{"id":2808,"date":"2009-03-22T21:31:58","date_gmt":"2009-03-23T02:31:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/?p=2808"},"modified":"2009-07-25T14:29:07","modified_gmt":"2009-07-25T18:29:07","slug":"spirited-away-anime-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/2009\/03\/22\/spirited-away-anime-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Spirited Away&#8211;Anime Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/image\/stars\/5o5.gif\" alt=\"5 Stars\" \/><br \/>\nThis is probably the most acclaimed <a href=\"\/fun\/terms-used-in-anime-reviews#anime\">anime<\/a> ever made. It won the 2002 Oscar for Best Animated Feature, the only foreign-language film ever to do so. It is one of the great classics of animation, and if you haven&#8217;t seen it you probably should.<\/p>\n<p>This movie shows Hayao Miyazaki at the top of his form. It is a splendid example of the art of storytelling, with a main character who is both believable and captivating. The artwork is absolutely stunning. My screen captures don&#8217;t really do it justice; you just have to see it for yourself.<br \/>\n<!--more--><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ItemList\">\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Original Title<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\"><em>Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi<\/em> (The Spiriting Away of Sen and Chihiro)<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Genres<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Fantasy, Adventure<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Languages<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">English, French, Japanese with subtitles<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Contents<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">125 minutes plus bonus material in a 2-DVD set.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Director<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Hayao Miyazaki<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Screenplay<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Hayao Miyazaki<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Storyboard<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Hayao Miyazaki<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Art Director<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Norobu Yoshida, Youji Takeshige<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Animation Director<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Kitaro Kousaka, Masashi Ando, Megumi Kagawa<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Music<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Joe Hisaishi<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Animation Studio<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Studio Ghibli<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Released<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">2001<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"Item\">Region 1 Publisher<\/div>\n<div class=\"Description\">Walt Disney Home Entertainment<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Parental Advisory<\/h3>\n<p>There&#8217;s no sex and little violence here, but the premise seems calculated to give nightmares to little kids. Ages 10 and up should have little trouble with it, but parents of younger children would do well to preview it and decide whether their children are really ready to handle it. If you have any doubts it would probably be better to wait until they are older.<\/p>\n<p>One good thing is that the scary stuff is concentrated at the beginning. Any child who gets through the first half without suffering a panic attack will almost certainly enjoy the second half.<\/p>\n<h3>Premise and Characters<\/h3>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/chihiroflowers.png\" alt=\"Chihiro with Flowers\" title=\"Chihiro with Flowers\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2845\" \/><strong>Chihiro Ogino<\/strong> is a ten-year-old girl, but she doesn&#8217;t seem nearly as cute as the usual anime ten year old. Right now she&#8217;s feeling grumpy and depressed about having to move to a new town and leave all her friends behind.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/familyincar.png\" alt=\"Family in Car\" title=\"Family in Car\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2851\" \/>Her parents are pretty much oblivious to her distress. The seem to be decent enough people, but not very sensitive. Frankly, they don&#8217;t appear terribly bright.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/oldtorii.png\" alt=\"Old Torii\" title=\"Old Torii\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2859\" \/>While driving them to their new home, her father gets lost and turns up an old dirt road that is <em>obviously<\/em> the wrong way to go.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/entrancebuilding.png\" alt=\"Park Entrance\" title=\"Park Entrance\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2850\" \/>They find themselves in a strange place that appears to be an abandoned theme park. Chihiro feels uncomfortable and wants to leave, but her parents want to explore it.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/dryriverbed.png\" alt=\"Dry Riverbed\" title=\"Dry Riverbed\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2849\" \/>They walk across a dry riverbed and come to a street lined with colorful booths.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/parkstreet.png\" alt=\"Street\" title=\"Street\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2862\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/parkstreet2.png\" alt=\"Street\" title=\"Street\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2861\" \/>Though they see no one around, the place doesn&#8217;t seem to be entirely abandoned. In fact, there is the smell of delicious food.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/foodcounter.png\" alt=\"Food Counter\" title=\"Food Counter\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2852\" \/>One of the booths has a wonderful feast laid out on the counter.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/parentseating.png\" alt=\"Parents Eating\" title=\"Parents Eating\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2860\" \/>Her parents sit down and begin to help themselves. Chihiro yells at them that they should leave <em>right now<\/em>, but they ignore her. Furious, she stomps out of the booth and walks down the street.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/bathhouse.png\" alt=\"Bathhouse\" title=\"Bathhouse\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2841\" \/>At the far end of the street is the park&#8217;s largest building, a huge and very ornate bathhouse.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/haku.png\" alt=\"Haku\" title=\"Haku\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2853\" \/>She encounters a boy dressed in old-fashioned clothing, who warns her that she is in great danger and must leave the park before nightfall.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/hakuwarnschihiro.png\" alt=\"Haku warns Chihiro\" title=\"Haku warns Chihiro\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2854\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/lampsandspirits.png\" alt=\"lampsandspirits\" title=\"lampsandspirits\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2857\" \/>The sun is setting and the lights are turning on. There is still nobody around, but she seems to see shadowy figures moving in her peripheral vision.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/pigparents.png\" alt=\"Pig Parents\" title=\"Pig Parents\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2863\" \/>She runs back to her parents and finds that they are still gorging themselves on the food, but have turned into pigs.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/chihiroinriver.png\" alt=\"Chihiro in the River\" title=\"Chihiro in the River\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2846\" \/>Terrified, she runs to the riverbed, but finds it has filled with water and has grown impassably wide. There is now no way to leave.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/spiritsdisembarking.png\" alt=\"Spirits Disembarking\" title=\"Spirits Disembarking\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2866\" \/>The park fills with strange, grotesque creatures.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/chirohakuhydrangeas.png\" alt=\"Chiriro and Haku\" title=\"Chiriro and Haku\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2848\" \/>The boy, whose name is <strong>Haku<\/strong>, finds her.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/spiritsenteringbathhouse.png\" alt=\"Spirits Entering the Bathhouse\" title=\"Spirits Entering the Bathhouse\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2867\" \/>This park is a recreation area for the gods. It is a dangerous place with numerous spirits who would be happy to eat a human child, but Haku promises to help her survive.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/hakuwithchihiro.png\" alt=\"Haku with Chihiro\" title=\"Haku with Chihiro\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2855\" \/>He smuggles her into the bathhouse and warns her that if she wants to avoid being turned into a animal she must find a job. He tells her to go down to the boiler room in the basement and ask <strong>Kamajii<\/strong> the boiler operator.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/kamajii.png\" alt=\"Kamajii\" title=\"Kamajii\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2856\" \/>Kamajii is a scary-looking old man with arms like a spider. He is gruff and unfriendly, but deep down he has a kindly side.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/rinchihiro.png\" alt=\"Rin and Chihiro\" title=\"Rin and Chihiro\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2864\" \/>He introduces her to <strong>Rin<\/strong>, a serving girl, another gruff but basically good-hearted type. He tells Rin to take Chihiro to see the owner of the bathhouse to ask for work.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/yubaba.png\" alt=\"Yubaba\" title=\"Yubaba\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2870\" \/><strong>Yubaba<\/strong>, the owner of the bathhouse, is a powerful sorceress, greedy and cruel.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/bou.png\" alt=\"Bou\" title=\"Bou\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2842\" \/>Nevertheless she is devoted to <strong>Bou<\/strong>, her gigantic baby.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/yubabachihiro.png\" alt=\"Yubaba and Chihiro\" title=\"Yubaba and Chihiro\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2871\" \/>Yubaba forces Chihiro to sign a contract promising to work at the bathhouse forever, and gives her the name <strong>Sen<\/strong> <a href=\"#note_sen\">[1]<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/noface.png\" alt=\"No Face\" title=\"No Face\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2858\" \/><strong>No Face<\/strong> is a lonely spirit who apparently isn&#8217;t supposed to be in the bathhouse.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/stinkgod2.png\" alt=\"Stink God\" title=\"Stink God\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2868\" \/>The bathhouse workers are distressed at the arrival of a <strong>&#8220;stink god&#8221;<\/strong>, a most undesirable sort of customer.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/zeniiba.png\" alt=\"Zeniiba\" title=\"Zeniiba\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2873\" \/>Yubaba has a twin sister named <strong>Zeniiba<\/strong> who may be even scarier than Yubaba.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Character\">\n<\/div>\n<h3>DVD Notes<\/h3>\n<p>Frankly, I think Disney is a bit too reverent in its handling of this movie. The first thing you see when you try to watch the movie is John Lasseter, the &#8220;Chief Creative Officer.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Hi, I&#8217;m John Lasseter. YOU are lucky. YOU get to see <em>Spirited Away<\/em>&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Fer crissakes John, just let us watch the movie and form our own opinions! This sort of thing belongs under the Bonus Menu. Fortunately all it takes is a quick click of the Next Chapter button to make John go away and let the movie start.<\/p>\n<h3>Links<\/h3>\n<p>ANN Encyclopedia <a href=\"http:\/\/www.animenewsnetwork.com\/encyclopedia\/anime.php?id=377\">entry<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Wikipedia <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spirited_Away\">entry<\/a> (spoilers).<\/p>\n<h3>Notes<\/h3>\n<p><a name=\"note_sen\">[1]<\/a> &#8220;Chihiro&#8221; means literally &#8220;1000 fathoms&#8221; (or figuratively &#8220;very deep&#8221;), thus &#8220;Sen&#8221; (1000) is just a shortened form of her name.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is probably the most acclaimed <a href=\"\/fun\/terms-used-in-anime-reviews#anime\">anime<\/a> ever made. It won the 2002 Oscar for Best Animated Feature, the only foreign-language film ever to do so. It is one of&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/2009\/03\/22\/spirited-away-anime-review\/\">Read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,2],"tags":[249,259,250],"class_list":["post-2808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-anime","category-movies","tag-miyazaki","tag-sprited-away","tag-studio-ghibli"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2808"}],"version-history":[{"count":33,"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2883,"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2808\/revisions\/2883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugfox.net\/fun\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}