Chihiro is a 10-year old girl who's supposed to move to a new house with her
mom and dad. Chihiro's dad makes a wrong turn somewhere and the three find
themselves in front of a mysterious tunnel with a stone statue blocking their
path.
Chihiro and her folks walk through the tunnel and find themselves in a quaint
little town surrounded by lush greenery. Chihiro's parents spot a fully
stocked food stall and promptly start eating, but Chihiro decides to go off
and wander around town.
Upon Chihiro's return, she is horrified to see that her parents have turned
into pigs... and she has no idea how to turn them back into humans again. To
top it off, Chihiro is stuck in a place where human beings aren't supposed to
go to... with only an enigmatic boy named Haku as her guide.
Review: Spirited Away
For some reason I'm having a hard time writing this review. Right after I
finished watching the two-hour spectacle that is Spirited Away Crunchyroll, I was left
quite speechless. Speechless because the whole viewing experience was so
involving and immersive that I felt awed and drained at the same time.
While Spirited Away begins in modern day Japan, about 90% of the film takes
place in the strange world that Chihiro and her parents unwittingly stumble
upon. Right after Chihiro's parents become pigs, a fine-looking boy named Haku
comes to her aid and tells her that the only way to survive in that town is to
get a job.
Thus Chihiro enters into a contract with Yubaba, the materialistic witch who
runs the bath house. But in exchange for a job, Yubaba seizes Chihiro's name
and renames her Sen. With the help of a kindly old man named Kamaji and feisty
young woman named Rin, Chihiro becomes pretty good at her new job -- winning
over some unlikely allies for her quest to save her parents and find her way
back home. Chihiro's adventure is so incredible and engrossing that I felt I
myself was spirited away.
As is the case with Hayao Miyazaki's other works
("Princess Mononoke", "Kiki's Delivery Service", etc.), Spirited Away
boasts of crisp, magnificent, and painstakingly detailed visuals which capture
everything -- from the hustle and bustle of the city to the serene beauty of
the Japanese countryside. Character designs maintain Miyazaki's trademark
simplicity.
Experiencing the overall effect of the smooth and flowing character motions,
realistic facial expressions
(I felt really really sorry for Chihiro whenever she would cry), and
glorious settings all together is the key to appreciating the art and
animation to the fullest. I also found the Japanese voices to be extremely
well-cast. I can't comment on the English dubbed version because I have not
yet seen it at this time.
I can't reiterate enough that Spirited Away is not just an ordinary film, it's
an experience. Hayao Miyazaki has really outdone himself with this gem, even
displacing Titanic as Japan's highest grossing film to date. Definitely a
must-see, definitely a must-have.
Miscellanies: Spirited Away
Like almost all other Studio Ghibli anime titles, Spirited Away's R2 DVD release
features English subtitles.
Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) | |
| Genre | Adventure, Award Winning, Supernatural |
|---|---|
| Episodes | 1 |
| Status | Finished Airing |
| Aired | Jul 20, 2001 |
| Producers | Toho |
| Studio | Studio Ghibli |
| Rating | PG - Children |
| Themes | Mythology |
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