The film might be considered a fantasy movie, if one has to connect it to a genre, but although having gods and ghosts/spirits as part of its sjuzet, Princess Mononoke (1997) is far from being a fantasy adventure. The mythical creatures that affect the plot from the beginning are less those powerful entities we know from other fantasy narratives like The Lord of the Rings than symbols, which serve as transmitters for the film’s message. In addition to this, they guide the main character’s thinking. It is well known that some of Miyazaki’s films deal with the struggle between the world of humans and the world of nature. Pollution or the destruction of nature are often on display and with Princess Mononoke it is the same. When reaching the forest, the main character Ashitaka is confronted with the forest’s impending destruction in favour of an iron ore mine. As it also is in Spirited away (2001) and Castle in the Sky (1986) Miyazaki takes ordinary settings and interweaves f...