Miyazaki's Spirited Away proves to be one of the most brilliant anime films of all time. My initial thoughts about the film was that the story line would not be that sophisticated and that the audience of Spirited Away would be mainly for kids. However, Spirited Away was not only sophisticated but also, the audience was really for both kids and adults.
The movie starts off with the character of Chihiro, a small girl who is very dependent on others. In the beginning of the film Chihiro is on her way to her new home with her family, however on the way there they encounter a place that has much delicious food. Little did Chihiro’s family know that the food was actually prepared for the spirits. As a result of eating the food, Chihiro’s parents were turned into pigs. After the incident Chihiro somehow exits the “normal” world and enters the realm of spirits also known as the spirit world. Her mission from there on is to help her parents turn back into humans again. Along the journey we see an evolution that Chirhiro undergoes.
What I love about this film is the meaning that it gives to the audience. It shows the values of friendship and how kindness makes a difference in a person’s life. Spirited Away had two versions. One was the English version and the other was a Japanese version. Although both were somewhat similar, I thought that the content of the Japanese version was much darker. Unlike the ending of the English version, the Japanese ending leaves the audience with many questions. Overall I enjoyed watching Spirited Away and would recommend this film to anyone.