Studio Ghibli movies are pretty classic, especially the 1997 blockbuster “Princess Mononoke.” The animated movie is an epic story complete with demon curses, battles, and deicide. With an engrossing soundtrack composed by Joe Hisashi, the film was the largest grossing Japanese movie the year of its release. It was dubbed into several languages and experienced popularity abroad. In short, you need to see it if, for some reason, you haven't already. The movie holds up to this day despite its age.

Having grown up with brothers significantly older than myself, I'm keenly aware of how a movie can affect someone's life. At a young age, my brothers both experienced the original Star Wars phenomenon in theaters. It certainly made an impression. My house was full of memorabilia, and I remember several Saturday night movie marathons growing up.

Well, it seems manga artist Michiko Otsuka (@mt_mitty) is also familiar with this situation. Her older brother had a similar life-changing movie experience. She recalls the extent of her brother’s obsession and how it affected his youth.

Reproduced with permission from Michiko Otsuka (@mt_mitty)

Reproduced with permission from Michiko Otsuka (@mt_mitty)

Reproduced with permission from Michiko Otsuka (@mt_mitty)

Reproduced with permission from Michiko Otsuka (@mt_mitty)

Reading this manga, it's easy to remember that fan is short for "fanatic." One could only assume he's seen the flick hundreds of times.

Otsuka’s fans understood:

  • “It’s amazing how well he controls himself. Even though he’s obsessed, he is still responsible.”
  • “I wonder what happened to those two other tickets.”
  • “He really gets deeply into things.”

You can read more manga by Michiko Otsuka on her Twitter page. She also has books for sale on Amazon. Check them out!


By - Luke Mahoney.