Everybody looks for different things in art and when something gains widespread appeal over various demographics, it is something truly special. Spirited Away (2001), Chihiro and Haku are precious babies who need to be protected at all costs. Advertising was limited, with Spirited Away being mentioned in a small scrolling section of the film section of Disney.com; Disney had sidelined their official website for Spirited Away[34] and given the film a comparatively small promotional budget. Chihiro starts off the film annoyed at her parents . Spirited Away is regarded as Miyazaki's magnum opus and has often been listed among the greatest films of all time. Peeling back that level the film opens up to two other interpretations. I watched it recently because of the high praise it has gotten. It won awards across the world, including an Academy Award, an. why is spirited away so sad - assicurazione-casa.org Importantly, we have time to breathe and live in Miyazaki's world. [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). It's surely part of the reason that anime fans across the world will testify that Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away is the best animation film of all time. But it's more than that. 2. The goal of /r/Movies is to provide an inclusive place for discussions and news about films with major releases. The Ending Of Spirited Away Explained - Looper.com People asked me how was it? And, it was like, a whole other life: with favorite parts, and lets I hated, and despair and sadness, and also immense joy, moments of overcoming great obstacles, growing, changing..It was a life. Yet they also have a vastly more complex art style. Does anybody else feel what I'm talking about? Only by cleansing the nature of humanity's pollution can humanity begin to live in harmony and heal. Why was Chihiro not allowed to look back? Kids are willing to learn. Spirited Away gets what kids are like in a way few movies do. 'Spirited Away' Broke Records and Made Oscar History - The Hollywood Disney sticks with simple broad lines for style, but also because simple characters take less time and effort to draw. The backgrounds are all flawless and hold their own against the best stuff Disney has ever done. Hands down, there are less than a handful of filmmakers who capture the danger and fear of childhood in their films. Miyazaki worked on his previous movie Princess Mononoke while he listened to Youmi Kimura's music on the radio. Edit 2: Thanks for the gold fellow Spirited Away lovers! Its nice that she gets back home, but she loses the magic and friendship we spend the whole movie investing our love into, and she wont ever get it back as far as we know its sad because we a;l wait our whole lives for magic, and I dont think in any of those dreams we think but just for a couple of days and then gone forever, because thats worse in a way. Spirited Away might actually be overrated. This is not to call it unfocused, but rather more concerned with causing a certain feeling in viewers. 'Sen and Chihiro's Spiriting Away') is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Tohokushinsha Film, and Mitsubishi and distributed by Toho. 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. Animation Adventure Family 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. The immersive visuals, artwork, score, storyline and plot all come together to create a once-in-a-lifetime watching experience. "Spirited Away": Themes and Meanings in Hayao Miyazaki's Movie I enjoyed it and found it entertaining, but I failed to see what sets it apart. Home and Away's Kawakawa Fox-Reo and Courtney Miller have departed the show. But then again, it appeals to the action movie fan in me. But in reality, Miyazaki made the movie for young girls rather than making it for everyone. Chihiro was primarily motivated by a purpose rescuing her parents. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 97% approval rating based on 195 reviews, with an average rating of 8.6/10. She fights Yubaba, she rescues Haku and aids a wounded spirit, triumphing where others do not because she is not sidetracked by greed. They aren't duplicating with computers like most cartoons will do. Totoro himself might look and sound a bit odd, but hes quite sweet and gentle. They eat too much of a food that doesnt even belong to them, and they end up turning into pigs. Read our extensive list of rules for more information on other types of posts like fan-art and self-promotion, or message the moderators if you have any questions. Denison emphasized that John Lasseter and Disney "boosted Spirited Away's visibility in America by heavily campaigning for the film to be considered for the Academy Awards", and cited it as one of the reasons why it won Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. How (& Why) Disney Changed Spirited Away's Ending - CBR He became The Kohaku river spirit again. He is greedy only because the hotel guests are greedy. Spirited Away Movie Review | Common Sense Media [18] In 2021, the Writers Guild of America ranked Spirted Away's screenplay the 67th greatest of the 21st century so far. [42], Accordingly, the film can be partly understood as an exploration of the effect of greediness and Western consumerism on traditional Japanese culture. Idk if I'm explaining it well though. [47], The second allusion is seen in Haku himself. [21] Marc Hairston argues that this was a justified response to Studio Ghibli's retention of the merchandising rights to the film and characters, which limited Disney's ability to properly market the film. Miyazaki did once say that Japanese society has become like the sex industry. The Last Unicorn from the 80s hits all those points. It's fair to say that most adults, at least in the first world, probably feel they lived relatively safe childhoods. This alludes to human pollution of the environment, and how people can carelessly toss away things without thinking of the consequences and of where the trash will go. 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. Spirited Away (when I was a kid) scared the bejesus out of me and I felt like I was In some sort of nightmare where I had lost my parents and couldnt find them, was honestly horrible for 7 year old me. Why do people say Spirited Away is Japan's version of Alice in Kamaji keeps ignoring her, but she knows she must get a job at the bathhouse to survive in this new spirit world, so doesn't stop until he helps her. The film grossed $450,000 in its opening weekend from 26 theatres. The company's logo features the character Totoro (a large forest spirit) from Hayao Miyazaki's film "My Neighbor Totoro". 6 San (Mononoke) Means Three In the film, she is referred to only as San, which, in Japanese (and Chinese) means three. It is a magical story about a young girl named Chihiro. i also feel like Ghibli trusts their audience to enjoy the film. ", "Asian films are grossing millions. In the face of that, she must work to transform her parents back into humans and fight against the evil forces around her -- particularly Yubaaba. The way the imagery married the score, allowing the notes to carry a surreal story through the movie was inspiring. "Don't mess this up," she warns. The central theme symbolized and represented in Spirited Away is humanity's inhumanity towards nature. His role is to show how the greed and avarice of others can affect even a simple soul. Later that night, when Yubaba leaves, Haku finds Sen and shows her her parents, who are being held in pigpens. [a][13] Accordingly, it became the most successful and highest-grossing film in Japanese history with a total of 31.68 billion ($305 million). It causes food to rot, places to smell fouler than ever, and even the stink and muck on it to infect other people. get off at a stop and go down a stair right into the water. She follows behind her parents, worried by the little shines and the appearance of the food with no vendor, warning that they shouldn't be there. Perhaps this isn't a coincidence and the food is actually (an analogy for) "a trap to catch lost humans. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I kind of do, but still as lost on how to explain it too, I heard of a conspiracy about the Totoro movie regarding two missing sisters but that might be unrelated to this, It gave me anxiety ngl even tho I enjoyed it but it's one of those animes that makes you feel anxious, For me Studio Ghibli films in particular make me feel the same way as when Im watching any space film like interstellar. Sen sees paper shikigami attacking a dragon and recognizes the dragon as Haku metamorphosed. Its not sad at all. 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. [38], Yubaba has many similarities to the Coachman from the 1940 film Pinocchio, in the sense that she mutates humans into pigs in a similar way that the boys of Pleasure Island were mutated into donkeys. A lot of people are giving you shit for comparing SA and Alice in Wonderland, which came out in the fifties, but as another animation geek, I'd like to submit my two cents. In the same way some movies are amazing from a cinematography perspective, SA is amazing because of the detail in the animation. Pixar animator John Lasseter, a fan and friend of Miyazaki, convinced Walt Disney Pictures to buy the film's North American distribution rights, and served as executive producer of its English-dubbed version. ", Thrupkaew, Noy. Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation film studio founded in June 1985 by the director Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata and the producer Toshio Suzuki. "The 25 Best Films of the 21st Century So Far", Miyazaki on Spirited Away // Interviews //, "The Making of Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" Part 1", "Notoya in Ginzan Onsen stop business for renovation. [129] Turning Red's director Domee Shi named Spirited Away as one of her favorite animated films and one of the influences for her film. Your email address will not be published. There's a quote on Tumblr somewhere that says "Disney movies touch the heart, but Studio Ghibli films touch the soul." Some viewers have highlighted the repetition of the characters yu and me in the film since yume means "dream" in Japanese. 'one thousand') can be thought of as symbolic of capitalism's single-minded concern with value.[41]. "[19], Miyazaki based some of the buildings in the spirit world on the buildings in the real-life Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum in Koganei, Tokyo, Japan. It is a core tenant of Shintoism, one that populates many of Miyazaki's films such as Princess Mononoke. Why Some Anime Fans Think Spirited Away Is The Best Animated - Looper They want to be better. For instance, upon their entry into. Director Hayao Miyazaki Writer Hayao Miyazaki Stars Daveigh Chase (English version) Suzanne Pleshette (English version) Miyu Irino (voice) The river spirit as mentioned above is another, and the parents becoming pigs. There are a metric ton of Easter Eggs in Spirited Away. The score is written by Wakako Kaku. - Haku. [37][38][39] Among other stories compared to Spirited Away, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is seen to be more closely linked thematically. why is spirited away so sad why is spirited away so sad Each character was mostly hand-drawn, with Miyazaki working alongside his animators to see they were getting it just right. Whats The Difference Between Dutch And French Braids? It symbolizes giving in to one's temptations and emotions. It was a few years since I watched the movie and I didn't realize how amazing the animation actually is! When Hotaru left and attended an other school, poor Mikan couldn't . Kamaji says that he already has enough susuwatari to help him. why is spirited away so sad. "The Two Japans of 'Spirited Away'. Question about train scene in anime Spirited Away 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. [56] Its gross at the Japanese box office has since increased to 31.68 billion, as of 2020[update]. What sets her story apart is that Chihiro isn't forced to triumph over great evil and turn from a "sullen" creature to a good girl. Spirited Away is Studio Ghibli's best film, and here's why - Polygon Her family was traveling to their new home, when her parents decided to take a detour in an abandoned amusement park. 'Sen and Chihiro's Spiriting Away') is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Tohokushinsha Film, and Mitsubishi and distributed by Toho. This delivery of sensitive spiritual and emotional messages made Spirited Away the highest-grossing film in Japanese history. At least that's what many of them might say. I consider it to be probably the saddest death of the series. It's surely part of the reason that anime fans across the world will testify that Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away is the best animation film of all time. "They're worried that the audience will get bored. So the very short answer to the question we embarked on in the very beginning, Chihiro doesnt look back because she learned her lessons. Haku offers to retrieve Boh if Yubaba releases Sen and her parents. Haku explains that Yubaba controls people by taking their names; if she completely forgets hers like he once did, she will never be able to leave the spirit world. "[39] Derek Elley of Variety said that Spirited Away "can be enjoyed by sprigs and adults alike" and praised the animation and music. One thing about Ghibli movies is that there's never really one unifying moral or theme to take from the story. [19], Miyazaki had wanted to produce a new film for years, but his two previous proposalsone based on the Japanese book Kiri no Muk no Fushigi na Machi () by Sachiko Kashiwaba, and another about a teenage heroinewere rejected. So much to take in, it kinda makes me feel sick. HBO Max to Stream All Studio Ghibli Films, For First Time Ever in US. It is used in Spirited Away akin to Alice falling down a rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland. Taking a cue from Alice in Wonderland, Spirited Away turns the awkward move from childhood to adulthood into a fantasy metaphor. He is mainly involved in weightlifting. While everyone else runs away in horror, Chihiro serenely attends to him, getting covered in muck in the process. When Dwight Eisenhower gave the Atoms for Peace speech what constructive use of nuclear energy was he introducing? On April 13, 2002, The Walt Disney Company acquired the Taiwanese, Singapore, Hong Kong, French and North American sale rights to the film, alongside Japanese Home Media rights. As Chihiro exits the spirit world and reunites with her parents at the end of the American edition of Spirited Away, her father Axio tells her, "A new school and a new home, it is a bit scary . Its not happy or uplifting, its not varry sad either but is like most Miyazaki movies is melancholy at times. Never be motivated by your greed. Kiki leaves home because of witch tradition, but unlike other Ghibli heroes, she jumps at the idea even skipping a planned camping trip with her father because she's so excited. The Meiji design of the abandoned theme park is the setting for Chihiro's parents' metamorphosis the family arrives in an imported Audi car and the father wears a European-styled polo shirt, reassuring Chihiro that he has "credit cards and cash," before their morphing into literal consumerist pigs. Spirited Away Ending, Explained - screenrant.com Miyazaki was always curious to what was behind it, and he made up several stories about it, one of which inspired the bathhouse setting of Spirited Away. This nature results in No-Face's monstrous rampage through the bathhouse. In the penthouse, the stowaway shikigami shapeshifts into Yubaba's sister Zeniba, who turns Yubaba's son, Boh, into a mouse. [23] The Dgo Onsen is also often said to be a key inspiration for the Spirited Away onsen/bathhouse. Looks like I will need to watch it again. Miyazaki did not want to make the hero a "pretty girl". Spirited Away (Japanese: , Hepburn: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, lit. This is what happens with Chihiros parents. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The world is a scary place, even for the children that adults protect with all of their strength. She confronts an engorged No-Face, who reveals he is very lonely. The character animations have more keyframes of substantive movement than almost any hand drawn film. When we meet Chihiro, she's being driven away from her home and everything she knows to live in a new town. It represents the times when we were truly happy, living life with no worries, just enjoying everything. ][failed verification] Miyazaki has stated: Chihiro's parents turning into pigs symbolizes how some humans become greedy. I think its awesome that you feel that way. Now that you know the story line, you can focus on other aspects to appreciate it! Spirited Away: 10 things you only get after watching the - Sportskeeda Spirited Away", 140 essential animated movies to watch now, "101 Greatest Screenplays Of The 21st Century: Horror Pic Tops Writers Guild's List", "Chantal Akerman's 'Jeanne Dielman' Named Greatest Film of All Time in Sight and Sound Poll", "List of award-winning films at the 25th Japan Academy Awards", "21 List of Award Winner of The 21st Hong Kong Film Awards", "The 75th Academy Awards (2003) Nominees and Winners", "The 50 Best Movies of the Decade (20002009)", "Film Critics Pick the Best Movies of the Decade", "Spirited Away's Powerful Legacy Lives On, 20 Years Later", "20 years of a Hayao Miyazaki masterpiece: Why 'Spirited Away' is the greatest animated film of all time", "Hayao Miyazaki: The life and lasting influence of the Studio Ghibli auteur-animator", "Why 'Spirited Away' Is the Best Animated Film of All Time", "Steven Spielberg Reveals How Hayao Miyazaki Inspires Him", "How Spirited Away Changed Animation Forever", "How 'Coco' Was Influenced By 'John Wick', 'Spirited Away,' And Mexican History", "Eternals was inspired by Spirited Away and Final Fantasy 7", "Anime's influence on Pixar's Turning Red Spirited Away is director Domee Shi's favourite movie and how its giant panda is a metaphor for the pains of growing up", "First look at Studio Ghibli's new Spirited Away live-action stage play", "() | | d", "TVFOD", "Spirited Away Stage Play Streams Additional Performances in Japan", "(:)() () | | ABEMA", "Amazon.co.jp: ()(): , , , , , , , , : Prime Video", "()( / 2022) | U-NEXT 31", "(:)() () | | ABEMA", "() | | d", "TVFOD", "()( / 2022) | U-NEXT 31", Shinto Perspectives in Miyazaki's Anime Film 'Spirited Away', "Intersections Review, Spirited Away by Miyazaki's Fantasy", Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation, A nightmare of capitalist Japan: Spirited Away, 75th Academy Awards Winners | Oscar Legacy | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spirited_Away&oldid=1142325786, Original Run including re-release until Studio Ghibil Fest 2020 , Boyd, James W., and Tetsuya Nishimura. [103] In 2005, Spirited Away was ranked by IGN as the 12th-best animated film of all time. Why Is Spirited Away A Masterpiece? - The Odyssey Online No-Face symbolizes how children form an identity based on the people around them. Chihiro thinks its a creepy place. 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. However, Chihiro embodies none of those characteristics at the start of the film. Food is very important to this movie. When Ashitaka says he cannot be died, he is referring to the legacy of a renewed and unharmed forest that has been restored. He is an obstacle, but he is not the main villain. [25], The film score of Spirited Away was composed and conducted by Miyazaki's regular collaborator Joe Hisaishi, and performed by the New Japan Philharmonic. 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. I just finished watching Spirited Away and I just feel really sad and I don't know why. When production began, Miyazaki realized it would be more than three hours long if he made it according to his plot. The three stories revolved around a bathhouse that was inspired by one in Miyazaki's hometown. Ebert also said that Spirited Away was one of "the year's best films", as well as adding it to his "Great Movies" list. Spirited Away basically set the bench mark for Animate Films to have Themes that are out of this world, to create journey from perspective that provokes an individual and set a across a story line that very much be true if thats what youre looking for, so it isnt that hard for anyone to consider it a Masterpiece, we . What would you consider to be his best 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. He returns her kindness in kind by giving Chihiro all of the herbal bath tags to fix up the stink spirit. That doesn't necessarily make SA better, but it is kind of like comparing a comic strip in the newspaper against your favorite graphic novel when it comes to how much harder the two art styles are to pull off. Sen meets with Zeniba, who makes her a magic hairband. 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. Spirited Away - Wikipedia There were 2 versions of the play available for rental: For the concept in Japanese folklore which the film refers to, see, Boyd, James W. and Tetsuya Nishimura. After all the things shes experienced up to that point, Chihiro simply knows that her parents arent there. Hayao Miyazakis Princess Mononoke follows a young native Japanese (Emishi) prince named Ashitaka. Totoro is one of the happiest ones but its also one of the more child focused movies. In a comment that was upvoted more than 5000 times, u/SilentRansom described it as having "such a specific feeling of happy sad nostalgia. Films including Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and The Wind Rises will all be . Note the stone gate against the tree at the beginning of Spirited Away? Lasseter obliged by agreeing to serve as the executive producer for the English adaptation. [2004] 2016. What happened to Haku at the end of Spirited Away? Miyazaki didn't like how traditional animation made the bowl in the top left stick out in an obvious way, so Ghibli created a 3D model and painted over it with background-quality textures. Miyazaki wrote the screenplay after he decided the film would be based on the ten-year-old daughter of his friend Seiji Okuda, the film's associate producer, who came to visit his house each summer. One suggests that the whole thing is an allegory for child prostitution, with the bathhouse taking on more sinister undertones. The other characters' names also have literal connotations. It just takes a while for your memories to return.". Long ver.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS9AtylNTQkWelcome! It exemplifies storytelling in a way that only Ghibli movies can. The role of Chihiro is played by both Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi. Why Is Spirited Away So Special? - On Secret Hunt It is symbolic of the gluttony and the evils of capitalism. 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". [85] On 12 November 2019, GKIDS and Shout! Haku, in dragon form, has to be force-fed medicine akin to a dog at a vet but it heals his injuries. Naturally this means adults might pick other animes as their favorite, but there are tons of animes where people get their heads cut off or panties get flashed, but SA is one of the few that young kids can enjoy just as much or more. The park turns out to be inhabited by spirits. Because I saw the gods as mostly murderous slavemasters who kill and eat those who find themselves in the abandoned theme park. Lin leads her to the top floor to find the witch. Does Steven Jarvis like drawings of little boys? Plenty of Japanese speakers have pointed out the visual clues in the film that non-Japanese speakers wouldn't know. "[102], In 2004, Cinefantastique listed the film as one of the "10 Essential Animations". Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 2010. I feel like this is the best place to discuss specific topics. The letter also says the reason Chihiro knew none of the pigs at the end of the film were her parents was not because she had obtained special abilities in the spirit world. Yubaba agrees, but only if Sen can pass a final test.