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Princess Mononoke (1997)
Princess Mononoke (1997) poster
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Princess Mononoke (1997)

もののけ姫

Adventure, Fantasy, Animation • 2h 14m

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Letterboxd
IMDbThe Movie Database (TMDB)

Best English-friendly release

2026 Japan Studio Ghibli (remastered) Blu-ray

Updated 19 days ago

Best video release

Remastered Blu-ray only included as a pack-in with the 4K Blu-ray. Includes English subtitles and a dub, which the 4K Blu-ray does not.


Upcoming

France 4K Blu-ray announced

Best audio release

4K Blu-ray includes the original 5.1 mix in its unaltered form, all other releases after the LaserDisc, as well as the remastered Blu-ray, had its dynamic range lowered.

For the English dub, the UK StudioCanal Blu-ray is the least limited mix.

Additional info

US Disney Blu-ray has dubtitles. US GKIDS Blu-ray and Japan Studio Ghibli Blu-ray releases (both 2013, box set, and RM4K) have proper English subtitle translations.

UHD tiers

Excellent
Japan Studio Ghibli 4K Blu-ray:

Top-notch 4K restoration, proper colour correction, especially compared to past releases, and the original theatrical 5.1 mix restored in its unaltered form. The only issue is that the disc is not English-friendly, though the included remastered Blu-ray is.


About the film

Ashitaka, a prince of the disappearing Emishi people, is cursed by a demonized boar god and must journey to the west to find a cure. Along the way, he encounters San, a young human woman fighting to protect the forest, and Lady Eboshi, who is trying to destroy it. Ashitaka must find a way to bring balance to this conflict.

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Is this Perfect?

*Eng-friendly?

TSPDT
2026: #515
2025: #510
2024: #522
2023: #555
2022: #555

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Director: Jean Vigo

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Curzon 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Curzon 4K Blu-ray with much better encoding than the Gaumont Blu-ray with the same 4K restoration see caps

Criterion Blu-ray uses an older restoration

Directors: Alberto Cavalcanti & Charles Crichton & Basil Dearden & Robert Hamer

Video format: UHD Blu-ray

Director: Robert Bresson

Video format: UHD Blu-ray

Director: Basil Dearden

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Indicator 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

(Indicator 4K Blu-ray, based on review)

Director: Otakar Vávra

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

Deaf Crocodile 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Deaf Crocodile 4K Blu-ray see nic review

Best Audio:

Restored: Deaf Crocodile 4K Blu-ray
Unrestored: Czech PAL DVD

Audio Notes:

Preferences will vary, the restored track sounds good, but not necessarily faithful to the original elements.

Director: Robert Rossen

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Director: Anthony Mann

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray, Universal 2008 DVD

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

2008 Universal DVD mono

Audio Notes:

The mono on the Criterion is severely filtered resulting in it sounding incredibly muffled. It is nearly as filtered as the 2003 original Universal DVD which had extreme filtering and sounds horribly thin. The 2008 DVD remaster and original Laserdisc analog mastering are mostly left alone. The original LD master is from a worn element but otherwise sounds very natural. The 2008 DVD is the highest quality version we have without the heavy filtering and the defects of the LD master. It isn't perfect but easily the best of the main four sources by a dramatic margin. 

Additional Info:

The existing 4K SDR restoration looks excellent, but the Criterion extras are limited and disappointing. The classic Stewart interview commentary from the LD is ported over but given a new mastering. Compared to past releases it has been very slightly noise reduced.

Directors: Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Imprint AU 4K is world UHD debut and encoded by FiM. Part of the The Cinema Of Powell & Pressburger - Collection Two set.

Director: Charles Crichton

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Director: Jacques Becker

Best English-Friendly & Video:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

More from Hayao Miyazaki

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Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2014 Japan "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Japan Studio Ghibli 4K Blu-ray announced for a November 25, 2026 release

Best Audio:

Japanese audio: 2014 Japan "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Blu-ray/US GKIDS Blu-ray

English dub (Disney): 1998 US Disney VHS has better sounding vocals despite altered music and sound effects, the US Disney LaserDisc has limited audio, and 2003 DVD is a fake 5.1 upmix

Releases from 2010 onward have the original music and sound effects, but distorted vocals

English dub (Streamline): 1996 Japan remastered LaserDisc, available in Ghibli Ga Ippai Collection boxset

Additional Info:

2012 US Disney Blu-ray has dubtitles. US GKIDS Blu-ray has bonuses that are absent on the US Disney Blu-ray

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

4K · Disappointing
Best English-Friendly & Video:

2025 Discotek US Blu-ray SteelBook

Video Notes:

4K Blu-ray is denoised

The 2025 SteelBook uses the same transfer as the 2014 Japan Studio Ghibli Blu-ray and 2015 Discotek US Blu-ray but with better white balance.

Best Audio:

Japan: 1995 Japan LaserDisc 

English: 2012 UK Blu-ray

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly:

2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray or US Disney Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · lddb.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray

Video Notes:

2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray
Comparisons: https://slow.pics/c/6JWnlfit

Best Audio:

All sources are within margin of error. Comparisons: Japanese, English
Alternate Streamline English dub is available only on 1994 Fox LD.

Additional Info:

US GKIDS Blu-ray has more bonuses than the US Disney Blu-ray

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2014 Japan Hayao Miyazaki Collection Studio Ghibli Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2014 Japan Hayao Miyazaki Collection Studio Ghibli Blu-ray

For English dub: OOP US 2015 Disney Blu-ray

Additional Info:

US GKIDS Blu-ray is missing some features from the OOP US Disney Blu-ray but has an exclusive 12-page booklet.

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly:

Japan Studio Ghibli Blu-ray or US GKIDS Blu-ray

Additional Info:

US Disney Blu-ray has alternate "simplified" subtitles compared to the translation used in the Japan Studio Ghibli Blu-ray and the US GKIDS Blu-ray

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

US GKIDS 4K Blu-ray

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2017 US GKIDS Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Japanese audio: The HQ Audio Restoration by Hydra Spectre (made using the 2011 US Disney Blu-ray and the 2003 Taiwan Disney DVD), 2003 Japan Studio Ghibli DVD or 2003 Taiwan Disney DVD as an alternative

English audio: 2005 US Disney DVD

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Studio Ghibli The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki Blu-ray

Additional Info:

The Ghibli ga Ippai SPECIAL Short Short 1996-2016 Blu-ray has a different video transfer that has a tealer tint and slightly tighter framing.

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2017 US GKIDS Blu-ray

Video Notes:

2017 US GKIDS Blu-ray has better detail and grain, 2014 Japan Studio Ghibli Blu-ray from the Hayao Miyazaki box set for MGVC with added bit-depth for supported players

Best Audio:

2011/2014 Japan Studio Ghibli Blu-ray for original 6.1 audio mix, Cinema DTS for the English dub

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly:

2017 GKIDS Blu-ray

Best Video:

2014 Japan Hayao Miyazaki boxset Studio Ghibli Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Japanese audio: 2014 Japan Hayao Miyazaki boxset Studio Ghibli Blu-ray has 6.1 discrete

English audio: Cinema DTS-ES, 2010 US Disney Blu-ray as an alternative

More from StudioCanal

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Director: John Huston

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

Eureka Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Eureka Blu-ray > StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray. Older DVD or LaserDisc probably even better

Additional Info:

All blu-ray releases so far is from the 2010 scan.

Director: Michael Cimino

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

2020 Shout! Factory 4K

Video Notes:

2020 Shout! Factory 4K slightly better than StudioCanal in HDR10. Similar in DV

Best Audio:

35mm mix: 1991 Universal LaserDisc

70mm mix: StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

35mm mix: 1991 Universal LaserDisc marginally better than StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray. Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray is downmix.

70mm mix: StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray. Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray is remix.

Director: Fede Álvarez

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

UK StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Director: Jacques Tati

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion for 1949 and 1964, BFI for 1964 English Variant and 1994/5

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray (part of Jacques Tati boxset releasing December 2026)

Best Video:

Jour Germany fete (1949) - Criterion only, HD Jour Germany fete (1964) - Criterion only, HDThe Village Fair (1964, English variant) - BFI only, HDJour Germany fete (1994/5) - Criterion SD, BFI HD

Director: Jacques Tati

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray (part of Jacques Tati boxset releasing December 2026)

Director: Jacques Tati

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray (part of Jacques Tati boxset releasing December 2026)

Director: Jacques Tati

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion/StudioCanal Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray (part of Jacques Tati boxset releasing December 2026)

Video Notes:

Criterion/StudioCanal Blu-ray > BFI. New restoration unreleased.

Best Audio:

Old R2 DVD 1.0

Director: Jacques Tati

Best English-Friendly & Video:

BFI Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray (part of Jacques Tati boxset releasing December 2026)

Video Notes:

BFI Blu-ray > Criterion/StudioCanal. New restoration unreleased.

Director: Jacques Tati

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray (part of Jacques Tati boxset releasing December 2026)

Best Audio:

2014 StudioCanal Blu-ray

Additional Info:

The UHD is slightly cropped in.

Director: Paul King

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

StudioCanal UK 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

StudioCanal UK 4K Blu-ray minimal picture upgrade (2K upscale)

Audio Notes:

StudioCanal UK 4K Blu-ray has good new Atmos mix

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vanshadycbcDISKANBGR8DaniellemgmHydra Spectre

· last reviewed 19 days ago

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