I have reviewed a lot of odd shows recently. From Paranoia Agent to Serial Experiments Lain, they each had their own… je ne sais quoi, their own unique flavor. Keeping with that trend is Mononoke, a sort of Horror Anthology reminiscent of Tales From the Crypt or a Stephen King short stories collection. Though where those went for a more classic sort of horror, Mononoke aims more for a permeated dread. Working to bring horror from the actions of man, but basing it on traditional Japanese monsters. Like a sort of mix between Stephen King and Mushishi. Little jump-scare horror, with more slow built environmental and naturalist horror. How’s that for a sentence you thought you would never read, eh? Made by Toei, directed by Kenji Nakamura and spun-off from the final arc of Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror, I believe Mononoke succeeds at just that.
So without further ado, let’s dive in. And make sure to stick around until the end to find out what series will next be featured on Throwback Thursday!