Editing Princess Mononoke (section)

== Reception ==

=== Critical response ===

The film was generally well received by critics in Japan, and Kanō described a "flurry of praise" in the Japanese media following its box office success.{{sfn|Kanō|2006|p=217–218}} ''[[The Asahi Shimbun]]''{{'s}} Noboru Akiyama felt that the work displayed a "strong artistic quality" and a number of reviews in animation magazines highlighted its visual fidelity.<ref>Cited in {{harvnb|Kanō|2006|pp=217–218}}.</ref> Several publications featured articles from critics and academics covering several aspects of the film's production as well as interviews with key staff.{{sfn|Yoshioka|2018|pp=31–32}} According to Yoshioka, a variety of academics were attracted to write about the film due to themes such as Japanese cultural history being relatively "easy topics" to cover, as well as in response to Miyazaki's growing status as a [[public intellectual]] ({{lang|ja-Latn|bunkajin}}) within Japanese society.{{sfn|Yoshioka|2018|p=32}} Some scholars speculated on the contributing factors to the film's success; a number commented on the reactions of younger audience members, who found the themes relatable to their personal struggles and empathized with its motifs of hope.{{sfn|Yoshioka|2018|pp=34–35}} Napier also wrote that the themes of conflict and coexistence with nature and the spirit world resonated strongly with Japanese viewers.{{sfn|Napier|2018|p=177}} Very few reviews directed criticism at the film, and among them Kanō found many of the comments to be "highly questionable".{{sfn|Kanō|2006|p=218}} Kenichiro Horii of the ''[[Shūkan Bunshun]]'' found the text difficult to parse, and others were disappointed by the fantasy that Miyazaki had constructed. A few critics also faulted the female characters' lack of sex appeal.<ref>Cited in {{harvnb|Kanō|2006|p=218}}.</ref>

Despite its poor performance in the American box office, the film received widespread praise from critics in the United States.{{sfnm|Kanō|2006|1p=216|Pett|2018|2p=176}} On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Metacritic]], the film was assigned a [[weighted average]] score of 76 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.{{sfn|''Metacritic''}} On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], {{RT data|score}} of the {{RT data|count}} critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8 out of 10. The website's consensus reads, "With its epic story and breathtaking visuals, ''Princess Mononoke'' is a landmark in the world of animation."{{sfn|''Rotten Tomatoes''}} In 2018, Pett conducted a [[meta-analysis]] of 1065 critical reviews published in the United States and the United Kingdom.{{sfn|Pett|2018|p=173}} Initial reviews often discussed the cultural differences that the film would exhibit and the alterations that Miramax had made to the presentation; [[Ty Burr]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' was generally appreciative but felt "very curious to see if American audiences can handle it."<ref>{{harvnb|Burr|1999}}, cited in {{harvnb|Pett|2018|pp=175–176}}.</ref> While [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' felt that the film had been "effectively translated{{nbsp}}[...] without losing its Japanese essence",<ref>{{harvnb|Maslin|1999}}, cited in {{harvnb|Pett|2018|p=175}}.</ref> Michael Atkinson wrote in ''Mr. Showbiz'' that "an enormous amount of something or other got lost in the translation."<ref>{{harvnb|Atkinson}}, cited in {{harvnb|Pett|2018|p=176}}.</ref>

Many critics compared the film with the family-oriented works, primarily produced by Disney, which defined audience expectations for animations in the United States.{{sfn|Pett|2018|p=178}} ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''{{'s}} Leonard Klady wrote that the film {{nowrap|"[flies]}} in the face of popular Western animation" by eschewing musical numbers or narratives written to appeal to children.<ref>{{harvnb|Klady|1998}}, cited in {{harvnb|Pett|2018|p=178}}.</ref> [[Stephen Hunter]] commented in an article for ''[[The Washington Post]]'' that the animation is "completely vivid and exquisitely detailed", but lacks the fluidity of Disney's works.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunter|1999}}, cited in {{harvnb|Pett|2018|p=176}}.</ref> Critics also highlighted the violence and mature themes as aspects inappropriate for children.{{sfn|Pett|2018|p=179}} Burr and others favorably compared the film's fantasy elements with those of ''[[Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace]]''{{nbsp}}(1999){{nbsp}}– which had been released a few months prior{{nbsp}}– and novels such as ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''{{nbsp}}(1954–1955) and ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]''{{nbsp}}(1950–1956).{{sfn|Pett|2018|pp=181–182}} Roger Ebert of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' considered the film Miyazaki's best and recommended it for an [[Academy Award]] nomination.<ref>{{harvnb|Ebert|1999a}}, cited in {{harvnb|Pett|2018|pp=183–184}}.</ref> In the United Kingdom, however, the film received a very limited number of reviews and was largely panned by critics. Pett and the journalist [[Andrew Osmond (journalist)|Andrew Osmond]] ascribed this to a general negative perception of anime in British society at the time, rooted in controversies caused by some violent and sexually explicit animations.<ref>{{harvnb|Osmond|2000}}, cited in {{harvnb|Pett|2018|pp=176–177}}.</ref>

Several publications have featured ''Princess Mononoke'' in their lists of best films. ''Animage'' ranked it 47th in their list of the 100 best anime in 2001.{{sfn|''Anime News Network''|2001}} ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' ranked it 488th on their list of the 500 greatest films{{sfn|''Empire''}} and placed it 3rd on their 2024 list of the 50 greatest animated films.{{sfn|Travis|2024}} It also ranked 13th on ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]''{{'s}} list of the 100 best anime films{{sfn|Egan|2024}} and 26th on ''[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]]'' and ''[[Total Film]]''{{'s}} lists of the greatest animated films.{{sfnm|1a1=Jenkins|2a1=Kinnear|2a2=Winning|2y=2014}}

=== Accolades ===

[[List of Japanese submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Japan submitted]] ''Princess Mononoke'' for [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]] at the [[70th Academy Awards]],{{sfn|''Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences''|1997}} but it was not nominated.{{sfn|Sharf|2019}}

{| class="wikitable sortable plain-row-headers"
|+ {{sronly|Accolades received by Princess Mononoke}}
! scope="col" | Award / Publication
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Category
! scope="col" | Recipient
! scope="col" | Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Refh}}
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="3" | ''[[Kinema Junpo]]''
| rowspan="15" style="text-align:center;" | {{dts|1997}}
| Best Ten (Critics' Choice)
| rowspan="2" | ''Princess Mononoke''
| {{runner up}}
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;" | {{sfn|''Nausicaa.net'' c}}
|-
| Best Ten (Readers' Choice)
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Director (Readers' Choice)
| {{sort|Miyazaki, Hayao|[[Hayao Miyazaki]]}}
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="3" | 52nd [[Mainichi Film Award]]s
| [[Mainichi Film Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| rowspan="3" | ''Princess Mononoke''
| {{won}}
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;" | {{sfn|''Mainichi Shimbun''}}
|-
| [[Mainichi Film Award for Best Animation Film|Best Animation Film]]
| {{won}}
|-
| Japanese Movie Fans' Choice
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" | 10th [[Nikkan Sports Film Award]]s
| [[Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| {{sort|Miyazaki, Hayao|[[Hayao Miyazaki]]}}
| {{won}}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | {{sfn|''Nikkan Sports''}}
|-
| [[Nikkan Sports Film Award for Yūjirō Ishihara Award|Yūjirō Ishihara Award]]
| rowspan="4" | ''Princess Mononoke''
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1st [[Japan Media Arts Festival]]
| Grand Prize in Animation
| {{won}}
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;" | {{sfn|''Nausicaa.net'' c}}
|-
! scope="row" | 7th [[Tokyo Sports Film Award]]
| [[Tokyo Sports Film Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[Osaka Film Festival]]
| Special Award
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row" | 21st {{ill|Fumiko Yamaji Award|ja|山路ふみ子映画賞}}
| Cultural Award
| {{sort|Suzuki, Toshio|[[Toshio Suzuki]]}}
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" | {{sfn|''Fumiko Yamaji Cultural Foundation''}}
|-
! scope="row" | 15th {{ill|Golden Gross Award|ja|ゴールデングロス賞}}
| Gold Award
| ''Princess Mononoke''
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" | {{sfn|''Japan Association of Theater Owners''}}
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" | [[39th Japan Record Awards]]
| Best Composer
| {{sort|Hisaishi, Joe|[[Joe Hisaishi]]}}
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2" | {{sfn|''Japan Composer's Association''}}
|-
| Best Album Production
| ''Princess Mononoke Soundtrack''
| {{won}}{{efn|Shared with [[Sayuri Yoshinaga]]'s ''Second Movement'', [[Shimizu Yasuaki]]'s ''Bach Box'', and ''[[Music of Neon Genesis Evangelion#Neon Genesis Evangelion|Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' (all 1997){{sfn|''Japan Composer's Association''}} }}
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" | 21st [[Japan Academy Film Prize]]
| rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | {{dts|1998}}
| [[Japan Academy Film Prize for Picture of the Year|Picture of the Year]]
| ''Princess Mononoke''
| {{won}}{{efn|name=JAFP|text=''Princess Mononoke'' was the first animated film to be nominated for, and receive, this award.{{sfn|Odell|Le Blanc|2009|p=112}} }}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | {{sfn|''Japan Academy Film Prize''}}
|-
| Special Award
| {{sort|Mera, Yoshikazu|[[Yoshikazu Mera]]}}
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row" | 40th [[Blue Ribbon Awards]]
| [[Blue Ribbon Awards for Special Award|Special Award]]
| rowspan="2" | ''Princess Mononoke''
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" | {{sfn|''Nausicaa.net'' c}}
|-
! scope="row" | 22nd [[Hochi Film Award]]s
| Special Award
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" | {{sfn|''Sports Hochi''}}
|-
! scope="row" | 12th {{ill|Takasaki Film Festival|ja|高崎映画祭}}
| Best Director
| {{sort|Miyazaki, Hayao|[[Hayao Miyazaki]]}}
| {{won}}{{efn|Shared with [[Jun Ichikawa]]{{sfn|''Takasaki Film Festival''}} }}
| style="text-align:center;" | {{sfn|''Takasaki Film Festival''}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[Elan d'or Awards]]
| [[Elan d'or Award Special Prize|Special Prize]]
| ''Princess Mononoke''
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" | {{sfn|''Nausicaa.net'' c}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[28th Annie Awards]]
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | {{dts|2000}}
| Outstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production
| {{sort|Miyazaki, Hayao|[[Hayao Miyazaki]]}}
| {{nom}}{{efn|name=Annie|text=Awarded for the English-language version of the film{{sfn|''Annie Awards''}} }}
| style="text-align:center;" | {{sfn|''Annie Awards''}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[4th Golden Satellite Awards]]
| [[Satellite Award for Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature|Best Animated or Mixed Media Film]]
| rowspan="3" | ''Princess Mononoke''
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" | {{sfn|''International Press Academy''}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[27th Saturn Awards]]
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | {{dts|2001}}
| Best Home Video Release
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" | {{sfn|''Saturn Awards''}}
|-
! scope="row" | 36th [[Nebula Award]]s
| [[Nebula Award for Best Script|Best Script]]
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" | {{sfn|''Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America''}}
|}