Why Ashitaka Doesn’t Fight Like a Hero

In Princess Mononoke, Ashitaka is usually seen as the hero, but I don’t think that’s really what he is. This video looks at the conflict between Iron Town and the forest, and where Ashitaka actually fits into it. Instead of taking a side or trying to defeat someone, he mostly moves through the story as a witness. He sees both sides, understands both, but never fully belongs to either. He doesn’t really solve the conflict or win in the traditional sense. He just steps in where he can and tries to keep things from falling apart. So this is basically about why Ashitaka might not be the hero people think he is. MY BOOK: How Ghibli Writes: What Studio Ghibli’s Films Understand About Being Human Written under my pen name, L. C. Alderidge. A deeper look at the emotions, relationships, and ideas that make these films stay with us. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HCH72SM8 MUSIC: Music licensed through Epidemic Sound. Explore the music I use through my referral link: https://share.epidemicsound.com/bppohc 0:00 Ashitaka as a witness 0:58 The curse and exile 2:28 Seeking to see without hate 3:58 A stabilizing presence 4:58 Living between worlds 6:28 Accepting an imperfect reality