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is a 2001 Japanese
animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...
fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction f ...
written and directed by
Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and manga artist. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Japanese animated feature films, and is widel ...
, animated by
Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It is best known for its animated feature films, and ha ...
for
Tokuma Shoten is a publisher in Japan, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The company was established in 1954 by Yasuyoshi Tokuma in Minato, Tokyo. The company’s product portfolio includes music publishing, video game publishing, movies, anime, magazines, m ...
,
Nippon Television Network JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed sub ...
,
Dentsu Dentsu Inc. ( ja, 株式会社電通 ''Kabushiki-gaisha Dentsū'' or 電通 ''Dentsū'' for short) is a Japanese international advertising and public relations joint stock company headquartered in Tokyo. Dentsu is currently the largest adverti ...
,
Buena Vista Home Entertainment Buena ( ) is a borough in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,603,Tohokushinsha Film is a Japanese film distributor, production company and dubbing studio based in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo. It was founded in 1961 by Banjirō Uemura (who was also once the head of the Japanese branch of ITC Entertainment) as a dubbing house for fo ...
, and
Mitsubishi The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries. Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...
and distributed by
Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer an ...
.Sen To Chihiro No Kamikakushi
". http://www.bcdb.com, 13 May 2012 The film features the voices of
Rumi Hiiragi is a Japanese actress. Career Hiiragi first appeared in numerous commercials. She starred in the NHK ''asadora'' and voiced Chihiro in Hayao Miyazaki's award-winning anime film ''Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film ...
,
Miyu Irino is a Japanese voice actor and singer. He voiced Haku in ''Spirited Away'', Shoya Ishida in '' A Silent Voice'', Sena Kobayakawa in ''Eyeshield 21'', Jinta "Jintan" Yadomi in '' Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day'', Syaoran in '' Tsubasa: Rese ...
,
Mari Natsuki , more commonly known by her stage name , is a Japanese singer, dancer and actress. Born in Tokyo, she started work as a singer from a young age. In 2007, Natsuki announced her engagement to percussionist Nobu Saitō, with their marriage taking ...
, Takeshi Naito,
Yasuko Sawaguchi is a Japanese actress. Biography She was born in Osaka. In early 1984, the Japanese movie studio Toho Company Ltd. held their first Toho Cinderella beauty contest, and Yasuko, almost 19 at the time, was chosen as the first Toho Cinderella, beati ...
,
Tsunehiko Kamijō is a Japanese singer, actor and voice actor. Filmography Live-action films *''Tora-san's Lullaby'' (1974) – Yatarō Ōkawa *''Tora-san's Rise and Fall'' (1975) – A pirate *''Death of a Tea Master'' (1989) – Yamanoue Sōji *''The Mourner ...
, Takehiko Ono, and
Bunta Sugawara was a Japanese actor who appeared in almost 200 feature films. Dropping out of Waseda University, he worked as a model before entering the film industry in 1956. After years of work, Sugawara finally established himself as a famous actor at the ...
. ''Spirited Away'' tells the story of Chihiro Ogino (Hiiragi), a ten-year-old girl who, while moving to a new neighborhood, enters the world of
Kami are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...
(spirits of Japanese
Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...
folklore).Boyd, James W. and Tetsuya Nishimura. 0042016.
Shinto Perspectives in Miyazaki's Anime Film 'Spirited Away' (PDF)
." ''
Journal of Religion & Film The ''Journal of Religion and Film'' is a biannual peer-reviewed academic journal that "examines the description, critique, and embodiment of religion in film". The editor-in-chief is John C. Lyden (Grand View University). It was established in 1 ...
'' 8 (3):Article 4. After her parents are turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba (Natsuki), Chihiro takes a job working in Yubaba's
bathhouse Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...
to find a way to free herself and her parents and return to the human world. 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. At the time, Miyazaki was developing two personal projects, but they were rejected. With a budget of US$19 million, production of ''Spirited Away'' began in 2000.
Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
animator
John Lasseter John Alan Lasseter (; born January 12, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, animator, voice actor, and the head of animation at Skydance Animation. He was previously the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, ...
, a fan and friend of Miyazaki, convinced
Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios uni ...
to buy the film's North American distribution rights, and served as
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
of its English-dubbed version. Lasseter then hired
Kirk Wise Kirk Wise (born August 24, 1963) is an American film director, animator and screenwriter best known for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Wise has directed Disney animated films such as ''Beauty and the Beast'', ''The Hunchback of Notre ...
as director and Donald W. Ernst as producer, while screenwriters Cindy and Donald Hewitt wrote the English-language dialogue to match the characters' original Japanese-language lip movements. Originally released in Japan on 20 July 2001 by distributor
Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer an ...
, the film received universal acclaim, grossing at the worldwide box office. Accordingly, it became the most successful and highest-grossing film in Japanese history with a total of ($305 million). It held the record for 19 years until it was surpassed by '' Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train'' in 2020. ''Spirited Away'' has been regarded as Miyazaki's
magnum opus A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...
, and often listed among the greatest films of all time. It won the
Academy Award for Best Animated Feature The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature is given each year for animated films. An animated feature is defined by the Academy as a film with a running time of more than 40 minutes in which characters' performances are created using a frame-by- ...
at the
75th Academy Awards The 75th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) took place on March 23, 2003, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonl ...
, making it the first, and to date only, hand-drawn and non-English-language animated film to win the award. It was the co-recipient of the
Golden Bear The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin. History The winn ...
at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival (shared with ''
Bloody Sunday Bloody Sunday may refer to: Historical events Canada * Bloody Sunday (1923), a day of police violence during a steelworkers' strike for union recognition in Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia * Bloody Sunday (1938), police violence aga ...
''), and is within the top ten on the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
's list of "Top 50 films for children up to the age of 14". In 2016, it was voted the fourth-best film of the 21st century by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, as picked by 177 film critics from around the world, making it the highest-ranking animated film on the list. In 2017, it was also named the second "Best Film...of the 21st Century So Far" by ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. In 2022, it was ranked as the 75th greatest film of all time by the
Sight & Sound ''Sight and Sound'' (also spelled ''Sight & Sound'') is a British monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI). It conducts the well-known, once-a-decade ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time, ongoing ...
critics poll.


Plot

Ten-year-old Chihiro Ogino and her parents are traveling to their new home when her father decides to take a shortcut. The family's car stops in front of a tunnel leading to what appears to be an abandoned amusement park, which Chihiro's father insists on exploring, despite his daughter's protest. They find a seemingly empty restaurant still stocked with food, which Chihiro's parents immediately begin to eat. While exploring further, Chihiro reaches an enormous
bathhouse Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...
and meets a boy named Haku, who warns her to return across the riverbed before sunset. However, Chihiro discovers that her parents have been transformed into pigs, and she is unable to cross the now-flooded river. Haku finds Chihiro and instructs her to ask for a job from the bathhouse's boiler-man, Kamaji, a
yōkai are a class of supernatural entities and spirits in Japanese folklore. The word is composed of the kanji for "attractive; calamity" and "apparition; mystery; suspicious." are also referred to as , or . Despite often being translated as suc ...
commanding the susuwatari. Kamaji refuses to hire her and asks worker Lin to send Chihiro to Yubaba, the witch who runs the bathhouse. Yubaba tries to frighten Chihiro away, but she persists, and is eventually given a working contract. Yubaba takes away the second
kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
of her name, renaming her . While visiting her parents' pigpen, Sen realizes that she had already forgotten her real name. Haku warns her that Yubaba controls people by taking their names and that if she forgets hers like he has forgotten his, she will never be able to leave the spirit world. Sen faces discrimination from the other workers; only Kamaji and Lin show sympathy for her. While working, she invites a silent creature named No-Face (''Kaonashi'' ) inside, believing him to be a customer. A "stink spirit" arrives as Sen's first customer, and she discovers he is the spirit of a polluted river. In gratitude for cleaning him, he gives Sen a magic
emetic Vomiting (also known as emesis and throwing up) is the involuntary, forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenteri ...
dumpling. Meanwhile, No-Face imitates the gold left behind by the river spirit and tempts a worker with it, then swallowing him. No-Face demands food from the bathhouse and begins giving away extensive amounts of gold to its workers. Sen sees paper
Shikigami (also read as ) is the term for a being from Japanese folklore. According to the Shinto scholar Inoue Nobutaka, it is thought to be some sort of , represented by a small ghost. The belief of ''shikigami'' originates from ''Onmyōdō''. Accord ...
attacking a dragon and recognizes the dragon as Haku metamorphosed. When a grievously injured Haku crashes into Yubaba's penthouse, Sen follows him upstairs. A shikigami that stowed away on her back shapeshifts into Zeniba, Yubaba's twin sister. She turns Yubaba's son, Boh, into a mouse and creates a false copy of him. Zeniba tells Sen that Haku has stolen a magic golden seal from her and warns Sen that it carries a deadly curse. Haku strikes the shikigami, causing Zeniba to vanish. He falls into the boiler room with Sen, where she feeds him part of the emetic dumpling, causing him to vomit up the seal and a black slug, which Sen crushes with her foot. With Haku unconscious, Sen resolves to return the seal and apologize to Zeniba. Sen confronts an engorged No-Face, and feeds him the rest of the dumpling. No-Face follows Sen out of the bathhouse, steadily regurgitating everything that he has eaten. Sen, No-Face, and Boh travel to see Zeniba with train tickets given to her by Kamaji. Meanwhile, Yubaba orders that Sen's parents be slaughtered, but Haku reveals that Boh is missing and offers to retrieve him if Yubaba releases Sen and her parents. Yubaba agrees, but only if Sen can pass a final test. Sen meets with Zeniba, who makes her a magic hairband and reveals that Yubaba used the black slug to take control of Haku. Haku appears at Zeniba's home in his dragon form and offers to fly them home. No-Face decides to stay behind with Zeniba and become her spinner, while Sen and Boh leave with Haku for the bathhouse. In mid-flight, Sen recalls falling years ago into the Kohaku River and being washed safely ashore, correctly guessing Haku's real identity as . When they arrive at the bathhouse, Yubaba forces Sen to identify her parents from among a group of pigs in order to leave. After she answers correctly that none of the pigs are her parents, her contract disappears and she is given back her real name. Haku takes her to the now-dry riverbed and vows to meet her again. Chihiro crosses the riverbed to her restored parents, who do not remember anything after eating at the restaurant stall. They walk back through the tunnel until they reach their car, now covered in dust and leaves. Before getting in, Chihiro looks back at the tunnel, her hair tie from Zeniba still intact.


Voice cast


Production


Development and inspiration

Every summer,
Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and manga artist. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Japanese animated feature films, and is widel ...
spent his vacation at a mountain cabin with his family and five girls who were friends of the family. The idea for ''Spirited Away'' came about when he wanted to make a film for these friends. Miyazaki had previously directed films for small children and teenagers such as ''
My Neighbor Totoro is a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten. The film—which stars the voice actors Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, and Hitoshi Takagi—tells the story of a ...
'' and ''
Kiki's Delivery Service is a 1989 Japanese Anime, animated fantasy film written, produced, and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, adapted from the Kiki's Delivery Service (novel), 1985 novel by Eiko Kadono. It was animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Yamato Transpor ...
'', but he had not created a film for ten-year-old girls. For inspiration, he read
shōjo manga is an editorial category of Japanese comics targeting an audience of adolescent females and young adult women. It is, along with manga (targeting adolescent boys), manga (targeting young adult and adult men), and manga (targeting adul ...
magazines like ''
Nakayoshi is a monthly ''shōjo'' manga magazine published by Kodansha in Japan. First issued in December 1954, it is a long-running magazine with over 60 years of manga publication history. Notable titles serialized in Nakayoshi include ''Princess Knight ...
'' and ''
Ribon is a monthly Japanese manga magazine published by Shueisha on the third of each month. First issued in August 1955, its rivals are ''Nakayoshi'' and '' Ciao''. Its target audience is girls roughly 8–14 years old. It is one of the best-s ...
'' the girls had left at the cabin, but felt they only offered subjects on "crushes" and romance. When looking at his young friends, Miyazaki felt this was not what they "held dear in their hearts" and decided to produce the film about a young heroine whom they could look up to instead.Miyazaki on Spirited Away // Interviews //
. Nausicaa.net (11 July 2001). Miyazaki had wanted to produce a new film for years, but his two previous proposalsone based on the Japanese book by Sachiko Kashiwaba, and another about a teenage heroinewere rejected. His third proposal, which ended up becoming ''Sen and Chihiro's Spirited Away'', was more successful. The three stories revolved around a bathhouse that was inspired by one in Miyazaki's hometown. He thought the bathhouse was a mysterious place, and there was a small door next to one of the bathtubs in the bath house. 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''. Production of ''Spirited Away'' commenced in February 2000 on a budget of (US$15 million).
Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios uni ...
financed ten percent of the film's production cost for the
right of first refusal Right of first refusal (ROFR or RFR) is a contractual right that gives its holder the option to enter a business transaction with the owner of something, according to specified terms, before the owner is entitled to enter into that transaction ...
for American distribution. As with ''
Princess Mononoke is a 1997 Japanese animated epic historical fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network and Dentsu. The film stars the voices of Yōji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida ...
'', Miyazaki and the
Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It is best known for its animated feature films, and ha ...
staff experimented with computer animation. With the use of more computers and programs such as
Softimage 3D Softimage, 3D was a high-end 3D graphics application developed by Softimage, Co., which was used predominantly in the film, broadcasting, gaming, and advertising industries for the production of 3D animation. It was superseded by Softimage XSI i ...
, the staff learned the software, but used the technology carefully so that it enhanced the story, instead of "stealing the show". Each character was mostly hand-drawn, with Miyazaki working alongside his animators to see they were getting it just right.The Making of Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" – Part 1
. Jimhillmedia.com. The biggest difficulty in making the film was to reduce its length. When production began, Miyazaki realized it would be more than three hours long if he made it according to his plot. He had to delete many scenes from the story, and tried to reduce the "eye candy" in the film because he wanted it to be simple. Miyazaki did not want to make the hero a "pretty girl". At the beginning, he was frustrated at how she looked "dull" and thought, "She isn't cute. Isn't there something we can do?" As the film neared the end, however, he was relieved to feel "she will be a charming woman." Miyazaki based some of the buildings in the spirit world on the buildings in the real-life
Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum The in Koganei Park, Tokyo, Japan, is a museum of historic Japanese buildings. The park includes many buildings from the ordinary middle class Japanese experience to the homes of wealthy and powerful individuals such as former Prime Minister T ...
in
Koganei, Tokyo is a Cities of Japan, city located in the Western Tokyo, western portion of Tokyo, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 123,698 in 61,832 households. The total area of the city is so the population density is about 11,000 persons per ...
, Japan. He often visited the museum for inspiration while working on the film. Miyazaki had always been interested in the Pseudo-Western style buildings from the
Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...
that were available there. The museum made Miyazaki feel nostalgic, "especially when I stand here alone in the evening, near closing time, and the sun is setting – tears well up in my eyes." Another major inspiration was the , a traditional Japanese inn located in
Yamagata Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Yamagata Prefecture has a population of 1,079,950 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 9,325 km² (3,600 sq mi). Yamagata Prefecture borders Akita Prefecture to the north, ...
, famous for its exquisite architecture and ornamental features. While some guidebooks and articles claim that the old gold town of
Jiufen Jiufen, also spelled Jioufen or Chiufen (), is a seaside mountain area in Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. History During the first years of the Qing Dynasty, the isolated village housed nine families, thus the village would request "n ...
in Taiwan served as an inspirational model for the film, Miyazaki has denied this. The
Dōgo Onsen is a hot spring in the city of Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, Japan. History Dōgo Onsen is one of the oldest hot springs in Japan, with a history stretching back over 1000 years. The springs are mentioned in the Man'yōs ...
is also often said to be a key inspiration for the ''Spirited Away'' onsen/bathhouse. Toshio Suzuki, the producer of the film, also cites European inspirations and influences in the production of ''Spirited Away''. He specifically invokes the structure of the film as European-inspired due to Miyazaki's own influences by European films such as ''The Snow Queen'' and ''The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep''.


Music

The
film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...
of ''Spirited Away'' was composed and conducted by Miyazaki's regular collaborator
Joe Hisaishi , known professionally as , is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981. He is also known for his piano scores. Hisaishi's music has been known to explore ...
, and performed by the
New Japan Philharmonic The is a symphony orchestra based in Tokyo, Japan. It was founded in 1972 with Seiji Ozawa as honorary conductor laureate. The Philharmonic's primary concert venue is the Sumida Triphony Hall. From 2003 to 2013 its music director was Christi ...
. The soundtrack received awards at the 56th Mainichi Film Competition Award for Best Music, the
Tokyo International Anime Fair The Tokyo International Anime Fair also known as was one of the largest anime trade fairs in the world, held annually in Tokyo, Japan. The first event was held in 2002 as "Tokyo International Anime Fair 21". The event was held at Tokyo Big Sigh ...
2001 Best Music Award in the Theater Movie category, and the 17th Japan Gold Disk Award for Animation Album of the Year. Later, Hisaishi added lyrics to "One Summer's Day" and named the new version of the song which was performed by
Ayaka Hirahara is a Japanese pop singer. She was affiliated with the Dreamusic label until 2013 when she moved to Universal Music Japan. Biography Hirahara comes from a musical family; her father, Makoto Hirahara, is a saxophone player, her grandfather, T ...
. The closing song, was written and performed by Youmi Kimura, a composer and
lyre The lyre () is a stringed musical instrument that is classified by Hornbostel–Sachs as a member of the lute-family of instruments. In organology, a lyre is considered a yoke lute, since it is a lute in which the strings are attached to a yoke ...
-player from
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
. The lyrics were written by Kimura's friend Wakako Kaku. The song was intended to be used for , a different Miyazaki film which was never released. In the special features of the Japanese DVD, Hayao Miyazaki explains how the song in fact inspired him to create ''Spirited Away''. The song itself would be recognized as Gold at the
43rd Japan Record Awards The 43rd Annual Japan Record Awards took place on December 31, 2001, starting at 6:00PM JST. The primary ceremonies were televised in Japan on TBS. Award winners Japan Record Award * " Dearest" by Ayumi Hamasaki (Composer: D.A.I and Ayumi ...
. Besides the original soundtrack, there is also an
image album An image is a visual representation of something. It can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or somehow otherwise feed into the visual system to convey information. An image can be an artifact, such as a photograph or other two-dimensiona ...
, titled , that contains 10 tracks.


English adaptation

John Lasseter John Alan Lasseter (; born January 12, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, animator, voice actor, and the head of animation at Skydance Animation. He was previously the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, ...
,
Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
animator and a fan and friend of Miyazaki, would often sit with his staff and watch Miyazaki's work when encountering story problems. After seeing ''Spirited Away'' Lasseter was ecstatic. Upon hearing his reaction to the film, Disney CEO
Michael Eisner Michael Dammann Eisner (born March 7, 1942) is an American businessman and former chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Walt Disney Company from September 1984 to September 2005. Prior to Disney, Eisner was president of rival film st ...
asked Lasseter if he would be interested in introducing ''Spirited Away'' to an American audience. Lasseter obliged by agreeing to serve as the executive producer for the English adaptation. Following this, several others began to join the project: ''
Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' ( ...
'' co-director
Kirk Wise Kirk Wise (born August 24, 1963) is an American film director, animator and screenwriter best known for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Wise has directed Disney animated films such as ''Beauty and the Beast'', ''The Hunchback of Notre ...
and ''
Aladdin Aladdin ( ; ar, علاء الدين, ', , ATU 561, ‘Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with ''The Book of One Thousand and One Nights'' (''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of ...
'' co-producer Donald W. Ernst joined Lasseter as director and producer of ''Spirited Away'', respectively.The Making of Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" – Part 3
. Jimhillmedia.com. Screenwriters Cindy Davis Hewitt and Donald H. Hewitt penned the English-language dialogue, which they wrote in order to match the characters' original Japanese-language lip movements. The cast of the film consists of
Daveigh Chase Daveigh Elizabeth Chase ( ; née Chase-Schwallier; born July 24, 1990) is an American actress, singer, and model. She began her career appearing in minor television roles before being cast as Samantha Darko in Richard Kelly's cult film ''Donnie ...
,
Jason Marsden Jason Christopher Marsden (born January 3, 1975) is an American actor, director, producer and YouTuber, who has done numerous voice roles in animated films, as well as various television series and video games. He has been the official voice of ...
,
Suzanne Pleshette Suzanne Pleshette (January 31, 1937 – January 19, 2008) was an American theatre, film, television, and voice actress. Pleshette started her career in the theatre and began appearing in films in the late 1950s and later appeared in prominent ...
(in her final film role before her death in January 2008),
Michael Chiklis Michael Charles Chiklis ( born August 30, 1963) is an American actor, television director, television producer and musician. He is best known for his role as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Detective Vic Mackey on the FX police drama ''The S ...
,
Lauren Holly Lauren Holly (born October 28, 1963) is an American actress. She has played the roles of Deputy Sheriff Maxine Stewart in the television series ''Picket Fences'', NCIS Director Jenny Shepard in the series '' NCIS'', Dr. Betty Rogers on ''Motive' ...
,
Susan Egan Susan Farrell Egan (born February 18, 1970) is an American actress, singer and dancer, known for her work on the Broadway stage. She is best known for originating the role of Belle in the Broadway musical adaptation of ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1 ...
,
David Ogden Stiers David Allen Ogden Stiers ( ; October 31, 1942 – March 3, 2018) was an American actor and conductor. He appeared in numerous productions on Broadway, and originated the role of Feldman in ''The Magic Show'', in which he appeared for four ...
and
John Ratzenberger John Dezso Ratzenberger (born April 6, 1947)About John
from Ratzenberger's official website is an Americ ...
(a Pixar regular). Advertising was limited, with ''Spirited Away'' being mentioned in a small scrolling section of the film section of ''
Disney.com disney.com is a website operated by Disney Digital Network, a division of The Walt Disney Company, that promotes various Disney properties such as films, television shows, and theme park resorts, and offers entertainment content intended for child ...
''; Disney had sidelined their official website for ''Spirited Away'' and given the film a comparatively small promotional budget. 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.


Themes


Supernaturalism

The major themes of ''Spirited Away'', heavily influenced by Japanese
Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...
-
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
folklore, centre on the protagonist, Chihiro, and her liminal journey through the realm of spirits. The central location of the film is a Japanese bathhouse where a great variety of Japanese folklore creatures, including
kami are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...
, come to bathe. Miyazaki cites the solstice rituals when villagers call forth their local kami and invite them into their baths. Chihiro also encounters kami of animals and plants. Miyazaki says of this:Chihiro's
archetypal The concept of an archetype (; ) appears in areas relating to behavior, historical psychology, and literary analysis. An archetype can be any of the following: # a statement, pattern of behavior, prototype, "first" form, or a main model that ...
entrance into another world demarcates her status as one somewhere between child and adult. Chihiro also stands outside societal boundaries in the supernatural setting. The use of the word ''
kamikakushi In English, to "spirit away" means to remove without anyone's noticing. In Japanese folklore, spiriting away (Japanese: ''Kamikakushi'' ( 神隠し), ) refers to the mysterious disappearance or death of a person, after they had angered the gods ...
'' (literally 'hidden by gods') within the Japanese title, and its associated folklore, reinforces this liminal passage: "Kamikakushi is a verdict of 'social death' in this world, and coming back to this world from Kamikakushi meant 'social resurrection.'"Reider, Noriko T. 11 February 2009. "Spirited Away: Film of the Fantastic and Evolving Japanese Folk Symbols." ''
Film Criticism Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: Journalism, journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, magazines and other popular mass-m ...
'' 29(3):4–27. Additional themes are expressed through No-Face, who reflects the characters who surround him, learning by example and taking the traits of whomever he consumes. This nature results in No-Face's monstrous rampage through the bathhouse. After Chihiro saves No-Face with the emetic dumpling, he becomes timid once more. At the end of the film, Zeniba decides to take care of No-Face so he can develop without the negative influence of the bathhouse.


Fantasy

The film has been compared to
Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (; 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865) and its sequel ...
's ''
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a ...
'' and ''
Through the Looking Glass ''Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There'' (also known as ''Alice Through the Looking-Glass'' or simply ''Through the Looking-Glass'') is a novel published on 27 December 1871 (though indicated as 1872) by Lewis Carroll and the ...
'', as the stories have some elements in common such as being set in a
fantasy world A fantasy world is a world created for/from fictional media, such as literature, film or games. Typical fantasy worlds involve magic or magical abilities, nonexistent technology and, sometimes, either a historical or futuristic theme. Some wor ...
, the plots including a disturbance in logic and stability, and there being motifs such as food having metamorphic qualities; though developments and themes are not shared. Among other stories compared to ''Spirited Away'', ''
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' is a children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. It is the first novel in the Oz series of books. A Kansas farm girl named Dorothy ends up in the magical Land of Oz after s ...
'' is seen to be more closely linked thematically. Yubaba has many similarities to
the Coachman The Coachman ( it, Il Conduttore del Carro), also known as The Little Man (''L'Omino''), is a fictional character and a major antagonist who appears in Carlo Collodi's 1883 book ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (''Le avventure di Pinocchio''). In ...
from the 1940 film ''
Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...
'', in the sense that she mutates humans into pigs in a similar way that the boys of Pleasure Island were mutated into donkeys. Upon gaining employment at the bathhouse, Yubaba's seizure of Chihiro's
true name A true name is a name of a thing or being that expresses, or is somehow identical to, its true nature. The notion that language, or some specific sacred language, refers to things by their true names has been central to philosophical study as wel ...
symbolically kills the child,Satoshi, Ando. 11 February 2009. "Regaining Continuity with the Past: Spirited Away and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." '' Bookbird'' 46(1):23–29. . who must then assume adulthood. She then undergoes a
rite of passage A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of status in society. In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisation of ''rite ...
according to the
monomyth In narratology and comparative mythology, the hero's journey, or the monomyth, is the common template of stories that involve a hero who goes on an adventure, is victorious in a decisive crisis, and comes home changed or transformed. Earlie ...
format; to recover continuity with her past, Chihiro must create a new identity.


Traditional Japanese culture

''Spirited Away'' contains critical commentary on modern Japanese society concerning generational conflicts and environmental issues. Chihiro has been seen as a representation of the '' shōjo'', whose roles and ideology had changed dramatically since post-war Japan. Just as Chihiro seeks her past identity, Japan, in its anxiety over the economic downturn occurring during the release of the film in 2001, sought to reconnect to past values. In an interview, Miyazaki has commented on this nostalgic element for an old Japan.


Western consumerism

Accordingly, the film can be partly understood as an exploration of the effect of greediness and Western
consumerism Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. With the Industrial Revolution, but particularly in the 20th century, mass production led to overproduction—the supp ...
on traditional Japanese culture. For instance, Yubaba is stylistically unique within the bathhouse, wearing a Western dress and living among European décor and furnishings, in contrast with the
minimalist In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post–World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Don ...
Japanese style of her employees' quarters, representing the Western
capitalist Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, priva ...
influence over Japan in its
Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...
and beyond. Along with its function within the ostensible
coming of age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...
theme, Yubaba's act of taking Chihiro's name and replacing it with Sen (an alternate reading of ''chi'', the first character in Chihiro's name, ) can be thought of as symbolic of
capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for Profit (economics), profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, pric ...
's single-minded concern with value. Napier, Susan J. 11 February 2009. "Matter Out of Place: Carnival, Containment and Cultural Recovery in Miyazaki's Spirited Away." ''
Journal of Japanese Studies ''The Journal of Japanese Studies'' (JJS) is the most influential journal dealing with research on Japan in the United States. It is a multidisciplinary forum for communicating new information, new interpretations, and recent research results con ...
'' 32(2):287–310. . The Meiji design of the abandoned theme park is the setting for Chihiro's parents' metamorphosis – the family arrives in an imported
Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. Th ...
car and the father wears a European-styled
polo shirt A polo shirt, tennis shirt, golf shirt, or chukker shirt is a form of shirt with a collar. Polo shirts are usually short sleeved but can be long; they were used by polo players originally in India in 1859 and in Great Britain during the 1920s. ...
, reassuring Chihiro that he has "credit cards and cash," before their morphing into literal consumerist pigs. Miyazaki has stated: The bathhouse of the spirits cannot be seen as a place free of ambiguity and darkness.Thrupkaew, Noy. "Animation Sensation: Why Japan's Magical Spirited Away Plays Well Anywhere."
American Prospect ''The American Prospect'' is a daily online and bimonthly print American political and public policy magazine dedicated to American modern liberalism and progressivism. Based in Washington, D.C., ''The American Prospect'' says it "is devoted to ...
13.19: 32–33. Academic OneFile. Gale. 11 February 2009. Many of the employees are rude to Chihiro because she is human, and corruption is ever-present; it is a place of excess and greed, as depicted in the initial appearance of No-Face.Harris, Timothy. "Seized by the Gods". '' Quadrant'' 47.9: 64–67. Academic OneFile. Gale. 11 February 2009. In stark contrast to the simplicity of Chihiro's journey and transformation is the constantly chaotic carnival in the background.


Environmentalism

Commentators have often referred to environmental themes in the films of Miyazaki. In Spirited Away, two major instances of allusions to environmental issues have been noted. Pam Coats, for example, a Vice President of Walt Disney Feature Animation, describes Chihiro dealing with the "stink spirit", who, it turns out, is actually a river spirit but is so corrupted with filth that one couldn't tell what it was at first glance. It only became clean again when Chihiro pulled out a huge amount of trash, including car tires, garbage, and a bicycle. 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. The second allusion is seen in Haku himself. Haku does not remember his name and lost his past, which is why he is stuck at the bathhouse. Eventually, Chihiro remembers that he used to be the spirit of the Kohaku River, which was destroyed and replaced with apartments. Because of humans' need for development, they destroyed a part of nature, causing Haku to lose his home and identity. This can be compared to deforestation and desertification; humans tear down nature, cause imbalance in the ecosystem, and demolish animals' homes to satisfy their want for more space (housing, malls, stores, etc.) but do not think about how it can affect other living things.


Release


Box office and theatrical release

''Spirited Away'' was released theatrically in Japan on 20 July 2001 by distributor
Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer an ...
. It grossed a record ¥1.6 billion ($13.1 million) in its first three days, beating the previous record set by ''
Princess Mononoke is a 1997 Japanese animated epic historical fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network and Dentsu. The film stars the voices of Yōji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida ...
''. It was number one at the Japanese box office for its first eleven weeks and spent 16 weeks there in total. 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. It was the first film that had grossed more than $200 million at the worldwide box office excluding the United States. It went on to gross ¥30.4 billion to become the highest-grossing film in Japanese history, according to the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan. It also set the all-time attendance record in Japan, surpassing the 16.8 million tickets sold by ''
Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...
''. Its gross at the Japanese box office has since increased to , . In February 2002,
Wild Bunch The Wild Bunch, also known as the Doolin–Dalton Gang, or the Oklahombres, were a gang of American outlaws based in the Indian Territory in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were active in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma Terr ...
, an international sales company that had recently span-off from its former parent
StudioCanal StudioCanal S.A.S. (formerly known as Le Studio Canal+, Canal Plus, Canal+ Distribution, Canal+ D.A., Canal+ Production, and Canal+ Image and also known as StudioCanal International) is a French film production and distribution company that owns ...
, picked up the international sale rights for the film outside of Asia and France. The company would then on-sell it to independent distributors across the world. On April 13, 2002,
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
acquired the Taiwanese, Singapore, Hong Kong, French and North American sale rights to the film, alongside Japanese Home Media rights. Disney's English dub of the film, supervised by Lasseter, premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
on 7 September 2002 and was later released in the United States on 20 September 2002. The film grossed $450,000 in its opening weekend from 26 theatres. ''Spirited Away'' had very little marketing, less than Disney's other B-films, with a maximum of 151 theatres showing the film in 2002. After the 2003 Oscars, it expanded to 714 theatres. It ultimately grossed around $10 million by September 2003. Outside of Japan and the United States, the movie was moderately successful in both South Korea and France where it grossed $11 million and $6 million, respectively. In Argentina, it is in the top 10 anime films with the most tickets sold. In the United Kingdom, then-independent based film distributor
Optimum Releasing StudioCanal Limited, operating as StudioCanal (formerly Optimum Releasing), is the official branch of StudioCanal in the British Isles. The company releases many films, including foreign, anime (mostly Studio Ghibli), independent, art, British, ...
acquired the rights to the movie from Wild Bunch in January 2003. The company then released it theatrically on 12 September 2003. The movie grossed $244,437 on its opening weekend from 51 theatres, and by the end of its theatrical run in October, the movie has grossed $1,383,023 in the country. About 18 years after its original release in Japan, ''Spirited Away'' had a theatrical release in China on 21 June 2019. It follows the theatrical China release of ''My Neighbour Totoro'' in December 2018. The delayed theatrical release in China was due to long-standing political tensions between China and Japan, but many Chinese became familiar with Miyazaki's films due to rampant video piracy. It topped the Chinese box office with a opening weekend, beating ''
Toy Story 4 ''Toy Story 4'' is a 2019 American computer-animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the fourth installment in Pixar's ''Toy Story'' series and the sequel to ''Toy Story 3'' ( ...
'' in China. In its second weekend, ''Spirited Away'' grossed a cumulative in China, and was second only behind '' Spider-Man: Far From Home'' that weekend. , the film has grossed in China, bringing its worldwide total box office to over . ''Spirited Away'' worldwide box office total stands at US$395,802,070.


Home media

''Spirited Away'' was first released on VHS and DVD formats in Japan by
Buena Vista Home Entertainment Buena ( ) is a borough in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,603, The Japanese DVD releases include storyboards for the film and the special edition includes a Ghibli
DVD player A DVD player is a device that plays DVDs produced under both the DVD-Video and DVD-Audio technical standards, two different and incompatible standards. Some DVD players will also play audio CDs. DVD players are connected to a television to wa ...
. ''Spirited Away'' sold 5.5million home video units in Japan by 2007, and holds the record for most home video copies sold of all-time in the country . The movie was released on
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
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 is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It is best known for its animated feature films, and ha ...
movies. In North America, the film was released on DVD and VHS formats by Walt Disney Home Entertainment on 15 April 2003. The attention brought by the Oscar win resulted in the film becoming a strong seller. The bonus features include Japanese trailers, a making-of documentary which originally aired on
Nippon Television JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed su ...
, interviews with the North American voice actors, a select storyboard-to-scene comparison and ''The Art of Spirited Away'', a documentary narrated by actor
Jason Marsden Jason Christopher Marsden (born January 3, 1975) is an American actor, director, producer and YouTuber, who has done numerous voice roles in animated films, as well as various television series and video games. He has been the official voice of ...
. The movie was released on Blu-ray by and North America by
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., doing business as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, is the home entertainment distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company. The division handles the distribution of Disney's films, television series, an ...
on 16 June 2015.
GKIDS GKIDS is an American film distributor based in New York with, according to the ''Los Angeles Times'', a focus on "sophisticated, indie" animation. GKIDS releases critically acclaimed, mostly hand-drawn, international films—such as the works o ...
and
Shout! Factory Shout! Factory is an American home video and music company founded in 2002 as Retropolis Entertainment. Its video releases include previously released feature films, classic and contemporary television series, animation, live music, and comedy ...
re-issued the film on Blu-ray and DVD on 17 October 2017 following the expiration of Disney's previous deal with Studio Ghibli in the country in North America. On 12 November 2019, GKIDS and Shout! Factory issued a North-America-exclusive ''Spirited Away'' collector's edition, which includes the film on Blu-ray, and the film's soundtrack on CD, as well as a 40-page book with statements by Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki, and essays by film critic
Kenneth Turan Kenneth Turan (; born October 27, 1946) is an American retired film critic, author, and lecturer in the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California. He was a film critic for the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1991 ...
and film historian
Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of fil ...
. Along with the rest of the Studio Ghibli films, ''Spirited Away'' was released on digital markets in the United States for the first time, on 17 December 2019. In the United Kingdom, the film was released on DVD and VHS as a rental release through independent distributor High Fliers Films PLC following the film's limited theatrical release. It was later officially released on DVD in the UK on 29 March 2004, with the distribution being done by Optimum Releasing themselves. In 2006, the DVD was reissued as a single-disc release (without the second one) with packaging matching other releases in Optimum's "The Studio Ghibli Collection" range. The then-renamed
StudioCanal UK StudioCanal Limited, operating as StudioCanal (formerly Optimum Releasing), is the official branch of StudioCanal in the British Isles. The company releases many films, including foreign, anime (mostly Studio Ghibli), independent, art, British, ...
released the movie on Blu-ray on 24 November 2014, A British 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition, similar to other Studio Ghibli anniversary editions released in the UK, was released on 25 October 2021. In the United States, the 2015 Blu-ray release grossed $9,925,660 from 557,613 physical units sold . In the United Kingdom, the film's Studio Ghibli anniversary release appeared several times on the annual lists of best-selling
foreign language film World cinema is a term in film theory that refers to films made outside of the American motion picture industry, particularly those in opposition to the aesthetics and values of commercial American cinema.Nagib, Lúcia. "Towards a positive de ...
on
home video Home video is prerecorded media sold or rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD, Blu-ray and streaming me ...
, ranking number six in 2015, number five in 2016, and number one in 2019.


Television

The film was aired on
Nippon TV JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed su ...
(NTV) in Japan, on 24 January 2003. It became NTV's most-watched film of all time with a 46.9% audience rating, surpassing the 35.1% record previously set by ''Princess Mononoke'' in 1999. In the United Kingdom, the film was watched by 670,000 viewers on
BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
in 2010. This made it the year's most-watched foreign-language film on
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, and the year's second highest foreign film on UK television (below the Indian
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
film ''
Om Shanti Om ''Om Shanti Om'' (transl. ''Peace Be With You'') is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language fantasy romance film written and directed by Farah Khan, co-written by Mayur Puri and Mushtaq Shiekh, and produced by Gauri Khan under the banner of Red Chillies E ...
''). ''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. Combined, the film drew a UK television viewership on BBC2 between 2010 and 2011.


Reception


Critical response

''Spirited Away'' has received significant critical success on a broad scale. On
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film holds a 97% approval rating based on 195 reviews, with an average rating of 8.60/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "''Spirited Away'' is a dazzling, enchanting, and gorgeously drawn fairy tale that will leave viewers a little more curious and fascinated by the world around them."
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 96 out of 100 based on 41 critics, indicating "universal acclaim."
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
of the ''
Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...
'' gave the film a full four stars, praising the work and Miyazaki's direction. Ebert also said that ''Spirited Away'' was one of "the year's best films", as well as adding it to his "
Great Movies ''The Great Movies'' is the name of several publications, both online and in print, from the film critic Roger Ebert. The object was, as Ebert put it, to "make a tour of the landmarks of the first century of cinema." ''The Great Movies'' was p ...
" list.
Elvis Mitchell Elvis Mitchell (born December 6, 1958) is an American film critic, host of the public radio show ''The Treatment'', and visiting lecturer at Harvard University. He has served as a film critic for the ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'', the ''LA Weekly ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' positively reviewed the film and praised the animation sequences. Mitchell drew a favorable comparison to Lewis Carroll's ''
Through the Looking-Glass ''Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There'' (also known as ''Alice Through the Looking-Glass'' or simply ''Through the Looking-Glass'') is a novel published on 27 December 1871 (though indicated as 1872) by Lewis Carroll and the ...
'', and wrote that Miyazaki's "movies are as much about moodiness as mood" and that "the prospect of animated figures' not being what they seem – either spiritually or physically – heightens the tension." Derek Elley of ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' said that ''Spirited Away'' "can be enjoyed by sprigs and adults alike" and praised the animation and music.
Kenneth Turan Kenneth Turan (; born October 27, 1946) is an American retired film critic, author, and lecturer in the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California. He was a film critic for the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1991 ...
of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' praised Miyazaki's direction and the voice acting, as well as saying that the film is the "product of a fierce and fearless imagination whose creations are unlike anything a person has seen before." ''
Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...
'' critic Jay Boyar also praised Miyazaki's direction and said the film is "the perfect choice for a child who has moved into a new home." In 2004, ''
Cinefantastique ''Cinefantastique'' is an American horror, fantasy, and science fiction film magazine. History The magazine originally started as a mimeographed fanzine in 1967, then relaunched as a glossy, offset printed quarterly in 1970 by publisher/editor ...
'' listed the film as one of the "10 Essential Animations". In 2005, ''Spirited Away'' was ranked by
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
as the 12th-best animated film of all time. The film is also ranked number 9 of the highest-rated movies of all time on Metacritic, being the highest rated traditionally animated film on the site. The film ranked number 10 in ''Empire'' magazine's "The 100 Best Films of World Cinema" in 2010. In 2010, Rotten Tomatoes ranked it as the 13th-best animated film on the site, and in 2012, as the 17th. In 2019, the site considered the film to be #1 among 140 essential animated movies to watch. The film was ranked at number 46 on '' Time Out'' magazine's list of "The 100 Best Movies of All Time". In 2017, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' ranked it as the second best film of the 21st Century so far. In 2021, the
Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America is the joint efforts of two different US labor unions representing TV and film writers: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), headquartered in New York City and affiliated with the AFL–CIO * The Writers Guil ...
ranked ''Spirted Aways screenplay the 67th greatest of the 21st century so far. In 2022, the film was ranked number 75 on ''
Sight & Sound ''Sight and Sound'' (also spelled ''Sight & Sound'') is a British monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI). It conducts the well-known, once-a-decade ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time, ongoing ...
'''s greatest films list, being one of two animated films to make the list (alongside Miyazaki's own ''
My Neighbor Totoro is a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten. The film—which stars the voice actors Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, and Hitoshi Takagi—tells the story of a ...
''). In his book ''Otaku'',
Hiroki Azuma (born May 9, 1971) is a Japanese cultural critic, novelist, and philosopher. He is the co-founder and former director of Genron, an independent institute in Tokyo, Japan. Biography Azuma was born in Mitaka, Tokyo. Azuma received his PhD in ...
observed: "Between 2001 and 2007, the
otaku is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in ''Manga Burikko''. may be used as a pejorativ ...
forms and markets quite rapidly won social recognition in Japan," and cites Miyazaki's win at the Academy Awards for ''Spirited Away'' among his examples.


Accolades


Impact and legacy


Film industry

''Spirited Away'' is frequently regarded as one of the best films of the 21st century as well as one of the greatest animated films ever made. ''
Comic Book Resources ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' wrote that the film "set the bar extremely high for all anime movies that followed it -- including Studio Ghibli's." and further explained that "It's a movie many people re-watch due to its comfort and nostalgia, and since Netflix brought the Ghibli movies to North America last year, it's become even more accessible". Swapnil Dhruv Bose ''
Far Out Magazine ''Far Out'' is a British online culture magazine, headquartered in London and founded in 2010. ''Far Out'' focuses on independent and alternative culture, reviewing music, films and the arts along with relative interviews and curated playlists. ...
'' 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". In another article detailing
Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and manga artist. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Japanese animated feature films, and is widel ...
'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". ''
Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...
'' 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 Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
,
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, and other mainstream animators have still failed to genuinely realize 15 years later". Film director
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...
said that ''Spirited Away'' might be "better than any Disney films" he has ever seen. Rayna Denison, professor of film, television, and media studies, told ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' that "This is a film made by a master animator at the height of his powers and it is one where the quality of the animation really does set it apart from everything else around it. Nobody else was making films that looked like this or that were as inventive as this was at this time". The film has been cited as influence for various
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
and
Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
animated films. Production designer Harley Jessup said that he initially looked at ''Spirited Away'' and was inspired by the spiritual feelings elements to utilize them in '' Coco''. 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''. ''
Turning Red ''Turning Red'' is a 2022 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It was directed by Domee Shi in her feature directorial debut, written by Shi ...
'' director
Domee Shi Domee Shi (; ; born 1989) is a Chinese-born Canadian animator, Film director, director and screenwriter. Since 2011, she has worked for Pixar, contributing as a storyboard artist for multiple films, including ''Inside Out (2015 film), Inside O ...
named ''Spirited Away'' as one of her favorite animated films and one of the influences for her film.


Commercial and cultural significance

According to ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'', ''Spirited Away'' "arrived at a time when animation was widely perceived as a genre solely for children, and when cultural differences often became barriers to the global distribution of animated works" but it "shattered preconceived notions about the art form and also proved that, as a film created in Japanese with elements of Japanese folklore central to its core, it could resonate deeply with audiences around the world". Denison emphasized that
John Lasseter John Alan Lasseter (; born January 12, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, animator, voice actor, and the head of animation at Skydance Animation. He was previously the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, ...
and
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
"boosted ''Spirited Away'' 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 The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature is given each year for animated films. An animated feature is defined by the Academy as a film with a running time of more than 40 minutes in which characters' performances are created using a frame-by- ...
. Writer
Jonathan Clements Jonathan Michael Clements (born 9 July 1971) is a British author and scriptwriter. His non-fiction works include biographies of Confucius, Koxinga and Qin Shi Huang, as well as monthly opinion columns for '' Neo'' magazine. He is also the co-aut ...
, whose published works revolve around
East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea and ...
n culture,
anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
, and Japanese television dramas, emphasized that the film's Oscar win was "a wake-up call for a lot of people in the film business who had been disregarding Japanese animation for years". Susan Napier, professor of Japanese studies at
Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. ...
, called ''Spirited Away'' wins at major Western award shows "a very big shot in the arm to the Japanese animation industry". She further explained that
cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...
s in the West have often been seen as "childish, vulgar, things that you didn't take seriously" but after the film took home the Academy Award, people were starting to see animation as "a real art form".


Stage adaptation

A stage adaptation of ''Spirited Away'' was announced in February 2021 with a world premiere planned in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
on February 28, 2022. It is written and directed by John Caird, with
Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer an ...
as the production company, with Studio Ghibli's blessing. The role of Chihiro is played by both
Kanna Hashimoto is a Japanese actress and former singer. From 2011 to 2017, she was a member of the Fukuoka-based idol girl group Rev. from DVL. During her time with the group, in 2013, a fan-taken photo of her performing went viral on Twitter and 2channel, ...
and
Mone Kamishiraishi is a Japanese actress and singer. She is the older sister of actress and singer Moka Kamishiraishi. Biography Born in Kagoshima, Her family lived in Mexico for three years due to her father's work. She can speak English and a little bit of Spa ...
. On a limited time release, the Imperial Theater performance of the play is available for rental in Japan from November 11 to December 18{{{Cite web , title=舞台「千と千尋の神隠し」（千尋役：橋本環奈）≪帝国劇場公演版≫（初配信）｜フジテレビの人気ドラマ・アニメ・TV番組の動画が見放題＜FOD＞ , url=https://fod.fujitv.co.jp/title/112h/ , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215204644/https://fod.fujitv.co.jp/title/112h/ , archive-date=2022-12-15 , access-date=2022-12-15 , website=フジテレビの動画配信サービスFOD｜ドラマ アニメ TV番組が見放題 , language=ja in several streaming services such as
ABEMA Abema (, stylized as ABEMA) is a Japanese live TV streaming website owned by the entertainment company, AbemaTV, Inc. that provides over-the-top media services to customers in Japan. The website primarily acts as an online television network, ...
,
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...
Japan,
Docomo Anime Store is a Japanese company owned by NTT Docomo; it operates "d-anime store", a video on demand service specializing in anime. Overview The service was established first in May 2012 as a result of strategic alliance between NTT Docomo and Kadokawa ...
,
Fuji TV JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network Sys ...
on Demand,
Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
Japan and U-NEXT. There are 2 versions of the play available for rental: * {{transl, ja, ''Stage "Spirited Away" (Chihiro role: Kana Hashimoto) ≪Imperial Theater performance version≫ (First distribution)''. Japanese: {{lang, ja, 舞台「千と千尋の神隠し」(千尋役：橋本環奈)≪帝国劇場公演版≫（初配信）{{Cite web , title=Hulu(フールー): 人気映画、ドラマ、アニメが見放題！ , url=https://www.hulu.jp/search?q=舞台「千と千尋の神隠し」 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215192423/https://www.hulu.jp/search?q=舞台「千と千尋の神隠し」 , archive-date=2022-12-15 , access-date=2022-12-15 , website=舞台「千と千尋の神隠し」の検索結果 {{! Hulu(フールー) 【お試し無料】 , language=ja * {{transl, ja, ''Stage "Spirited Away" (Chihiro role: Moe Kamishiraishi) ≪Imperial Theater Performance Version≫ (Re-edited Version)''. Japanese: {{lang, ja, 舞台「千と千尋の神隠し」(千尋役：上白石萌音)≪帝国劇場公演版≫（再編集版）{{Cite web , title=舞台「千と千尋の神隠し」（千尋役：上白石萌音）≪帝国劇場公演版≫（再編集版）｜フジテレビの人気ドラマ・アニメ・TV番組の動画が見放題＜FOD＞ , url=https://fod.fujitv.co.jp/title/705u/ , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215205145/https://fod.fujitv.co.jp/title/705u/ , archive-date=2022-12-15 , access-date=2022-12-15 , website=フジテレビの動画配信サービスFOD｜ドラマ アニメ TV番組が見放題 , language=ja{{Cite web , title=舞台「千と千尋の神隠し」(千尋役：上白石萌音)≪帝国劇場公演版≫（再編集版）(舞台・演劇 / 2022)の動画視聴 {{! U-NEXT 31日間無料トライアル , url=https://video.unext.jp/title/SID0075215 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127074515/https://www.video.unext.jp/title/SID0075215 , archive-date=2022-11-27 , access-date=2022-12-15 , website=U-NEXT＜ユーネクスト＞ , language=ja


See also

{{Portal, Anime and manga, Film, Japan *
2000s in film The decade of the 2000s in film involved many significant developments in the film industries around the world, especially in the technology used. Building on developments in the 1990s, computers were used to create effects that would have previo ...
* ''
Isekai is a Japanese genre of speculative fiction—both portal fantasy and science fiction are included. It includes novels, light novels, films, manga, anime and video games that revolve around a person or people who are transported to and have to ...
'' *
List of highest-grossing anime films Films made in Japan produce revenue through various sources; the lists below only consider box office earnings at cinemas, not other sources of income such as merchandising or home video. The lists include both anime and live-action films produc ...
* List of highest-grossing films in Japan * ''
Noppera-bō The , or faceless ghost, is a Japanese yōkai that looks like a human but has no face. They are sometimes mistakenly referred to as a '' mujina'', an old Japanese word for a badger or raccoon dog. Although the ''mujina'' can assume the form of th ...
'': Japanese "no-face" spirit


Notes

{{Notelist


References

{{Reflist


Further reading

* Boyd, James W., and Tetsuya Nishimura. 2004.
Shinto Perspectives in Miyazaki's Anime Film 'Spirited Away'
" '' The Journal of Religion and Film'' 8(2). * {{cite journal, last1=Broderick, first1=Mick, title=Intersections Review, Spirited Away by Miyazaki's Fantasy, journal=Intersections: Gender, History and Culture in the Asian Context, date=2003, issue=9, url=http://intersections.anu.edu.au/issue9/broderick_review.html, access-date=5 June 2016 * Callis, Cari. 2010. "Nothing that Happens is ever Forgotten." In ''Anime and Philosophy'', edited by J. Steiff and T. D. Tamplin. New York: Open Court. {{ISBN, 9780812697131. * {{cite book, last1=Cavallaro, first1=Dani, title=The Animé Art of Hayao Miyazaki, date=2006, publisher=McFarland & Co., location=Jefferson, N.C., isbn=9780786423699 * {{Citation , author1=Cooper, Damon , title=Finding the spirit within: a critical analysis of film techniques in spirited Away.(Critical essay) , magazine=Babel , date=1 November 2010 , publisher=Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations , volume=45 , issue=1 , pages=30(6) , issn=0005-3503 * {{cite book , last=Coyle , first=Rebecca , year=2010 , title=Drawn to Sound: Animation Film Music and Sonicity , publisher=Equinox Publishing , isbn=978-1-84553-352-6 , quote=Drawn to Sound focuses on feature-length, widely distributed films released in the period since World War II, from producers in the USA, UK, Japan and France-from Animal Farm (1954) to Happy Feet (2006), Yellow Submarine (1968) to Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), Spirited Away (2001) and Les Triplettes de Belleville (2003). *{{cite book, last=Denison, first=Rayna, year=2008, chapter=The global markets for anime: Miyazaki Hayao's Spirited away (2001), editor1-last=Phillips, editor1-first=Alastair, editor2-last=Stringer, editor2-first=Julian, title=Japanese Cinema: Texts and Contexts, publisher=Routledge, isbn=978-0-415-32847-0 *{{cite book , last=Fielding , first=Julien R. , year=2008 , title=Discovering World Religions at 24 Frames Per Second , publisher=Scarecrow Press , isbn=978-0-8108-5996-8 , quote=Several films with a 'cult-like' following are also discussed, such as ''Fight Club'', ''Princess Mononoke'', ''Spirited Away'', and ''Jacob's Ladder''. * {{cite web, author=Fox, Kit , url=http://www.animerica-mag.com/features/11.05/sareview.html , title=Spirited Away , work=Animerica , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040407174919/http://www.animerica-mag.com/features/11.05/sareview.html , archive-date= 7 April 2004 , url-status=dead *{{cite book, last=Galbraith IV, first=Stuart, year=2008, title=The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography, publisher=Scarecrow Press, isbn=978-0-8108-6004-9, quote=Since its inception in 1933, Toho Co., Ltd., Japan's most famous movie production company and distributor, has produced and/or distributed some of the most notable films ever to come out of Asia, including ''Seven Samurai'', ''Godzilla'', ''When a Woman Ascends the Stairs'', ''Kwaidan'', ''Woman in the Dunes'', ''Ran'', ''Shall We Dance?'', ''Ringu'', and ''Spirited Away''. * {{cite book , last=Geortz , first=Dee , year=2009 , chapter=The hero with the thousand-and-first face: Miyazaki's girl quester in Spirited away and Campbell's Monomyth , editor1-last=Perlich , editor1-first=John , editor2-last=Whitt , editor2-first=David , title=Millennial Mythmaking: Essays on the Power of Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, Films and Games , publisher=McFarland , isbn=978-0-7864-4562-2 * {{cite book , last=Hooks , first=Ed , year=2005 , chapter=''Spirited Away'' , title=Acting in Animation: A Look at 12 Films , publisher=Heinemann Drama , isbn=978-0-325-00705-2 * {{Citation , author1=Knox, Julian , title=Hoffmann, Goethe, and Miyazaki's Spirited Away.(E.T.A. Hoffmann, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Hayao Miyazaki)(Critical essay) , journal=
Wordsworth Circle ''The Wordsworth Circle'' is a quarterly academic journal established in 1970 to publish contemporary studies of literature, culture, and society in Great Britain, Europe, and North America during the Romantic period from about 1760–1850. It cov ...
, date=22 June 2011 , publisher=Wordsworth Circle , volume=42 , issue=3 , pages=198(3) , doi=10.1086/TWC24043148 , s2cid=169044013 , issn=0043-8006 * {{Citation , author1=Matthews, Kate , title=Logic and Narrative in 'Spirited Away' , journal=Screen Education , date=2006 , issue=43 , pages=135–140 , issn=1449-857X *{{cite book, last=Napier, first=Susan J., year=2005, title= Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation, publisher=Palgrave Macmillan, isbn=978-1-4039-7051-0 * {{cite book, last1=Osmond, first1=Andrew, title=Spirited away = Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi, date=2008, publisher=Palgrave Macmillan on behalf of the British Film Institute, location=Basingstoke nglandisbn=978-1844572304 *Suzuki, Ayumi. 2009.
A nightmare of capitalist Japan: Spirited Away
, ''
Jump Cut A jump cut is a cut (transition), cut in film editing in which a single continuous sequential shot of a subject is broken into two parts, with a piece of footage being removed in order to render the effect of jumping forward in time. Camera posit ...
'' 51 *Yang, Andrew. 2010. "The Two Japans of 'Spirited Away'." ''
International Journal of Comic Art The ''International Journal of Comic Art'' is a journal about comics art, published twice a year. It was established in 1999 by John Lent (Temple University), who is also the editor-in-chief. The journal is independently published and does not main ...
'' 12(1):435–52. *{{cite book , last=Yoshioka , first=Shiro , year=2008 , chapter=Heart of Japaneseness: History and Nostalgia in Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away , editor-last=MacWilliams , editor-first=Mark W , title=Japanese Visual Culture: Explorations in the World of Manga and Anime , pages=268–285 , publisher=M.E. Sharpe , doi=10.4324/9781315703152-19 , isbn=978-0-7656-1601-2 , url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315703152-19/heart-japaneseness-history-nostalgia-hayao-miyazaki-spirited-away-shiro-yoshioka


External links

{{Commons category, Spirited Away {{wikiquote * {{IMDb title, 0245429 * {{tcmdb title, 437090 * {{Allmovie, 254034 * {{bcdb title, 20695, Spirited Away * {{anime News Network, anime, 377 * {{mojo title, spiritedaway * {{Metacritic film * {{Rotten-tomatoes, spirited_away
''Spirited Away''
at the Japanese Movie Database {{in lang, ja

{{Hayao Miyazaki {{Studio Ghibli Films {{Navboxes , title = Awards for ''Spirited Away'' , list = {{Academy Award for Best Animated Feature {{Animation Kobe Feature Film Award {{Annie Award for Best Animated Feature {{Blue Ribbon Award for Best Film {{Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Feature {{Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film {{Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Animated Film {{Golden Bear 2000-2019 {{Japan Academy Prize for Best Film {{Japan Media Arts Festival for Animation of the Year {{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film {{Mainichi Film Award for Best Film {{Mainichi Film Award - Animation Film Award {{National Board of Review Award for Best Animated Film {{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Animated Film {{Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Film {{Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Animated Film {{Satellite Award Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature Film {{Saturn Award for Best Animated Film {{Tokyo Anime Award for Animation of the Year {{Tokyo Anime Award for Theatrical Film {{Authority control 2000s children's animated films 2000s children's fantasy films 2000s coming-of-age films 2000s Japanese-language films 2001 anime films 2001 fantasy films 2001 films Animated coming-of-age films Animated films about dragons Anime with original screenplays Annie Award winners Best Animated Feature Academy Award winners Best Animated Feature Annie Award winners Best Animated Feature Broadcast Film Critics Association Award winners Coming-of-age anime and manga Films about curses Films about families Films about frogs Films about kidnapping Films about parallel universes Films about shapeshifting Films about witchcraft Films directed by Hayao Miyazaki Films scored by Joe Hisaishi Films set in 2001 Films set in Japan Golden Bear winners Isekai anime and manga Japanese animated fantasy films Japanese coming-of-age films Japanese fantasy adventure films Japanese ghost films Japanese mythology in anime and manga Picture of the Year Japan Academy Prize winners Studio Ghibli animated films Toho animated films Yōkai in anime and manga