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An apparatus for advancing articles along a path of travel and for selectively positioning the articles at various positions along the path comprises a vertical guideway for guiding a stack of articles and a set of claws disposed around the guideway releasably engage with the articles to successively position them in an initial starting position. A collapsible linkage extends into engagement with the article while in the initial position and the linkage collapses to effect advancement of the article to a working position. The linkage is alternately extended and collapsed by a reciprocatory motor. During the advancement of each article from the initial position to the working position, the article engages with the preceding article and pushes same to another position along the path of travel. A lifting device successively lifts the articles from the other position and raises them along another vertical guideway. A set of pawls disposed around this guideway releasably engage with the lifted articles to hold them in a final terminal position.
Claims available in
Description (OCR text may contain errors)
United States Patent 11 1 Yamashita July 22, 1975 [75] Inventor: Kameshiro Yamashita, Tokyo,
Japan [73] Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Seikosha, Japan [22] Filed: Mar. 21, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 343,499
[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 21, 1972 Japan 47-27447 [52] U.S. Cl 515/59 R; 53/252; 214/1 BB; 254/122 [51] Int. Cl B651) 57/20 [58] Field of Search 53/59 R, 252, 251, 250, 53/249; 254/122; 74/521; 214/1 BB, 1 BT [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,834,165 5/1959 Bonebrake 53/252 X 2,896,384 7/1959 Carlsen et a1. 53/250 X 3,077,950 2/1963 Brown 53/390 X 3,165,869 l/l965 Cox 53/252 X 3,259,369 7/1966 Gridley 254/122 3,343,335 9/1967 Pearson 53/252 X 3,370,845 2/1968 Newcomb... 214/1 BT 3,421,283 I/l969 Schieser 53/250 X 6/1970 Ferguson 74/521 X 5/1973 Kramer et a1. 53/59 R Primary Examiner-J. M. Meister Attorney, Agent, or FirmRobert E. Burns; Emmanuel J. Lobato; Bruce L. Adams [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for advancing articles along a path of travel and for selectively positioning the articles at various positions along the path comprises a vertical guideway for guiding a stack of articles and a set of claws disposed around the guideway releasably engage with the articles to successively position them in an initial starting position. A collapsible linkage extends into engagement with the article while in the initial position and the linkage collapses to effect advancement of the article to a working position. The linkage is alternately extended and collapsed by a reciprocatory motor. During the advancement of each article from the initial position to the working position, the article engages with the preceding article and pushes same to another position along the path of travel. A lifting device successively lifts the articles from the other position and raises them along another vertical guideway. A set of pawls disposed around this guideway releasably engage with the lifted articles to hold them in a final terminal position.
4Claims, 8 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR ADVANCING AND POSITIONING ARTICLES 7 The present invention relates generally to'an appartus for advancingand positioning articles along a path of travel and more particularly,relates to such an apparatus especially suitable for successively advancing boxes into a working position wherein the boxes may be charged with products manufactured .byautomated equipment. l
Conventionally, the products manufactured with press machines, automatic lathes zor other automated equipement are usually received in-boxes and then manually removed from the boxes at,a. later time. Even in the case of an automatic discharge system, such a system usually employs a plurality 'of sectoral boxes arranged on a turn table so that the :sectoral boxes are charged with products while the turn table rotates. Such a system is disadvantageous whenthe products are very numerous or so large that the'turntable must be unusually heavy since special fast-acting or heavyduty drive systems must be used- Moreover, such systems are disadvantageous because .they occupy too much working area.
It is therefore a primary feature of the present invention to provide a products discharging apparatus comprising vertical positioning means for supporting a plurality of boxes in a supporting position and for lowering the boxes on-by-one to an initial starting position, and a transverse positioning means for transversely advancing the boxes in a one-by-one manner'from the initial position to a working position wherein the hoses are charged with products.
A primary object of the present invention is to eliminate the disadvantages mentioned above by providing an apparatus for automatically advancing and positioning a great number of products having a larger dimension by weight than has been practicable with the prior art apparatuses. I
The above objects" as well as other objects and characteristic features of the present invention will become apparent upon a reading of the-following description and claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. in which: r 1
FIG. 1 is an elevational side view, partly in section, of one embodiment of the apparatus of-'t'he"present invention;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with some parts removed for clarity;
FIG. 3 is a right side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 4(a), 4(band 4(a) areexplanatory views showing the operation of the claws of the vertical positioning means A;
FIG. is an explanatory view showing the operation of the claws of the retaining means'D; and
FIG. 6 is a wiring schematic of an electric circuit for controlling the operation of the apparatus of the present invention. t
Now one embodiment of the-present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. A frame assembly 2 is supported on'a basetabl'e 8 and forms a guideway system for guiding a series- 0f "receiving boxes 1 along the frame assembly 2 to 'aplu'rality of different positions. As seen in FIG. 1, the boxes 1 are initially 'pos'itioned in the righthand guidewayan'd fall by gravity to an initial position 2a. Each receiving box 1 has a flange 4 extending around its upper periphery and the flanges cooperate with a set of pawl means 3,25 to effect vertical positioning of the boxes in both the righthand and lefthand guideways.
Vertical positioning means A is provided along the righthand guideway to vertically lower the boxes 1 in succession to initial position 2a. The vertical positoining means A comprises brackets 5, 5a mounted on the frame assembly and rods 6, 6a rotatably supported by the brackets 5, 5a. A pair of claws 3, 3 are affixed to each of the rods 6, 6a and each claw 3 is provided with an upper engaging pawl 3a and a lower engaging pawl 31). Links 7, 7a are connected to the rods 6, 6a from the brackets 5, 5a and the links are respectively pivotally connected through levers 12, 12a to driving rod 11. A reciprocatory fluid motor is connected to the rod 11 to drive same and the motor comprises an air cylinder 9 mounted on the base table 8 and a ram 10 slidably mounted in the cylinder and connected at one end to the driving rod 11.
When the air cylinder 9 is operated to move the ram 10 upwards, the rods 6, 6a are angularly displaced due to'the coaction of the driving rods 11, levers 12, 12a and links 7, 7a to swing or pivot the claws 3 upwardly as shown by the arrow in FIG. 4(a). Then the upper engaging pawls 3a disengage from the flange 4a of the receiving box 1a whereupon the box falls down a short distance by its own weight and the falling of the box is interrupted when the lower engaging pawls 3b engage the flange 4a as shown in FIG. 4(b). When the ram 10 retracts into the cylinder 9, the claws 3 swing downwardly so that the engaging pawls 3b disengage from the flange 4a. The receiving box la is no longer supported by the'vertical positioning means A and falls down into position 2b and the flange 4b of the receiving box 1b above the box 1a falls into engagement with the upper engaging pawls 3a. Therefore, the next successive receiving box lb becomes supported by the vertical positioning means A as shown in FIG. 4(c).
A transverse positioning means B coacts with the boxes which are moved into position 2b and effects successive movement of the boxes along a horizontal guideway. The transverse positioning means B comprises a collapsible and extendable linkage, shown as lazy-tongs 13 mounted on the base table 8. The left end portion of the linkage 13 is fixed, while the right end portion of the linkage has pins 14, 14 which are engageable with the right side of each receiving box 1. The
linkage 13 is actuated by a reciprocatory fluid motor comprising a ram 16 of an air cylinder 15. A rod 17 interconnects the ram 16 and the linkage 13 to extend and retract the linkage in response to operation of the air cylinder 15.
In this manner, when the air cylinder 15 is operated to advance the ram 16 to the left, the linkage 13 engages the box 1 by means of the pins 14, 14 and the linkage contracts to the position 13 to move the pins to positions 14', 14 as shown by chain lines in FIG. 2. Accordingly, the receiving box 1 is transferred to a products feeding position 2c. When the ram 16 retracts into the cylinder the linkage 13 is restored to its original position.
At the time of the return motion of the linkage, there is no receiving box 1 in the position 2b and the next receiving box is still retained in the position 2a. The pins 14, 14 can therefore return to their original positions, without interruption. After pins 14, 14 return to their original positions, the cylinder 9 is again operated to advance the receiving box 1 in the position 2a down to the position 2b in the same manner described above.
A lid 18 is mounted above the products feeding position 2c and the open end of a feed pipe 19 for feeding products from a press machine (not shown in the drawings) is fitted into a hole in the lid 18. The receiving box which is in the position 20 is then charged with products through the feed pipe 19.
When the receiving box 1 has been filled with products, the cylinder 15 is operated to contract the linkage 13. As a result the receivng box in the position 2b and thereby the receiving box in the products feeding position 20 are transferred one space to the left, and the receiving box filled with products reaches the discharge position 2d at the base of the lefthand guideway.
The charged receiving box transferred to the discharge position 2d is then lifted by elevating means C which comprises a lift 22 connected to a ram 21 of a cylinder 20. The receiving box 1 filled with products is automatically placed on the lift 22 when the box is moved to position 2d. When the cylinder 20 is operated to extend the ram 21, the lift 22 rises with the receiving box supported thereon.
The receiving box 1 is lifted to a position 22 and is temporarily retained in the position by a retaining means D. The retaining means D comprises brackets 23, 23a mounted to the frame assembly 2 and a pair of rods 24, 24a are pivotally supported by the brackets 23, 23a and a set of pawls 25 are mounted on the rods 24, 24a. A set of retaining pawls 26, 26a are also mounted on the rods 24, 24a. The ends of the pawls 26, 26a abut against the frame assembly 2 and the ends of flat springs 27, 2711 respectively bias the pawls 26, 26a as shown in FIG. 5. The other ends of the springs 27, 27a are affixed to the frame assembly 2.
Referring now to FIG. 5, when a receiving box is raised by the action of the cylinder 20 as mentioned above, the pawls 25 engage with the flange 4c of the receiving box 10 and the pawls are pivoted clockwise by the flange as the flange as the box is raised. The retaining pawl 26, 26a also pivot clockwise against the springs 27, 27a. When the flange 4c has passed the pawls 25, the retaining pawls 26, 26a are pushed by the springs 27, 27a in a counterclockwise direction till they are stopped by the frame assembly 2 and the pawls 25 also pivot counterclockwise and move up under the flange 40'. Then when the ram 21 retracts to bring the lift 22 down, the receiving box 10 is held by the pawls 25 at the elevated position 22.
By the above-mentioned operation, the receiving box 1 is transferred from the initial position 2a to the final elevated position 22. The box may then be taken out manually from the position 2e or may be removed automatically by means of a belt conveyor or the like.
' One embodiment of an electric circuit for controlling the actuation of the apparatus will now be described with reference to FIG. 6. A pair of power source terminals 32, 33 are connected to an electrical power source and a push button 34 is pushed to close the circuit whereupon a pilot lamp 35 is lighted to indicate that the circuit is ready for operation. At the starting time, the receiving box 1 which has been introduced from the upper part of the righthand guideway is supported at the initial position 2a by the vertical positioning means A. A manual switch 36 is then closed to light an indicating lamp 37 to indicate that a box is in the initial position 2a. Then a switch 38 for controlling the vertical positioning means A is closed to flow current through a solenoid 39.
The solenoid 39 controls the supplying and exhausting of motive fluid to the cylinders 9, 20. When the cylinders 9, 20 commence operating, there is no receiving box in the discharge position 2d so that the lift 22 initially moves up and down without lifting a box. The operation of the cylinder 9 pivots the pawl 3, 3a so that the receiving box 1 drops from the initial position 2a to the position 2b and then a switch 28 is closed. When a switch 38 is opened and a switch 40 is closed. current flows through a solenoid 41 which controls the application of motive fluid to the cylinder 15. The cylinder 15 then operates to contract the linkage l3 and transfer the receiving box to the products feeding position 2c. Then the switch 40 is again opened and the swithc 38 is closed and the next receiving box is transferred to the position 2b and the switch 28 is closed.
Then, as the switch 30 together with manual switch 36 are opened and an automatic switch 42 is closed an indicating lamp 43 is lighted. Subsequently the products formed by a press machine (not shown) are introduced through the feed pipe 19 into the receiving box which is in the products feeding position 2c. A counter (not shown) may be employed for counting the products and generating an output signal when a predetermined number of products has been counted and this output signal can then be used to close a switch 44. When the receiving box 1 reaches the position 2b, the switch 28 is closed as mentioned above, and a switch 30a for affirming that a receiving box has reached the discharge position 211 is closed.
Further, a switch 45a controlled by a timer (not shown) is normally closed and opens after current has flowed for a period of time set by the timer, but then immediately closes. In this manner, the current from the power source passes through switches 30a, 44, 28 to actuate a relay 46, when then closes switches 46a and 46b. The switch 46a permits the self-sustaining operation of the relay 46 while the switch 46b is closed to pass current to the solenoid 41. Therefore, the cylinder 15 is operated to transfer the two receiving boxes lo cated at the positions 2b and 20 to the left.
When the leading receiving box 1 arrives at the discharge position 2d, the switch 30a is opened and the other switch 30b is closed. As the switch 30a opens, the self-sustaining switch 46a opens and the relay 46 becomes deenergized whereupon the switch 46b opens so that no current flows through the solenoid 41. When the linkage l3 retracts, the switch 29 for detecting the retraction of the transverse positioning means B is closed. A switch 31 for detecting the lifting of the receiving box 1 is normally closed. The switch 45b is controlled like the switch 45a by the timer and is normally closed, and thus when current flows continuously for a predetermined period, the switch 45b is opened but immediately and automatically returns to the closed state.
The power source current passed through switches 30b, 29, 31 to energize the relay 47 which operates to close the switches 47a, 47b. The switch 47a permits the self-sustaining operation of the relay 47. When the switch 47b closes, the power source current flows through the solenoid 39 to actuate the cylinders 9, 20. ln-this case, since a receiving box 1 filled with products is located also at the discharge position 2d, the cylinder 9 operates to transfer a receiving box to the position 2b while the cylinder 20 operates to lift a receiving box in the discharge position 2d to the final elevated position 2e and the box is retained in the position 2e by the retaining means D. When the receiving box arrives at the final position 22, the switch 31 is opened to interrupt the energization of the relay 47, and then switches 47a and 47b are opened so that current does not flow through the solenoid 39.
When the next receiving box 1 which is located in feeding position 20 is filled with a predetermined number of products, the switch 44 is closed and the aforementioned cycle of operation is repeated whereby the receiving boxes are successively charged with products and transferred to a final position wherein they may be removed, from the apparatus.
If trouble is encountered during the operation of the apparatus such that the switch 45a or 45b flows current longer than a predetermined time period (normally 5-6 seconds) as determined by the timer, the timer will operate to open the switch 45aand close the switch 450. Switches 45a and 45b are once opened and then automatically closed, but this interim opening stops the action of the relay 46 or 47 so that switches 46a, 46b or 47a, 47b are opened to interrupt the action of the corresponding cylinder. When the switch 450 closes, a warning lamp 48 lights to indicate this malfunctioning of the apparatus.
A switch which is operated by a timer may be used in place of the switch 44 operated by a counter. In such a case, when the predetermined time period set by the timer elapses, the switch is closed and during this preset time period, the products are received in the receiving box.
As described hereinbefore, according to the present invention, a series of receiving boxes are successively charged with products and then successively shifted to another location. Moreover, receiving boxes having a special shape are not necessary in practicing the present invention and instead, the usual square receiving boxes may be employed. In addition, a counter permits one receiving box to admit only a predetermined number of products, and a timer prevents the transverse positioning means from continuing to work for an abnormally long period. Furthermore, when a vertical positioning means is employed, a large number of receiving boxes may be piled together to minimize the working spacev 1 claim:
1. Apparatus for advancing articles along a path and selectively positioning the articles at various positions along the path comprising:
first means receptive of a plurality of articles during use of the apparatus for successively positioning the articles in an initial starting position, said first means comprising means defining a vertical guideway aligned with said initial starting position and receiving therein during use of the apparatus a vertical stack of articles for guiding the articles vertically downward, a set of claws disposed around the periphery of said guideway and jointly engageable with an article in said guideway to support said article as well as all the remaining articles stacked thereupon, means mounting said sete of claws for pivotal movement together in synchronism to disengage from said article and engage the article stacked thereon thereby allowing the disengaged article to drop along said guidway into said initial starting position, and means for effecting synchronous pivotal movement of said set of claws;
second means coacting with said first means for successively advancing the articles one-by-one from said initial starting position along a path to a working position and then after a given time delay successively advancing the articles one-by-one from said working position along the path to another position, said second means comprising extendable and collapsible engaging means for releasably engaging with an article located in said initial position, means mounting said engaging means for movement along said path from said initial starting position to said working position, and actuating means for intermittently extending and collapsing said engaging means to effect successive advancement of the articles from said initial starting position to said working position and to push each article located in said working position into said other position by a succedding article being advanced into said working position; and
third means for successively advancing the articles from said other position to a final position.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1; wherein said engaging means comprises lazy-tong linkage means extensible to an open position for engaging with an article in said initial position and collapsible to a closed position for positioning the engaged article in said working position, and wherein said actuating means comprises means for alternately extending and collapsing said linkage means to effect successive advancement of articles and preparation for renewed advancement of articles.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2; wherein said actuating means comprises a fluid reciprocatory motor connected to said linkage means to alternately extend and collapse said linkage means in response to the reciprocal output motion of said motor.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1; wherein said third means comprises means defining another vertical guideway aligned with said other position and receptive of the articles advanced to said other position for guiding the articles vertically upward, a set of pawls disposed around the periphery of said other vertical guideway and jointly engageable with an article disposed in said other vertical guideway to support said article in said final position, means mounting said set of pawls for pivotal movement together in synchronism to engage with an article in said other vertical guideway to thereby support said article in said final position, and lift means for successively lifting the articles advanced to said other position along said other vertical guideway to said final position,
Patent Citations
Referenced by
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text:
Alternative Titles
Japanese: モノノ怪
Type: TV
Episodes: 12
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Jul 13, 2007 to Sep 28, 2007
Producers: Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Flatiron Film CompanyL
Genres: Demons, Mystery, Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Supernatural, Seinen
Duration: 22 min. per episode
Rating: R - 17+ (violence & profanity)L represents licensing company
Score: 8.541 (scored by 19971 users)
Ranked: #892
Popularity: #611
Members: 54,066
Favorites: 1,963
1 indicates a weighted score
2 based on the top anime page.
My Info
Popular Tagsdrama horror mystery supernatural
Dec 10, 2013
Before we embark on Mononoke's journey one may first need to understand the very concept of Mononoke. One of the basic types of Ayakashi (tl. "unnatural spirit") is formed from the soul of a living or non-living material. Oftentimes, regret causes this, and when an Ayakashi is merged with strong human emotions such as vengeance, sadness, or fear, it develops into a Mononoke (tl. "hostile spirit"). This is the foundation for conflicts in each story and what typically stems from each Ayakashi's backstory.
The story itself follows a Kusuriuri (tl. "medicine seller") who travels from one place to another exorcising each Mononoke he comes across. The anime presents five standalone arcs. Each one consists of 2 or 3 episodes, which may sound as if there is not enough time allocated to serve each story properly. Fortunately, this uncertainty is untrue. Each arc is thoroughly interesting, bizarre, and complex; viewers will be astonished by the profound impact each short story relays.
Every arc meticulously refines its pace in order to provide characters enough time to adapt to their roles. Once the primary conflict is staged and the Mononoke is revealed, Kusuriuri puts himself to the task of unraveling its Katachi, Makoto, and Kotowari (tl. "Form", "Truth", and "Regret") — the three requirements for him to release his "Sword of Exorcism". What makes Mononoke a highly commendable work is its highly structured format, as well as its exploration of every character's motives. Kusuriuri simply can't draw his sword and exorcise the Mononoke until a predetermined set of conditions is followed. Moreover, whilst watching Kusuriuri reveal a Mononoke's Form, Truth, and Regret, we come across a saddening tale of how it came into existence. Mononoke does an excellent job in attracting viewers with its harrowing tales, and its precisely carved narrative makes it an unforgettable experience.
Aesthetically, Mononoke is one of the most finely detailed pieces in existence. From vibrant and colorful backgrounds to highly detailed characters and costume designs, Mononoke has crossed every barrier in this field in order to achieve excellence. The pasty color palette may seem an odd choice for a horror anime, but make no haste; it merges perfectly with the setting and culture of this work. The backgrounds are perforated with different textures all of which that complement each standalone narrative.
Generally, Mononoke can exist in any form and in this anime they are designed explicitly (and sometimes intentionally vaguely) in order to vary with respect to their arcs. Toei Animation has done a wonderful job in designing every character intelligently and distinctively in correspondence to their personality. Kusuriuri's design in particular manages to stand out on every frame. Moreover, his climactic transformation remains one of the most excellent aesthetic achievements in anime: it produces such a profound form and with fantastically surreal animation.
Matching the astounding art, what makes the characters so memorable is how they are portrayed. Not only are they emotionally distraught and relatable, groups of them often form a well-represented allegory. Mononoke is also an eclectic social commentary, ranging from remarks on corruption within governmental policies to more localized analyses of vengeance and despair.
One role which continues to outshine all others is the recurring character Kusuriuri. Unnamed, unrevealed, and from beginning to end an unknown, this enigmatic figure is the lone consistent tool from story to story. He breathes ambiguity, and his role always wedges into the plot should it ever begin to stale. He also does not share any form of development, and yet his indecipherable status always mystifies viewers in order to keep Mononoke's harrowing atmosphere at its greatest.
The Opening and Ending themes may seem peculiar, but they are certainly stylish, and as unhinged periodic pieces, they imperceptibly suit the series' direction. However, what marks Mononoke is not the music but the sound effects. Each opportuned implementation pervades the room with mystery and sheer awe. Mononoke also takes inspiration from kabuki plays, which is an interesting spin as much of its presentation follows panelwork very typical of this theatre current.
Perhaps above all, Mononoke is an experiment on convention. Its presentation offers a instantaneous, visceral reaction, and its story takes great efforts to rely on its atmosphere to tell the tale. However, it allow follows a highly structured narrative, which roots its foundation in order to prevent stories from becoming too insane. As a waltz through the Ayakashi mythos, Mononoke is one series never to forget.
This review is the final product of a team composed of members from the "Critics and Connoisseurs" club. The writers were:
Editing was done by:
nil- read more
May 2, 2008
Story: This anime is broken into five different stories lasting about 2 to 3 episodes each. Every one of these stories features a different supernatural spirit; many of them rooted from Japanese folklore. It is up to the Medicine Seller to uncover the Katachi (shape/form), Makoto (truth), and Kotowari (reason) of the spirit. Now, this sounds like your average, spirit-of-the-week sort of deal, doesn't it? But it isn't. That's one aspect that makes this series so great. All the stories are unique and do not feel like a rehash of the same story as the previous. Even by the final arc, I was still shocked and entralled by its revelations. So yes, there are unexpected twists in every arc. Each tale also holds very thoughtful themes. You would expect a series about supernatural ghosts to be about the, well, dead spirits, but that's also not the case. Most of the stories are quite deep and to some degree disturbing. In fact, Mononoke is very thematically based on human nature, since it's the humans and their actions that transform the spirits into these vengeful mononoke.
Art: I'll say it now. The art style may put off some people, especially based on first impressions. I thought the art was absolutely gorgeous, fitting, and unique. Mononoke uses an art style that resembles the Japanese "ukiyo-e", filled with vibrant and colorful backgrounds, textures and designs. Because of this two-dimensional, almost paper cut-out appearance, the anime uses a lot of camera movements and symbolism. This is why a few of the stories may need multiple viewings to get the full meaning of everything. In this way, I feel Mononoke uses its art to its full potential to present the story. I also loved how the style in each arc deviates just a bit so that each story distinguishes itself from the others.
Sound: Sound plays a very important role in this series. Because the art style somewhat limits what it can show on screen, sounds are used to reinforce that. It sets up the tense atmosphere, adding suspense and leaving you anticipating for more. The voice acting is very well done, especially hearing those screams of terror and shock. Other than that, I didn't really like the opening and ending songs. I actually liked the Ayakashi OP and ED better.
Character: There is only one reoccurring character in all the stories and that is the ever-so-awesome Medicine Seller! Yes, he is nameless and simply known as "Kururi-uri-san/sama/insert other honorific" or medicine seller. Although not much is known about him, I think it's very fitting since it adds to his mysterious nature. He does, though very subtly, develop. In all honesty though, I found it incredibly enjoyable watching him make deadpan comments while the other characters are freaking out over the weird happenings/hauntings. Lastly, the story-only-characters get a good deal of development despite each story being 2 to 3 episodes in length.
Enjoyment/Final notes: I finished the series in 2 days, meaning I watched about 6 episodes per day. So yeah… I enjoyed it a lot. And as mentioned earlier, some arcs may take a second or even third viewing to get everything. I know I will watch it again. It's such an excellent anime and was so worth the watch.
9.6/10 easily rounded to a 10/10 for my list. read more
Nov 2, 2007
The artistic styling of Mononoke is truly one of a kind, the colours are amazing and with HD encodes it truly shines. Each new environment is unique, colourful, and captivating. The colours and use of quick camera movements add to the suspense. The animations themselves are intentionally very stiff at times but as the action speeds up they become very fluid and top notch. The backgrounds are rarely stationary, but appear as though you are observing a painting at the same time. Often times the animations of common things such as snow or water are displayed in a very unique way that makes you simply want to get lost in it.
The sounds of Mononoke are fantastic. There is often times complete silence, but that only adds to the suspense. The OP and ED are very nice, nothing exceptional, but nice. The use of sounds, such as screams, thumps and other such frightening sounds are extremely realistic. I hate to admit it but I was genuinely frightened at certain points.
Apart from the Medicine Seller, each arc sees the introduction of new characters. Each character usually represents a different Japanese stereotype. Samurai, priests, monks, government types, children, and many others. Kusuriuri's alternate self, I won't give anything away, is almost worth watching the story for on its own. The Medicine Seller is a very sarcastic person and often times at a very serious moment he'll crack a joke that is totally absurd and you can't help but laugh.
At only twelve episodes Mononoke is well worth the time and although it is very, very Japanese in respects to content, it doesn't take away from the enjoyment in the least. As I mentioned before, Mononoke is excellent at generating fear out of the simplest of situations with very little audio. The characters are all very genuine and are often times in tears and losing their minds in a very believable manner.
I've wasted enough of your time, now go watch this show. You definitely won't regret it. read more
May 15, 2014
To expand on that last point, Mononoke is not what you would you call a terrifying show to watch. It would be more accurate to describe it as "startling." It doesn't try to disturb you with its overly-bombastic imagery, it instead wants you to seek out the subtle artistic prowess that it has to show before it then starts to suck you in to the horror by surprise. The execution of all of it feels very right and nicely paced out so that they feel less tedious and uneventful to go through. Many horror anime, and especially horror movies today, think that if it throws in any kind of ominous or thunderous music, blood splattering gore, or your every day horror cliche left and right that they can call their show a true horror show. In reality, they make it the opposite of their intention because you're already used to it after the twentieth time it has happened half way through.
Mononoke proves that you don't have to use any of those aspects in a horror to define yourself as one. The one thing that almost everyone can agree with is that the true source of horror is the "unknown." The fact that you can't see something, yet you feel a presence within your surroundings can be one of the most truly terrifying things to experience in real life or in film. Things of this nature was put into full effect when H.P. Lovecraft first based his stories around this concept. You can see, quite clearly, that Mononoke does the same inflections of some of the stories Lovecraft put into his short stories, and does them to brilliant effect. The only obvious difference is that Mononoke actually shows the supernatural entities whereas Lovecraft never did.
How the show is set up is by the obvious inclination that this is a separate story based off of the character, "Medicine Man," from one of the short stories from Ayakashi – Samurai Horror Tales. Before I discuss how the show structures its plot in each of the arcs, the one important notion to mention that really makes Mononoke a truly unique experience is how much creative detail it gives to the setting of historical Japan. Along with House of Five Leaves, this is definitely one of the closest that anime has gotten, in recent memory, that truly captures the pure essence and atmosphere of what Japan was like during its later modern period. Obviously, without all of the supernatural elements to it, the artwork that is put on display feels like an ancient painting done by past painters from Japan that really strengthens the atmosphere and its impact on the creativity put into the horror. Not only the artwork, but also the little tidbits they put into the show that include various Japanese folklore that they tell us at the end are very inspiring and fascinating to experience.
Onto the plot arcs themselves, they are, unfortunately, not the very highest point in terms of interesting storytelling. With about five different stories put into one show, only two of them stick in my mind as completely memorable or thought-provoking. The one that can be considered great is the first one because of how it introduces us to Mononoke's world and its concepts of the Mononoke, and is definitely a great introduction into the show. The second arc consists of a very gripping story about each individual's goals of getting out of the mess that they have been brought to and each of them have this really detailed back story makes them not just this throwaway character that our main protagonist steals the show from. Unfortunately, the rest suffer through, what I would call, overused tropes from the previous two episodes. Of the three last arcs, two of them both involve a group of people that Kusuriuri, our main protagonist, tries to investigate concerning the disturbance of Mononoke. It is almost as if the writer could not think of a new kind of formula he could put into his stories so he decides to reuse similar tropes to his previous stories and put in a completely different spin on that original idea. It doesn't matter if the plot is completely different from the previous one, it still follows the same formula and it feels repetitive and almost predictable.
I wouldn't go so far as to say they are "terrible" to go by, not at all; it just feels mediocre compared to the previous ones. With that said, what really makes the plot worthwhile to experience, for better or for worse, is Kusuriuri, or the "Medicine Man" as he's typically called. Similar to how great Ginko is in Mushishi, Kusuriuri has this aura around him that makes him very attention grabbing. The only difference is that you don't really know much about Kusuriuri's personal life, but only what he does in his job. His smart, fast-moving mind makes him a competent protagonist to root for only by how calculated he lays out his plans in getting the Mononoke and helping the people that need his help the most. It is one of the rare instances where the lack of personal development of one character doesn't hold back the quality of the character and just from how much he views the world from his own eyes and gives us his take on the mysteries involved in the plot. The unknown archetype adds to his depth and characterization so much more than almost any of the characters in Mononoke, who also have well-developed characterization.
Whether you want to call the animation, provided by the most lauded Toei Animation, "experimental" or "classic art," it nevertheless feels very dynamic. Toei has always wanted to stick to original roots when concentrating on their animation skills in most of their productions and this is by far one of their best. The fluid motions of how the characters move, react, and illuminate feel very human-like and provide a significant degree of hard-work put into each frame of animation. What is even more fascinating is how the animators put a lot of creativity into the actual Mononoke, which is evidently influenced by Japanese folklore. Even though you don't see them for more than, say, five seconds, those five seconds will be burnt into your memory for years to come.
Mononoke is a different breed of horror that many anime have not attempted to replicate even in the past. There hasn't really been a horror film or show that never makes you scream out in terror, yet in your mind, you feel almost as if you had gone through a night terror that you don't remember screaming, in sheer anguish and fear. While the show never really compiles to a significant detail of groundbreaking story, it surely is a sight to behold in grasping what can be done with an absolutely gorgeous setting with beautiful sets of animation to go with it. Let it be said; when it comes to creating great horror, there should never be boundaries that restricts what it wants to show in terms of true fear. Otherwise, it would not be horror, one way or the other.
Grade: A-
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Mar 23, 2015
― Edgar Allan Poe
The story of Mononoke revolves around a nameless medicine peddler who wanders around feudal Japan in order to exorcise evil spirits formed from the souls of the living or nonliving, called mononoke. The 12 episode series is separated into short 2-3 episode arcs, each focusing on one of the medicine peddler's encounter with a Mononoke. In order to exorcise a mononoke the medicine peddler must draw the sword of exoticism but in order to do so the peddler must first find the spirit's form, truth and regret. Through this formula we get to see the story behind each individual mononoke as well as the people that it haunts.
What I found most unique about the stories are the way they are told, the pace is consistently slow allowing viewers to get engaged in the anime's ambiance. The anime also utilizes some horror elements to complement its tone, and by horror I don't mean gore or jump scares but rather the more traditional type of horror in which tension, the fear of the unknown, and the uncanny are used to give one goosebumps.These horror elements flow well with the overall feel of the show and serve to complement it as a whole.
Mononoke's story can be vary ambiguous at times as we never learn the history behind the medicine peddler or his sword of exorcism. I strongly feel its better this way as knowing the background of the peddler and his sword would ruin some of the mysterious charm this title has. The ambiguous aspects of this title feel planned out and intended rather than the result of lazy writing or time restraints.
Each arc typically ends with some sort of ingenious twist that gives off a strong impact and makes way for some rather cathartic moments. The anime never chooses to take the lazy route in terms of story and always leaves the viewer with some peace of mind.
The characters in Mononoke are particularly well done, the medicine peddler is as I previously mentioned is shrouded in mystery. The peddler shows very little emotions throughout the series and during a lot of the segments sinks into the background as the story tells itself. Despite being passive at times the peddler does take action when necessary, acting as a catalyst and arbitrator for the events of every individual arc. Whenever the peddler does act or speak his words and actions have a lot of weight behind them, this is due to his otherwise passive personality as well as the spectacular voice acting done by Takahiro Sakurai who slowly and carefully utters each line. In spite of his otherwise emotionless nature the peddler does exhibit a lot of personality as he constantly makes somewhat snarky deadpan remarks at the other characters. All around the medicine peddler fills his role very well.
The supporting cast in this anime changes each arc, the only recurring character being the medicine peddler, in other words every 2-3 episodes the entire cast is overhauled meaning there is very little time to flesh out or characterize everyone, luckily Mononoke manages to characterize its entire cast without relying on tropes and cliches or just leaving characters complete up to the viewer's interpretation.
Most of the characterization in Mononoke is fairly subtle and is done through facial expressions as well as very short interactions, these help foreshadow character motivations and give the cast a bit of personality. Mononoke's cast behave in a very raw and emotional way due to the influence of the spirits haunting them, causing them to express character traits that they may have kept hidden otherwise due to a state of panic and paranoia.
Mononoke was animated by studio Toei Animation and they did a spectacular job! The entirety of the anime looks as though it is on an old piece of parchment and uses a classic eastern style which fits heavily with tone and feudal Japanese setting. The design choice works wonders and helps immerse the viewer in the world of Mononoke. The anime also features very colorful and vibrant backgrounds which complement its abstract nature, these backgrounds are plentiful and beautifully crafted, and Mononoke also utilizes a variety of different camera shots and angels in order to better portray the emotions of the characters, creating a strong sense of tension. The transitions between scenes is perfectly handled using an amalgamation of different methods rather than just cutting from one shot to another. Lastly the animation itself is extremely fluent and consistent, especially during actions scenes where Toei Animation show off their true potential via some of the most vivid and sharp animation I have ever witnessed in a 12 episode TV anime.
Mononoke's soundtrack fits perfectly with the anime's tone, alternating between heavy tense tracks and more somber ambiance pieces in order to flow with the events of the anime, the music in this title really pulls you into the bizarre and abstract events caused by the mononoke, no song on the OST ever feels out of place, making Mononoke's soundtrack one that works to enhance the all around experience of the anime.
All around Mononoke offers a unique and fulfilling experience through its skillful storytelling and brilliant animation, I highly recommend this anime to anyone who enjoys gorgeous animation and brilliant direction. read more
Jun 23, 2008
Ok, so it's not like Die Hard at all then. Well, actually...
They both involve antagonists, usually out to terrorize or for revenge, who force the hero to hole themselves up in an interior location with troublesome civilians, while using their wits and skills to battle to an explosive and emotional resolution. See?
Here's where Mononoke carves itself an identity to make itself stand out from John McClane's frolics with Euro-trash in cramped quarters: (we're all ignoring the 4th instalment, right?)
Mononoke is a visual splatter of psychedelic imagery that's like the creation of a prodigious savant child born from Stanley Kubrick, or Darren Aronofsky, take your pick. The colours just jump out at you no matter where the scene is or what's occurring, they're alive and part of the narrative.
A narrative that's kept lively through snappy editing. Scene and shot transitions flow, snake, and leap all over the place, using every cinematic method available. There's even flip-book mimickery; character reactions told through pages turning one after another furiously, for no reason other than to jar the viewer and emphasise the stark dialogue being delivered.
Our hero, the medicine seller with ears from Middle-earth, surely has stark delivery. Only willing to speak when he has a reason to, if only more anime characters were like this. There's no filler to be seen in this show, whether it's absent from the dialogue or story.
But for a show so dependant on scaring the viewer witless through bizarre imagery, narrative coherency isn't so important, mood is. The use of colour is actually a really smart way to affect our mood, because scenes that are so bright and vivid actually work in a way that you wouldn't expect.
"Why am I getting freaked out by this empty room, even though it's decorated so colourfully? Oh wait, because Yasaharu Takanashi's score is making creepy noises and I thought I just saw an Oompa Loompa in that corner for a moment but it must have been my imagination..."
The set-up to each story arc is eerie, the climax visceral, and the resolution always emotional. Mononoke is a brilliantly written, edited, and directed Edo-period-and-beyond horror that is inspiring in its design and delivery.
12 episodes. One medicine seller. The odds are against Kusuriuri. That's just the way he likes it. read more
Oct 23, 2007
The team at Toei Animation accomplished something quite unique - they brought a painting to life. The stationary, ever-present texture of marbled paper, reinforces the illusion of a canvas across which the characters move, in all their watercolour glory, somewhat reminiscent of Ukiyo-e prints. The art is highly stylised with its unique character design and rich, breathtaking backgrounds. This visual feast should be savoured and experienced again - it's hard to soak in every detail, particularly if you have to read the subtitles at the same time.
Perhaps having a peculiar taste for darker stories, where the horror is implied rather than shown, here paired together with exceptional style of the animation enabled me to tremendously enjoy this series. And, hence the high scores I gave. read more
Feb 7, 2012
The strength of this show is the stories so I'll start with that. As much as I like an over-arching storyline all five of the stories in this show were memorable and strong stories on their own part. Each story is given enough to flesh out character motives and back story while also giving us quite a great deal of action when in reality they are only ever move into a few rooms. For a Japanese-style ghost story collection it requires not a lot of knowledge of Japanese culture, which makes it more accessible. (Just maybe wiki Genji Monogatari before watching the Nue episodes.) All the stories are well-paced and have satisfying conclusions. The only one I can think of which perhaps I did not enjoy as much as the rest would have to be the Sea Monster one. But even then I was fascinated by the concept of the hollow boats and the fact that one of the supposedly one-shot characters actually questioned the Medicine Seller's motives. This is probably just me being hard on it because I loved the rest so much (particularly the first and the last one.) (9)
The sound design of this show is very well done. In short, it replaces any type of body horror they could show, and somehow that is more creepy than actually showing it. For example, in episode two at an especially creepy moment, not to get too far into spoilers, they show cracked daruma dolls and strips of cloth. That image itself is not scary, symbolic, but no enough to get goosebumps over. However, with the sounds that go on during that sequence you actually feel violated in a way because even if it is just symbolic representation on screen the noise is enough to make you not want to look. (9)
It's a shame though, if you close your eyes. The art style for this show is very unique and the sheer amount of detail they put into their backgrounds is lovely. This show is probably one of the most screencap-able ones as it is fashioned to look like a painting in every frame. Also, symbolic representation is something you don't see very much in anime nowadays. My only complaint is that sometimes the characters look a little, shall we say .. off? Sometimes facial features aren't consistent and there are these odd rare cases where the characters move a little unnaturally especially in the mouth without any reason in the story to do so. It can be a little jarring, but it doesn't happen often. But, when this anime does movement well, they do it very well. I remember being really taken with is one shot of the Medicine Seller's feet while he's running through a train car on geta. (8)
As mentioned before, the real strength of this show lies in it's strong writing and atmosphere. When you are not being simultaneously dazzled and confused by the imagery, the sound is genuinely creepy (and well timed with the animation, I might add) but there is also our main character who is, in his own respects, unsettling as well, right down to the way he delivers each line. He has this genuinely odd habit of making long unnatural pauses in the middle of each sentence. His features are quite demonic even compared with the most unattractive members of the cast and his clothes aren't like what the rest of the cast wears. (Given, he does make a comment about this in one of the episodes but that was mainly to explain why he was dressed like that in that time period.) The only problem in the character department is that, given the format of the show, it can only develop a character other than the protagonist for a certain period of time. But they do do a good job with the time they have with these characters as finding out what their motivations are is essential to each of the plots. But, because the show needs to keep the protagonist enigmatic, they cannot have just one big episode where they explain his back story like so many other animes feel they need to do. While we don't have to sit through a long back story session, I do feel a little disappointed that we don't learn more about the Medicine Seller because he is, in fact, that mysterious. (7)
My enjoyment (10)
Objective score overall (8.5/10)
I'd recommend this show to, well, anyone actually. Even those who are not considered 'anime fans'. Mononoke is Japanese horror storytelling at it's finest. With impressive art and sound direction and the strength of the writing to tell very Japanese tales without having to have a PhD in Asian studies. Whether it's for unique eye-candy or for the simple pursuit of a summer ghost story, it's a good watch. read more
Sep 28, 2013
The first thing that'll stand out when you look at Mononoke is the art. I'm not going to mince words: Mononoke is the best-looking animated show I have ever seen. The art is styled after traditional Japanese art, which means it's brightly colored, detailed, and everything feels kind of flat. I can't say enough about how amazingly gorgeous the art and color is in this series. It's used to maximum effect too, because the series is filled with all kinds of surreal visuals to let the art really stretch out.
Conceptually, Mononoke could be thought of as a really sinister version of Mushishi: The Medicine Seller shows up at a place and deals with some sort of haunting by a spirit, a Mononoke. Whereas Mushishi trades in a sense of tranquility though, Mononoke is effectively a horror mystery series. In order to exorcise a Mononoke, the Medicine Seller needs to figure out the spirit's Form (what it is), Truth (why it's here), and Regret (what it wants). Of course these are always tied into the secrets of the people the Mononoke is haunting, so each episode is an attempt to figure out what bad thing the characters did that caused the Mononoke to show up in the first place. Sounds formulaic, but each arc (which consist of 2-3 episodes) puts a new spin on the search for truth, and the show never repeats itself.
The only persistent character in Mononoke is the mysterious Medicine Seller. A strange fellow who looks like a Final Fantasy character in the middle of feudal Japan, he's... uh... enigmatic. He's also kind of an asshole. Unlike Ginko in Mushishi, The Medicine Seller isn't really made out to be a truly sympathetic or relatable character. He's mysterious and sinister, and it frequently seems like he cares more about vanquishing the Mononoke than the safety of anyone involved. Not to mention everything about him is left up to interpretation, there's no expanding on his character or history at all, although his personality does get some subtle development (such as in the Incense arc when he reveals a bit of a sense of humor). This isn't really a criticism though, he just plays a different role in the story than you might expect.
All of the other characters only show up for an arc, but they tend to be well-developed. After all, the stories pretty much all concern the character's histories and actions, so it's natural they'd be pretty well developed. They also tend to be the more relatable characters for the audience. They're the ones who are confused and freaked out by all the scary stuff going down, while the Medicine Seller remains constantly cool and mysterious.
The music is pretty nice, although there's not that much in the show itself. The opening is a nice piece that's less ominous than you might expect, and the ending is a fairly typical ending ballad sort of thing. What really does stand out though is that the sound itself is absolutely fantastic. Visually, Mononoke isn't actually that creepy. Oh sure it has it's moments, but an enormous amount of the tension comes from the sound design. When the creepy ambient noises pipe up you know something creepy's gonna happen. Or maybe not? When's it gonna happen? Tension!
Mononoke is an absolutely outstanding series, and definitely a new favorite of mine. The stories are great and the art is dazzling. It's not for everyone, some might be put off by the slow pace, but it really is a great show. read more
Jan 20, 2009
Let's start from the beginning, the story. Being composed of five arcs, the anime doesn't really connect any of them, the main character appart, which is quite unique. The style changes from arc to arc, some of them are more disturbing, others are more laughable. The last one, however, has kind of an "end". And this is what made me give not a 10, but a 9 to the story.
If everything was so perfect and unconnected, why put an "end" to it? Let we tell ourselvesl the story continues forever! >_<
Now the art... Well, this anime's art is what I can really call Art! It isn't common, not at all, so if you like the traditional anime art, you won't like this. If you have a taste for something more artistic and unique, you'll probably love it as much as I did.
For the sound. It's perectly synched and everything. The sound AND the very lack of sound put you really in the mood of the anime. The voice acting is great, featuring some well-known guys, but what caught my attention was the fact that every voice in the anime fits it's character. Every single one. The voice of the main character is EPIC, it makes him too smexy. I'm saying this and I'm a guy, this character was really something.
Well, for the characters, I already said much about Mr. Medicine Seller, the mc of the show. He is misterious, sexy, has a sexy voice, and is very sarcastic. The other characters are perfect for their purpose: make the viewer feel sick of humanity. Almost every human in the series is particularly disgusting, what leads the viewer to feel pity for the Mononoke's fate, generally.
Enjoyment? I watched the whole series in a row, in one night, and wasn't bored for a second. I even wanted more, in fact, I need more right now, so I'll end this review and search for some similar stuff.
PrinceArthas read more
Oct 19, 2014
Let's look at it in another light. I myself am quite neutral to such things, but I can understand when the constant barrage of mediocre sameness can get... Tiring..... Mononoke is simply wonderful, for how it manages to be scary, calming, thoughtful, disturbing and artistic without ever seeming forced.
The series is composed into several short tales. The takes consist of the curious Medicine Seller, an intriguing man who for the most part, lies in much mystery, and who carries a sword, something only Samurais do during the time period he is in. If you are expecting to have in depth back story for this character, then you will be sad to find that there really isn't any. To the characters credit, however, they are themselves quite fascinating, and that air of mystery surrounding the character does work more for them then against, as much as I would have liked to know more about such a person.
The main characters in each tale, however, will have enough back story covered for them to give then a motive and a reason for what they have done and are doing. The stories have a theme going through them, in a sense that the Medicine Seller has to get rid of demons, essentially, in a certain way. He cannot go in and kill them straight out with his sword. He must find answers to certain driving forces before he has the ability to use his weapon. This mechanic is essentially the driving narrative of the show, helping us explore the characters and what is happening around them.
Now, onto the driving visuals for the show, as it were...It just looks.... So.... Stunning! Have you ever seen chiyogami paper? Those incredibly colorful sheets full of intricate patterns, high detail, and have a variety of designs to show? Do a google search, I insist. The show doesn't hold back at all in coloring its peculiar eastern folklore inspired world with as much style as it can do. This even extends to the characters, as most everyone besides the Medicine Seller himself looks rather...Off. The protagonist himself is quite handsome in a way, especially when compared to everyone else. Whether this is a way to drive home the point that he is quite unusual, or that everyone else is rather odd is up to interpretation. He contrasts so much with everyone that he almost seems like he doesn't fit into the show, which helps contribute to the bizarre feel of the series.
The music fits the atmosphere perfectly to what is happening at a given moment. It is gentle when needs to be, and thunderous when required. The opening is both fitting to the feel of the show and somehow feels not quite right. Give it a few listens and decide yourself.
The animation itself is quite good. While you won't be seeing the most amazing action sequences and such, it can boost it up when it really needs to, and the amazing style really helps in this department. You'll be going back to some scenes again because you had missed something previously.
The biggest complaint I really have for the show is that...It isn't long enough! Honestly, it is a shame that such a wonderful anime only gets a mere 12 episodes. This would seem more fitting for a 20-ish series, and even an average of a 50 ish episode anime wouldn't be a bad choice, considering that the show can do so much with the creativity it has available to it. I will admit that this show would not be to everyones tastes, however, so as usual, the most profitable audience is the every person audience, something that this show isn't likely to garner to. A minor complaint is never finding out much about our intelligent...Protagonist. The Medecine Seller is a good blend of calm, humorous and observing. The things he can do is also worth a look into, and to what exactly he is. Due to the short nature of the show, it doesn't feel like we got...Burned, as it were. The mystery of him does add to the intrigue, after all.
This series receives a marvelous score of 9. Watch it when you can, and buy it if possible. If more people discover this secretive jewel of the anime world, perhaps more people would open up to the possibilities of anime being an excellent storytelling medium.
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Oct 16, 2009
The art is, by far, the most impressive part of this series. An explosion of colour that reminds us of the artistical epitome of ancient Japan, intelligent use of mixed media and a careful design for each theme make of Mononoke a treat for our eyes. Each detail is worth of admiration, like a painting in motion. The animation is simply superb, constantly adapting to the new styles and themes that are used for each story.
The characters end up being a part of their background, in an almost absolute bidemensional existance. However, they are still highly detailed, especially considering all the intricate patterns of clothing and body styling that decorate their personality.
In continuation, the characters may be well designed in visual terms, but what makes this all unique is the way they were made emotionally. Each character has a distinct existance, even though some of them appear in later occasions. The characters of each art are truly dependable on the story they belong to, but would still make sense as indivituals outside of it. However, the astounding element from this crowd is the main and recurring character, Kusuriuri. Unnamed, unrevealed and, from the beggining to the end, an unknown creature. This mysterious man is the tool that makes the anime go further, within the same stories and from story to story. He does not have any kind of characterization however he appears to the viewer as the most palpable of characters. For some reason, he steps from an (eventual) imaginary or mistic being to someone that exists.
Kusuriuri, the mysterious medicine seller, moves from arc to arc solving strange occurances that assault the other characters. The only thing common between all of this is that every problem is provoked by a monster, a phantom or a spirit, something created to specifically haunt that group of people. As he discovers more about the occurances, the events behind the appearance of the haunting unveil themselves. And the result is, most of the times, something of extreme beauty. The narration is very basic in the sense that characters reveal their actions and the chronology of the story, but each story is treated with so much care that even the most simple event is turned into poetry.
The Opening theme and the Ending theme are less than memorable. However what marks Mononoke is not the music, but the sound. The use of the correct effects at the right moments give an effect of mistery and fear. In a sense, it may be inspired in kabuki plays*. It is original in this sense but, otherwise, rather average.
A series of amazing tales that touch every theme of the Japanese folklore, leaded by one of the greatest characters ever created and crowned by a truly original art. A masterpiece in artistic terms. Watching Mononoke is like reading a poem from the Heian time: small, sometimes even simple, but so rich in detail that we can't help to "let the dew wet our sleeves"
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Nov 29, 2010
If you enjoyed Ayakashi, you'll love Mononoke, if you didn't like Ayakashi very much, but like the last arc, you'll love Mononoke ;)
Story (10): It's basically about this mysterious and laconic medicine seller that travels the world looking for mononoke to eradicate, yet, he has a very deep and thoughtful way of solving things, many times acting as an spectator and making humans around him unsure of his own motivations to act. Yet I most say it's not for all the public, it's stories show the worst of mankind and often talk about very morbid sides of it, so beware of many suggestive topics.
Art (10): Very unique, fits perfectly with the traditional horror feeling and the details and color are simply gorgeous. The charcters look very disturbing sometimes, but I think it's a great way to convey the temperament or feelings in each character, as well as all the details involved in each picture.
Sound (10): The music, sound and voices, just like in ayakashi, convey perfectly the whole feeling of the anime.
Character (10): Very original and well developed, specially Kusuriuri, got to say this guy is one of my favorite characters of all times. Sometimes he gives you the creeps, while trying to figure what's happening behind his eyes and other times, you have to smile for his soft, ironic or cool side.
Enjoyment (10): If you like mistery and deep reflexions about life and beings, and are not afraid of taking a look at the morbid side of people, you'll love it, I could hardly keep from watching it all at once. read more
Jun 13, 2009
This series is a spin-off from the thrid arc of Ayakashi~Classic Japanese Horror, Bakeneko.
It is made up of 5 main stories, each spanning 2-3 episodes. All of which deals with the concept of mononoke, a spirit that combines with strong negative human emotions, becoming a malevolent being that creates trouble. The tone of the story is pretty serious, and usually manage to create the sense of tension desired. Most of the stories are very interesting, though sometimes confusing. But if you can take sometime to work out the flow of the story, it actually makes alot of sense.
The sound effects in this series are probably worth more than the actual music, because in most scenes it's the silence that does most of the work. An appropriate sound effect simply enhances the whole errie atmosphere. In terms of OP and ED songs, I can't say I liked it, but it somehow fits to the weird tune of the whole show.
Do not expect nice looking characters. Because most of the characters inside are, by general anime standards, ugly. But one main purpose of the stories is bringing out the ugliness in human nature, so the appearance of the characters actually serve to enhance the entire visual experience and well, it worked for me. The main character is certainly good-looking, but rather in the odd way. And the main attraction from this protagonist actually lies in his demeour, which is certainly unique whichever way you look at it.
Another main attraction factor of this show. The bold and imaginative approach towards the animation takes a big step away from the usual Toei animation style. In fact, it's pretty much different from almost all of the styles out there. The only similar one i can think of is gonzo's Gankutsuou, the count of monte cristo. But Mononoke takes the style further- it focuses a lot on the 2D elements, the job here is no longer making it seem realistic or even anime-like, but rather make it into a piece of art, with an abstract edge. The vibrant palette brings out the gaudy nature of the characters and story, while the animation experiments with pace, style and an entirely different form of art.
[in the end]
So, why should you watch this if you're looking for something different? Well, basically the style- the way of storytelling and the art in this show is simply different and a pretty risky venture. In the sense you'll either love it all or hate it. For me, it is one of my top horror shows, where you'll feel the tension and fear not from the usual black-shadow-at-the-back-and-blood-all-over-the-place scenes but rather from the oddly paced story and effective pauses in dialogue. And of course, not forgetting the weirdly vibrant colours, which at times seems gaudy, but seemingly fits into the picture just fine. Just watching this show for the effects of storytelling would be more than worth your time. read more
May 1, 2010
This is literally a piece of art, both in a literary and visual sense. Since the aesthetic effects are easier to describe, I'll start there. The art and sound follow a semi-traditional Japanese style, but with modern twists here and there. The art makes Mononoke something distinctly different from all the other anime in the world (except the last bit of Ayakashi, I suppose). It also really helps bring out the incredibly high level of disturbance that defines the plot of Mononoke.
The story of Mononoke is about a mysterious medicine seller with crazy but limited powers who goes around and slays demons known as Mononoke or Ayakashi. In order to do so, he must find the Form, Truth, and Regret of the monster (a very unique idea, in my opinion).
There are five or so plots, each about 2-3 episodes each, totaling to 12 episodes of Mononoke. What makes the story amazing also brings it down, though. The tales are very, very confusing, bringing the mood of the anime to an almost surreal sense. In fact, the more you think about it, the less answers you'll find. I don't know if what the makers have done is justified by "artistic license", because it frankly is very hard to follow and doesn't make much sense. That being said, the story also makes you think very hard to find some well-hidden symbolism, so it's definitely not a passive anime that you can just watch and be done with.
Overall, the story is really cool but confusing, the art and sound are unique and well done, and the medicine seller and his abilities are a praiseworthy concept. This anime brings a new definition to an old genre (horror) and I recommend that you go and see why that is. read more
Mar 10, 2012
The "medicine seller", our mysterious main character, is never named, but always present. As each mononoke (a type of evil spirit) appears, only through him are the characters able to exorcise it, but first, our 'heroes' must find its form, truth, and regret. Each arc takes us through a new set of characters, new scene, and new mononoke, as the medicine seller calmly discovers the three aspects. From unborn babies to unearthly cats, each story entwines a unique set of terrified and utterly flawed characters with an equally disturbed spirit.
Mononoke is a curious series. On the one hand, its eccentric artistry and historical influences mixed with occult mystery makes for a wonderfully enveloping experience. However, I must admit that if one is looking to follow deep and complex characters, I'm not sure they'd find that here. Instead, we are given message driven stories, as if to produce a modern expression of ancient yet quaint Japanese myths and fairytales.
We certainly have a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The medicine seller's mannerisms and dress make for a memorable character, and the search for the form, truth, and regret of each mononoke is deeply immersive. I found myself glued to the screen more than once in giddy anticipation as to how the mystery would unfold.
Add to that the gorgeous visuals, bringing such a powerful dimension with traditional Japanese artistry as the inspiration. The show easily spirits you away to a different time and place, away from the overdone landscape of the modern Tokyo area to a new envisionment of historic Japan, as if looking directly into an oriental tapestry.
Enjoyment, however, is only one side of the coin. To have memorable impact as a series, one hopes that the plot or characters touch us deeply, embedding seeds of wisdom deep within our minds, pulsing with sentiment. Mononoke is one such series that skirts the edge of this line. Each character and story holds close the potential to express something profound, but it takes at least a nudge of effort to come to understanding them. The dazzling displays and engrossing mystery within the series can actually be to the determent of the story's moral trying to be expressed. It becomes up to the viewer to choose which aspect they'd like to gain out of the series, and perhaps with close enough attention, glean just a tad of both.
Easily one of the more unique offerings in the field of anime, Mononoke is for anyone looking for something just that much different, especially from the artistic perspective. read more
Jun 10, 2008
Personally I watched this before Ayakashi - Japanese Classic Horror which this is a spin-off from and you can go ahead and watch this without having seen it.
First of let me start of with that the art was really intriguing. I like animes with a more experimental approach to the art. Not nearly as experimental and artsy as Mind Game, which remains as my favorite anime-art to date. Sometimes the art just feels like stylized art with a filter put on it, which is pretty lame. Despite that this is one of my favorite arts to date. It goes very well with the stories and really raises the mood and atmosphere rather than just being a medium of information. Not recommended for fans of the stereotypical huge eye school anime style.
The soundtrack is good though it's fairly underused throughout the series. The sound effects feel fitting. The voice actors do their jobs as they should, it feels natural and synchronized with the animation, correct tone etc.. Onto the substance of the anime.
Mononoke is composed of five arcs, all of which are only related by the recurrent main character and similar plotline. The story follows a wandering medicine seller who combats malicious spirits. One gets to observe group psychology as unsuspecting humans confront supernatural as well as life threatening situations. Note that I said observe, one never really feels 'connected' and feels for the characters. It is the result of a main character with nerves of steel and a heart of ice, I'm not saying his character is bad though, it's a very intriguing and interesting one. I really like the main character, I fell in love with him the first episode, so damn cool ^^. This is one of those odd and seemingly emotionless types. There are a few moments where he gets a little too flat (for example in the last arc). You never get a background or introduction on the arc characters, it charges almost immediately into the story. The result is as said before, makes you more of an observer instead of feeling with the characters. This deems the horror part of the story pretty useless since you won't feel their fear as a spectator. Or I don't know, maybe I'm just hard to frighten? I hope I don't seem like too much of a "zomg-iem-totali-not-afread-off-anithyng" type :P.
The most important part of the anime are the mystery aspects, figuring out the not so understandable main character and of course the mystery of the Mononoke - the supernatural haunter - itself. The medicine seller needs to know a mononoke's shape (Katachi), truth (Makoto), and reasoning (Kotowari) in order to combat it, as he tries to figure this out you get to know the story of the mononoke as well as the story of the people involved. The mysticism remains truly thick throughout the series. Though each arc has its conclusion, but if you didn't really pay attention and didn't try to figure it out at least partly by yourself the conclusion might not be so clear. One of my favourite pleasures while watching it was the almost surreal symbolism playing mind games with me. It's not quite surrealism though, since surrealism holds no sense at all and most usually no symbolism. This is one of the most thought provoking anime titles I've ever seen. Though I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who have seen A LOT more thought-provoking animes than me, but I'd say that I've had my fair share, I'm pretty sure they'd agree with me anyway.
Here are a few pros and cons. I tried to write what others might consider as cons and pros.
3 Pros (if you consider these as pros):
- Thought-provoking
- Atmospheric
- Interesting and realistic* group psychology scenarios
*Not realistic in the sense that nothing out of this world is occurring but in the sense that the characters react as real human beings would.
3 Cons (if you consider these as cons):
- Unscary horror
- Unsympathetic characters
- You may find the conclusions blurry
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Mar 21, 2013
The artwork is traditionally exotic and breath taking. The story is very analytical and psychological. The music is excellent too. However if more info about the protagonist should be revealed.
Must watch for horror fans.
May 3, 2013
First thing which you see is art. At start it can be difficult to watch because, to be honest, it's weird. For sure someone was hay or drunk, that would be your first thought. But it's very importatnt part of it. Colours, shapes and everyting... It's scary even when you don't think about plot. Colour are light, but sometimes disturbing. Bacgroung tends to move, when characters are not, face are expressive. It's like in traditional Japaneese paintings. It is impossible to describe by words.
Plot. In this anime are four or five short two- or three-episode stories, every one with diffrent characters, problem and place. The only one which you always see is Ksuriuri, someone whose aim is killing a kind of demons called "mononoke". To kill them he needs to know how they were created, how they look and what happened in the past - than he can do something more. He's more a viever than anything else and he doesn't really participate in fights and problems till end. He's trying to find answers and persuade people to admit what happened. Episodes mostly focus on those stories, psychology of characters and their motives. You dive deep into human psyche to find out what's in there.
It is a scary anime, so if you don't like stuff like this don't even start it. But it's a very, very good anime. Masterpice for me, fan of horrors. Oh, and if you don't like controversial (I hope I wrote it correctly?) topics you can omit first case. I can't tell what is it about, but at first it shocked me a bit and it can discourage you to watch the rest of them.
I wasn't a fan of opening at start, but know I think taht it's really good (and even more insane that rest). I don't really care about music, so I won't tell much, expecially that I know nothing about this topic.
I've already spoken about Ksuriuri, so here I'll tell something about otehr characters. They seem to be real, they have feeling and you can really understand why they did something and how they did feel. This anime is basicly about them - mononoke is created by human feelings so that is the main subject.
So I can honestly tell that it's amazing, and worth of spending time watching it.
Sorry for mistakes, but English is not my first language. Please, forgive :) If you notice any, don't hestitate and write me about it. read more
May 30, 2012
The art is by far the best aspect of Mononoke. All the clothes, surroundings and sometimes even faces are covered with color. On top of that there appears to be a grainy texture covering all of it which also doesn't seem to move, as if a colorful drawing were to be covered with a transparent sheet with multiple scattered smudges of white and grey.
When the story of an arc fails to be mind blowing, the art makes up for it as I get lost in the beauty of the visuals. It was much like Gankutsuou but it had a more dispersed variety of color.
The stories of every arc are simple and some quite common but are packed with loads of emotions. But what makes them so different and great? Well, that's where the Mononoke come in. The idea of Mononoke and a lot of mythical Japanese creatures make it seem like it's very unique and makes it stand out a lot. None of the stories hold back and are brutal, dealing with the 'harsh' truth and many depressing realities of life although in a very exaggerated way.
The downfall of this anime is that it tires way too hard to show it's viewers that it's outrageous and sometimes forces the viewers to feel the emotions that it wants them too. It repeatedly drags things out and tries to make them as dramatic as possible to be extremely dark. It told more than it showed. It would have been even better if the darkness was conveyed mostly through their actions and the plot but it has a habit of repeating things in the form of dialogues or random sound effects to make the matter at hand obvious to the viewer so they recognize the unbelievable situation.
Each arc was however quite different from the previous one and each has it's own speciality. What was best about them was that they completely absorbed me into the intense story. Each arc was nerve wrecking and I wouldn't be able to look away for even a mere second. It told simple stories in a very hyped, complexed and brilliant way. The beauty of it lies not in what it had to say but how it said it.
I enjoyed it to a great extent though. It was as if reading about ancient Japanese folklore and it had this sense of mystery and suspense topped with stunning art and it's own way of doing things.
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About MeHi! :D My name is Andrea Manciet and I'm wanting to get more into Modeling and soon possibly turn it into a career..
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I'm really tiny! 5'1, 98 lbs... not looking to do really fashion modeling unless its for petites! but more into face shots and fun makeup but ill take whatever I can get. Looking forward to working with you:)
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A body found in Biggin Hill is that of missing Gravesend woman Jane Dale.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Service and Kent Police found the body of a woman in a woodland area of Norheads Lane last night (July 17).
Jane Sylvia Dale, aged 40, left her home address in Maritime Gate on July 13 at around 3.30pm to travel to Croydon by car. She was last seen in Purley, Croydon, at around 5.45pm.
Miss Dale's silver Ford Focus was found locked and empty in a remote country lane in Norheads Lane, Biggin Hill. It is believed to have been parked there from around 7pm on July 13.
She was reported missing at 4.30pm on July 14 and her body was found in woodland near Norheads Lane last night.
She had links to the Croydon area.
Kent Police confirmed a woman's body was found and the death was being treated as unexplained awaiting the results of a post mortem which will take place later today (July 18).
A spokesman for Kent Police said: "The body, a woman believed aged in her 40s, was confirmed dead at the scene.
"Officers believe they know who the decease is and next of kin have been informed, but formal identification is still to take place."
Enquiries continue.
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- Limited edition Marvel Avengers artwork goes on display at Bluewater


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Aloha there at this site, where it's possible to download epic ringtones for your smart phone. Today we have a ringtone of "Blast" by Marcus Miller as well as 243 other ringtones by Marcus Miller. "Blast" is a hit from the "Free" album that was issued by Marcus Miller at their studios together with other 13 tracks. You can listen to all 4 Marcus Miller – "Blast" ringtone variations available here and download it for free in a second. You can also take a glance at other 14 albums produced by Marcus Miller for all time. "Blast" is referred to Jazz, and we have a huge amount of Jazz melodies absolutely for free. And finally, we have collected lyrics for this track and you can view it here as well. So feel free to browse, listen, download ringtones at Audiko.net. Make your phone sound cool!
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One firm owner had a yacht and Lamborghini while claiming disadvantage
The president of a federal contracting firm owned a $450,000 yacht, a $200,000 Lamborghini and a $2.5 million home but still qualified for Small Business Administration incentives for the disadvantaged — one of 14 cases of fraud and other misuses of the program outlined in a new report from the Government Accountability Office.
The GAO investigation found that federal agencies improperly awarded $325 million in small-business set-aside and sole-source contracts to firms not eligible for the small-business designation.
Most of the ineligible firms engaged in fraud to obtain the contracts under the SBA's 8(a) program, states the GAO report released April 29.
The 8(a) program assists firms that are at least 51 percent owned and controlled by an individual who meets criteria for being socially and economically disadvantaged. The firm also must qualify as a small business. Once certified, 8(a) firms are eligible to receive sole-source and set-aside contracts for up to nine years
In the 14 cases investigated by the GAO, firms made false statements to quality for the 8(a) program or to retain their certification.
In the case of the business owner who owned a yacht and a Lamborghini, the owner fraudulently represented assets used for purchasing his home, the GAO said. The owner's IT consulting firm in Bethesda, Md., received $12.6 million in contracts from the Agriculture, Interior, Transportation and Veterans Affairs departments before graduating from the SBA program in March 2010.
In another case, a company that had grown too large for the 8(a) program used a series of smaller companies as fronts to continue getting contracts. The company won $48.3 million in contracts from the Agriculture, Commerce, Defense and Interior departments as well as the EPA, General Services Administration, and Social Security Administration, the GAO said.
Also, a firm that received $11.2 million in Defense and Homeland Security department small-business set-aside contracts was ineligible because its owner had a net worth that was greater than allowed, the GAO said. The president of the company fraudulently reported his adjusted net worth to be about 73 percent less than the actual amount, the report said.
"In some cases, SBA did not detect the false statements and misrepresentations made by certified firms. In others, SBA became aware of the firms' ineligibility but failed to take action," the GAO added.
"These cases show substantial vulnerabilities in SBA's monitoring of eligibility for individuals and firms already in the program," the watchdog agency concluded. "The lack of a consistent enforcement strategy or any real consequences for fraud and abuse is a further weakness in SBA's fraud prevention program."
The GAO made six recommendations for improvements, and SBA officials agreed with five of the six and were evaluating the sixth.
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Alice Lipowicz is a staff writer covering government 2.0, homeland security and other IT policies for Federal Computer Week.
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Unisys Federal Systems' Venkatapathi Puvvada, this year's Eagle award winner for industry, stresses the importance of community.
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The SBA program has good intentions. Too bad some unscrupulous people take advantage of it. But large businesses too can take the Government for a ride.We need oversight but the Government needs goods and services
This article beats up only on the 8a program. The phenomenon is not limited to 8a, SDVOSB, HubZone are all plagued with not having enough enforcement. Push for prosecution and debarment of the large primes that are also awarded small business contracts or even the large manufacturers of commodity hardware (such as EMC) that do small business set asides as pure pass through business,have the Contracting Officer protect them behind Non-manufacturer language and do not have a small business subcontracting plan to execute. They create corporate traps and manipulate partner channels to retain only pass through type partners, yet they collect 99.9% of money on the set aside contract by providing the hardware and the Professional Services. Enough reporting on what we know to be true, take action against this disgusting behavior.
All I can say is, the SBA is supposed to protect the interests and promote the growth of America's small businesses. Since the new leadership in the CIO and CTO office took power on a few months ago, we have witnessed the extinction of one 8(a) company's contract and our revenues at the agency are down 85%. So much for protecting America's small businesses. Most of the current focus is on Microsoft products for CRM and playing political ball with OMB and GSA to win favor (I suppose).
Why aren't these companies identified? I would like to see if our company lost any opptys because of this fraud as we work with the same agencies.
They should also prosecute the SBA employees who are supposedly overseeing fraud. We often hear that the Feds screw up, but how often are any of them made to pay a price for having done so?
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Resources for Addressing Ferguson in the Classroom
After a grand jury's decision not to indict the officer involved in a Ferguson, Mo. shooting, many teachers are looking for ways to talk about the events in class.
After a grand jury's decision not to indict the officer involved in a Ferguson, Mo. shooting, many teachers are looking for ways to talk about the events in class.
In the first of two posts, writer Kathleen Cushman outlines lessons for restructuring classrooms to create powerful learning experiences for all students.
In her new book "The Teaching Brain," Vanessa Rodriguez discusses approaching teaching as an interaction, the five awarenesses of good teachers, and the downside to "quick fixes" based on brain science.
Maura N. Henry, a teacher from New York City, wants to bring back peer observation into the teacher evaluation process.
The report found that teachers in rural northeast school districts need more professional development tailored to the unique needs of rural schools to implement the new standards.
Ensuring that teachers are ready from Day One to teach well may require turning the traditional notion of teacher education on its head.
A look at the state of internationalization of teacher education in the U.S.
New roles for teachers in blended classrooms should mean new recruitment, evaluation, and retention strategies by districts, says a new report from TNTP.
Twenty-seven pages of new guidance released on the issue Monday appear to give states a lot of running room to figure out just what these equity plans should look like.
What will it take to transform classrooms filled with teacher talk to classrooms in which students produce things that matter?