GONZALES, Celina O.

NATRES G03
11981318 25 February 20, 2021

The trees cry out as they die, but you cannot hear them. I lie here. I listen to the pain of
the forest and feel the ache of the bullet in my chest and dream of the day when I will finally
crunch that gun woman’s head in my jaws… She is my daughter. One of the wolf tribe. When
the forest dies, so does she. I caught her human parents defiling my forest. They threw
their baby at my feet as they ran away. Instead of eating her, I raised her as my own. Now my
poor, ugly, beautiful daughter is neither human nor wolf.”

– Moro (Princess Mononoke, 1997)

I took the opportunity to watch Miyazaki Hayao’s Princess Mononoke for this reflection
paper because it is my favorite movie of all-time. The film was able to encapsulate the
messages it aimed to convey. Princess Mononoke showcases beautifully animated scenes
while tackling the nuances between good and evil through the journey of its main protagonist,
Prince Ashitaka. Moreover, it featured strong female characters such as San, the protector of
the forest, and Lady Eboshi, the leader of Tataraba (Iron Town). While I fawned over the
amazing scenery, gushed over the blossoming friendship that developed between Ashitaka
and San, and loved the portrayal of the film’s female characters, I have yet to dig deep in the
film’s take on its environmental themes. Hence, I thought that it would be fitting to watch my
favorite film in a new light, particularly through an environmental lens.

As I watched Princess with fresh eyes, I noticed that it focuses on the theme that
humans must coexist with the forest and every sign of life in it. This is shown by the presence
of the kodama in the forest since it serves as an indicator of the forest’s health—the more
kodama living in the forest, the more that is alive and thriving. Moreover, the Deer God sustains
the forest by bringing life to the forest and curing illnesses and curses. While the Deer God
was initially believed to be immortal, this was proven otherwise when Lady Eboshi shoots its
head off. When the Deer God was beheaded, everything it touched lost its life until Ashitaka
and San returns its head and brought life to the forest for the last time.

The women in the film play pivotal roles in the film. At the beginning of the film, Lady
Eboshi planned on destroying the forest in order to mine. She prioritized the development of
Tataraba without considering the repercussions it may have on the forest and its inhabitants.
However, upon experiencing the wrath of the Deer Good after she shot its head off, she
resolved to rebuild Tataraba with greater care without compromising the life in the forest. On
the other hand, San defends the forest from humans who exploited the forest’s resources.
This is evinced by her belief that Lady Eboshi’s death will bring an end to the destroying of the
forest. In the battle for the Deer God’s head, she played a vital role in leading the animals in
defending the forest as well as leading the animals in the battle. Their respective roles depict
the imbalance between a person’s role in economic development and preserving the
environment.

While Princess Mononoke was set in 13th Century Japan, the pressing environmental
issues continue to be present today. How humans exploited environmental resources for
economic development was perfectly encapsulated by Jiko-bo: “The thirst to possess heaven
and earth is what makes us human.” We, as a species strive to become more advanced
economically and technologically, only to cause great environmental in the long run. As human
beings, we prioritize economic development with little to no consideration on its impact to the
environment, just like Tataraba. As such, the imbalance between humans and the forest
continues to be prevalent in the 21st century. While we, as individuals can do so much in
preserving and protecting it through tree-planting projects, awareness campaigns, and
establishing NGOs, more powerful entities such as governments and big corporate entities
have a crucial role in sustainable development: Government entities have the power to craft
sound legislation and implement such laws accordingly, while corporations, have the power to
significantly reduce environmental impact by taking more environmental-friendly measures in
manufacturing their products. Ultimately, we all play a role in restoring such a balance, and I
hope to find more ways on how this can be achieved in this course.