History Anime / Mononoke

** The innkeeper and her assistant from the Zashiki-warashi arc are also dark-skinned; it can be assumed it's meant to be a sign of age in the innkeeper, but her assistant's appearance has no apparent explanation. It doesn't help that the assistant has [[UnfortunateImplications bright]] red lips to go along with it.

* ObnoxiousInLaws: Taken UpToEleven in the Noppera-Bo arc; [[AwfulWeddedLife Her husband treats his wives almost like slaves]], and his family is just as abusive and cruel. You almost don't blame Cho for wanting them gone.

A manga adaptation of the series started around the same time in 2008, covering the "Bakeneko" arc. A separate manga covered the rest of the anime's arcs, ending in 2019.

* PantyShot: A particularly disturbing example in the Bakeneko arc, as Setsuko's underwear are clearly visible while [[spoiler:her boss strangles her.]]

* LongHairedPrettyBoy: The Medicine Man's normal form is the 'shoulder-length hair' type, while his mononoke-slaying alter-ego has [[RapunzelHair much longer hair]].

* MysticalWhiteHair: The Medicine Seller's mononoke-slaying persona, who also has RapunzelHair.

No relations to ''Anime/PrincessMononoke'', the Miyazaki film.

Not to be confused with ''Anime/PrincessMononoke'', the Miyazaki film.

Keep in mind, try not to confuse this show with ''Anime/PrincessMononoke'', the Miyazaki film.

* ShoutOut: The painting on the boat in the Umi-Bozu arc is reminiscent of the 1907 artwork ''The Kiss'' by Klimt. There is also a Matisse ''Blue Dancers'' reference in the Nue arc and a Picasso in Bakeneko.

** Shape would be the appearance the Mononoke takes
** Truth would be the circumstances of its appearance
** Reason would be the motive for the Mononoke.

* ThemeTuneCameo: The radio plays the instrumental mix of the opening theme in Setsuko's room while she's writing in the Bakeneko arc.

Not to be confused with ''Anime/PrincessMononoke'', the Miyazaki film.

** Two of the four suitors in the Nue arc [[spoiler:murdered another suitor and Princess Ruri respsectively]]. Even the one suitor [[spoiler:who got killed at the beginning]] was a deeply unpleasant {{Jerkass}} who looked down on everyone else.

** The innkeeper and her assistant from the Zashiki-warashi arc are also dark-skinned; it can be assumed it's meant to be a sign of age in the innkeeper, but her assistant's appearance has no apparent explanation. It doesn't help that the assistant has [[unfortunateimplications bright red lips]] to go along with it.

** The innkeeper and her assistant from the Zashiki-warashi arc are also dark-skinned; it can be assumed it's meant to be a sign of age in the innkeeper, but her assistant's appearance has no apparent explanation.

* HairDecorations: As was the fashion, women like Kayo, Shino, and Cho all wear decorative combs and hair pins. Chiyo also wears a single red flower in her hair.

%% * GoOutWithASmile: The zashiki-warashi, [[spoiler:since it has finally found the mother it always wanted]].

** The Zashiki-Warashi arc [[spoiler:ends with Shino sympathizing with the spirits of the aborted babies and volunteers to give birth to them, but miscarries her own child in the process. On the other hand, the innkeeper and her assistant get their comeuppance as well]].

** ''Zashiki-Warashi'': While the background characters have hair and clothing, their skin is blank white or black with spinning flower motifs. This is especially unsettling when they are being intimate with normal-looking characters.

** The Umibōzu arc [[spoiler:has Genki accepting his darker feelings, such as his incestuous feelings towards his sister and the fact that he was happy she sacrificed herself in his place. Though his sister is long-dead, he has achieved inner peace as a reward for atoning]].

* GoOutWithASmile: The zashiki-warashi, [[spoiler:since it has finally found the mother it always wanted]].

* InfantImmortality: Downplayed. [[spoiler:Though the Zashiki-warashi is technically a conglomeration of dead children and could be considered not really alive, it does get destroyed. This trope comes into play when one considers how this is shown to the audience: the Medicine Seller's sword stops just short of colliding with one of the children's [[GoOutWithASmile smiling faces]] and then, suddenly, Shino realizes they're not there anymore.]]

* EmotionlessGirl: Played 8realistically in the Noppera-Bo arc with Cho. [[spoiler:She suppressed almost everything about herself to appease her domineering mother and become the ideal wife for her obnoxious husband, even though it hurts her to do so. This erasure of personality caused her to turn into a Mononoke. When the truth is revealed to her, she ''freaks out'']].

* EmotionlessGirl: Played realistically in the Noppera-Bo arc with Cho. [[spoiler:She suppressed almost everything about herself to appease her domineering mother and become the ideal wife for her obnoxious husband, even though it hurts her to do so. This erasure of personality caused her to turn into a Mononoke. When the truth is revealed to her, she ''freaks out'']].

* JerkassRealization: Subtle, but the Last arc's villain, [[spoiler: The Bakeneko, seems to realize how unfair it was to not only lump everyone into being her victims as she watches the whole story through their points of view. It pays off when she not only gives them all a second chance to make right by her, but is allowed to get her revenge on her old boss as she is purified.]]

* MusicalAssassin: The fish-headed Umebozu from the titular arc, who carries a biwa. Though he doesn't harm his targets, his music makes people relive their worst fears.

** The Bakeneko in the last episode, made particularly scary by the fact that the eyes are seemingly sketched-in and ''swirling around her eye sockets''.

* ShipTease: The Medicine Man and Kayo.

* HeelFaceTurn:[[spoiler:In the finale of ''Bakeneko'' on both sides with different levels (though [[GainaxEnding it's a little unclear in motivations and plot; and it can be interpreted in many ways]]) the Bakeneko might have realized that even if the people were not entirely good They weren't ''entirely'' to blame and were really just bystanders who didn't really deserve a punishment (that honor goes to her boss, who directly caused her death; and the Mayor, who is put on trial for his dubious actions) and lets them all go back to reality. On the other side, almost everyone becomes a better person, either helping the testimony, or paying their respects. The mayor is let go because he simply thought the boss was going to convince her not to run the article that would ruin him.]]

* LivingMemory: The mononoke can manifest as this. Justified, as they are spawned from the acts of human cruelty.

* ShipTease: The Medicine Man and Kayo