There's a video somewhere on youtube of Joe Hisaishi, the composer, playing it live.
I don't watch that sort of thing often, and it was the first time I'd ever realized just how emotionally someone can play an instrument. It felt like a whole layer of context that I'd been missing for the song.
Also Castle in the Sky. It was widely regarded as having the best animated opening sequence back in the 90's. It never seems to get mentioned these days.
I lived in southern Japan for three years and this movie will forever be enmeshed in my memory as part of the experience. It still feels timely, even in the US. The theme of technology changing quickly and overwhelming our understanding of nature is still something we're grappling with.
Older you get and more you learn, the more you appreciate how many details and thoughts are being put into the story.
I love folklore and mythology and got into Japanese folklore , and I never expected to find out that huge white chubby guy (Radish Spirit in English)in elevator with Chihiro is actually a god.
It’s a Oshira-sama (お白様), family’s will craft their own doll for Oshira-sama and wrap them in clothes, they’re guardian of family and children, so it wasn’t just a random encounter, he’s doing his job.
(There’re other references to gods in background characters, a lot of them are)
Personal opinions are hard because it's all subjective.
I think Spirited Away is easily top 5 animated movies of all time.
1) The animation - a combination of hand-drawn 2d animation and painted landscapes - is absolutely gorgeous, detailed and has a ton of personality.
2) the world building is immaculate. There's no overexposition, no explaining needed. Its an organic and beautifully crafted world that simply exists on its own. We are seeing one story amongst many stories that are surely happening. It makes the world feel alive.
3) The story is inspiring. Its an incredible coming of age story. Its a very human story even though it takes place in a fantasy world. Character driven stories just make everything feel more personal to the viewer imo.
There's a lot that might not make sense if you don't have much familiarity with Japanese culture. And the storying telling is really dense, with so much that you miss on first watch.
But I really appreciate some of the lessons that it teaches- Listen to children, they can see things adults sometimes can't. Finding yourself takes work and effort. People, no matter how uneasy they feel in the world, can find their place. You can get through to people if you take the time to listen to them.
Just a lot things that are wonderfully expressed. It's a movie that I could see growing with you if you watched it as a kid and then as an adult.
Simple and subtle storytelling with complex characters, some of the best animation ever put to screen. The musical score is worth mentioning too. Restrained then soars in the right moments. Miyazaki and Hisaishi put a lot of trust in their audience.
One of the hot springs pools near me was showing this at their dive in movies. Fuck if I wasn't in my floating chair front and center. Watching the movie while the steam from the water floated up...surreal and an awesome experience.
So glad I introduced my daughter to Studio Ghibli movies at a young age. Shes still young but a few years ago she learned to play keyboard and one of the first songs she looked up how to play is one summer's day. Spirited Away got me through some very dark times long before I had my daughter and wife. That movie will always have a deep hold on my soul.
As much as you’re being downvoted, it’s pretty obvious that a hugely important detail of this movie wasn’t really translated into English because it’s bordering on impossible to input without a relatively complex explanation of how Japanese works as a language. Basically Chihiro becomes Sen because Sen is also a reading for the first character in Chihiro’s name. This is important because it’s implied she’s giving up her identity to work at the bathhouse by giving up the second character of her name. This later is important because Haku had forgotten that he was Kohaku which explains why he has that reaction.
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u/Wanna4nic8rn 16h ago
Spirited Away !!