Mononoke hime (Princess Mononoke) 1997 (Ghibli)
Date
Credits
Format
- Poster 2181
- Advertisement 256
- Illustration 369
- Advertising 602
Media
- paper 1918
Dimensions
Locations Made
- Japan 447
- Tokyo 60
- Tokyo Prefecture 56
This film, Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫), was directed by Hayao Miyazaki and released by Studio Ghibli on July 12th, 1997. It was one of the most ambitious animated films of its time, exploring deep themes of environmental destruction, spirituality, and moral ambiguity.
The poster presents a striking composition: San, with blood smeared across her mouth, stands defiantly beside the wolf goddess Moro. The illustration is bold and confrontational, placing the viewer face to face with the film’s emotional core. The hand-drawn style, typical of Ghibli’s aesthetic, combines realism in character and animal anatomy with a sense of stylized drama, intensifying the poster’s impact.
Typography plays a central role in the design. The vertical white slogan 「生きろ。」 (“Live.”) is written in a sharp, calligraphic typeface, positioned against the forest background to stand out while conveying urgency and emotional gravity. The film title, もののけ姫, is displayed in bold red kana with a soft-edged Gothic typeface, evoking ancient power and emotional tension.
The poster’s color scheme uses stark contrasts—San’s pale skin, the bright red blood, Moro’s white fur, and the deep greens of the forest—to emphasize the spiritual and physical divide between humanity and nature. Like many Ghibli posters, it uses minimal text, relying on visual storytelling and symbolic resonance rather than explanatory detail.
