Spirited Away

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Lore & Background

The spirit world operates under strict rules: humans are unwelcome, and eating spirit food transforms them into livestock. To survive, a human must seek employment from the witch Yubaba, who seizes their name as collateral, binding them to service. Remembering one's original name is the only way to preserve the self and escape. The realm is populated by diverse spirits, including No-Face, a hollow being that reflects the desires of those he meets, and nature gods like the River God, who can be healed through ritual cleansing. Crossing between worlds requires traversing a magical train or river barrier, often demanding courage and a token of memory.

In Their Own Story

Chihiro and her parents wander into an abandoned theme park that serves as a gateway to the spirit realm. After her parents greedily consume food meant for spirits and transform into pigs, Chihiro is trapped in the bathhouse owned by Yubaba, who steals her name, renaming her 'Sen'. To survive, Sen works under Lin's guidance and allies with Haku, a dragon-boy who has also lost his identity to Yubaba. When No-Face arrives, he becomes volatile, consuming gold and staff in a fit of greed until Chihiro guides him to the witch Zeniba for redemption. In the climax, Chihiro recalls Haku's true name—Nigihayami Kohakunushi—freeing him from Yubaba's control. She finally passes Yubaba's test by correctly identifying her parents among a group of pigs without hesitation, allowing them to return home.

Reader's Guide

The story begins when Chihiro and her parents wander into an abandoned theme park that serves as a gateway to the spirit realm. After her parents greedily consume food meant for spirits and transform into pigs, Chihiro is trapped in the bathhouse owned by Yubaba, who steals her name, renaming her 'Sen'. To survive, Sen works under Lin's guidance and allies with Haku, a dragon-boy once known as a river spirit who has also lost his identity to Yubaba. When No-Face arrives, he becomes volatile, consuming gold and staff in a fit of greed until Chihiro guides him to the witch Zeniba for redemption. In the climax, Chihiro recalls Haku's true name—Nigihayami Kohakunushi—freeing him from Yubaba's control. She finally passes Yubaba's test by correctly identifying her parents among a group of pigs without hesitation, allowing them to return home.

Did You Know?

• Spirited Away was the highest-grossing film of the year in Japan in 2001.
• It was the first film to gross $200 million worldwide before opening in North America.
• Spirited Away overtook Titanic at the Japanese box office, becoming the top-grossing film in the history of Japanese cinema.
• It was the first anime and traditionally animated winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, winning at the 75th Academy Awards.
• The Boy and the Heron later won the same award at the 96th Academy Awards, marking the second time a traditionally animated film won.

Feature Film Evolution

Studio Ghibli has produced 22 feature films, with its first being Castle in the Sky on August 2, 1986, and its latest being The Boy and the Heron on July 14, 2023.

Technological Milestones

Pom Poko was the first Studio Ghibli film to use computer graphics. Princess Mononoke was the first Miyazaki feature to use computer graphics, the first Studio Ghibli film to use digital coloring, the first animated feature in Japan's history to gross more than 10 billion yen at the box office, and the first animated film ever to win a National Academy Award for Best Picture of the Year. My Neighbors the Yamadas was the first Studio Ghibli film to be shot using a 100% digital process. Spirited Away was the first Miyazaki feature to be shot using a 100% digital process, the first film to gross $200 million worldwide before opening in North America, and the film to finally overtake Titanic at the Japanese box office, becoming the top-grossing film in the history of Japanese cinema.

Global Acclaim and Awards

Spirited Away was the first anime and traditionally animated winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards. Studio Ghibli would later win this award for a second time with The Boy and the Heron at the 96th Academy Awards, marking the second time a traditionally animated film won the award.

Cultural Expansion Beyond Film

Studio Ghibli has produced television series, short films (including those for the Ghibli Museum), commercials, video games, and stage productions such as Princess Mononoke (2013), Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (2019), Spirited Away (2022), and My Neighbour Totoro (2022). The Studio Ghibli Layout Designs exhibition toured museums in Japan, Asia, and Paris between 2008 and 2015. Studio Ghibli has also distributed Western animated films under their Ghibli Museum Library label and contributed to various anime series.