From the Medicine Seller’s Cabinet, ‘Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain’

Mononoke (物の怪) or Ayakashi (あやかし) can best be described as supernatural entities like demons or ghosts who have their origins in Japanese folklore. They may exist individually or be born from grudges held by the living or the dearly departed. They possess or latch onto the world of the living, causing mischief and mayhem.

Mononoke (モノノ怪), the Japanese anime series produced by Toei Animation in 2007 was a spin-off of the 2006 Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales. Set during the late Edo period and Meiji Era, Mononoke chronicles the strange supernatural encounters of a mysterious individual known only by his profession, The Medicine Seller (Kusuriuri (薬売り)).  

The Medicine Seller is an enigma, we don’t know who (or even what) he is. With his elf-like ears, striking face paint, pointy teeth, colorful clothes and strange paraphernalia, there’s a captivating otherworldly air about him. Instead, we get to know more about the people he meets and the mononoke he dispatches swiftly.

He works methodically. To dispel the curse and effects of the mononoke, the Medicine Seller uses a special sword. In order for the sword to unsheathe and manifest itself, he needs three things, the Form (Katachi), the Truth (Makoto) and the Reasoning (Kotowari). Without these he is powerless, and the prospect of a world where they don’t exist frightens the otherwise level-headed Medicine Seller. It is interesting to note that the method of exorcism employed by the Medicine Seller is similar to the Mikkyō Buddhism’s San Himitsu (Three secrets): body (mudra), speech (mantra) and spirit (mandala).

Despite being a more obscure franchise, the Mononoke anime has resulted in a manga adaptation, two stage plays and now finally a film trilogy, the first of which was released this year on Nov. 28, 2024.

Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain sees our favorite Medicine Seller peddling his wares at the Ōoku, the women’s quarters in the Edo Castle.

Asa and Kame are two young women who have arrived at the Ōoku. Though their destination is the same, their ambitions are vastly different. Despite having diametrically different personalities, the girls forge a strong bond of friendship from the get-go, outsiders as they are, in this alien, oppressive atmosphere. Especially so when the first instruction the girls are given is to sacrifice their most cherished belongings from the outside world into the well at the Ōoku.

They have arrived at a crucial time for the women of the Ōoku. Preparations for the birth ceremony of the Emperor’s newborn are underway. The bizarre part is that this ceremony was supposed to have happened two months ago. With no explanation as to the cause of the delay, the Shogunate sends in two samurai scouts to investigate. Between the tight-lipped matriarchs of the Ōoku, the strange and unsettling rituals, and unexplained disappearances, the mysteries haunting the Ōoku are as deep and dark as the bottom of the well. Fortunately, the Medicine Seller is on the case.

Mononoke is not your typical anime. Everything from the art style to the sound design is a marriage of tradition and modern-day aesthetics.

Mononoke’s visuals are as if Katsushika Hokusai, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein collaborated on an anime — blending the traditional Japanese ukiyo-e painting with bright colorful pop art. Every single character is drawn so distinct from the other and there is so much we can infer from their character designs alone. Utilizing the best of traditional and modern animation techniques, Mononoke’s art is highly textured, making it seem like the entire film is playing on old, crinkled rice paper. With a very psychedelic color palette and cut aways, watching Mononoke is a surreal experience.

Being a murder mystery, paying attention to detail is vital. Every single frame is packed with a lot of hidden information, so one must pause the film to keep track of what’s going on. From a small doll to a kaleidoscope, or an obscure character standing in the background, the shifts are infinitesimal and done at light speed but nevertheless, there’s a strange uncanny feeling that blankets you when you know that something or someone in the frame is out of place. It’s like playing Where’s Waldo, Edo ukiyo-e Mononoke pop art edition. Symbolism is everywhere, it may lie in the species of birds drawn on a wall or a beautiful hair comb that’s a family heirloom. The key to unraveling the mysteries of the Ōoku are all right there, like scattered pieces of a puzzle just waiting to be put together.

The structure of the film (and the series) is always the same. Each story is like a play that unfolds on the screen before you. A decorated shoji (Japanese sliding door) with an ukiyo-e print opens and closes akin to a curtain falling denoting the next act. Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain does not adhere to the traditional Western three-act play structure, rather it resembles the Japanese Kishōtenketsu. The Kishōtenketsu is a four-act play where the plot twists propel the story forward rather than conflicts. It makes for an apt narrative approach especially when the film belongs to the mystery category.

The series is largely self-contained, the structure may be the same but no two episodes are alike in both content and characters, save of course for the Medicine Seller. That’s why the film makes a good entry point for a first-time viewer.

However, unlike the series where all the loose ends are tied up and placed neatly in the Medicine Seller’s cabinet, the film leaves a lot unexplained, on purpose.

The primary plot focuses on the mononoke featured this time, but Mono The Movie: The Phantom In The Rain lays the foundations for the two films yet to come. There’s a trail of breadcrumbs leading to more sinister mysteries lurking in the background. The threat may have waned but it certainly hasn’t disappeared. The Medicine Seller still has his job to do.

Whatever be the mononoke in the future, we eagerly await the Medicine Seller’s return in Mononoke Second Chapter: Hinezumi on Mar. 14, 2025.