Iwanami Shoten will publish Princess Mononoke, volume 7 of the Studio Ghibli-edited Hayao Miyazaki Image Board Series, on December 3, 2026, according to an AnimeAnime report. The 184-page book collects 258 images, 90 of them published for the first time.
The volume prints in full the image boards for an early concept version of the project, along with the text of the 1993 Princess Mononoke picture book that Miyazaki wrote for those image boards. This version differed greatly from the 1997 film in both story and art style. It was conceived as a tale of a mononoke and a princess reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast.
That version was originally meant to become the film, but the plan collapsed when Miyazaki said, "This theme is already old" (translated), according to the report. After making the short On Your Mark, he decided not to be bound by his earlier ideas and moved in a new direction that led to the finished film. The book also includes image boards that show this transition.
An interview with Toshio Suzuki closes the book. He discusses Tataraba's origins, how Eboshi was envisioned and Princess Mononoke as gekiga, among other behind-the-scenes stories about both versions.
The Iwanami Shoten product page carries a recommendation from One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda: "There wasn't a single scene like this in the film! LOL" (translated). The book is priced at ¥6,000 before tax; the product page lists it at ¥6,600.