Spirited Away
Movie, 2001, The 2000s, Set in The bathhouse
Spirited Away is #13 of 25 in release order and #13 of 25 in chronological order in the Studio Ghibli.
The story
A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free her family.
Spirited Away recap
Spirited Away (2001) follows Chihiro Ogino, a ten-year-old who must work in a bathhouse for spirits to free her parents, who have been turned into pigs. Hayao Miyazaki wrote and directed this Academy Award winner, which held the record as Japan's highest-grossing film for almost two decades. On the way to their new home, Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi) and her parents walk through a tunnel into an empty town, and her parents gorge themselves on food meant for spirits. A boy named Haku (Miyu Irino) tells her to ask for work, and the witch Yubaba (Mari Natsuki), who runs the bathhouse, takes her name and renames her Sen. Chihiro cleans a stinking spirit who turns out to be a polluted river god, and lets in No-Face, a masked spirit who gorges on staff and gold. Haku, a dragon, returns badly wounded after stealing a seal from Yubaba's twin sister Zeniba.
Spirited Away ending explained
Spirited Away ends with Chihiro taking the train to Zeniba to return the seal, and riding home on Haku's back. She remembers falling into the Kohaku River as a small child and gives Haku back his name, freeing him from Yubaba. In Yubaba's last test, she sees that none of the pigs are her parents and is released. Haku promises they will meet again, and Chihiro walks back through the tunnel with her restored parents, wearing Zeniba's hair tie.
Post-credits scenes
No. Spirited Away has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch Spirited Away
Spirited Away is streaming on HBO Max in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 8.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes 96%
Where it fits
- Release order: after My Neighbors the Yamadas, before The Cat Returns.
- Chronological order: after My Neighbors the Yamadas, before The Cat Returns.
Cast
- Rumi Hiiragi as Chihiro (voice)
- Miyu Irino as Haku (voice)
- Mari Natsuki as Yubaba / Zeniba (voice)
- Takashi Naito as Father (voice)
- Yasuko Sawaguchi as Mother (voice)
- Tatsuya Gashuin as Aogaeru (voice)
- Ryunosuke Kamiki as Boh (voice)
- Yumi Tamai as Rin (voice)
- Yo Oizumi as Bandai Frog (voice)
- Koba Hayashi as River Spirit (voice)
- Tsunehiko Kamijô as Chichiyaku (voice)
- Takehiko Ono as Aniyaku (voice)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki.