Although legendary Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki has retired from the film industry fans can take some comfort in the fact that there are still a few of his animated films which haven’t yet been released on blu-ray in the United States. Disney has been releasing occasion waves of the Studio Ghibli catalog, generally two movies at a time, which in some ways is much better on those who appreciate the movies financially but it doesn’t necessarily mean that there will always be movies that fans rank as their favorite. It took quite a while before Kiki’s Delivery Service finally came to blu-ray and I was quite pleased to finally add it to my collection since it has been my personal favorite for quite some time but another of Miyazaki’s movies that I have enjoyed has been absent for quite some time, at least until now.
Spirited Away, which in Japan is often known as Sen as it is a drastically shortened version of the original title en to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, is the story of Chihiro, a 10-year old girl whose family is moving. Chihiro though is not happy about this just like most children wouldn’t be since she’s having to leave all her close friends behind and start things anew. In Mayazaki’s world though, there’s no such thing as a simple move. Her father takes a wrong turn and the family ends up lost in forest with a strange tunnel beckoning them ever closer. Curiosity gets the best of them and the family decides to take a peek, finding what they believe to be the remains of an amusement park that mimics Japan during its Edo period.
Abandoned as it may be, the family also finds a bounty of food and Chihiro’s mother and father immediately let glutton take over. This senseless act however will deliver a well-deserved fate as the pair are transformed into pigs. Scared and alone, Chihiro soon finds herself in a new world, one filled with gods and many strange creatures and there is no tolerance of humans but Chihiro is aided by some of the strange world’s inhabitants who show compassion towards her as well as the plight of her family. Now the only means of survival for the lazy Chihiro is to take a job at the bathhouse in the park, which is visited nightly by gods wishing to relax and get away from their daily duties. However, the contact she has signed with Yubaba, the greedy owner of the bathhouse, comes with a high price that may very well cost Chihiro everything, including her identity.
What Spirited Away delivers is probably one of the best, most intricate films that Miyazaki has ever done. Miyazaki has often been considered by many around the world to be the Japanese Walt Disney and Spirited Away is perhaps the greatest showcase of his talent in my opinion. Although he has always been known for doing some incredible and stunning work, Spirited Away features some of the most beautiful backgrounds that have ever graced an animated film. There’s a great deal of care and went into this film, much like all his others, but this is a film that isn’t just something that you watch but rather you experience it, and in order to get the full effect of the film, multiple viewings are definitely in order.
Much like many of his other works, there are many characters that are memorable on different levels. There’s always a mild cuteness factor involved with what Miyazaki does, however it’s never taken to the level where it becomes nauseating. In Princess Mononoke the whimsical kodama’s were one of the things that many people remembered. These glowing forest spirits managed to add a gentle element into the film, even though they were more of a minor part of the overall story. The same is true here as Miyazaki gives us the hard working soot, or susuwatari, little guys with peering eyes and thin arms and legs. Long time Mayazaki fans have seen similar creatures in My Neighbor Totoro, although there they are known as makkuro-kurosuke. Again, what you have are cute creatures that aren’t an essential element but are entertaining as well.
According to Miyazaki the character of Chihiro is based on a real little girl and just about everything that one will find in his worlds will have been influenced by someone or something that is dear to the director. Chihiro really is like many 10-year old children that we’ve all had to deal with. Chihiro is a bit spoiled, a bit lazy, and very reliant on everyone else to take care of every aspect of her life. That’s the Chihiro that we’re introduced to initially but this is a story about overcoming adversity. Chihiro is almost immediately thrust into a world where she doesn’t have her parents to rely on, and must get past her lazy demeanor in order to survive. It’s sort of like a coming of age story, but done as only Miyazaki can.
Having a native of Japan in the house has provided much insight into the film as well. There are many Japanese references that are of course lost on those of us from the West. Not every element of Japanese culture is easily translated into English. One example comes from the character of Lin, who talks more like a male than a woman. This comes across slightly in the English version, but it can definitely be more apparent in Japanese, especially if you’ve studied it a little. Lin tends to use words like ore, which is simply “I”, and in Japanese culture is reserved only for males. Of course, Lin also does have her more tender side, but her character does come across as being a little harsh and definitely not nearly as polite as what you would expect from a Japanese woman.
Some things are addressed in the extras, like engacho for instance, but other things are much more of a mystery. Kaonashi, or No-Face, is one of the characters that is a little difficult to explain in a translated form. The character himself can be looked at in many different ways. Really though, what it all comes down to is that this is someone who is utterly lonely and looking for acceptance of some sort. Think of him, or it, as more or less a stalker in some ways, or maybe like that kid in school that no one liked that always managed to work his way into the crowd, even though he wasn’t really wanted. Like Miyazaki said, “there’s a little kaonashi in all of us” and I believe that’s true.
One thing that I have always remarked about with his films is that typically; Miyazaki brings in voice talent that has never worked in an anime before, and in some cases may have no experience at all. The same is true of Spirited Away. Chihiro is voiced by Rumi Hiiragi who at the young age of 13 (at least when she did the voice work) had only been involved in a single project. This does show through though as Rumi comes across as being a little flat at times and not nearly as experienced a seiyuu as many others in the industry. However, I’m sure that from Miyazaki’s perspective, this is exactly what he wanted to capture.
Miyu Irino (Haku) is another actor who had no experience at all coming into this project. However, he and Rumi combined, especially since they have some many scenes together, make for a good pairing. For those who generally stay away from a film in its original language and instead prefer the dubbed versions, the one positive thing which Disney has done with most of their Studio Ghibli releases is that instead of relying upon the pool of voice actors who typically work in anime they have instead brought in some very good talent to take up the roles.
There are plenty of great extras contained as well. Remember, this is a two-disc set, not like the single disc that was done for Princess Mononoke, although if I were a betting man, I’d wager that we will see a special edition of that at some point in the future. You get some behind the scenes featurettes on both sides. The English behind the scenes are shorter, which isn’t bad at all. I think that Disney realizes that this really is not their film. While it may be important to take a look at what was done on our end, Japan is where this film is from, and that’s where the focus should be. And it is. There’s an added special that ran on Japanese television that takes a look at what went on in the production of Spirited Away, and it focuses on every element.
Although Spirited Away is an amazing film to watch, the ending lacks something. This has often been the case of many of Miyazaki’s films however. Princess Mononoke for instance had a great build up culminating in a spectacular battle and some great animation as our hero attempts to right the wrongs that have occurred, leading into an ending that seems to be an afterthought. Spirited Away is the same. The film build up, answers many of the questions that we’ve all been wondering, and despite the fact that all the ends are tied up, the end itself is very lack luster, taking those feelings of wonder and excitement and in a way, deflating them as the film just sort of fizzles out at the end.
I know that parents have often liked the works of Miyazaki not just because of its beauty and his storytelling, but it’s something that youngsters can watch without the worry of too much violence. There’s no gore in the film in the least, and no real excessive violence. There may be a few parts that might frighten some young watchers. My three-year-old was initially a little scared of No Face until she finally realized that he really wasn’t bad at all and was trying to help Chihiro. Be advised however, Spirited Away wasn’t created to appeal to Western audiences so there are plenty of moments where the Japanese culture is at the forefront. The setting in particular, the bathhouse, is filled with various Japanese mythological Gods and there’s no explanation of who or what they are. Some children won’t be concerned about it whereas others will probably be asking questions a lot of questions and some aren’t going to be easy to answer.
The single complaint that I have concerning Disney and their Studio Ghibli blu-ray releases is that they haven’t gone to any effort to bring any new material which wasn’t previously found on the DVD editions. There is a special included which aired on Japanese television about the film and this is really one of the best extras found on Spirited Away. You will also find interviews with the English voice cast, the move in storyboard format, a collection of Japanese trailers, and a DVD copy of the film.
Miyazaki certainly has captured both the hearts and imaginations of fans worldwide, and one doesn’t even have to be an anime fan to appreciate the work that he had done. If in fact he does decide to enjoy his retirement and doesn’t come back to working on films his talents will be greatly missed but we still have a vast assortment of his work to enjoy. Spirited Away has a very broad appeal, so much so that it’s not just for anime fans but rather the type of movie which can be enjoyed by even those who have very little knowledge about the genre and will still come away quite pleased with what they have seen.
Mike is the resident reviewer for Couponing to Disney and his own site Underland Online. He has a toddler daughter and is obsessed with Haunted Mansion and all things Disney. You can read Mike’s complete bio here.