MORO THE SHE-WOLF IN PRINCESS MONONOKE
Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫 Mononoke Hime) is a 1997 animated film by acclaimed Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, originally intended to be his last film before Spirited Away. It is notably one of his darkest films, with a gloomy atmosphere and themes. This film is hosted by Studio Ghibli. It has a PG-13 rating in the United States. Joe Hisaishi composed the score while author Neil Gaiman adapted the English version of the film.
1) Summary of the anime
The story takes place in the 15th or 16th century (late Muromachi period), and begins in a small village of the Emishi, the indigenous inhabitants of Japan who, at that time, were mostly conquered or hid in remote corners of the East. The peace of the village is shaken by the attack of a terrible demon. Their last prince, Ashitaka (voiced by Yōji Matsuda), is wounded during the fight against the demon. The mortally wounded demon turns out to be a powerful spirit - a giant boar who curses the Emishi with his last breath and reveals that the wound Ashitaka suffered will kill him as well. The village elders reluctantly decide that Ashitaka must leave the village before the curse takes hold of him. He then leaves for the west in search of his destiny. Ashitaka is accompanied by his faithful red moose, Yakul. The young prince follows the trail of destruction of the demonic boar with the only clue he has about what turned him into a demon: an iron ball found embedded in his body.
Ashitaka travels through the war-torn countryside, discovering that his curse has also given him superhuman strength along the way. He eventually stumbles upon Tatara (The Forge Village), a mining settlement on the edge of the wilderness that is in the midst of a three-way war between :
- Lady Eboshi (Yūko Tanaka) who protects the town with firearms.
- The Forest Spirits who want to stop the expansion of the forge village to protect their homes from destruction.
- A samurai warlord who wants to take the town for the wealth it generates.
Ashitaka must try to create peace between the different parties, to understand the reason of his curse. He will meet San (Yuriko Ishida), a human girl who was raised by wolves and fights on the side of the Spirits as events seem to be heading towards an inevitable catastrophe.
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2) Who is Moro ?
Moro is the God of wolves in the movie Princess Mononoke. She is three hundred years old and possesses divine power and intelligence, as well as being able to understand and speak human languages. She is a stoic and strong character who knows the evil intentions of humans. She is the leader of the wolf tribe and a loving mother. Moro seems threatening to Ashitaka, but she has a deep affection for San.
When San was just a baby, Moro caught her parents raping her forest and attacked them. San's parents then threw their baby at Moro's feet as a sacrifice and ran away. Instead of eating her, Moro raised San as his own daughter. For this reason, San behaves like a wolf and despises humans like her mother.
A) Moro's personality
Moro is a very intelligent and strong wolf who would do anything to save his forest home and protect the forest spirit. Moro has a deep hatred for humans and dreams of the day when she will finally crush Lady Eboshi's head. However, above all, Moro is a very motherly and caring wolf. Despite her hatred for humans, she cares deeply for San, having taken her in after her parents abandoned her.
B) She-wolf appearance
Moro has long white fur, olive eyes, large teeth and a brown-purple nose. She is relatively tall. San is the size of her head. Moro has two tails.