Question about Nausicaa and Princess Mononoke [Spoilers]

Jet Black

I've just recently watched these and really enjoyed them. Just two things I was wondering about.

In Valley of the wind when the tomekian army arrive they kill the king straight away. The leader Kushana says 'we are not savages who've come to massacre your people we've come to talk' and when addressing the villagers 'we have come to your land in the name of peace' so why did a group of men with guns kill a bed ridden old man? Even with a sword I cant see how he would be any threat?

My other question about Princess Mononoke is about the white boar. At the end when it is near death and the humans dressed in boar skins touch it and it turns into a demon. Why is this?

Thanks

Vojera

I haven't watched Princess Mononoke in a long time, but what I remember is that Okkoto becomes a demon because he is filled with hatred. Could be wrong though.

eoin5

Good questions!

I think Kushana is basically just lying, might be referencing some propaganda tactics armies use. I'm with Vojera on the anger thing, it was the same for the first demon boar at the start I think too. Lady Eboshi didn't poison the bullets or anything like that.

sharingan

Jet Black wrote: »

In Valley of the wind when the tomekian army arrive they kill the king straight away. The leader Kushana says 'we are not savages who've come to massacre your people we've come to talk' and when addressing the villagers 'we have come to your land in the name of peace' so why did a group of men with guns kill a bed ridden old man? Even with a sword I cant see how he would be any threat?

If you can get your hands on the Nausicaa Manga, it gives another perspective on the character of Kushana. It is a far superiour treatment. Many concepts were compressed to make the movie, and I think her character suffered the most in translation (she has to become a villain).

For instance in the Manga, the Valley of the Wind people are her vassals. Its a beautifully rich and deep treatment of the story - every question you might ever have about the world is answered, and things hinted at in the anime, are developed completely in the manga.

Kinski

You know what sucks?

When they released Mononoke in the West they made a change to a bit at the start: They tweaked a bit where A****aka is fighting the demon, making him turn his head and shout something like "Run away!" at the village girls. Of course, when you watch the subtitled version, A****aka turns his head, opens his mouth, and says nothing.

This change was made despite Miyazaki allegedly sending Harvey "Scissorhands" Weinstein a samurai sword with a note attached saying "No cuts!" during the negotiations over the film's US distribution rights.

What's worse is that the Japanese DVD and Blu-Ray versions of Studio Ghibli movies are handled by Disney, who left this change in the Japanese Mononoke discs. So there is now nowhere you can get a Japanese language version of that film without that stupid and pointless change in there.

Edit: Haha, the swear filter censored Ashitaka's name!

sharingan

I thought Optimum Releasing now handle the distribution rights for the Ghibli titles?

In my experience they are far more respectful of the work and actually subtitle it, as opposed to dubtitles which you describe here.

For an even worse treatment, see what was done for Laputa - nothing but subtitles swimming in silence. Annoying.

Kinski

Optimum/StudioCanal UK are just a British-based distributor. They handle releases for the UK and Ireland. Disney are responsible for the US Blu-Rays, and Disney Japan for the Japanese market (the current head of Studio Ghibli used to run Disney Japan). In terms of the cut of the film used, the subs, etc., I don't think that the Optimum versions are any different from what the Americans are getting.

I wasn't describing dubtitles, btw. I was referring to a change made in the film's visuals which does not match-up with the original Japanese audiotrack. The most infuriating thing is that even the version intended for a Japanese audience afaik contains this visual change.