joseph.langworth - 2014-01-26 22:13:01

The Best story ive ever seen, and really great characters. ive re-watched like 30 times. really.

kreiger.destany - 2014-01-07 07:18:42

Spirited Away

In the making-of feature on the Spirited Away DVD, there is a scene in which Hayao Miyazaki (the film's writer and director) asks his animation team, "Have any of you ever had a dog?" The question concerns a particular scene in which the heroine, Chihiro, must pry open the maw of a wolf-headed dragon. To achieve a certain realism, the animators want to make it look like prying open a dog's mouth. But given their inexperience, it's off to a local vet to film themselves forcing open some canine jaws.

While the idea of live research forcing open a dog's mouth may seem odd, this devotion to detail is apparent when watching Spirited Away. Subtle touches of realism are everywhere, such as Chihiro tapping her foot when putting on her shoe, or the way Chihiro's mother holds her arm when she eats. These minor details make Spirited Away, despite its fantasy setting, seem very much a part of the real world.

For long-time animation fans, such devotion to the craft should come as little surprise given the pedigree set by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. The level of quality that fans have come to expect from Ghibli are met with Spirited Away—the film is gorgeous. Artwork is lavish and vibrant, featuring stunning depictions of the fantasy world in which Chihiro finds herself. The animation is life-like and fluid, with realistic nuances in character movements. And complimenting the wonderful visuals is the sweeping musical score by composer Jo Hisaishi.

Spirited Away opens with Chihiro and her parents traveling to their new home. Chihiro resents the idea and expresses her disapproval in a quiet sulk. Along the way, her father mistakes an off-beaten road for a short cut, and they inadvertently wind up in what he thinks is an abandoned amusement park. A brief exploration reveals a restaurant's unattended buffet and Chihiro's parents succumb to the delicious offerings. While her parents gorge themselves on the food, Chihiro continues to explore and encounters a young man named Haku. Haku warns her to leave at once, but by this time it is too late. Chihiro discovers she is trapped in a vacation spot for the spirit world and that her parents have literally become pigs. With no one to turn to, she must learn how to survive in this strange land and, more importantly, how rescue her parents and return home.

The story is primarily about Chihiro's personal growth and the life lessons she learns from her experiences in the spirit world. She manages to land work at a bathhouse run by a stern matriarch named Yubaba. As the newest member of the staff and shunned by the other workers, she is given the most grueling, demeaning jobs. But Chihiro responds in a fashion that is both admirable and believable, and even makes a few friends along the way.

Miyazaki's envisioned world is filled with all sorts of beings, from the wondrous and mystical to the just plain strange. Some have distinctly animals characteristics, such as the frog caretakers of the bath house or the insect-like boiler-room operator, Kamagi. Others, like No-Face, a shapeless black being who wears a white mask, or the stink spirit, a mass of oozing brown goo, are more transcendent. And then there are whimsical creatures, like the delightful little soot balls and a walking lamp.

The English dub is a treat, but with Disney's resources, anything less would have been disappointing. Casting is all-around excellent, highlighted by Daveigh Chase's spot-on performance as Chihiro. Memorable performances are also turned in by Suzanne Pleshette as Yubaba and Susan Egan as Lin. But for die-hard subtitle fans, the DVD release also sports the original Japanese track in full 5.1 surround sound. Disney seems to have learned from the fiasco resulting from their planned English-only release of Princess Mononoke.

Having displaced Titanic as Japan's #1 all-time film, been the subject of near-universal praise by critics, and received numerous accolades (including a 2003 Academy Award for "Best Animated Film"), the consensus is in: Spirited Away is a wonderful film. And I can't say I disagree with that.

The Verdict: 9 1/2 (very good)

kirk.moen - 2013-11-15 12:20:31

One of the most beautiful stories I've seen. The whole thought behind the story is so amazingly original and out-of-the-box not to mention the animation is gorgeous.

jordyn37 - 2013-09-06 19:34:22

Lol everyone given 10/10 what should I say? It's perfect! Best anime movie I've ever seen, Good music, good characters, good, story and good animation! If you haven't watched it yet, do it now or you'll miss something!

brain58 - 2013-08-04 02:50:15

Great story. Fantastic characters. Awesome animation. Incredible sound. You will watch more times than you can count. What are you waiting for watch it now. Almost forgot, it has a freaking white dragon. 12/10

norbert.bogan - 2013-07-23 00:43:19

This movie is one of the first anything of anime I had ever seen. It was breathtaking to watch. Amazing visuals. Great story. Watching this movie is when I remember my childhood most. I used to watch it all the time. Overall, it is a-w-e-s-o-m-e.

garrison30 - 2013-06-26 08:37:19

Spirited Away. If you haven't seen it already, you've probably already heard of it. Needless to say, Spirited Away is nothing short of perfect, and nothing less. Revered as one of Hayao Miyazaki's (many) masterpieces, it shows us clearly and skillfully why it should be regarded as such.

Chihiro, a young girl who is thrown into a bizarre world, riddled with entities and apparitions, must save her parents who have been turned into pigs; by no means other than to remember them.

Along this wonderful tale of an animation, she meets a young boy named Haku. Though given the state of hypnagogic turmoil she is in, everything is but rarely what it seems to be.

Spirited Away in its entirety, is creative, considerate, impulsive, and above all else, beautiful -- and it does this ever so subtlety. It alludes to what we wish we could do, and what we could ever hope to dream of. It is creative in its art, considerate in its musing abstraction of the practicality in logic, impulsive in its endowment to draw us in with its detailed architecture, and beautiful in every aspect imaginable, though most notably the art and soundtrack.

It should be duly noted that the art alone will be enough to draw one in. Fluidly and masterfully done, the natural artistic nature of this film amplifies, and even dares the cognitive reflexes of oneself. At times, you may find yourself gazing brazenly at the backdrops and forgetting about the story, for the sheer fact that it is nothing short of breathtaking.

The pairing of an original yet premature love, an exquisite cast, a mesmerizing soundtrack, and not to mention its splendid artwork; Spirited Away does everything effortlessly and gracefully.

Almost as if it was created to remind us that we, however we may be now, deep down inside, and wherever we may have locked that which was once a part of us -- we were once those imaginative and carefree children. Not bound by societal labels and shackled by the thought's of another individual, no, simply carefree. Spirited Away does all this much like breathing, effortless and thoughtless.

If you haven't already seen Spirited Away, why not today?

edickens - 2013-06-23 20:01:41

It's been quite a long time since I watched Spirited Away 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.

delpha90 - 2013-04-18 00:39:22

There isn't much left to say about Spirited Away that hasn't already been said a thousand times. Easily the crown jewel of Hayao Miyazaki's career, Spirited Away embodies everything good about the medium. Studio Ghibli knocks it out of the park in every way with this film, and it is their greatest production thus far.

The story revolves around Chihiro, a young girl who is moving to a new town. She and her family accidentally run into a bit of a problem on the way to their new home, and Chihiro must be resourceful in order to save them all. Chihiro, modeled after Miyazaki's friend's daughter, is one of the most realistic girls you will ever find in an anime. She is simultaneously full of life and bratty (just like a real girl), and it is refreshing. Additionally, the fantastic characters she meets are all full of their own wonder, and I don't want to give too much away, but you've never quite seen anything like them.

Animation is some of the best Studio Ghibli has ever done. There is a scene on a train that is quite possibly the best thing Studio Ghibli has ever done. Just do yourself a favor and watch the film. It is an absolute visual treat.

The score by Joe Hisaishi is delightful. The Sixth Station is one of his most memorable tracks, and the rest of the score is quite lovely too.

Overall, this film is widely revered as the best production of both Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. If you haven't seen it, go watch it now. I don't know if I can think of a better way to spend two hours than with Chihiro, Haku, and the Spirit Bathhouse.

larson.kiel - 2013-03-14 20:11:26

Story 10:+The story is one of the best of any anime movie I have ever seen. The diverse themes can make anybody love it. The ending was happy, yet left you with a sinking sad feeling.Art 9:+The animation is typical of Kyoto Animation. It was very good but not awesome. The characters are very well portrayed.Sound 9:+I watched the subs first then the dubs. The English dubs where of excelent quality. Otherwise sound was good.Charectrer 10:+Between all the the characters, you will have to love one of them. After watching I felt that I knew the characters as well as I know my friends.The contrast between the witch sisters significantly adds to the story.Enjoyment 10:+I really loved it. The plot keeps you watching with very few boring points.Overall 10:+I think that this is a true masterpiece, and all people who like anime should watch Spirited Away.