I just watched Princess Mononoke for the first time this last week and I have to say, I think it is the best Studio Ghibli film I've seen, which includes Sprited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and My Neighbor Totoro.
But every time I see these films ranked Spirited Away is on top. Why is this? In my opinion, Princess Mononoke has fantastic characters, beautiful animation and music (like all of these films) and much more coherent story. Other Ghibli films seem to rely on wtf moments, which makes sense because these stories are supposed to give the viewer the same sense of disorientation and confusion as the main character, and these moments have their meaning but I feel like Princess Mononoke is able to stand out in its straightforwardness. The film has a fairly simple plot, comparatively, but is able to tie everything together beautifully.
What are your thoughts? Where do you think Princess Mononoke stands among its peers?