The main conflict of the film arises when Chihiro and her family go into the spirit world and her parents get turned into pigs. There were people that "turned into pigs" during Japan's bubble economy (consumer society) of the 1980s, and these people still haven't realized they've become pigs. 6 min read. It is the farthest thing from a child-friendly environment there is. It represents the times when we were truly happy, living life with no worries, just enjoying everything. For both Chihiro and Haku, an understanding of the self and a reevaluation of the past is key in escaping the bathhouse. [126] Rayna Denison, professor of film, television, and media studies, told Time that "This is a film made by a master animator at the height of his powers and it is one where the quality of the animation really does set it apart from everything else around it. It thanked Chihiro by giving her medicine and a sack of gold. I haven't watched much anime so maybe I don't know what to look for. [63] In Argentina, it is in the top 10 anime films with the most tickets sold. Lin is portrayed as a human being in the film. What does no-face represent in Spirited Away? Although generally considered to be a childrens movie, Spirited Away can and is enjoyed by people of all ages. Haku reveals he is also working for Yubaba, and takes her back downstairs. The idea for Spirited Away came about when he wanted to make a film for these friends. Caught in the flow of narrative are some of the most beautiful stills in modern cinema, let alone animation. 2004. Despite the animation similarities, Spirited Away is not Totoro, the beloved "feel-good" classic, but an edgy portrayal of what a young girl needs to do to grow up and take responsibility for more than herself. Spirited Away (Japanese: , Hepburn: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, lit. [52] It was the first film that had grossed more than $200 million at the worldwide box office excluding the United States. Look at this soot ball scene. There is also this one, and although this may be a stretch, but it is a house on an island with a red roof and a single palm tree during the train scene. She is distraught at the idea of moving away, though her parents see it as an opportunity for her. What is Spirited Away supposed to be about? When her parents take a detour to an abandoned amusement park, Chihiro and her family are transported to the spirit realm before the latter are transformed into pigs. [59] The company would then on-sell it to independent distributors across the world. I got so invested in the world and characters that when it was over, I felt sad. When you help people around you with your generosity and tenacity, people feel the gratitude to help you back even if you dont ask for it. "[39] Derek Elley of Variety said that Spirited Away "can be enjoyed by sprigs and adults alike" and praised the animation and music. There are multiple scenes going on like that. It's almost flawless though in the animation department. [134][135], On a limited time release from November 11 to December 18 in 2022,[136][137] the Imperial Theater performance of the play was available for rental in Japan in several streaming services such as ABEMA, Amazon Prime Video Japan, Docomo Anime Store, Fuji TV on Demand, Hulu Japan and U-NEXT.[138]. It symbolizes giving in to one's temptations and emotions. Be the first one to comment on this story. [55] It also set the all-time attendance record in Japan, surpassing the 16.8 million tickets sold by Titanic. [113][failed verification], Spirited Away is frequently regarded as one of the best films of the 21st century as well as one of the greatest animated films ever made. On Chihiro's first night, a stink spirit shows up at the bathhouse. Spirited Away is, amongst many things, a journey. It only became clean again when Chihiro pulled out a huge amount of trash, including car tires, garbage, and a bicycle. They tell the story without feeling the need to dumb things down, stop to have a "kiddie moment", break into song, or make the adults into absolute morons. The fact the film was made without a script only adds to this natural evolution of Chihiro. I always thought that Princess Mononoke was a superior film. [26] The soundtrack received awards at the 56th Mainichi Film Competition Award for Best Music, the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2001 Best Music Award in the Theater Movie category, and the 17th Japan Gold Disk Award for Animation Album of the Year. Significantly, it was with this film that he introduced hundreds of thousands to the films of Studio Ghibli, who might not have discovered the animation house otherwise. Sen feeds Haku part of the emetic dumpling, causing him to vomit up a seal he stole, saving him from its deadly curse. Spirited Away (2001), Chihiro and Haku are precious babies who need to be protected at all costs. However, Alice in Wonderland (IMO) was part of a change in style for Disney towards an aesthetic that they would keep until the 90s Disney Renaissance. On the 15th anniversary of its release in Japan, Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushitranslated as "Sen and Chihiro's Spiriting Away"remains untouched by rivals for its blend of the spiritual, the realistic, the fantastic, and the human. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. It is known to all that, it doesnt matter whether a film is successful or not, Studio Ghibli doesnt make any sequel of any of his films. Chihiro is subsequently forced to take on adult roles, landing a job at the nearby bathhouse at the cost of her full name. As critic Roger Ebert pointed out in his review of the film, each frame is made with an overwhelming amount of "generosity and love." Understanding the Japanese language a little better can help you better appreciate certain aspects of the film. Only Zabuza didnt show Haku love, he treated him with the same philosophy that was beaten into him as a child, to use him as a tool and nothing more. Lasseter obliged by agreeing to serve as the executive producer for the English adaptation. "[98] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 96 out of 100 based on 41 critics, indicating "universal acclaim. Spirited Away was created without a script. As sentimental as that is, it's also astute. Spirited Away is regarded as Miyazaki's magnum opus and has often been listed among the greatest films of all time. We use cookies. Like Chihiro, he too has lost part of his name and is stranded in the bathhouse. That weird set of repeating notes as he tries to give her gold is great. [9] At the time, Miyazaki was developing two personal projects, but they were rejected. His mustache alone is almost a separate character to animate. [14] It held the record for 19 years until it was surpassed by Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train in 2020. [46] In stark contrast to the simplicity of Chihiro's journey and transformation is the constantly chaotic carnival in the background. This is a literal name given to her by the wolf spirit Moro who raised her. Many people compare it to Alice in Wonderland but other than the fact that the main character enters a crazy fantasy world, there's really nothing else much in common.. She had a best friend called Hotaru Imai, she was a type of girl that didn't show her feelings, but you did know that she really cared for Mikan. In "Spirited Away," that feeling is what it's like to be a young child in a strange, foreign, and ultimately adult world characterized by excess and greed. There are a metric ton of Easter Eggs in Spirited Away. I feel like this is the best place to discuss specific topics. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2012-2023 On Secret Hunt - All Rights Reserved None of those softballs is copied and pasted, they are all uniquely drawn. After Chihiro saves No-Face with the emetic dumpling, he becomes timid once more. She has to navigate the spirit world she gets trapped in by working in a bathhouse run by an overlord called Yu-baaba. Sen, No-Face, and Boh travel with train tickets given to Sen by Kamaji. [34] Screenwriters Cindy Davis Hewitt and Donald H. Hewitt penned the English-language dialogue, which they wrote in order to match the characters' original Japanese-language lip movements. Your login session has expired. All she has to remember her friends is a bouquet. "[19] Another major inspiration was the Notoya Ryokan (), a traditional Japanese inn located in Yamagata Prefecture, famous for its exquisite architecture and ornamental features. By Erik Pedersen, Deadline Oct 17, 2019. This beauty is universal, but of course there's subtlety that's lost in translation. ", As with any film that has quickly reached a cult status, you can fall down a hole of Spirited Away theories. The spirit of a polluted river arrives as Sens first customer. In Spirited Away, we have Chihiro's parents and No-Face at first. [23] The Dgo Onsen is also often said to be a key inspiration for the Spirited Away onsen/bathhouse. Zabuza is moved by Narutos words, bringing him to tears and finally, albeit too late, seeing the love Haku had for him. [47], The second allusion is seen in Haku himself. Identity is one of the key themes of Spirited Away, most potently expressed in Chihiro losing her name to Yubaba, or Haku remembering he is really a water spirit. You Are Here: what happened to calista flockhart zta password zip why is spirited away so sad Lin leads her to the top floor to find the witch. She then undergoes a rite of passage according to the monomyth format; to recover continuity with her past, Chihiro must create a new identity. ", Reider, Noriko T. 11 February 2009. One thing about Ghibli movies is that there's never really one unifying moral or theme to take from the story. I felt the same way first few times I saw the movie. Spirited Away is undoubtedly a masterpiece upon watching it. In another article detailing Hayao Miyazaki's wide impact to the film industry, he wrote "The influence of Spirited Away can be easily observed in Disney productions like Brave and Frozen, thanks to John Lasseter's (the Chief Creative Officer of Pixar) efforts to introduce it to Western audiences". Why Is Spirited Away So Special? I think that from watching this film, I learned that sometimes when things get tough, you just have to be a little brave. [11], The cast of the film consists of Daveigh Chase, Jason Marsden, Suzanne Pleshette (in her final film role before her death in January 2008), Michael Chiklis, Lauren Holly, Susan Egan, David Ogden Stiers and John Ratzenberger (a Pixar regular). [19], Production of Spirited Away commenced in February 2000 on a budget of 1.9 billion (US$15 million). She has trouble walking down the steps to the boiler man, Kamaji, but eventually manages to make it down. It's beautifully animated, full of great imagery, complex, has many different emotions/themes, deceptively dark, and a great score. [45] Many of the employees are rude to Chihiro because she is human, and corruption is ever-present;[41] it is a place of excess and greed, as depicted in the initial appearance of No-Face. [I]t's not a story in which the characters grow up, but a story in which they draw on something already inside them, brought out by the particular circumstances []. [110] In 2022, the film was ranked number 75 on Sight & Sound's greatest films list, being one of two animated films to make the list (alongside Miyazaki's own My Neighbor Totoro). How often can you say a film has been made for young girls, rather than money or mainstream audiences? "Don't mess this up," she warns. So much to take in, it kinda makes me feel sick. They believe theyll be happy thanks to the food. They made some fantastic kids movies back in the 80s. [8], Chihiro's archetypal entrance into another world demarcates her status as one somewhere between child and adult. Eventually, Chihiro remembers that he used to be the spirit of the Kohaku River, which was destroyed and replaced with apartments. Another reading is that the spirit world represents old Japan, one that is struggling alongside new Japan, the "real" world of Chihiro and her family. Just watch this clip and see the amount of changes happening second to second in Yubaba's face compared to the queen of hearts. 2010. During her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts. Nobody else was making films that looked like this or that were as inventive as this was at this time". Please logout and login again. [133], A stage adaptation of Spirited Away was announced in February 2021 with a world premiere planned in Tokyo on February 28, 2022. Despite the animation similarities, Spirited Away is not Totoro, the beloved feel-good classic, but an edgy portrayal of what a young girl needs to do to grow up and take responsibility for more than herself. It is a core tenant of Shintoism, one that populates many of Miyazaki's films such as Princess Mononoke. [91] In the United Kingdom, the film's Studio Ghibli anniversary release appeared several times on the annual lists of best-selling foreign language film on home video, ranking number six in 2015,[92] number five in 2016,[93] and number one in 2019. This will only be a few that are noticeable. Just like Spirited Away, many movies follow a similar theme of self-discovery and focus on the true value of friendship and love. The film makes itself, and I have no choice but to follow." The ending of Spirited Away is weird upon first watching it. Originally introduced as Chihiro's first ally in the Spirit World, Haku seems to have a darker side to him as he knowingly follows the dastardly orders of Yubaba on occasion. Totoro himself might look and sound a bit odd, but he's quite sweet and gentle. It became NTV's most-watched film of all time with a 46.9% audience rating, surpassing the 35.1% record previously set by Princess Mononoke in 1999.[95]. Chihiro was primarily motivated by a purpose rescuing her parents. I felt so lost and confused watching it, even though I comprehended and understood everything that was going on. [2] Walt Disney Pictures financed ten percent of the film's production cost for the right of first refusal for American distribution. Yet this one really does deserve it: an enchanted and enchanting feature from the Japanese animator Hayao . The museum made Miyazaki feel nostalgic, "especially when I stand here alone in the evening, near closing time, and the sun is setting tears well up in my eyes. Another reason could be the spiritual content of Spirited Away, since China's official regulator prohibits films that "promote cults or superstition" because such ideas are not compatible with.

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