make it everyone else's problem. Help me come up with some more ideas, or let me know your favorite theory!

THEORY #1:

He is a tree who gained a Quirk and sentience

(Kind of like what happened with Principal Nezu)

Personally am not a fan of this theory because I feel like his name and ambitions would be a little different or people would mention it more as jokes/jabs/or from flat-out astonishment.

But I'm not ruling it out.

THEORY #2:

His home faced the tragedy, he just lived through it.

He is from Kagoshima Prefecture, so using the vague location as a clue:

He could be from Yakushima:

(AKA, the island inspiring the forest in Princess Mononoke - could tie into his name translation "God of the Woods")

Has a vast forest with some of the oldest trees around

See: Yaku-sugi (Jōmon-sugi).

Has a lot of hot springs (not relevant, just happy for him)

Native with rhododendron

(See costume: if flowers are supposed to be rhododendron and not roses).

He could be from the Mangrove Primeval Forest on Amami Island:

Amami has the Kanoya Rose Gardens

(See costume: belt attachment is made of roses)

2nd largest forest of mangroves in Japan

(Lot of trees, water, and kayaking)

* Both areas are near active volcanoes and subject to typhoons:

Is tragedy related to typhoons, floods, volcanoes, or another type of natural disaster?

See driftwood compatibility: If ships/ water are involved, his wood Quirk could've allowed him to float to safety for several days, being enough hope in the face of tragedy to spark the documentary.

THEORY 4:

Pirates/ boat-related tragedy, also includes being marooned, held hostage, and gives him a newfound sense of justice against villains.

Buuut I feel like he would have maybe joined a mariner-related field if his hero origins involved pirates.

THEORY #5:

Wood was harvested for harsh winters without consent like a sort of body-farm situation that was eventually liberated.

Like if he had bad parents or his whole family was a part of some sort of servitude angle?

He only started counting his birthday/ age recently, so there are a number of reasons why he never celebrated it?

(A little too dark for me, and may be a little influenced by the DNA chambers Yamato Tenzo grew up with in Naruto.)

THEORY #6:

Abandoned in the woods and grew up as a little feral nature child.

Also plays into the "just started counting my age" angle.

EDIT: from the prototype sketch rough translations, this kind of sounds like what happened, though I don't know if the tragedy ends there or with his adopted family.

THEORY #7:

Related to his appearance.

Shinji is very secretive of his appearance, mainly his mouth area that is constantly hidden by a mask or scarf. It's possible, he just likes his privacy, buuuut... theories anyway:

He could be made of wood all over, have branch/limb-like teeth that are unsettling to others, a nutcracker jaw, Ghibli Forest Spirit face, or have a nod to a skin condition like Epidermodysplasia that he was ridiculed for as a kid, so now keeps his face hidden?

That's all the theories I think I've got. Feel free to share more if you have ideas too!

[sgtmickeyslaughter]

Weekly Tag Wednesdayyy

Hi @energievie @mmmichyyy @spookygingerr @lingy910y @jrooc and @mickeym4ndy !

name: gigi

your time zone: est

favorite food: ive truly never met a soup i didn't like, but my favorite is pho. the absolute artistry behind creating a piping hot soup designed for a warm climate that actually cools you down with the power of herbs alone? stunning

your eye color: brown + green

do you have curly, wavy, or straight hair? bone straight and very stubborn about it

coffee or tea? coffee

you can only listen to one album for the rest of your life. which album is it? im going to say illinoise by sufjan stevens, i saw the play version last month and i highly highly recommend it its so beautiful

how many countries have you visited? korea, india, japan, mexico and canada next week if the canucks make it to round 7 (fingers crossed)

favorite social media platform (other than tumblr): instagram? I guess? I used to like chatting on reddit but the vibes are less than ideal so i chat with people here :)

if you had to be reincarnated as an animal, what animal would you want to be? a tiny, colorful bird on an island. no predators, just flitting around a forest

relationship status: very recently single :,( really tragic circumstances but ultimately amicable so we will remain great friends. i have had some pretty ridiculous breakups tho so maybe ill work those into a fic someday

did you go to college? if so, what did you study? yes, I went to an arts institute which i adored and studied architecture and morphology

you’ve just made a letterboxd account. what are your top 4 films? bones and all, princess Mononoke, midsommar, and julie and julia

what’s one of your pet peeves? when people start walking onto the train before people get out, oh that grinds my gears, I take three trains to and from work so a lot of my pet peeves are pubic transit related (still couldn't catch me in a car tho)

what’s one of your guilty pleasures? im going to change this to creature comfort: I love love love cooking and eating homecooked meals

and finally, if you could learn any skill, what skill would you want to learn? any instrument. literally any. i've tried hard over and over with different instruments and the best i can get to is like barely passible not quite good or god forbid innovative.

tagging under the cut!

@heymrspatel @doshiart @sirrudo @mickittotheman @mybrainismelted

@iansw0rld @especially-fuk-u @mickeysgaymom @softmick

@blue-disco-lights @gallawitchxx @solitarycreaturesthey @deathclassic