Many of the sad Studio Ghibli movies on this list leave you feeling cold films like Grave of the Fireflies, which is considered by many to be one of the saddest films of all time. Best Spirited Away Quotes. [21], The major themes of Spirited Away, heavily influenced by Japanese Shinto-Buddhist folklore, centre on the protagonist, Chihiro, and her liminal journey through the realm of spirits. Ten-year-old Chihiro Ogino and her parents are traveling to their new home. Why Is Spirited Away So Special? [41], Commentators have often referred to environmental themes in the films of Miyazaki. [9] At the time, Miyazaki was developing two personal projects, but they were rejected. If you continue to use the site, we will assume that this suits you. He is a huge loner that befriends Chihiro and spends time with her because she was the first one to show him any form of kindness. Her parents literally gorge themselves on food not meant for them before being invited to eat. Each character was mostly hand-drawn, with Miyazaki working alongside his animators to see they were getting it just right. But as Porco Rosso reaches its conclusion, the scales tip in a more bittersweet direction. Spirited Away is undoubtedly a masterpiece upon watching it. [96] Spirited Away was later watched by 300,000 UK viewers on BBC2 in 2011, making it the year's most-watched foreign-language film on BBC2. A limited series inspired by the savvy and ambitious Colombian businesswoman Griselda Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history. 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. Yubaba, determined to see Chihiro fail, assigns the little girl to help the very smelly customer. This bond eventually leads to them falling in love, for it was their love for each other that broke Zenibas spell on Haku. It is an old, dilapadated building, much like what her parents supposedly saw in the beginning of the film. Chihiro thinks its a creepy place. Over the course of the movie his relationship with Chihiro becomes stronger, especially after she learns he is a dragon. Submissions should be for the purpose of informing or initiating a discussion, not just to entertain readers. [78] The movie was released on Blu-ray by Walt Disney Studios Japan on 14 July 2014, and DVD was also reissued on the same day with a new HD master, alongside several other Studio Ghibli movies.[79][80]. The red tunnel she goes into at the film's start is symbolic of a Torii gate. Note the stone gate against the tree at the beginning of Spirited Away? [123][124] Vice also declared Spirited Away to be the all-time best animated film and wrote that the film "showed how breathtaking, heartfelt, and serious animation can be" that "Pixar, Disney, and other mainstream animators have still failed to genuinely realize 15 years later". So the very short answer to the question we embarked on in the very beginning, Chihiro doesnt look back because she learned her lessons. There are several hints that Haku is a river spirit/dragon. ", highest-grossing film in Japanese history, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train, National Board of Review Award for Best Animated Film, Directing in an Animated Feature Production, Annie Award for Writing in a Feature Production, Annie Award for Music in a Feature Production, The Making of Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" Part 1, "Demon Slayer: Mugen Train Overtakes Your Name to Become 2nd Highest-Grossing Anime Film of All Time Worldwide", Shinto Perspectives in Miyazaki's Anime Film 'Spirited Away' (PDF), "15 Fascinating Facts About Spirited Away", "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Film Is 1st Since Spirited Away to Earn 30 Billion Yen", "Toho Updates Spirited Away Lifetime Japanese Box Office Gross as Demon Slayer: Mugen Train Inches Closer to #1", Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ", "Asian films are grossing millions. "Don't mess this up," she warns. [14] It held the record for 19 years until it was surpassed by Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train in 2020. I remember thinking that what I was feeling was like how someone might feel when they lose someone close to them. [51] After 22 weeks of release and after grossing $224 million in Japan, it started its international release, opening in Hong Kong on 13 December 2001. As her father tries to find their new home, the family stumbles upon an abandoned theme park. It is the farthest thing from a child-friendly environment there is. It represents the times when we were truly happy, living life with no worries, just enjoying everything. Keep your eyes peeled for these 10 things watchers only get after watching Spirited Away twice. This leads to him eating them. ", Callis, Cari. At its most basic, the film follows a little girl, Chihiro, on a journey to free her parents. Spirited Away gets what kids are like in a way few movies do. Many critics have pointed this out which is definitely one of the reasons for its massive success. I'm glad you stated this. His movies are full of imaginations, thoughtful messages, and they always have a happy ending. Kamaji requires so much more work to animate than even the genie when he is changing shapes constantly. Because of humans' need for development, they destroyed a part of nature, causing Haku to lose his home and identity. There is a timeless quality that allows us to rewatch it over and over again, nurturing a deep fondness for the things that speak to us most in the film. [122] Swapnil Dhruv Bose Far Out Magazine declared the film to be "the greatest animated film of all time" and explained that it "resonated with audiences all over the world despite the existence of cultural barriers is because of its brilliantly devised universality" and has the ability to "generate fascinating multiplicities which morph according to the age of the viewer". On the train are some travelers, somewhat "see-thru", black colored, each with a bag or two (like they've been away a while), and sort of sad or tired looking. ", This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 19:58. Thanks for the time spent typing this up. What lesson is Spirited Away trying to teach the audience about greed? However, Alice in Wonderland (IMO) was part of a change in style for Disney towards an aesthetic that they would keep until the 90s Disney Renaissance. Disney's most detailed movies, from an animation perspective, were made in the 30s, 40s, and 50s. . "[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. To push the boundaries of surrealism with a narrative and continually-morphing identities is quite bold and risky. Most Animes and all but the best Disney movies (every direct to dvd disney movie) will cheat on the backgrounds in short scenes. Rather than another bitter old hag like Yubaba (Zeniba's twin who runs the bathhouse), Zeniba is more of a kindly grandmother, offering insight to the frightened Sen that shatters the conception that adulthood is just materialism. In "Spirited Away," that feeling is what it's like to be a young child in a strange, foreign, and ultimately adult world characterized by excess and greed. One of the reasons I knew Inside Out was going to be good was when I found out that there's no villain in the story. 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. At the 75th Academy Awards, Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away won best animated feature in the second year of the category's existence and, to this day, it is the only hand-drawn feature . The film ranked number 10 in Empire magazine's "The 100 Best Films of World Cinema" in 2010. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2012-2023 On Secret Hunt - All Rights Reserved "Animation Sensation: Why Japan's Magical Spirited Away Plays Well Anywhere. [68], About 18 years after its original release in Japan, Spirited Away had a theatrical release in China on 21 June 2019. Chihiro's name literally means "a thousand" and "asking questions" or "searching/seeking." Never be motivated by your greed. [107] In 2019, the site considered the film to be #1 among 140 essential animated movies to watch. Just watched the movie yesterday. (Bloomberg) -- Russian critics of President Vladimir Putin have spent the past year pressing the US and its allies to impose sanctions on thousands of Kremlin officials and business tycoons. San finally admitted that she does love Ashitaka and he means much to her, however she could not forgive the entire human race for destroying the forest and still continues to live part of the forest with her wolf brothers Yama and Moru. 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. [40], Spirited Away contains critical commentary on modern Japanese society concerning generational conflicts and environmental issues. why is spirited away so sad. Moving onward and forward is a point of many religious journeys towards enlightenment, and there are a lot of religious figures in folklore from Lot to Orpheus who fail. Originally released in Japan on 20 July 2001 by distributor Toho, the film received universal acclaim,[12] grossing $395.8 million at the worldwide box office. Sen discovers a bicycle handle sticking out of him, and the workers help to remove the bicycle and a large amount of garbage.