There is one part I always remember about Princess Mononoke. Well, a few parts: that creepy scene with the humans disguised as boars and the tentacle animal monsters, for instance. But one line in particular stuck with me more than any other. At the climax when Lady Eboshi shoots the great forest spirit. A bullet pierces its head, but it calmly continues walking. The men look on in disbelief, and Lady Eboshi chastises them, “He’s a god, you fool. It’ll take more than one shot.”

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Immortality—or a functional equivalent—is one of those situations that presents an interesting challenge to writers. It has no real life equivalent, so writers have nothing to reference to give it verisimilitude. Like all unorthodox situations, the freedom available to writers is offset by the need to ground it in reality and consistency. How would one react to situations, how would they act, if they had lived for centuries or millenia? How would it affect their outlook? Or their emotions?

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