Spirited Away

Japanese Title: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi
Also Known As: The Spiriting Away of Sen and Chihiro, Sen to Chihiro
Genre: Action/Drama
Format: 1 Movie
Allegiance: Studio Ghibli
Director: Miyazaki Hayao
Vintage: 2001
Intelligence Agency Report by: Munky
The story begins with the Ogino family moving. They take a wrong turn while trying to find their new house and end up in front of what seems to be and old run-down train station. They walk through it to find this seemingly abandoned village. Even though they see no people, they spot a large buffet of fresh food. While the Oginos gorge themselves in the food, their daughter, Chihiro, wanders off investigating the area. A horrible transformation occurs with her parents, and Chihiro struggles to find help. This is where the story begins. The village begins to change completely, and all these strange creatures start appearing around this spa/hotel. Chihiro is taken in, and begins her search to find her parents. Will she ever see her parents again and escape from this strange new world?

Field Agent Report by: Munky
Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio
8.50
8.25
8.75
9.00
9.00
Overall

Miyazaki Hayao’s inspiring work is brought to us again in this epic adventure. The reputation Miyazaki has built over the years is still being proven over and over again. This adventure has great animation, and a fantasy-filled wonderland of stink gods, frogs, and other anonymous creatures.

The story itself is indeed a good one. A lost girl, trying to find her parents. She has to find work, and figure out what exactly this strange new world is, and more importantly, how to get out. The seiyuu in this anime are great for the most part. Miyazaki did a great job with the animation, and virtually every aspect of the film. It was put together very well.

The beautiful animation leaves you staring on and on at the screen. Many short sequences have very detailed backgrounds. All of these great little aspects of the film add to the realism of it. The characters are very attentive and lively. Whether the character is a main character, or just a random guy in the background, each was created with tedious detail.

Now to get to the flaws of the film. While it is a compelling story for some, it will only appeal to certain groups of people. This is a film that will caress the tender heart of the young, or young at heart, but will leave the more mature bored. For the more mature crowd, there is the beautiful animation to appreciate, but the storyline doesn’t match up for some of the older crowd. Also, a lot of strange occurrences go unrecognized and leave you wondering how certain things happen. This can be covered up by the whole fantasy world setting, but some things could use a little explaining.

If you want a well-rounded film to add to your collection that you will most likely cherish, then I encourage you to pick up Spirited Away.