Princess Mononoke

NZ release: 12 September 1997

Violence Rated on: 12 September 1997

Princess Mononoke

What’s it about?

After killing a demon to stop it from destroying his village, the demon curses Prince Ashitaka. Forced to leave behind his old life as a prince, Ashitaka travels west to find a cure. He suddenly finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and humans.

The facts

  • Directed by Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, The Wind Rises)
  • Japanese language or English dub
  • Runtime: 133 minutes
  • Animated film by Studio Ghibli (My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo, Howl’s Moving Castle)

Why did it get this rating?

This film was cross-rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body. You can find out more about cross-rating here.

Violence and mild horror

Characters use weapons such as bow and arrows, guns, grenades, swords, and cannons against each other and animal-like creatures. Battles scenes include dismemberment, decapitation, and bloody injuries - blood is often shown. A large boar is shown decomposing down to its skeleton after being killed. While these scenes sound quite violent, they are dampened by the animation style and are within the context of the struggle between animals, the environment, and humans.

Further information

Recent featured decisions

12 October 2025

Offensive language, Sexualised imagery, Sexual references

Just as Ron celebrates a long-awaited promotion, a humiliating workplace incident crushes his excitement and confidence – propelling him on a mission to uncover who's behind his downfall.

Read more

23 September 2025

Violence

Humanity makes first contact with artificial intelligence when Ares, a highly advanced program, crosses over from the digital realm to undertake a perilous mission in the real world.

Read more