Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi)

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Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi)

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Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro ...

Bunta Sugawara, Daveigh Chase, David Ogden Stiers, Jason Marsden, John Ratzenberger

Tale of the fanciful adventures of a ten-year-old girl named Chihiro, who discovers a secret world when she and her family get lost and venture through a hillside tunnel. When her parents undergo a my...( read more  read more... )sterious transformation, Chihiro must fend for herself as she encounters strange spirits, assorted creatures and a grumpy sorceress who seeks to prevent her from returning to the human world.

Id: 8341673

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Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi) Recent Reviews

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Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi) Recent Reviews
  • AgentLexi2132
    December 10, 2009
    AgentLexi2132
    ''Don't you see? It's called... Love.''

    In the middle of her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl Chihiro / Sen wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and monsters; where humans are changed into animals; and a bathhouse for these creatures.

    Ru...( read more)mi Hiragi: Chihiro / Sen

    ''...Once you've met someone you never really forget them. It just takes a while for your memories to return...''

    Hayao Miyazaki's animated masterpiece is obviously a very foreign Anime piece; not simply because it comes from another country i.e: Japan. There is an imagination at work that is so organic, so remote that it seems to be given birth from an individual's subconscious. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi(2001) from Studio Ghibli connects universally; speaking as it does in a language that suggests anything is possible and children (Plus imaginative adults) of all cultures will respond to it instinctively.
    The soundtrack is also very effective in setting the mood in key areas of the story.

    Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi is trying to explain death in a simplistic yet secretive way to children; The creature/character No Face would be a likely candidate for that assumption.
    Chihiro lets him in and does not fear him as with the adults fear of him; because she doesn't understand what he is. Interestingly, No Face travels on the ghost train and is, consequently, the only companion invited to stay with Granny when the friends decide to make their return journey.

    Interestingly, the character No Face greatly resembles a silkworm. First, the film is Japanese and silkworms are important in Japanese culture. No face seems to have a white face and a mouth below it; Silkworms also have markings that look like facial features, and their mouths are below these indentations. Silkworms and No Face eat constantly and grow rapidly. At the end of the movie, No Face goes with Sen to visit Zeniba. No Face stays with Zeniba spinning silk which symbolizes the importance of the material and the creature. Miyazaki has created a perfect representation of the silkworm and an iconic character in the shape of No Face.
    Personal favourite sequences included are the battle against No Face as Chihiro fends him away; by simply using a medicine/cure she was given and teaching him the importance of friendship. Also, revealing whom Haku really is and showing such loyalty to the one you love is a subtle touch; portraying the value of the emotional bond.

    Lin: What's going on here?
    Kamaji: Something you wouldn't recognize. It's called love.

    The moral of this epic story is that sometimes perhaps, you need to mature and learn that you can't rely on someone else to save you.
    It teaches us we must also value Friendship and loyalty.
    Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi is a fantastic animation from Studio Ghibli's Miyazaki; with beautiful music, charming characters, a storyline that sucks you in with art and imagination; beyond possibility and comparison.

    First anime film to be nominated for (and win) an Academy Award. It also has the longest runtime of any other film nominated or winning in that category (125 minutes).
    Also of note, the flexible light creation that jumps around and leads to the house is a reference to Pixar's mascot, Luxo Jr. Miyazaki is a big fan of Pixar and wanted to show his admiration with this sequence. Many of his inspirations are given tribute by Miyazaki.

    Triumphantly in 2003,Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi won the Oscar Best Animated Feature for Hayao Miyazaki; although Miyazaki was not present at the Awards ceremony, he definitely, like his Award winning piece, was there in spirit.
    Simply put; a must see for any Anime fan, any fan of Ghibli studios; a story able to be enjoyed by children and adults alike. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi, or Spirited Away for Western audiences will leave you breathless and satisfied. It will capture your imagination and leave you spellbound.
  • Showrogan
    November 8, 2009
    Showrogan
    Hayao Miyazaki has once again proven his genius in this absolutely enchanting masterpiece. There's few words to describe the majesty of this secret world with these strange character creatures and bizarre rules.
    Review Pending*
  • SirPant
    September 17, 2009
    SirPant
    This was my first Miyazaki/Ghibli experience and it blow me away! Who needs all the Finding Nemo type computer graphics when all you really need is a good story. Not that the animation is bad you understand, it?s beautiful in its simplicity but also striking in its detail. A mast...( read more)erpiece!
  • flixsterman
    September 1, 2009
    flixsterman
    It's easy to see why this film has such a huge fan-base. Personally, I prefer the realism of anime like Grave of the Fireflies over whimsical fantasies but it would be difficult to watch Spirited Away and not be completely taken in. Definitely an impressive work o...( read more)f art.
  • DrZeek
    August 6, 2009
    DrZeek
    Chihiro: Daddy, are we lost?
    Chihiro's Father: Don't worry, I've got four-wheel drive.

    Another wonderful film from Japanese animator/writer/director Hayao Miyazaki. Here is a story about a little girl that in some way resembles Alice in Wonderland in its basic structure, but is...( read more) completely separate in other aspects, as this is a completely fresh and original world, full of wonderful animation, intriguing character design, and a very good score.

    While moving to a new home in Japan, Chihiro and her parents take a wrong turn down a mysterious wooded path. They come across an ominous-looking tunnel of which only Chihiro is scared. Going through the tunnel, they are lead them to a mysterious town filled with restaurants that have all kinds of delicious food on display. Chihiro's parents quickly sit down and start gorging themselves, assuming they will pay the restaurant upon their return. Chihiro's doubt of this strange town leads her to wander off, and she comes across a building of titanic size, where a young boy warns her to leave before nightfall. However, as the sun sets, the town begins to fill up with the gods of Japan's mythology, and Chihiro returns to find her parents mysteriously turned into pigs. The young boy, Haku, works in the building, which is a bathhouse for 8 Million gods. He helps Chihiro find work in this new world, find a way to save her parents from a dinner platter, and find her way home.

    I watched this film with the U.S. audio track, which thanks to John Lassetter of Pixar, was watched over carefully to preserve the same spirit and emotion of the original Japanese audio, and while I can't say that it matches (although I've been assured it does) I was completely absorbed into the world and characters in this film.

    It certainly helps that the designs, colors, and backgrounds are all gorgeous. Once again working almost exclusively with hand drawn images, this is a wonderfully personal film that is beautiful throughout.

    The one problem that remains is a slightly flabby middle section that slows the film a bit. Still, all the work put into this film shows, as it is a great work of imagination.

    Zeniba: I'm sorry my sister turned you parents into pigs, but there's nothing I can do. Its just the way things are. You'll have to help your parents and Haku by yourself. Use what you remember about them.
    Chihiro: What? Can't you please give me more help than that? It feels like I met Haku, but it was a long time ago...
    Zeniba: That's a good start! Once you've met someone you never really forget them. It just takes a while for your memories to return.
  • steakncheese
    December 14, 2009
    steakncheese
    I feel like an idiot for not being interested in this film because it is anime. It's hard to fault Spirited Away, quite possibly essential viewing.
  • jkkrause12
    December 12, 2009
    jkkrause12
    lol i thnk its hillarious that b4 i saw it i didnt want 2 and now that i have seeen it i am in love with it!! the only reason i saw it is because my friend is a anime freak and she made me watch it!!! but now i love it so much!!!!!!!!
  • stegs1
    December 12, 2009
    stegs1
    Most amazing animation from Studio Ghibli
  • poeticsoldier16
    December 9, 2009
    poeticsoldier16
    I've just read the synopsis of the film and I think i like it.I wanna see this film..
  • molasseshunginrent
    December 6, 2009
    molasseshunginrent
    I don't think I really understood the hype about this movie. I guess it had some themes I didn't really understand.
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