Unmasking the Nopperabou | Mononoke Theory

[@BraedenPS]

What if the Medicine Man was the Kitsune the whole time, and his goal in the end was to put on the elaborate show in an effort to pacify and purify the Mononoke in Ocho. His goal was to heal, so he played all the parts needed to do so. A true master of Noh theater at work perhaps

[@Casandraelf]

honestly, that was my theory when it came to mulling over this episode, but possibly in a different way: rather than purifying the mononoke in her, he was dragging her away from becoming one in the first place. there was never an actual mononoke to begin with: the noppera-bou was a metaphor for someone without self-identity: they shape themselves into what others desire rather than what they themselves wish to be

[@aquaticlibrary]

It’s the most commonly accepted theory that he’s the kitsune

[@sayanbiswas7364]

what do you mean "what if"? that's literally what she says in the video. (And it's also the most obvious resolution)

[@mywetaresocks_8959]

This anime is way ahead of its time, beautifully executed.

[@outstretchedwings]

I always thought the Medicine Seller created the whole play as an illusion, an illusion to basically force Ochou to come to terms with the fact that she was not only in a loveless marriage, but her mother was emotionally and physically abusive.

[@FalloutJack]

As soon as he had the mask in a bind, it was the Medicine Seller's show, and he did show that Ochou's life was abusive, exploitative, and hopeless. The only thing that's *really* in question is whether or not she killed four people or imagined that too, because at the end...there was nobody there.

[@Nateiliand]

@@FalloutJack My guess is that she never killed anyone, and by the end she had the courage to get away from that abusive house (I like happy endings ok, hahaha).

[@FalloutJack]

@@Nateiliand There's nothing wrong with happy endings, and it does seem as though *some* of the people that live through these things are okay. Some of them... (Definitely not ANY of them in the Nue episode, though. Good god.)

[@outstretchedwings]

I have this theory that the Medicine Seller is some kind of trauma therapist who uses magic on his clients. He just calls himself a medicine seller to avoid being accused of being a sorcerer. Think about it! Ochou was trained at an early age to be a lady. Noh was a popular artform amongst the rich at that time. He might've found it easier to explain it to her in the form of something like a Noh play because it was something that Ochou might've been familiar with.

[@accessBR]

I don't think the masked guy was originally him. Chou is not surprised by the masked guy's appearance and she shows previous knowledge of him, meaning she was acquainted with his presence already. Also, there is the scene shown in this video where both Chou and the masked guy move as in a mirror. As the Medicine Seller explains himself, the masked guy was part of her fantasy just like the murders. It was her creation. The murders vented her anger while the masked guy harbored love towards her, a feeling of self-love she couldn't exercise because of her self-loathe, so she had to cast it into a different character. When the Medicine Seller points out the guy probably loved her, he is making her realize her self-love. The same as before when he kept asking her who was the man she truly loved (trying to make her break out of her fantasy by standing for herself instead of being kept in this continuous life of abandonment and escapism). As for why the masked man looked as the Medicine Seller other self, I believe that's because that was him taking the part of Chou's creation. She had the fantasy of this guy, so the Medicine Seller decided to use this character as a tool by playing it himself during the time he confronted her. So from that point on it was him, but not up to that part, he simply stole the mask to play it.

[@Nateiliand]

Yeah, I prefer this take as well.

[@sayanbiswas7364]

Great take!

[@elcatrinc1996]

imma, imma still draw cute pictures of Ocho and the kitsune masked man, the wedding scene was very cute

[@TheDigitalDreamClub]

Absolutely do this

[@masodemic4509]

Love this video

[@hawahawalol]

it has manga?

[@ifergot]

Yeah, it was confusing, but after thinking about it, that was my conclusion. She lost herself and became a mononoke (while still alive), in the sense that she killed her sense of self. At first, I thought she actually killed herself due to grief and that she was the first wife that committed suicide. I was surprised when he just said "Ochou", but I ignored it cause no one seemed to bring it up. Turns out the whole wedding and fight was a set up by Kusuriuri so that she could find herself again. I like to think that Kusuriuri may have actually fallen in love and wanted to see her free, but decided not to pursue because of his duties or something from his past. Then she ends up leaving and the family doesn't know that she's gone. Cause, NGL, Fox-mask and Ochou are so cute together :'( and I'd hate to see her just die like that.

[@raygardner5721]

@@ifergot I don't think he fell in love with anyone.. I mean, maybe he called her by name, cause he wanted to make the whole play more real to her in order to save her soul and that smile was for saving yet another sad soul from its misery.. like in the bakeneko arc of Ayakashi: samurai horror tales, he is so relieved to finally end Tamaki and the cat's misery (MAN!!! HE LOOKED SO CUTE AT THE END) .. cause she is there for like only 2 episodes.. I don't think the creators would actually make him fall for a minor character without any reason or story behind it. They would actually give more hints about it.. other than the medicine seller, Kayo is the only character to appear multiple times in this show like the ghost ship and the bakeneko arc, also the older bakeneko arc from ASHT.. and like it said, he did so much for her in order to stop the lingering threat cause if possible, he'd like to save everyone from getting killed by a mononoke.. he is not the type to get attached to something so easily.. I feel like what he felt towards her was pity, something that he feels for every victim.. for some reason, Kusuriuri and love doesn't go well together.. I might be wrong.. then again they are all just theories.. and that's the best part you never know the things you want to in this show..

[@ifergot]

@@raygardner5721 Yeah it's just a headcannon/theory. It was too vague to say anything concrete and he could have just said it to make her feel at peace.

[@rai4119]

@@raygardner5721 He could have said anything. But *chose* to say that the fox man was in love with her. And if that man was a part of him, then he was saying a part of him loved her.

[@EddVCR]

That was the most well thought out, best delivered explanation of Mononoke ever. The choice of words you used to explain various things (take for example, describing what a mononoke is - “a cross between a supernatural being and a curse.”) was _spot on_ . As a Japanese person, I usually find these breakdowns fraught with misunderstandings of the culture and its nuances, but you’ve nailed every single point. You enlightened me on the usage of the roles of Shite and Waki that I previously didn’t notice too. I really enjoyed this video, and would really love to see you talk about more episodes from this series! Thank you for creating such a fantastic analysis video!

[@unclejerome8865]

The only thing that left question is, did he fell in love with her? Like you said he could’ve said that as a play. Aghhhhhh 😫

[@emptyricebowl]

TBH.. I kinda hope he did, but he was using the wedding as a trick for her to succumb into his trap

[@raygardner5721]

Do you guys really think that the medicine seller is someone who falls in love that easily?

[@sayhellotopigeon3083]

Temari Nara the masked man he asked bruh

[@raygardner5721]

@@sayhellotopigeon3083 according to this theory the masked man is the medicine seller himself.. so.. and even if that's not true, the masked man was just an illusion so it was a lie to make her keep on living..

[@sayhellotopigeon3083]

Temari Nara so what’s your point?

[@ashleybelot9467]

The girl already killed herself and became a Mononoke. In the end she admitted to it. “The one I killed was… me.” In her rage as a Mononoke she killed the family in her Mononoke form, as shown by the way the masked man gave her the knife. The masked man is a representation of the fake desired reality she’d been escaping to in her mind. It explains why he has so many faces because he is whatever she wants him to be according to her feelings/grip on reality. The more she expressed how she yearned to go back to her “prison,” (her prison representing her true abusive reality) the masked man (desired reality) got further away from her. By killing the family she felt she truly detached from her dark past (“I feel better now”) and was finally free to fully “marry” her desired reality.

[@oldcowbb]

this is my interpretation too

[@ligerzero_4971]

My take on it was that the fox guy asking the girl to marry him was basically just her own subconscious mind wanting her to "marry" the idea of suicide, the fox guy being the temptation to commit to ending her life in the same way you commit yourself to another when you get married.

[@TienNguyen-ky4dx]

more like marry the idea of run free from her cursed life. and in the end she did run away.

[@Juhchanx3]

Look, I know that this is an year old but I just saw the episode (arc?) and I came up with a strange conclusion: I don't think she's dead. From what I got the protagonist's duty is to eliminate a threat, right? So maybe he just exorcised the curse and left Ocho to roam free in another form. A little bird, perhaps? The white piece she was wearing was white, which is a color of grief in some Oriental societies (as far as I know), but it might also signify rebirth. And still there's another thing: Shiromuku (白無垢, lit. "white pure-innocence") is the traditional kimono used by brides in Shinto cerimonies (well, it's still more complex than the last one she uses but... WHAT DOES THIS MEAN??) And I do want to think that he loved her. Whether it is in a romantic form or not, I can't say for sure, but I want to believe that maybe he fell in love with the purity of her heart even as she works in her trauma with murder fantasies. She was not her trauma, and maybe the protagonist knew that. All that care to make her see that her hands were clean of evil and, in the end, she's seen alive and looking for him. Idk man, let my ship sail.

[@TienNguyen-ky4dx]

She's alive. The thing that turned into Mononoke is the hatred she had for her mother (who sold her into a weathy family for her own benefit) and her husband and his family (for physically and metally abused her for a very long time). In the end afterKusuriuri exorcise the Mononoke, she finally got out of her self-abused delusion (the prison we saw in the beginning is actually the kitchen room) and the bird flying away is an implication that she's ran away from her husband house in persuit of her freedom, you know, like a little bird. LOL

[@suktadas9737]

Yeah now it makes sense because in 2 scenes she is absolutely in love or admires the sky very much but it's not at all touched on later so her being spared and turning into a bird free to roam the beautiful sky which brought her happiness in that cage makes perfect sense, omg thank you so much

[@user-ki8xd2wi3x]

Wait I thought Japanese considered white to signify death.

[@petergraywolf6671]

@@user-ki8xd2wi3x isnt death and rebirth the same thing ? You cant have rebirth without death also death is often seen as ,,purgatory" , it cleanses the soul

[@anjanamenon8821]

wow, thank you for writing this up!

[@kouchanya]

well "medicine seller plotted all"...mononoke is not that simple. here's full explanation. (I really recommend you to read Japanese threads and interpretations they have! Also don't forget the connection with the plum tree and masked man & Ocho.) I already wrote under someone else's comment but, here is the most convincing interpretation: ①The mononoke that appears in this story is Noppera-bo (faceless ghost). He IS a devil, so he can make an illusion for Ocho to kill those people who mistreated her. However he cannot save her from the place. ②Noppera-bo takes the form of human (medicine-seller) because the medicine seller let him to do so. (In the episode, Noppera-bo literally says he 'borrowed' the man's body) Remember medicine seller as double personality where another uses his body to buster mononoke. MS himself has a physical body in real world and another one has a meta-physical body- so the meta-physical noppera-bo could use it when it was available (mostly offered as a bait). ③Ocho could be alive or dead. THE WHOLE FAMILY COULD BE ALIVE OR DEAD. it is implicated when MS said "there's no one..." in the house or kitchen? There could be no one in the house. We did not see the physical bodies of them, only shadows and heard voices. Either way, ocho's emotions and sufferings lingered in the place while the devil took an advantage of it. This is why the medicine seller came to release her from Mononoke, and save her soul(in case she is dead). If ocho was alive, she run away from the house-maybe fall in love with a right one. In the last shot there was a town, flying bird and sky so we can interpret in anyway we want. ④Noppera-bo is probably the spirit of a plum tree. This is a new implication, but Ocho's family name is "Umezawa" (her mother said it loud) and Ume is plum in Japanese. If you look it carefully, there is a plum tree in the household she grew up. She also got married to this masked man on the plum tree. Most likely the devil is a spirit that had something to do with the plum tree and watched over her since her childhood and then fell in love with her. that explains why he overreacted when MS was to expose her past- it was not because masked man was ocho herself. Masked man knew her suffering way much) ⑤The devil is devil. Even if he loves her, all he can do is to let her experience mass murders upon people and feel refreshed. After all, they have to do it all over again. In this way, the masked man can live in her. That's why he kept it in the way. ⑥However because medicine seller came and talked to her she started changing her mind, eventually noticing that there is no end in her suffering. Therefore, this masked man decided to add more meaning to their journey; which is one of her desires; to marry a guy she loves. (and what he really wants, too. his joy when she accepted his confession was real) ⑦Even after the marriage, they MUST go back to the place. That's how it is. Ocho faced her fear and overcame her past before that. The devil, Noppera-bo was erased by medicine seller along with the dark side of Ocho. Right before that they agreed on one thing-masked man did love her. she felt saved, even though for MS "it ain't right". so she thanked him anyway, telling him "thank you, I am OK now" that means she can either live on her own, without being trapped (caged) in the past or she can GO (if she is already dead). SO as a conclusion, Medicine seller and Mononoke are different individuals. Mononoke is a combination of the devil + Ocho. But Mononoke takes the form of medicine seller. That's why its confusing.

[@cussiekanga]

lovemyself where could I find the Japanese threads on this?? I’m very interested to read more

[@mishimayuki]

Omg! Thank you so much. Your explanation is such a relief.

[@kouchanya]

@@mishimayuki yes def he loved her as a person, and ocho and medicine seller knew- when he confessed she thanked masked man, telling him "thank you, I am ok now"with tears ;(. medicine seller didint like the idea but she actually felt "saved(released)" by him so what can we say...

[@kouchanya]

@@cussiekanga this is late but lets say this site has almost all the (possible) answers to the mystery of this episode shinoshinobi.blog.shinobi.jp/Entry/177/

[@masodemic4509]

Wait ... Houko Kuwashima isn't dead ...

[@Casandraelf]

i always thought the fox-faced figure was somehow the medicine seller himself. i've had this story rolling around in my head for a while and i have a few theories about ochou's ultimate situation: one: she really has killed her family and every bit of pain she experienced turned her into a mononoke or attracted one to her two: the prison is a metaphor for being trapped, with the looming execution being a metaphor for something irreversible that will trap her with her abusers(marriage comes to mind) or that her time is running out(perhaps she's getting to an age where she would be considered to be too old to be desirable) and the trauma of abuse combined with the knowledge that her time is limited by something is driving her crazy, and she ended up becoming a mononoke due to not having a proper outlet, with fantasizing about killing her abusive family-to-be being her only escape or three: what we see is medicine seller reaching out to the *real* ochou, who's trapped inside of ochou the person because, as a person, she has buried her true self to be what others(her mother and the family she was married into) want her to be and the execution is a metaphor for the real ochou being in danger of being forgotten completely, with killing her family being either a fantasy or symbolic of severing ties with them regardless of the situation and regardless of whether there truly is a noppera-bou in the context of there being a mononoke, it is NOT the medicine seller, but ochou herself. loss of self-identity is a symptom of long-term abuse, especially child abuse. when you have a controlling caretaker, one of two things can happen: you either lash out and rebel first chance you get...or you destroy your sense of self and give in. ochou gave in. she threw away her autonomy as she had been taught that she had no choice. she assumed the identity someone else gave her. similarly, the noppera-bou, as a youkai, will take the faces of others while having none of its own.

[@flowerpixel]

I've been looking for this kind of analysis of mononoke everywhere!! Would love to see more episodes (aware this video is very old)

[@sl33tpaws62]

Finally, someone giving this series love!

[@user-wi3qi8rf3p]

honestly, I think the medicine seller looks similiar to a kitsune demon, since his face has patterns similiar to sum of the kitsune masks

[@deab1253]

There are theories that speculate he might be a kitsune because they have the ability to shapeshift which might explain his human form.

[@Casandraelf]

he could be a kitsune, but if he is...where the fuck are his tails?

[@bumblingbureaucrat6110]

@@Casandraelf Shapeshifting

[@nseven1117]

I mean the intro does have kitsunes all over in when the title is shown along side the medicine man

[@michaelleader633]

I'm not sure if everyone noticed it, but the tie in with the arch before this one told me I was walking into a well thought out and thought-provoking sequence of events. When the woman asks the merchant what's in the trunk and he provides an evasive tirade about how to cook fish had me grinning. XD

[@PhsykoOmen]

I thought it was pretty evident in the episode, it was her and the medicine seller set a stage for her to perform on without knowing until he made her conscious of it.

[@edi9892]

Actually, there was a second yokai: the protagonist. He´s definitely not human.

[@kcb_baebae5885]

edi If you mean the kusuriuri/the medicine seller, he talks about his limited ability even though he wields a demon slaying sword because he’s a human in ‘Ayakashi : Samurai Horror Tales’ (another series of which Mononoke is a spinoff) in the ‘Bakenko’ arc. It could be that he’s talking of his human form which cannot bring the sword to slay until its conditions are met but his real form is the gold marked slayer. It could also be that he temporarily changes form and is completely human or that he’s possessed by some kind of Ayakashi himself to do this job, even then he’s human.

[@edi9892]

@@kcb_baebae5885 From what I remember his activities most have gone on for 200 years. That alone is evidence enough for me, but there's also his ears, his ability to perform magic such as telekinesis.

[@raygardner5721]

No, he admits that he is a human.. I think in one of the 2 bakeneko arcs (ayakashi and mononoke) .. so, he is a human but not an ordinary one..

[@raygardner5721]

@Carly Fournier I don't think that he is a half demon.. cause he says that he is a human and in the 2nd arc, he tells Kayo himself that ayakashi or mononoke simply shouldn't exist.. so, he who follows that rule, can't be a demon himself.. I believe he is an onmyouji.. cause that's the closest thing I could come up with.. and he also appears in the game called Onmyouji for a limited time.. but yeah, his appearance does make me think otherwise.. he maybe a supernatural being but not a half demon.. I don't think our theories are gonna help... The creators created him in a way that he can't be figured out... Like 15 episodes, and all we know is that he is "just a medicine seller".. but his mystery makes the show more enjoyable.

[@edi9892]

@@raygardner5721 You know that Hitlers father was of Jewish descent? That didn't stop him... In fact, he hated his father. It would make sense that this merchant is half a yokai. I think that I said it before, he not just looks different, has supernatural abilities and outlived any human of his Era.

[@applepi8387]

He is very handsome especially his other form

[@fireflymiesumae]

Today I watched the Final episode of Mononoke and this episode in question has always left me with lingering questions.

[@TheVarona]

Where did you watch the series, can you tell us please?

[@fireflymiesumae]

MonteCristo Sadhe it's on KZbin

[@ruth540]

Subbed because Mononoke is a beaut & not many people talk about it

[@LittleGameDev]

Personally I thought she killed herself and the reference to the husbands first wife was actually her. A manonoke is a spirit/curse, if that is the case then to become a manonoke one must be dead or cursed. 🤔 (btw i have only watched up to ep 7 as of now im still binging the series)

[@kouchanya]

yes i agree with you, and again anime stuff intentionally blurs the line so we can implicate in many ways. The first wife was not mentioned without a purpose, def could be Ocho. then this explains why she still lingers there as a spirit (curse) and mononoke (nopoerabo) takes advantage of the situation

[@Casandraelf]

yeah, i thought for quite some time that she was the spirit of someone who took her own life and, because of her trauma, she became a mononoke

I just found out Mononoke from RetroAnime because I haven't known anime back then in 2007 and now it's hard to find the files. :(

[@watamesshepherdjesuschrist6792]

Someone uploaded the full episodes here in KZbin.

[@Keniz99]

It was available in kissanime, well before it got shut down

[@luna2276]

Yeah that show is very unusual as in plots and the art. My mind feels unease after each episode. Each episode has its own pace and doesn't really fit into any stereotypes.

[@sleeplesssongbird7625]

Still one of my favorite shows to this day.

[@zq5127]

Omg I’ve seen this arc so many times and never realized a mononoke was never killed

[@kellygoodman6167]

Mononoke is one of my most favorite anime

[@houstonwehaveagamermoment]

Thanks for making an analysis video on Mononoke i really dont see it being discussed at all despite it being a series thats basically begging to be examined lol. I just finished watching the Nopperabou arc and your analysis really helped me better understand my own conclusions of the arc. When the Medicine Seller kept asking her "who did you kill" I even yelled out sarcastically "YOURSELF!!" lol turns out I was spot on. Also the fact you went to the UofM and learned about this topic there is so crazy because I'm planning on going there soon!! Just thought it was a neat coincidence hope you make more Mononoke videos in the future.

[@annawan2518]

One of the most amazing and beautifully put together Anime and thankyou for a great indepth analysis of the show.😊💖💖💖👍🙏

[@Thanathos1991]

This was VERY fascinating! I read a lot on japanese history and mythology but I had trouble with this arc becaus I didn't know anything about Noh Plays other than that they exist! So thank you very much for this explanation!

[@samiharaka788]

Beautifully described! I've watched some of the episodes and absolutely loved it.

[@prettyspectrum6371]

I knew these series was good when they managed to make me cry in the second episode

[@silksong7277]

Thank this theory has finally given me some closure. It has been a long time since I watched this amazing thought provoking show, but I remember this arch leaving me a little confused about that masked character. Specifically what he was actually and why he looked similar to the the medicine man alternate form. This theory makes a lot of sense. Makes me want to go back and give this show a rewatch.

[@cakeboss16]

This video was excellent and made me understand the show a little more.

[@derekkrumel1407]

I thought you said 'the medicine seller. non weeds.' had to wind it back lol love this show it's wildly good

[@marimurdock7766]

Nice cultural explication of the episode. Great job.

[@maymay5600]

i'm convinced he loves kabuki and maybe use to be in kabuki plays when he was younger? also another thing i might add, watching that arc i kinda suspected it was him because the only dead giveaway was the pipe he was smoking, that's just my theory

[@Loafteabun3]

I love hearing 7:41 mononoke opening💓💓

[@helloizuya]

An interesting dive into the context of this episode,thank you!

[@losjuegosdelprofe8900]

Thank u so much, great video!

[@romanzadgk]

omg I remember this episode and literally understanding nothing!! thank you for this!!!

[@a.m.4479]

Wow!!! Amazing video!!!

[@Ronnibearable]

I agreed with everything you said until you said she had only been *imagining* killing them. I think she actually did. Otherwise how would the Mononoke have manifested at all? Wishing, imagining, hoping and praying for someone to die isn't enough, otherwise Mononoke would inhabit the world more heavily than mankind. I also think the conceptual identity of this particular mononoke is a "No-face". Yes like the character from Spirited away. other instances in Animation include "Koh the face stealer" from Avatar the Last Airbender, and "The Zero tails" From the Naruto movie "Bonds". No face are a type of hungry ghost, or in Buddhist etymology "Preta". They are generally understood to be malicious spirits with bad karma that suffer insatiable hunger that drives them insane because they cannot affect the terrestrial plane, unless they acquire a human host, usually through some sort of vice (smoking, drinking, drugs, sexual misconduct) The more they are able to impact the host (fuck up a human being's karma) the more powerful they become. While I agree that the medicine seller played the role of the "no-face" to illustrate to Ochou, her innocence. I think the reason he even resorted to it, was because Ochou snapped, and was on the verge of losing her identity, and in-effect, becoming a no-face. The dark rings under her eyes and her listless responses underscored the psychology of a person who no longer could discern reality from fiction, nor did she care to. At this point, maintaning a form that resembled a human being was not going to last much longer. In presenting himself as a man who loved her, albeit a masked one, he was trying to draw on her desire to be loved, which she always wanted, to bring her back around. Once the medicine seller finally got her to comprehend her actions, he asked her "Ochou, who did you kill?" anticipating her response to be "myself" but instead she says "EVERYONE!" in horror, being flooded by the emotions that returned as a result of remembering her humanity. She felt terrible. In the end, the medicine seller opted to wear the noh masks to help communicate the lack of identity, but ALSO to hide his true form and essence behind what was ultimately a seductive ploy to get her out of the hellish loop of replaying what happened, that made her start to slip into the insanity of a hungry ghost. He also didn't want her to fall in love with his true face, because those needy spirits tend to cling, which was why he only stood behind her when the mask was off. (in his human form he was less concerned because he is generally perceived as strange-looking, and kinda creepy) In the end, Ochou has a choice. That choice is to cease to exist,which effectively would stop the loop replaying, or continue to play the loop for an eternity, clinging to her sanity as this version of events would constantly remind her why she is a bad person. In the end, she chose to cease existing altogether. You could glean, that cessation of existence, put her back in rotation on the wheel of Samsara to be reborn/reincarnated- or if her karma was a little worse off, maybe reborn as an animal. However, she wasn't evil, so the medicine seller saved her from becoming a demonic spirit driven insane by insatiable hunger, like the Hannya mask implied. Mononoke is so complicated, but I love it.

[@Casandraelf]

my theory is connected to a statement the medicine seller keeps going back to when he's focusing on snapping her out of it: who did you really kill? ochou either killed herself and became a mononoke without a personal identity(being metaphorically faceless), she just killed herself due to being beaten down over and over by abuse...or the prison is metaphorical, a representation of her hellish life: shitty marriage, slave to her family, always felt unwanted and she's either in danger of becoming a mononoke or she'd become a mononoke by the time medicine seller found her. one of the lingering effects of prolonged abuse is the loss of self-identity, something particularly seen in child abuse survivors. we see ochou was abused as a child, so she could have 'died' at a young age, having learned that nothing she does can satisfy her mother...not unless she ceases to be 'herself' and becomes exactly what her mother wants.

[@Ronnibearable]

@@Casandraelf Yes. Yes. Yes I agree totally. I have slightly differing opinions, than when I last posted, but Mononoke is incredibly complicated, for many reasons dealing in Japanese folklore, Japanese culture and traditions, and also, the Yokai/Mononoke are all very mysterious; and their intentions, underscorred even by Kusuriuri, are varied based on personal truth and regret. I agree with it being obvious that her mother was her greatest psychological abuser. And, also, yes, it is not obvious when Kusuriuri shows up, whether she is human or Mononoke, which is exactly why he probably showed up. I think Kusuriuri, is the ONLY one who truly knows the full depth and scope of every case in the short OVA that we got. There's so much to unpack. Every time I go back and watch I discover a little more, but it's VERY complicated, to say the least. However, I DO think she did actually murder those people. Problem is, she took out her standing hatred and indignation with her mother on her new family. Her MOTHER begged Ochou's husband to take her in, and that, (after watching it again) was a detail that made me creeped out more than before. Taking Japanese mannerisms into account, family station, age, Time period and so on. It is VERY strange and a little alarming how the mother seemed to literally micromanage every detail of her daughter's life, from birth, with the final intention of marrying her off, but NOT for station or wealth. It was like she simply needed to be rid of her, where Ochou seemed almost...like... groomed to be submissive, borderline obsequious and co-dependent?? It's alarming. It does look like child abuse... but what kind, is subtly beat around the bush about...which is also very Japanese. Thinking about it started sending slugs crawling over my brain. It is also possibly why the "truth" and "regret" ended with the lives of those people she killed. Since she never ONCE talked about her mother or what her mother meant or did to her, to Kusuriuri. There was an objective frame for reference, but from what we were shown, her mother didn't seem that bad, other than the implication of the Hannya mask. Ochou harbored resentment for her over the course of her entire life- to the point she is shown on several occasions walking away from herself when she has had enough. (Personally I have experienced this, its very strange, but it happens, when you cannot reconcile who you are with who you want to be. BUT it is reprehensible, because she never once defends herself. Eventually, Ochou ran out of soul, so to speak. You can only say "I give up!" on your own words, actions, deeds, thoughts, and existence, truly, to the point of hating one's own self, so much. Then only a hollow shell is left, right? The mother is represented wearing the Hannya mask, and it only really implies, overall, a great evil. It's a bit vague though...right about now, I think you may be thinking what I'm thinking? And keep it in scope, too, right? Kusuriuri only shows up for egregiously CURSED cases. It's never something run of the mill, even though, these Mononoke all have specific names- which is fucking mind-blowing. It literally means in all the history of our fucked up world, deepening depravity is never an original thought. Hellla creepy, right? I think her mom was the true villain, even though Ochou caught the bodies. She also, likely died in imprisonment, since, let's be honest, she never had the strength to kill herself. That would've been the simple answer to her release all along.

[@Casandraelf]

@@Ronnibearable I actually came up with a couple of theories based on what happened, and her actually killing them is one possible idea I entertain.

[@aishakemper]

"Was that one NOH good?" sent me 😂🤣

[@sh00t1ng-st4r]

this is such a good analysis! ty!

[@randombystander1112]

mononoke was so freaking trippy

[@Emy-fv5ny]

But what happen with the girl at the end? Did he kill her or she ran away from her horrible life?

[@raygardner5721]

she escapes

[@Splexsychiick]

@@raygardner5721 but how did she escape? Did she just walk out of the house and run away. Or did she kill herself....Did she get the idea to kill herself because the woman talking to the husband mention the previous wife..... Or was she always dead....Was she the wife that killed herself? and this was a way for the medicine man to help her soul rest. I mean if her being in prison was an illusion then maybe her getting sake was just an illusion of her former life.

[@AwesomeEmpress]

@@Splexsychiick She does to escape. In the last minutes of the episode, while the dialogue is playing and she's picking up the pieces of the broken bottle, the door that leads outside is closed. After she looks at the sky and smiles, there's an image of a bird on a branch that flies away, symbolizing her escape. Afterwards, we see the medicine man sitting at the entrance, and the front door is open. He exorcised her curse so she wouldn't be thinking about killing either herself or anyone else, which gave her the strength to finally run away. Remember that quote he kept repeating while she was in the fake prison cell? He showed her that even though living in that abusive household felt like a prison, it really wasn't and she had the freedom to get away. Long live Ochou-san!

[@petergraywolf5765]

@@Splexsychiick as i see it , it is similar to previous arc with the Monk and his sister... he was split into two. Medicine seller told him, that will kill his soul and old feelings which caused the split, will return. Does he still wish to continue ? He did. Then mononoke was killed. THen the monk came back, alot younger, after regaining lost feelings. (as i understood it , to ,,kill his soul" ment more something like ,,to kill his current self" as if time traveling into the moment where he changed --undoing that change, and returning to original point, original self) so in the act with this woman, the medicine seller said that it was love that could never be -- propably because he is human, and the girl was just a mononoke. Similarly to previous arc, thru surpressing her own feelings, split happened. She had mononoke inside. Since she never truly killed herself, she isnt a ghost. More like separated into two -- true self, and mask (mononoke,something not truly alive) Medicine seller told her about prison... this mask was her prison. When she asked about ,,masked man" (who resembles medicine man) , why did he came to save her. He said he didnt. This would fit the narrative, that medicine mask didnt came to save ,,the mask of the girl - the unliving mononoke". No he didnt came to save her, he came to kill her. But since the girl never truly killed herself, after the mask dies (mononoke being the mask of the girl, fake self) only the girl and her true self (her body with soul in it, no masks) remains. So the fake girl didnt survived, the real one did. I think my analogy is correct, alltho i could be wrong.

[@astrosmurfgirl]

Excellent deconstruction , thank you for a very I formative video, sounds like you have been lucky to have the benefit learning from of some amazing academics. I am grateful people like you share their knowledge freely on KZbin. 🤗

[@superkroger]

Omg I loved this anime

[@havingicecream]

Wait I'm pretty sure he does kill her at the end?? You can only see it in the change of hand position and stop of sound I think

[@oldcowbb]

she killed herself, the masked man is made up by her to cope with reality

[@blubliss5336]

The faceless monster was hot when he took the mask off

[@annaapreleva]

The most beautiful anime I have ever watched. Could you recommend me something similar, please?

[@ChangLU22]

Mushishi

[@elronman]

Wow. Very good.

[@AlottaBoulchit]

Mononoke is heckin 🐐

[@_be4ne_]

13 episodes? i know only of 12... Is there really 13??

[@MariaOmbrage]

I don't know if I'm the only one who always thought that the girl was Kusuriuri HAHAHA, and that he was all three people at the same time. (Ignore this comment, I watched that anime while I had a fever and was sick)

[@elenap15227]

Subscribed!

[@Phlegethon]

This is some trippy shit

[@SniprsCntSnipeMe]

Nice video! Is there 13 episodes as you said, or 12? Dat fomo kicking in

[@leviacronym6770]

At 6:38, your video plays a sad song. I've heard this beautiful song before, years ago, but for the life of me, I can't remember what it was called.

[@TheDigitalDreamClub]

The song is part of the Mononoke OST, it's called "Samishige"

[@leviacronym6770]

@@TheDigitalDreamClub Omg thank you so much! Back on my IMVU days, I had that song on my account. It was, and still is, so hauntingly beautiful. Thanks again. ♡♡♡

[@TienNguyen-ky4dx]

Does anyone here watch Mr.Robot? I found this arc very similar to that arc when Eliot got locked in prison in season 2. Ochou = Eliot, Nopperabou = Mr.robot.

[@navyactor]

i enjoyed the noh puns

[@oldcowbb]

wait, i though ocho literally killed herself, not just metaphorically, the husband keep asking for sake but she never respond

[@alexisaguirre5526]

does he came back in time and she left,

[@keiford73]

i'm so confused

[@Sliferslacker21]

Same. I'm only here cuz I saw a clip of Mononoke and wanted answers. Now I just have even more questions that might have to be answered by just watching it.

[@theresashoeinmyrock1990]

@@Sliferslacker21 SAME

[@ShortButFun]

The jokes 🤣 idk if i should cringe or laugh

[@seth9577]

What 13 episode? I only found 12 episodes!

[@localweeb8244]

Bgm?

[@Thedarkglave360]

So he was billy hatcher and polpo stacked on top of eachother all along, also first

[@wildtk123]

What is he?

[@thanatos2288]

There was no masked guy. It was all her imagination/delusions. She suffered from mental disorders (schizophrenia) since her childhood which were caused by excessive demands of her mother. As she was trapped in that unhappy marriage her alter ego made up the whole story (killing her in laws, meeting the masked man, being in prison for crime etc). Kusuriuri already revealed to her that the mask was actually her own image, and helped her to free herself from the cage she was trapped in, or rather trapped herself in.

[@zeroj2999]

I got that joke :)))

[@TuTran-le6gt]

it is simply the masked man stealing another form of medicine seller not really, actually, medicine can control the Mononoke under that mask. It people the play controlled by a medicine seller, the masked guy and the medicine seller are 2 different people. Anyway ,episode is not clear

[@reimatsuno5328]

Yea its a cool theory and all, but its kinda stretching a bit far for my taste.... Like theres a lot of things that just dont quite add up. First of all, the medicine seller and his other form cant exist at the same time. When ya boy whips out his epic sword, the og form disappears and the shiny gold dude manifests. Also I really dont think that the medicine seller has the power and/or knowledge to be manipulating the situation to such an extent. We arent really sure what hes capable of, but him being able to do all that seems kinda OP. And in every other arc, all the mononoke have manifested or are currently manifesting themselves into the "mortal" world. If Ocho didnt actually kill anyone, this would be the only arc to have the medicine seller prematurely killing a mononoke before it fucks shit up. I might be a dumbass, but when I watched the arc, I didn't get the vibe that the medicine seller was pullin all the strings. Like his reactions to the masked dude and to Ocho seemed actually sincere. But, I get it, theyre both brown elves, so they gotta b the same right?! WRONG ( at least in my opinion) Heres what I think is happening :) So obviously the masked man and the medicine man are different people that just HAPPEN to have similar features. Ocho for surely killed ALL the fools. And she prolly died afterwards. We know that the mononoke is Ocho's soul that she lost a long time ago. After, she continues to experience abuse, and feels imprisoned by her powerlessness. Ocho's soul represents her lost hopes and desires and manifests itself into a mononoke. The mononoke then decides to ...haunt?.... (not really sure how to put it) Ocho. Since the mononoke was once Ocho's soul, it knows how to manipulate her, so it creates the masked man. Masked man also embodies Ocho's lost hopes and desires, as he represented an un-obtainable dream of Ocho's. Ocho is so tortured and desperate that once she is "saved" by the masked man, she falls in love with him. So. Basically. Ocho fell in love with her own OC. Not only did the mononoke plant the seed of cold hard killing, it was also the one who triggered Ocho to go ham on all those people. Ocho was 100% experiencing real abuse and trauma, butttt I think the mononoke just really wanted her to fuck shit up as fast as possible. The mononoke berated her with the same made up scenario over and over again (which is also the scene that we see. over. and over again.) until she snapped and just murdered so many fools. At the end, when the medicine seller is in the room and says that there is no one there, he might be referring to the other people in the house. You know, ...the ones we never see...and only hear. In conclusion, the mononoke was the one orchestrating everything, not the medicine seller. It dont explain everything, but it makes the most sense to me

[@jamiladai76]

I wanted to listen but you sounded kind of snobbish. So I'm sure your theory was cool but you really put me off.