Amazon.com: The highest grossing film in Japanese box-office history (more than $234 million), Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away (Sen To Chihiro Kamikakushi) is a dazzling film that reasserts the power of drawn animation to create fantasy worlds. Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and Lewis Carroll's Alice, Chihiro (voice by Daveigh Chase--Lilo in Disney's Lilo & Stitch) plunges into an alternate reality. On the way to their new home, the petulant adolescent and her parents find what they think is a deserted amusement park. Her parents stuff themselves until they turn into pigs, and Chihiro discovers they're trapped in a resort for traditional Japanese gods and spirits. An oddly familiar boy named Haku (Jason Marsden) instructs Chihiro to request a job from Yubaba (Suzanne Pleshette), the greedy witch who rules the spa. As she works, Chihiro's untapped qualities keep her from being corrupted by the greed that pervades Yubaba's mini-empire. In a series of fantastic adventures, she purges a river god suffering from human pollution, rescues the mysterious No-Face, and befriends Yubaba's kindly twin, Zeniba (Pleshette again). The resolve, bravery, and love Chihiro discovers within herself enable her to aid Haku and save her parents. The result is a moving and magical journey, told with consummate skill by one of the masters of contemporary animation. MPAA Rated: PG ("Some scary moments") --Charles Solomon
And the first chapter ends....with an Oscar! (Volume 1: Part 13) As the new millenum had finally arrived Studio Ghibli graced the world with 'Spirited Away'. This movie took the world of Hayao Miyazaki and threw it right into your face saying 'This is the work of Studio Ghibli. Watch our movies!!!' So we listened and to show America's graditude 'Spirited Away' won the second Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
This is a story of Chihiro. A spoiled brat who never has to do anything. Though she gets anything she wants whenever she wants she still feels alone and ignored by the world. On the move to their new house Chihiro's family spots an abandoned amusement park. What they don't know is that it is a resort to the spirits that walk the Earth at night. Now her paretns broke the rules and turned into pigs so it's up to Chihiro to break the curse. On her dangerous yet sometimes humerous quest she learns what it is like to prove to yourself in the world and you can do great things.
This is a very different film for Hayao Miyzaki. This is a story that plays upon some of the most bizzare fantasy stories. It is also a movie that can be a bit weird and sometimes disturbing. Yet what you see will blow your mind for it is so origional and so mind bending you will be craving to see what happens next. At this point Studio Ghibli is a world renound phenomenon and Disney is giving it a helping hand to get all the films to the world. 'Spirited Away' is a real milestone for Ghibli because once this movie received it's Oscar it was embraced by a whole new wave of fans. After that they craved more and thus the films like 'Castle in the Sky', 'Whisper of the Heart' and 'Pom Poko' were finally brought over seas and now one can only think about the next wave of films that is on its way to us.
(End of Volume 1)
Miyazaki's Best "Spirited Away" is a classic animation masterpiece by Hiyao Miyazaki. In this reviewers opinion, Miyazaki is the greatest animated storyteller and visionary since the late Walter Elias Disney. This film is justifiably considered his greatest. It won the Academy Award for best animated feature the year of it's release.
Chihiro is an 11 year old brat. Her family is moving and she doesn't like it one bit. To make things worse, her father makes the wrong turn. He then insists on investigating what appears to be an abandoned theme park. However things aren't what they seem, with the setting of the sun, things begin to transform including her parents. Aided by a mysterious boy, Haku, Chihiro learns to survive in this spirit word. She gets a job at a bath house for the spirits run by the witch Yubaba.
In the process of adapting to her new situation, Chihiro grows tremendously. In order to save herself and her family, she going to display reservoirs of strength and resourcefulness she didn't know she had. Miyazaki handles this realistically. As Chihiro adapts to her situation, her emotions range from confusion to terror to resignation through bouts of depression. Nonetheless she prevails and even finds friendship, loyalty and love.
She also bumps her head a lot......literally.
The detail of Miyagi's work is incredible. Look at the details of the boiler room where Chihiro meets Komagi, Yubaba's office, the details of bathhouse operation etc. Miyagi bases his characters on actual people. `Chihiro' is based on the daughter of a close friend. Her parents had no idea he had been studying her so closely.
The DVD includes extras primarily about the making of the film including it dubbing in English. There is also a Japanese documentary about Studio Ghibli. It's interesting a work of such beauty can be produced under such crowded, cluttered working conditions
Miyazaki is the Best This was my first Miyazaki movie and now I own them all. 'Spirited Away' is the preeminent coming of age story, his greatest effort and one of the best movies of all time.
Great A must have for any Hayao fan. Wonderful story, rich characters, and great voice acting. Studio Gibli gives us great anime once again.
FANTASMIC! I don't understand how some people say this movie is stupid! It's amazing! The characters are very original and the art isn't similar to alot of anime that I've seen. It is definitely a Miyazaki piece of art! Families will love it and in the future I'm pretty sure kids AND adults will watch it saying, "That's so cool!" and while the ending credits roll, "Let's watch it again!"
Anything Goes Trivia
Last Kiss
Megaton Man
Trevor
![Spirited Away [Region 2]](http://www.worldfamouscomics.com/shopping/largeimage/?back=B000087JI1&image=http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ge8Uwv87L._SL500_.jpg&title=Spirited+Away+%5BRegion+2%5D)
