The first installment of the Mononoke film trilogy. When Asa and Kame both report for their inaugural day of service at the Ooku—Lord Tenshi's lavish pleasure palace that houses his harem—they quickly form a close bond. The two young women join the hundreds of other maidservants within these walls, where no man may enter, and anyone caught trespassing is immediately executed by beheading. It rapidly becomes apparent that beneath the opulent lifestyle and strictly ritualized routines of the Ooku lie dark conspiracies and cynical power struggles. Meanwhile, an enigmatic traveling potion seller, known only as the Medicine Seller, quietly works his way into the Ooku just as a strange, supernatural menace begins to emerge.

Background

The release of Mononoke Movie 1: Karakasa was delayed from 2023 to the summer of 2024. The movie won the Bronze Award in the Best Animated Feature category at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival in 2024. The film was released on Blu-ray and DVD on December 18, 2024.