The young prince follows the demon boar's trail of destruction with the only clue he has about what transformed it into a demon: an iron ball found embedded in its body. Ashitaka leaves immediately, with only his trusted red elk Yakul. The village elders decide, with much reluctance, that Ashitaka must leave the village before the curse takes full possession of him, and travel west in search of his destiny. The village's peace is shattered by the attack of a terrible demon their last remaining prince, Ashitaka (voiced by Yōji Matsuda), is injured during the fight against it, and even worse, the mortally wounded demon is revealed to be a powerful spirit-a giant boar that curses the Emishi with its last breath and reveals that the wound Ashitaka suffered will kill him too. The story is set during the 15th or 16th century (late Muromachi period), and begins in a small village of the Emishi, the indigenous inhabitants of Japan who by this time have mostly been conquered or driven into hiding in remote corners of the east. Joe Hisaishi composed the score while author Neil Gaiman adapted the film's English dub. Appropriately enough, it was also the first Ghibli film to earn a PG-13 rating in the United States. It's notably one of his darkest films, with a somber ambiance and themes, yet lacks none of the trademark stunning visuals of a Studio Ghibli production.

Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫 Mononoke Hime) is an acclaimed 1997 animated film from famed Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, originally intended to be his last until Spirited Away.

Ashitaka princess mononoke