[99] Elvis Mitchell of The New York Times positively reviewed the film and praised the animation. When she journeys to return a special golden seal to the witch Zeniba, she discovers something unexpected. It is a magical story about a young girl named Chihiro. [62] Outside of Japan and the United States, the movie was moderately successful in both South Korea and France where it grossed $11 million and $6 million, respectively. What I like about a lot of Miyazaki's films is that there is no clear good vs evil dichotomy. The website's critics consensus reads, "Spirited Away is a dazzling, enchanting, and gorgeously drawn fairy tale that will leave viewers a little more curious and fascinated by the world around them. By Erik Pedersen, Deadline Oct 17, 2019. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Names themselves are important as a signifier of identity throughout. Most Animes and all but the best Disney movies (every direct to dvd disney movie) will cheat on the backgrounds in short scenes. Miyazaki did not want to make the hero a "pretty girl". I think its awesome that you feel that way. 'one thousand') can be thought of as symbolic of capitalism's single-minded concern with value.[41]. [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 is the story of a young girl who finds herself about to enter a world that she knows nothing about and expects the worst things to happen. Regardless, the ending is more of a symbol for maturity and moving on since Chihiro only looks back once away from the spirit world. He becomes extremely volatile after being fed the River Spirits emetic dumpling by Chihiro, and, while fleeing from the obviously now-hostile spirit, she calls out to him twice to follow her. This is exactly why it resonates so well with people of all ages and why Chihiro feels so real. Chihiro's parents aren't pleased by her behavior and lack of open-mindedness. The story of "Spirited Away" follows a young girl named Chihiro (voiced by Daveigh Chase) as she and her family are moving into a new city. Part of "Spirited Away" is about Chihiro realizing this herself. At the beginning, he was frustrated at how she looked "dull" and thought, "She isn't cute. They believe theyll be happy thanks to the food. [78] The movie was released on Blu-ray by Walt Disney Studios Japan on 14 July 2014, and DVD was also reissued on the same day with a new HD master, alongside several other Studio Ghibli movies.[79][80]. [57][58], In February 2002, Wild Bunch, an international sales company that had recently span-off from its former parent StudioCanal, picked up the international sale rights for the film outside of Asia and France. However, Chihiro discovers that her parents have become pigs, and the exit is blocked. [7] The film features the voices of Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takeshi Naito, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Tsunehiko Kamij, Takehiko Ono, and Bunta Sugawara. I suppose Spirited Away gets special attention because it's his most successful worldwide. One suggests that the whole thing is an allegory for child prostitution, with the bathhouse taking on more sinister undertones. It is a motif to clue the audience in as to something magical taking place that Chihiro truly isn't in Kansas anymore, as The Wizard of Oz quote goes. [8], Chihiro's archetypal entrance into another world demarcates her status as one somewhere between child and adult. The way the imagery married the score, allowing the notes to carry a surreal story through the movie was inspiring. Spirited Away was number ten in the "1001 greatest films off all time" thread. How depressing," she says, only to be reminded by her mom that her dad bought her one for her birthday. haha. Upon gaining employment at the bathhouse, Yubaba's seizure of Chihiro's true name symbolically kills the child,[40] who must then assume adulthood. Taking a cue from Alice in Wonderland, Spirited Away turns the awkward move from childhood to adulthood into a fantasy metaphor. Spirited Away is one of director Hayao Miyazaki's most famous films. [20][21] As with Princess Mononoke, Miyazaki and the Studio Ghibli staff experimented with computer animation. [8] After her parents are turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba (Natsuki), Chihiro takes a job working in Yubaba's bathhouse to find a way to free herself and her parents and return to the human world. What a great post, thank you for writing this. When No Face is running amok every single member of the crowd is a unique hand drawn character. Chihiro was primarily motivated by a purpose rescuing her parents. 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. Sen feeds Haku part of the emetic dumpling, causing him to vomit up a seal he stole, saving him from its deadly curse. It was the co-recipient of the Golden Bear at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival (shared with Bloody Sunday), and is within the top ten on the British Film Institute's list of "Top 50 films for children up to the age of 14". The excitement and wonder of a child's mind are so different and beautiful, we miss when we were like that. The world is open, optimistic, and unrestrained. Parents need to know that My Neighbor Totoro is a fine pick for the entire family. Once Chihiro rejects his gold and he drops it to the ground, the workers trying to get the gold anger No Face, because he thinks they are disrespecting him. Spirited Away might actually be overrated. And that's how the protagonist of Spirited Away is portrayed. These godsgigantic wolves and boars with the gift of speechare joined by a human raised by wolves named San, AKA Princess Mononoke, who tries to assassinate Eboshi. It's a rare film that young fans will keep with them and show to their children and grandchildren. While exploring alone, Chihiro finds a bathhouse and meets a boy named Haku, who warns her to leave. The character animations have more keyframes of substantive movement than almost any hand drawn film. Anime studio shares new production secrets, including the real inspiration behind the bathhouse. The river spirit as mentioned above is another, and the parents becoming pigs. 6 min read. Can somebody explain why? So the very short answer to the question we embarked on in the very beginning, Chihiro doesnt look back because she learned her lessons. "[39] Derek Elley of Variety said that Spirited Away "can be enjoyed by sprigs and adults alike" and praised the animation and music. Miyazaki says of this:.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, In my grandparents' time, it was believed that kami existed everywhere in trees, rivers, insects, wells, anything. - Zeniba. It was a few years since I watched the movie and I didn't realize how amazing the animation actually is! They're complex, conflicted, selfish, selfless, enduring, tiring creatures. It's fair to say that most adults, at least in the first world, probably feel they lived relatively safe childhoods. | Tenkai-japan:Cool Japan Guide-Travel, Shopping, Fashion, J-pop", "Focus Newspaper: Hayao Miyazaki, 72-year-old Mischievous Youngster (from 3:00 mark)", "()/ (The name of life/late summer)", " (Joe Hisaishi Spirited Away Image Album)", The Making of Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" Part 3, "Beyond Wonderland: 'Spirited Away' Explores The Significance of Dreams in the Real World", "Studio Ghibli letter sheds new light on Spirited Away mysteries", "What does "Spirited Away" say about Environmentalism? The ending of Spirited Away is weird upon first watching it. She has trouble walking down the steps to the boiler man, Kamaji, but eventually manages to make it down. Miyazaki cites the solstice rituals when villagers call forth their local kami and invite them into their baths. The central theme symbolized and represented in Spirited Away is humanity's inhumanity towards nature. His third proposal, which ended up becoming Sen and Chihiro's Spirited Away, was more successful. They eat too much of a food that doesnt even belong to them, and they end up turning into pigs. She then undergoes a rite of passage according to the monomyth format; to recover continuity with her past, Chihiro must create a new identity. Because of humans' need for development, they destroyed a part of nature, causing Haku to lose his home and identity. These sorts of films just feel like fever dreams like the sort where things are going crazy and you try to run but cant etc. No-Face becomes obsessed with Chihiro, and wants to see her and her only. 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. This delivery of sensitive spiritual and emotional messages made Spirited Away the highest-grossing film in Japanese history. She further explained that cartoons in the West have often been seen as "childish, vulgar, things that you didn't take seriously" but after the film took home the Academy Award, people were starting to see animation as "a real art form". Although dream-like and foreign, the feelings painted by the music and characters leap off the screen and grab hold of us, which is all we need to be able to follow and relate. "Don't mess this up," she warns. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Spirited Away is an Oscar winning Japanese animated film about a ten year old girl who wanders away from her parents along a path that leads to a world ruled by strange and unusual monster-like animals. Who is the new host of Dancing with the Stars? "[102], In 2004, Cinefantastique listed the film as one of the "10 Essential Animations". And when it ended I just felt empty inside, even though what happens towards the end is happy. It is a core tenant of Shintoism, one that populates many of Miyazaki's films such as Princess Mononoke. [97] Combined, the film drew a 970,000 UK television viewership on BBC2 between 2010 and 2011. Anyone with . [84] GKIDS and Shout! All of the characters did amazing in my opinion, but those were just two that really stood out. We have to say that this Spirited Away quote got us laughing to help us get through the sad moments of the movie. Spirited Away is an anime movie from Hayao Miyazaki, one of the greatest Japanese animation directors. It was later officially released on DVD in the UK on 29 March 2004, with the distribution being done by Optimum Releasing themselves. Totoro himself might look and sound a bit odd, but hes quite sweet and gentle. Really? Where Disney or Hollywood always provides a clear cut villain, and there is a struggle by a hero to triumph over evil. Not looking back is a huge theme in the movie, said Haku to Chihiro as she leaves the spirit world and goes back to the human world. Chihiro and her parents are moving to a small Japanese town in the countryside, much to Chihiro's dismay. [119][120][121] Comic Book Resources wrote that the film "set the bar extremely high for all anime movies that followed it -- including Studio Ghibli's." There is a timeless quality that allows us to rewatch it over and over again, nurturing a deep fondness for the things that speak to us most in the film. [128] Co-writers Ken and Ryan Firpo cited the film as one of the influences that helps them explore "ideas of morality and humanity" in Eternals. [131] Writer Jonathan Clements, whose published works revolve around East Asian culture, anime, and Japanese television dramas, emphasized that the film's Oscar win was "a wake-up call for a lot of people in the film business who had been disregarding Japanese animation for years". At the very moment Chihiro says there is something odd about this town, her parents turn into pigs. wondrous and fearful children's movies over the years. ", Every summer, Hayao Miyazaki spent his vacation at a mountain cabin with his family and five girls who were friends of the family. There's many mean-spirited scenes in horror and, if I were to sit down and compile a list, this example may not make the top 10, BUT. Press J to jump to the feed. 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. [105] In 2010, Rotten Tomatoes ranked it as the 13th-best animated film on the site,[106] and in 2012, as the 17th. [48][49], Spirited Away was released theatrically in Japan on 20 July 2001 by distributor Toho. After having some time to let the movie sit, I think the reason I feel so empty was that the movie was over and there was nothing more. Pam Coats, for example, a Vice President of Walt Disney Feature Animation, describes Chihiro dealing with the "stink spirit", who, it turns out, is actually a river spirit but is so corrupted with filth that one couldn't tell what it was at first glance. TLDR The animation looks good AND is freaking hard to pull off. i tried getting my two nieces to watch it, but they got bored of it really quickly. Understanding the Japanese language a little better can help you better appreciate certain aspects of the film. it'd be really cool if she realized that i could actually be the cool uncle instead of just the bum-guy that's their parents little brother. It is the same dialogue, the same movements, but in reverse. [24], Toshio Suzuki, the producer of the film, also cites European inspirations and influences in the production of Spirited Away. [104] The film is also ranked number 9 of the highest-rated movies of all time on Metacritic, being the highest rated traditionally animated film on the site. Dozens of different creatures are made for each moment, every last detail penned by hand in the corners or background, where anyone else would make shortcuts. Likewise, a comparison scene where Chihiro is crammed into an elevator next to the Radish Spirit, and in My Neighbor Totoro where Satsuki is standing next to Totoro. The legendary director of Spirited Away, Hayao Miyazaki, has openly revealed that the movie was inspired by Japanese myths that were once well-known by members of his generation and now forgotten by the younger generation. 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. It exemplifies storytelling in a way that only Ghibli movies can. Why was Chihiro not allowed to look back? Required fields are marked *. The last piece of the puzzle is the attention to detail. When a self-appointed expert on love tries to teach a timid prince the art of seduction, the plan backfires, leading to scandal and unexpected romance. Yubaba, determined to see Chihiro fail, assigns the little girl to help the very smelly customer. Miyazaki worked on his previous movie Princess Mononoke while he listened to Youmi Kimura's music on the radio. '"[35], Additional themes are expressed through No-Face, who reflects the characters who surround him, learning by example and taking the traits of whomever he consumes. When approaching the doomed theme park market in the opening, in one frame, we see the Kanji character, for dog, but this could suggest the homophone kuniku, which literally means "bitter meat," meaning something that requires personal sacrifice. The central location of the film is a Japanese bathhouse where a great variety of Japanese folklore creatures, including kami, come to bathe. It is a coming of age story of Chihiro, a naive young girl who lands up in a mysterious bathhouse. One of the reasons I knew Inside Out was going to be good was when I found out that there's no villain in the story. When he crashes into Yubaba's penthouse with grievous injuries, Sen follows him upstairs. [53][54] It went on to gross 30.4 billion to become the highest-grossing film in Japanese history, according to the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Mid-flight, Sen discovers Haku's identity as the spirit of the Kohaku River ( , Nigihayami Kohakunushi). I think for me it was because of all the emotion I felt during the movie, it was so deeply personal and unique for me, and that was mirrored in Chihiro because she felt she could never share her experiences with anyone else, because who would believe any of it? [64], In the United Kingdom, then-independent based film distributor Optimum Releasing acquired the rights to the movie from Wild Bunch in January 2003. It is a happy ending that all the viewers expect. [96] Spirited Away was later watched by 300,000 UK viewers on BBC2 in 2011, making it the year's most-watched foreign-language film on BBC2. Especially a work of art thats crux is an entire elaborate world of wonder. This is a literal name given to her by the wolf spirit Moro who raised her. ", Reider, Noriko T. 11 February 2009. [100] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times praised Miyazaki's direction and the voice acting, as well as saying that the film is the "product of a fierce and fearless imagination whose creations are unlike anything a person has seen before. As the film neared the end, however, he was relieved to feel "she will be a charming woman. [132] Susan Napier, professor of Japanese studies at Tufts University, called Spirited Away's wins at major Western award shows "a very big shot in the arm to the Japanese animation industry". Whats The Difference Between Dutch And French Braids? Perhaps the most notable of them is Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki, a man who has made his fair share of wondrous and fearful children's movies over the years. Interestingly, it's the "ma" moments that have become iconic as the film has agedChihiro standing on the balcony outside the bedroom looking out to sea, lost; Chihiro and her friends, No-Face, Boh, and the Yu-Bird sat looking lost on a train. How Do You Get Rid Of Hiccups In 5 Seconds. [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). Sen resolves to return the seal and apologize to Zeniba, taking Boh with her. But just because adults don't consider the dangers of childhood very threatening doesn't mean childhood isn't rife with risk. why is spirited away so sad. Her family was traveling to their new home, when her parents decided to take a detour in an abandoned amusement park. Disney/Studio Ghibli. Haku dies after Chihiro exits the spirit world. [69] The delayed theatrical release in China was due to long-standing political tensions between China and Japan, but many Chinese became familiar with Miyazaki's films due to rampant video piracy. Spirited Away (Japanese: , Hepburn: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, lit. but do not think about how it can affect other living things. So much to take in, it kinda makes me feel sick. It gets special attention because it was the first Miyazaki movie that Disney marketed out the ass and actually gave a relatively wide release for. 8 What is the moral of Princess Mononoke?
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