The finale of Kenji Nakamura’s vibrant animated movie trilogy is just around the corner. If you are a Demon Slayer fan and can’t wait for the next chapter in the Infinity Castle movie trilogy, Mononoke delivers the same amount of visual flair, unforgettable characters, and battles against evil creatures. The final movie in this trilogy, Mononoke The Movie: Chapter III — The Curse of the Serpent, premieres on Sept. 29 globally on Netflix.
Mononoke began in the early 2000s as an anime series, where its lush visuals and the mysterious protagonist, known only as the Medicine Seller, bewitched audiences with his charm and skill in exorcising specters known as monoke. The TV series became so beloved that Nakamura’s expansion into a movie trilogy following the Medicine Seller made sense. Better yet, it would look more beautiful than ever, with an animation style resembling a stunning ukiyo-e woodblock print.
However, while the anime series followed “the demon-slaying Poirot of the Edo period” on adventures across multiple locations, in the movie trilogy, the Medicine Seller peddles his wares and services in the Ōoku, where concubines and handmaidens dedicate their lives to the Emperor’s service.
Following on the heels of the previous two films, Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) and Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II — The Ashes of Rage (2025), The Curse of the Serpent follows the Medicine Seller as he investigates the Midaidokoro, the shogun’s wife and the highest-ranking woman in the Ōoku. The Midaidokoro wields considerable power and, given that the previous films have established that the spirits known as mononoke appear only from human passions and grudges, we can safely assume plenty of anger and resentment is directed at the woman in charge.
Each chapter of the trilogy focuses on the women’s internal strife and anguish, with the only difference being their rank within the Ōoku. The Phantom of the Rain spotlighted a new maiden, Asa, as she tried to rise in her career, whereas The Ashes of Rage homed in on the cutthroat politics behind the Imperial succession and what depravity concubines are willing to succumb to in order to give the Emperor a male heir. Each movie grapples with the community and politics within the Ōoku, and though the supernatural and mystery elements are just as interesting, it’s the inner workings of this setting that really make Mononoke excel beyond how daring and bold it looks.
With two previous films to grapple with, we’re endlessly curious about how Nakamura will wrap up this trilogy in a way that’s satisfying and engages with the themes set up. Though, considering how much we enjoyed The Phantom in the Rain and The Ashes of Rage, we’re going into the finale with high hopes.
Mononoke The Movie: Chapter III — The Curse of the Serpent premieres on Sept. 29 on Netflix. The first two movies are available to stream now on Netflix.
