Spirited Away

Chihiro was on her way to a new home with her family when she entered a world hidden from human eyes.  It’s a world of wonder and danger, spirits and sprites, and the location of an ancient bathhouse where they all converge.  It’s where a spiteful witch runs an army of servants, including lost boys who can turn into dragons, a spider like boiler room man, and humans who have forgotten they’re even human.  When Chihiro loses her parents to a spell, she must brave the magic of this bathhouse, find herself a job and discover her inner courage.  It will be difficult but it will be the adventure of a lifetime.

If Akira put Anime on the map for US audiences and Dragon Ball Z solidified it’s awesomeness, then Spirited Away was the movie that gave Anime the true recognition the genre.  To this day it is the only Anime to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.  Does this mean this is the greatest of Miyazaki’s works?  Some might say that’s Princess Mononoke.  But for me it’s a very tough juggle. In the end, though, I have to say the Spirited Away is still my all time favorite Hayao Miyazaki film.

The movie does start a little of an annoying note with Chihiro’s first intro.  However, it only makes sense given where she ends up by the films finale.  At the beginning she is going through a situation most kids dread: picking up and moving away from everything and everyone they know and love to start fresh.  It makes her a little bratty with all of her whining.  As the movie progresses though, Chihiro goes through a true heroes journey.  With a little guidance, she braves dangers she never thought she’d ever see.  Her face off with the sick demon No Face is a testament to her character growth.  This isn’t the same girl we saw at the movies intro. And I like that.

The world of Spirited Away could just be the sole focus of the movie for two hours and I’d be just fine.  The bathhouse is one of the most amazing settings in all of Anime…talking about this one in particular but most hot springs lead to fun Anime all around.  The sheer size and signs of life given off are staggering.  In a way, this movie reminds me of the Katsuhiro Otomo short film “Cannon Fodder”, where we followed the life of a town building for war without the war and it’s all mainly just one big tour of a city with no true story.  Spirited Away could have been just that, a two hour tour with no central plot and I would have been just fine with that.  When the lights come on at night and the spirits start moving around, you cant wait to see what comes next.

Miyazaki has pulled out all the stops on this one.  From the better than ever animation to Joe Hisaishi’s quirky and magical score, this film has so much heart and fun built in.  He’s crafted a film made to make you just stare in awe, feel fear at what’s around the next corner, and a sense of tranquility when the movie slows down and just wants to catch it’s own breath for a moment.  Plus you’ve got a cute story of young love that so sweet.  Don’t ask me to look for any flaws here.  This is the animated film Pixar may create one day but has yet to achieve.  I don’t think many animated films, Japanese or otherwise, have come close to matching the rewarding and wondrous honors that Spirited Away managed to achieve.

It can be said about several titles in this genre.  But it there’s one Anime you should see in your lifetime…it should be Spirited Away.  It’s the get away to a magical world and a journey you never want to end.

10/10

How do you follow up one of the greatest Anime ever made?  Wellllll…we’ll see what happens.  It’s been a while since I saw Howl’s Moving Castle.  Maybe my opinion will change from when I first saw it.  Leaving ya in suspense til then.  See ya next week.