Yes, Mononoke The Movie: The Phantom in the Rain is worth watching, provided you want a film that hits hard and rarely lets up. It is one of the most visually aggressive anime features on Netflix, with a supernatural mystery set inside Edo Castle’s women’s quarters. Its strengths are a striking, paper-textured look and a story that keeps tightening. Its main risk is fatigue: the style is intense enough that some viewers will find it overwhelming rather than thrilling.
What the film is
The 2024 feature is set in the Ōoku, the women’s quarters of Edo Castle. Asa arrives hoping to improve her standing there, while Kame is looking for a place where she belongs. Newcomers must pass an induction ceremony in which they sacrifice a cherished belonging to the Water Goddess. Soon a strange disturbance spreads through the quarters, and the Medicine Seller is called in to investigate.
The Medicine Seller cannot draw the Sacred Sword until he works out the mononoke’s “Form,” “Truth” and “Reason.” That investigation is the spine of the film, and it runs alongside the pressures of the institution itself: rank, obligation and the emotional cost of belonging. The supernatural mystery and the social drama are not separate tracks; the film uses one to explain the other.
Netflix’s September 26, 2024 announcement lists Kenji Nakamura as director, with Hiroshi Kamiya as the Medicine Seller, Tomoyo Kurosawa as Asa, Aoi Yuki as Kame and Mami Koyama as Utayama. Kitsuneko Nagata handled character design, Yuichi Takahashi character design and chief animation direction, Yoichi Senzui visual direction, and Taku Iwasaki the music.
#1 Best Overall
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The visual approach
Most of the film’s reputation rests on how it looks. Netflix describes a world that resembles a painted handscroll, built with computer graphics and Japanese paper textures, with bold art, distinctive shots and unusual color. In practice, that means flat planes of color, textured surfaces that look like washi rather than smooth digital cels, and compositions that cut hard between close, cramped spaces and sudden, wide ones.
The effect is deliberate, and it is the source of both the praise and the complaints. When the film works, the image itself carries the sense of dread and strangeness that the plot describes. When it does not, the constant stylistic pressure can flatten emotional beats, because every scene is pitched at the same high intensity. A viewer who wants quiet pauses to absorb character moments may find little room for them.
Rank #2
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What critics say
Critical reaction is mixed but leans positive. The Rotten Tomatoes page counts four critic reviews, and the excerpts below are the ones that name their reviewer and outlet. Rotten Tomatoes is an aggregator, so the opinions belong to the individual critics.
| Reviewer | Outlet or site | Score as displayed | Main point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Schley | The Japan Times | Not stated | Describes a shift from the series’ cool, deliberate pacing to a film that is hot, overwhelming and nonstop |
| Charles Hartford | But Why Tho? | 7.5/10 | Calls the film worth experiencing despite unclear character motivation and visual excess |
| Erick Massoto | Collider | 9/10 | Praises a compelling story alongside its looks |
Schley’s comparison with the 2007 series is the most useful reference point for viewers. He writes: “If the original series was cool, with its deliberate pacing, ironic detachment and dry humor, and that swinging theme song by jazz singer Charlie Kosei, the film version is hot: overwhelming, in-your-face, nonstop and loud.” That is an attributed impression of tone and pacing rather than a measured comparison of runtime or editing, but it captures the trade the film makes.
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The scores above are individual reviews, not a consensus rating, and they should not be averaged into a single verdict.
Do you need to watch the series first?
Mononoke began as the Goblin Cat segment of Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales, which aired in 2006, and was adapted into a television anime in 2007. The film is a new story under the same creator and director, so it does not require prior viewing. According to Netflix’s franchise note, familiarity adds context to the world and its tone, but the official material does not say the film depends on the earlier work.
Rank #4
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Viewers who know the series will recognize its ironic, detached attitude and the sharpened supernatural framing. Newcomers should expect a film that moves quickly and assumes you can keep pace with a dense, intense style.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The trilogy and where to watch
Netflix’s August 19, 2026 announcement describes this film as chapter I of a trilogy. It says chapter II, The Ashes of Rage (2025), follows it, and that chapters I and II are streaming on Netflix. The same announcement gives September 29, 2026 as the date for chapter III, The Curse of the Serpent. Because that date has now passed, check the Netflix title page for your region to confirm chapter III’s current status.
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Best Value
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Netflix classifies the film as a 2024 anime and lists it under Japanese mystery and thriller, horror and anime categories. Audio and subtitle options vary by region, so confirm the language support on your local listing before you start.
The manga and the print route
For readers who want the story in print, a Kodansha manga adaptation of the franchise is collected in two volumes, according to a secondary reference. A Japanese light novel adaptation dated June 13, 2024 is also listed there. I could not confirm current editions, English translations or stock, so check publisher catalogs before buying a specific edition.
Who should watch it
- Watch it if you like supernatural mysteries with social texture, and you enjoy a film that treats its look as part of the storytelling.
- Watch it if you are a fan of the 2007 series and want a louder, faster take on its world.
- Think twice if you need calm, readable character moments or dislike constant high-intensity visuals.
- Think twice if unclear motivation bothers you, since critics flagged that as a weakness.
The film earns its “overwhelming stunner” reputation through its visual commitment. Whether that counts as a stunner or an exhausting assault depends on how much sensory force you are willing to absorb.
Quick Recap
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