'Spirited Away' (2001)

Genre: Fantasy and Adventure

Director: Miyazaki Hayao

Writer: Miyazaki Hayao

Editor: Seyama Takeshi

Music by: Joe Hisaishi

Rated: PG

While Chihiro and her family drive to their new town, they take a short which leads them to a tunnel in the middle of the forest. Against Chihiro’s wishes, her family walks through the eerie tunnel to an abandoned town. Soon a new world emerges and Chihiro is thrown into a situation where she needs to work in a bathhouse in order to save her parents and go back to her own world.

My first Ghibli movie, ‘Spirited Away’, a colorful and lively film with interesting characters. ‘Spirited Away’ and ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ are most likely the introduction movies to Studio Ghibli. The beautiful animation won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2003. ‘Spirited Away’ a fun film to watch with heartfelt friendship and relations with the characters within the movie world.  

=================May Contain Spoilers============

Chihiro voices her dislike of moving to a new town, but through the film she gains self-confidence. When I was younger, my family moved a lot, so I understood Chihiro’s reaction to leaving all her friends and her comfort zone. Through the film, Chihiro pauses to collect herself before she takes a big step. People have that moment where they are hesitant, but it’s an action they need to take.   

There’s different insight to the film, same may or may not be true. Some people think too much about the meaning of the film and such, but I’m writing based on of what I notice from other Ghibli and Miyazaki Hayao’s work. The film shows different spirits and guardians such as the Radish spirit and the River guardian, based on the Shinto belief on how there are various spirits around you. Chihiro is introduce to her first customer, a Stink/Sludge spirit. In the end, it’s revealed that the Stink/Sludge spirit is actually a River guardian. During the transition, junk spills out from the River guardian such as old bikes, sludge, etc that changed the guardian’s form. It relates to human pollution where the environment is becoming a trashcan for humans around the world.

I saw a documentary about Miyazaki Hayao, and the video talked about how he really enjoys European style. In several of his film, such as ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ and ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’.  Yubaba’s style seems influence by European/Western in her fashion and her décor. Yubaba lives on the top of the Bath House and has a European/Western feel, while the bottom and the outside of the Bath House has a Japanese style. It’s been said that the film takes place during a time in Japan where they are influence with Western as seen with Chihiro’s Dad’s car and attire.

It is mention by Yababa how Chihiro is a lazy, crybaby which connects her to Bou, Yababa’s giant baby who stays inside all day. Chihiro’s struggle shows how she’s not used to harsh labor with lifting a large coal while in the boiling room, manners when addressing to people, and how behind she is in cleaning compared to the other girls. Chihiro meets No Face, a spirit who takes a liking to Chihiro and desperately seeks Chihiro’s approval. No Face is like an innocent child who is influence by the greediness of the Bath House and the norm. No Face sees how everyone reacts to gold and believes that would please Chihiro also. When No Face swallows someone, it affects No Face in becoming greedy and gluttony where nothing satisfies him. Chihiro becomes the adult when dealing with No Face and tries to help No Face to not be affected by the bath house’s greed.

Chihiro finds friendship with the boiler man, Kamaji, a sassy, but caring worker Lin, and Haku. Lin acts tough, but it nice and takes Chihiro under her wing while working at the bath house. Kamaji connects Chihiro to Lin and helps her get a job. Kamaji comments how he’s also helped Haku when he first arrived and you can see they have a close relationship as Haku calls Kamaji ‘Oji-san’ which means ‘grandfather’.  The people who Chihiro meet help her to succeed, with the first person being Haku.

I love the relationship between Chihiro and Haku, and how they always work hard to help one another in the film. ‘Spirited Away’ is a magical adventure that you should watch at least once to experience the ride that the film provides.