Spirited Away
Film title Explanation of title:
The title Spirited Away means being taken by spirits. In the movie Chihiro is taken into a spirit world and must find her way home.
Director, name and background:
Hayao Miyazaki is a famous Japanese director. He makes animated films that often include magic, nature and strong young characters.
Type of film:
Animated fantasy adventure
Main character:
Chihiro
Character development:
At the start, Chihiro is scared and unsure of herself. By the end she becomes brave, kind, and confident.
Relation to and interaction with other main characters:
Chihiro helps many characters, including Haku and No-Face. She learns to be polite, caring, and hardworking.
Other main characters:
- Haku helps Chihiro and protects her
- Yubaba the strict bathhouse owner
- No-Face a lonely spirit who changes based on how others treat him
Main Themes:
Growing up, bravery, kindness and identity
Symbolism:
The spirit world represents growing up and facing new challenges.
Motifs:
Food, names, work, spirits
Style and tone:
Magical, mysterious and emotional
Story in short:
Chihiro is a young girl who is moving to a new town with her parents. She feels sad and scared because she does not want to leave her old home. While drivin her parents take a turn and find a strange empty place that looks like an amusement park. Even though Chihiro feels something is wrong, her parents go inside.
They find food that is left out and begin to eat it. Suddenly, Chihiro sees that her parents have turned into pigs. The place comes alive, and Chihiro realizes she is in a spirit world. She is very afraid and does not know what to do.
Chihiro meets a boy named Haku, who tells her she must get a job to survive in the spirit world. She goes to a large bathhouse for spirits, which is run by a powerful witch named Yubaba. Yubaba agrees to give Chihiro a job, but she takes away part of her name. This makes it harder for Chihiro to remember who she is.
At first, Chihiro is clumsy and scared, but she learns to work hard. She cleans the bathhouse and helps many spirits. Some spirits are kind, and some are strange or scary. Chihiro is always polite and helpful, even when she is afraid.
Chihiro also meets No Face, a lonely spirit who becomes dangerous when he is treated badly. Chihiro helps No Face by showing kindness, and he becomes calm again. She also helps Haku when he is hurt and remembers his true name.
As time passes, Chihiro becomes braver and more confident. She learns to stand up for herself and others. She does not give up on saving her parents. In the end, Yubaba gives Chihiro a final test. Chihiro must choose which pigs are her parents. She chooses correctly by trusting herself.
Chihiro’s parents turn back into humans, and Chihiro is allowed to leave the spirit world. When she returns to the real world, she is no longer scared. She has grown up and learned to believe in herself.
Opinion and recommendation:
I recommend Spirited Away because it teaches children to be brave and kind. The animation is beautiful, and the story is exciting and meaningful.
Yubaba’s Charcater design on paper