Alternative TitlesEnglish: Spirited Away Japanese: 千と千尋の神隠し
Information
Type: Movie
Episodes: 1
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Jul 20, 2001
Duration:
2 hr. 5 min. Rating:
PG - Children
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 8.881 (scored by 133694 users)
Ranked: #142
Popularity: #18
Members: 173,536
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Popular Tags
adventure drama fantasy ghibli supernatural |
SynopsisOn the way to their new home, 10-year-old Chihiro Ogino's family stumbles upon a deserted theme park. Intrigued, the family investigates the park, though unbeknown to them, it is secretly inhabited by spirits who sleep by day and appear at night. When Chihiro's mother and father eat food from a restaurant in the street, angry spirits turns them into pigs. Furthermore, a wide sea has appeared between the spirit world and the human one, trapping Chihiro, the sole human, in a land of spirits. Luckily for her though, a mysterious boy named Haku appears, claiming to know her from the past. Under his instructions, Chihiro secures a job in the bathhouse where Haku works. With only her courage and some new found friends to aid her, Chihiro embarks on a journey to turn her parents back to their original forms and return home.
[Written by MAL Rewrite] |
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Reviews
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jal90
145 of 175 people found this review helpful
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1 of 1 episodes seen
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| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
This is my first review in MyAnimeList, so I apologize in advance if you find the ideas I'll put forward here badly-written, explained or structured.
I am going to talk about Spirited Away (yeah, obvious). It's been quite a long time since I watched it for the last time, more than a year in fact; but I became a really fascinating and influential piece for me at that time, far enough to define my current love for Miyazaki's works, the Studio Ghibli and animation in general as an art and a strong way of expression. Today it's still one of my favorite animated features of any sort, and not because of its lack of flaws than its amazing blend of concepts.
The first thing that appeals the audience in this movie is its art and animation. I, as unexperienced and poor in technical knowledge about the subject, think it's utter fascinating, it manages to create a whole world out of nothing, and the use of lights and shades, the forms and colours make the overall experience a visual joy. And in addition to that I find the characters' gestures and movements extremely plastic and realistic, some other scenes have been mentioned in that aspect by other reviewers but I was particularly fond of that one where Chihiro is walking with her parents and she gradually moves away, only to come back to her position with a little run-up. These things don't happen, usually, in animation. In so far as they are unnecessary, easily ignorable and feel like a waste of resources, we hardly see characters making these little movements which in the end result in nothing relevant. Ghibli, however, animates them, and does it with such a mastery, a love for detail and a goddamn naturalism that I can't help but feel amazed.
As if the visual aspect wasn't good enough, the movie is also a pleasure for our ears and has what I consider the best track of my heavily worshipped Joe Hisaishi, one of the best (if not the best) film composers I have ever heard. Spirited Away is exceptionally good at that aspect; I'd say it's one of the very few cases in which there is, at some scenes, such a strong fusion between story and music, that I can't conceive nor think of one without the other.
But despite all of these beautiful qualities about its setting, the real substance of this movie is at its story. I apologize in advance, again, because as I'm going to develop some points I will give some free spoilers. If you haven't seen the movie I'd recommend to stop reading at this point.
It has been said many times by critics that Spirited Away felt like a senseless blend of magic elements, just a simple story filled with many things the author introduced undiscriminatingly to drag out the experience. Well, I have a quite different point of view for that device. I just can't conceive that the animation, for example, is taken to such a high level of detail and, on the other hand, that doesn't happen with the story. And by rewatching it repeatedly in a short amount of time (once every two months, more or less), I began to develop some theories about the nature of the world that is depicted here.
What must be considered at first is that all this magical world, with strange creatures and spells, is just an allegory for the always difficult transiton between childhood and the first steps of adulthood. It's the age you start dealing with responsibility, when you realize your acts have consequences and you have to make decisions that will affect your future; you define yourself and the course of your life. Miyazaki puts these simple concepts by transforming the need of finding an identity into a way to escape the wonderful yet cruel world where Chihiro is suddenly trapped. Its hostility imitates quite well the drama of the process, as it reinforces the need of an additional effort every one of us have to make at some point and reset our lives and our positions.
Does this mean that Yubaba's world is an undeveloped blend of magic, hostile things that only serve as a situation that Chihiro has to overcome at some point? Well, I don't think so, as it seems to have a clear structure and hierarchy. One of the stories I see compared more often with this one is Alice in Wonderland. However, I would define that as a blend of unrelated events, a story whose main charm lies in its anarchic, nearly nightmarish, narrative. Spirited Away is not like that in any way. In fact I think there is an effort to transmit a strong sense of logic throughout, it tries to delimit the causes and consequences of every single case.
The key character to understand how Yubaba's tyranny works is, in my opinion, Lin. She just happens to be the link between Chihiro and the rest of the magical creatures, just like somebody that is in some sort of intermediate level. Her physical appearance looks slightly transformed, but not as much as the rest. She is aware of the existence of another world outside of that one, the importance of remembering her name, her "identity"; and knowing that, she helps Chihiro and takes the role of a mother. I have the theory that every one of the creatures that live in Yubaba's world were once human, maybe little boys and girls like Chihiro who couldn't find the way to escape, or other people; and they ended up forgetting who they were, losing their "humanity" and becoming mere pieces of this world. Lin is a special case because it seems she's not lost her identity yet, at least not at all, but forgot at one point her name, the key to come back home, and knows her situation is irreversible. She maybe observed this in some of her companions when she arrived, and Chihiro reminds herself of that. Maybe because of that, because she knows and appreciates what she's doomed to lose, she decides to help her in an altruistic way.
And what about Kamaji? Another key character in Chihiro's development in there; he seems to be quite aware of his situation too. I'd say he is a bit like the "sacrificed" individual, who Yubaba used to start his project and maybe the only one that didn't lose his identity at all. He's a slave in this world, he knows it but can't help it.
So yes, I have a more "adult" and crude view of the overall concept. This definition of the magical public baths as a place were people are doomed to end up losing what makes them "special" is quite harsh and melancholic for a -as targeted and admitted by Miyazaki- kid's movie, and it might feel even weird, but that's how I interpreted it and I think it makes some sense.
Does this mean Yubaba is a villain? Well, define villain. Somebody whose only objective in life is to harm people? That's hardly what Yubaba is. She, for better or for worse, created a world, and made it work. She imposed some rules. We could even say she created her own utopia (and that doesn't mean she is naturally "bad"), why not? And, most important, she has a strong sense of honor, she dictates and also OBEYS her rules. One of the (maybe) main reasons why she loses her battle against Chihiro, in fact, is that her weakness is shown eventually (giant baby); and reveals a hypocritical attitude, as she is protecting her lovely child from any influence while she's always preaching the exact contrary. As she knows it, it's a shameful thing to admit and maybe here is where her image of forcefulness starts to teeter.
All in all, these examples just show that the real strength of this story lies in the characters, as they are always depicted in a detailed way. Yubaba not being the typical villain, or not even being a "villain" at all; Haku, the hero and the "positive" one here has also an overambitious side and is for the most part guilty of his situation... and Chihiro, of course. She is a spoiled brat who learns to appreciate some things, but in no way overreacting at these points, as she sounds real and relatable at every damn scene. It's quite easy to understand her, she's not made to be likeable but her portrayal is solid enough to make us join her development through the story.
I could spend hours and hours talking about this precious anime and its many details, the enigmatic role of No Face, the negative influence of the parents in Chihiro's behaviour, and so much more... I love it. It breathes mastery at (almost) every one of its points, and I can enjoy it in many levels. My only grip would be the way things are resolved, which I have always found too rushed; reading Miyazaki's opinion on that ending I've come to understand the intention behind, but still I'd say the metaphor is made too subtle for the audience, and maybe the execution is also somewhat clumsy. But aside from this minor flaw, I can't help but admire this fascinating, eye-captivating piece of art, my second favorite anime behind Grave Of The Fireflies. read more
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Aeterna
207 of 262 people found this review helpful
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1 of 1 episodes seen
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| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
When I first saw the movie, I didn't see what the big deal was. All right, so a girl gets whisked away to a fantasy world? We've heard that story before. And, unlike many other movies, there's no dramatic love story or epic battles and action scenes to keep you at the edge of your seat. Consequently, I didn't think of it as being very exciting.
Still, I watched it again and, for some reason, I got it the second time around. Spirited Away isn't meant to be anything grand, with all the bells and whistles. It has a quiet, subdued way of telling a simple story about a simple girl in a very strange world. Instead of expecting something huge, just sit back, watch, and appreciate the world and story Miyazaki has finely crafted for us all to enjoy.
To get to the technical aspects...
The art is, of course, amazing. The colours are rich and the animation is fluid. When Chihiro and her family first walk into the spirit world, you can practically feel the breeze as you watch it whisk through the grass. The lights of the spirit world at night are breathtaking. And watching the train ride closer to the end of the movie, coupled with the amazing music score (the track is called "The Sixth Station"), remains one of my most favourite animation sequences out of anything I've seen. Which brings me to another point: the music.
I will get this out of the way first - Joe Hisaishi is one of my favourite composers. His music style is very simple, but he makes every note count. Most of his music is quite subdued in nature and takes a careful ear to notice when your eyes are being captivated by what's going on in the screen, but do take notice if you have the chance. Or search on YouTube for videos of his live performances. His music is a joy to listen to. Like with Spirited Away, Hisaishi's music lacks all the "bells and whistles" per se, but it's beauty lies in its simplicity. Hisaishi has not failed here in Spirited Away.
I dearly loved the characters. One of the best parts of this movie, for me, was that it lacked any clear good or evil characters. Everyone has a bit of both, though perhaps some allow the evil sides of them to come out a bit more obviously than others. In this way, it's very realistic. Granted, the characters were all quite predictable and Chihiro grated on my nerves at times, but overall, I enjoyed each and every one of the characters Miyazaki has create here.
Overall, Spirited Away is one of my favourite movies and will always be a treasured item in my small DVD collection. It requires some patience to get through since it's not packed with action or drama, but it's a nice fairy tale to watch and enjoy. read more
Recommendations
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Similar Animation and Storyline (Disney-like)
Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle are visually stunning experiences with a strong surreal underpinning behind coming of age narratives. In both movies a magical world unfolds before bewildered young heroines who must claim a new position within apparent chaos. Spirited Away is more hectic and upbeat while Howl's focus on darker themes such as war and violence. Yet both invoke the same spirit of beautiful natural scenes rendered sublime by Miyazaki's unique style.
A mystical and enchanted storyline of romance permeates both of these wonderful creations by the same director
Weird mystical magical realms
This two great movies have the same creator and they both contain great stories about curse, love, and drama at the same time. If you'll notice upon watching them, the way they were drawn was also the same. In characters Haku(Spirited away) and Howl(HMC) do look alike. Both movies have great lessons and that after you watch them they will surely leave a good memory.
As you all likely know already, both Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away are the brainchild of Hayao Miyazaki; however, the two films share numerous similarities in addition to Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki's style.
Perhaps the greatest overbearing theme in both movies is the use of surreality bordering upon absurdism. Miyazaki is a master of this style. His movies are filled with surreal and inventive worlds and magical, unique characters. More so than any of his other films, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle invoke the same feeling of wonder to their majestic settings.
As far as the narrative goes, both movies are centered two young and bewildered coming of age heroins and their sojourns through the new and fantastic worlds they are discovering. Along the way, love, compassion, curiosity and development are evident in each of the protagonists. Miyazaki's protagonists are quite akin to Alice from Lewis Carrol's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, featuring young female leads as they journey through newly discovered mystical worlds.
Although Howl's Moving Castle contains a slightly darker theme with a violent war ravaging the world and Spirited Away has a lighter and more upbeat feel, both are excellent films laden heavy with Miyazaki's beautiful and sublime visions coupled with a mystical, romantic adventure.
Besides that both are made from Hayao Miyazaki, they both represent pure love and friendship. Spirited Away is about a girl, Chihiro, who depends on her friends to save her family from the magical world which they do not belong in and Howl's Moving Castle's, Sophie, relies on her friends, one of them supplies major eye candy, to release her from a curse. They both have happy endings and are films that are in my top ten favorite movies (Spirited Away is one of Roger Ebert's favorite movies) and they will definitely be yours too.
Both have gorgeous art and they both dwell in fantasy and the supernatural. They also have the same producers so they have similar art styles. What's more, they both have fascinating plots and lovable characters.
Same producers, Studio Ghibli. Both of the movies have a great story, same genre, romance, fantasy, supernatural, adventure and a very good drama. Both of movies are great and worth watching, has great lessons of love and friendship between the cast/characters of both of the movies.
Like magic? Like inventive transportation? The creators of Spirited Away and the talented voices of Billy Crystal, Lauren Bacall, Christian Bale, Jean Simmons, and Emily Mortimer bring Howl's Moving Castle to life. See a world where wizards and witches fight in a war and curses are cast on the innocent so nothing and no one is quite what it seems.
The plots are different but both have a girl as the protagonist as they accidently get involved in another world full of magical elements and fantasy.
Two different movies and both made by Hayao Miyazki. Both movies are highly creative, involve magical elements, very light underlying romance between the two characters and are both about a young girl who is leading an average life until suddenly being whisked away into a magical/spiritual adevnture.
Both were made by the same director and producer. Both are about a relationship between a human girl and unuseal guy. Both are fantasy, and the character's main goal is the same: remove the curse.
Sophie & Chihiro sound like they're both dreaming aren't they? They think they're dreaming and both are very dark anime. But actually it was really half-real and half-fantasy
Both are fantastical, dream-like, magical, captivating stories of Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.
These two movies are very similar. The ideas are almost like a copy of each other! One week after I had seen Spirited Away, I saw Howl's Moving Castle, and yet I was amazed by it! They made me realize what love truly means!
Same Animators, similar plot.
made by the same guy Hayao Miyazaki. He makes great anime movies that will leave you wanting more, I can't say that I didn't enjoy watching all of the movies that were made by him. His movies are very creative and original, if you've seen one, you should check out some of his others, they are all just as good. His movies are so great that I even re watched some of them a few times. anyways if you're interested in one of his movies, you're almost guaranteed to like the others. see for yourself.
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similiar style of heart-warming supernatural story with similiar facinating ghosts characters. Touching scenes & stories..
If you liked this anime you will definitely like Spirited Away, the main character in both animes can see spirits and they have to deal with them through it.
Both deal with the interactions between an ordinary human protagonist and the supernatural creatures they encounter. Both have similar meticulous pacing, themes of friendship, character growth, and are pretty much guaranteed to warm your heart at least a little.
Both are about Youkai. Well, Spirited Away is a wonderfull movie, completely must to see for everyone. The ones who enjoyed Natsume's story will love Chihiro.
Natsume Yuujinchou...
Natsume Yuujinchou revolves around a phycic teenage boy named Takashi Natsume, who is hounded by spirits on a regular basis.
Recently, Takashi's grandmother Reiko passed away, leaving him the mysterious 'Natsume book of friends'.
Reiko, in her youth, was quite a myschevious girl, who would challange spirits in the codition that if she won, she would seal their name in her notebook, rendering them a servant to her.
Upon inheriting this book, Natsume is faced with more spirits, those wanting thier names returned, and those out to steal the book in order to gain servants.
Spirited Away...
Spirited away revolves around a young girl named Chihiro, who, with her parent, walk into what they belive is an abandoned themepark. This is a trap.
After her parents are turned into pigs, the residents of this loccation finally appear, only to be revealed a series of bizzare spirits.
Chihiro is rescued by a mysterious young boy who knows nothing about his past, he advise's to keep her head down in order not to gain attention.
We soon discover that a which is dictating this spirit wold and stealing the name and identity of others, who have no choice but to serve her.
Natsume YuuJinchou has quite the oppsosite storyline to Spirited away, yet inspite of this, their are great similarities...
Spirited Away - A sweet little girl gets stranded in the spirit world, being the only human
Natsume Yuujinchou - A pleasant teenage orphaned boy, see spirits in his everyday life
Spirited Away - Thoses in the spirit world have their names taken from them, i.e. losing their identity and freedom
Natsume Yuujinchou - Many spirits have had their names stolen from them and sealed in the book of friends, i.e. losing their freedom
Both stories feature sweet, lovable main characters, who have a shapeshifting spirt acting as bodygaurd.
both are about spirits, but Spirited away has more action, and Natsume Yuujinchou is more relaxing, :)
both are full of loving characters you will never forget. while spirited away is more fast paced natsume yuujin is more slow and calm. Both are full of supernatural creatures and the determination of a child/teen to do what they think is right. fully fleshed out characters that are brought to life on the screen right before your eyes. if you liked spirited away you will love natsume yuujin because both are unforgettable in their own right.
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Opening Theme"Day of the River/Ano hi no kawa" by Joe Hisaishi
Ending Theme"Itsumo Nando demo (Always with Me)" by Yumi Kimura
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