Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Spirited Away (2001) By Miyazaki Hayao.

Chihiro is a sullen little girl, upset in the profoundly irritating way of ten year old girls because she has to move. On the way to their new home, Chihiro and her parents stop to investigate what appears to be an abandoned Amusement Park. Chihiro is not pleased (of course nothing on the entire planet would please her except for her family return to her old life.)

But when her parents find an eatery, deserted but brimming with the most delicious food, Chihiro, convinced they are going to get in trouble, goes off to explore.

What she finds appears to be a bath house. Suddenly, an intense young man accosts her, and shoos her away. He seems to be very concerned for her safety, and that she not is found there after dark.

But when she rejoins her parents, she finds that they are transformed into pigs! Not believing her eyes, she searches for them. But as night falls, the park comes alive with ghostly figures that are becoming ever more real. And at the same time, she is getting transparent!

But the same boy rescues her, giving her a little spirit food to prevent her from fading. He tells her how to survive; she must get work in the bathhouse. Only then will she be allowed to stay, and only then will she have any chance of saving her parents.

First, he sends her to Kamaji the boiler man. She must insist he give her a job until he refers her up to Yubaba, the hag who rules the Bath house. Kamaji looks like a spider, with many impossibly long arms, and a bush of a mustache. Lin, one of the servant girls takes her.

In the bath house, Chihiro sees many strange spirits; bird spirits and frog spirits, and the Radish Spirit. At the top, she encounters Yubaba, a hag, and her yes men, the three heads. Yubaba tries to scare her, insult her, and dissuade her. But Chihiro does nothing except repeat her request, over and over. Finally, Yubaba relents. It seems she took an oath to hire anyone who asks her. So Chihiro signs the contract, and signs away her name. Yubaba passes her hand over it, and half the kanji disappear, leaving just one symbol. (The symbol or kanji for the “Chi” in Chihiro is also the kanji for “Sen” which means 1000. So her name becomes Sen.)

They put her to work, and they work her hard. But Sen is diligent, and polite, and these qualities stand her in good stead, but also cause problems. One problem is she lets in a spirit, No-face, thinking he is a customer. But he ends up causing no end of problems.

One of the things that serve her is this; No-Face desperately wants her approval, so he steals some of the precious bath tokens for her. When a stink spirit comes in for a bath, of course Sen is given the job of attending to him. She uses one of the expensive tokens for a first rate mixture, and while the water sluices the spirit she discovers what she thinks is a thorn. A line is attached, and the whole staff pulls and pull. Suddenly the “thorn” comes loose. It’s a bicycle! And a whole load of other trash pours out!

The Stink Spirit is actually a powerful River Spirit, and he is so pleased he tips Sen, giving her a powerful medicine. He also leaves a lot of gold nuggets as payment, something that pleases Yubaba no end.

Eventually No-face swallows a frog spirit, and this gives him enough substance that he can now speak and use powerful magics. He tries to win Sen’s affections with gifts or gold…none of which mean anything to her. The only thing Sen cares about is getting her parents back. That is something he can’t give her.

So what will Sen do? Will she free her parents? Will she figure out what has made Haku such a hard young man? Will she free him from Yubaba’s control? Will she get her name back?

This is a wonderful movie; a classic on the lines of Snow White and Cinderella. This is not something I say lightly. Studio Ghibli is the Japanese equivalent to Disney, dedicated to producing quality above all else.

The Art is stunningly beautiful. The lush detail of each background, the reverence with which nature is depicted, the animation of the characters, all these details make each frame suitable for framing. Chihiro is cute, Yubaba as well, in her own hideous way. Even the Radish Spirit has his charm.

The Score is melodious and moody, blending seamlessly with the rest of the movie, supporting, but never overpowering.

The voice actors are brilliant. There are of course two sets, the original Japanese cast, and the American dubbing cast. The best performance is of course Chihiro/Sen. Voiced by the gifted Daveigh Chase the wunderkind responsible for Lilo of Lilo and Stitch. Other notable performances include the late great Suzanne Pleshette in the dual role of Yubaba and Zeniba and Jason Marsden as Haku.

The point here is that when you point to every single aspect of a film, direction, writing, acting, art, sound, score, and every single thing is flawless, the disparate parts blend into a greater whole. This is a modern masterpiece. A hundred years from now, we will be explaining to our grandchildren what the cars are, but we will still be watching this movie. It is timeless.

Check out my reviews of all things Japanese:

My Neighbor Totoro
Across the Nightingale Floor
Grass For His Pillow
Brilliance of the Moon
Onmyoji II
Onmyoji
The Hidden Fortress
Hellboy: Storm of Swords
Vexille
Sanjuro
The Hidden Blade
Yaji & Kita: Midnight Pilgrims
Princess Mononoke
Spirited Away
Gay Tales of the Samurai
Howl's Moving Castle
Ghost Dog
Memoirs of a Geisha (Book)
Memoirs of Geisha (Movie)
The Last Samurai
The Sword that Cut the Burning Grass
Taboo
Forbidden Colors

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up to Age 4