About Spirited Away

Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film follows a ten-year-old girl named Chihiro who enters a magical world while moving to a new neighborhood. After her parents are transformed into pigs by a witch named Yubaba, Chihiro takes a job working in Yubaba's bathhouse to find a way to free herself and her parents and return to the human world.

Making / Production

The film was produced by Studio Ghibli and was written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. The animation was hand-drawn, which gives the film its unique and memorable visual style. The concept was influenced by Miyazaki's personal experiences and thoughts on modern society and consumerism. The film was dubbed into English by Walt Disney Pictures in coordination with Pixar's John Lasseter.

Actors

• Rumi Hiiragi voiced the main character Chihiro. Her naive, yet progressively resilient character, truly brought the story to life.
• Miyu Irino voiced Haku, a mysterious boy who helps Chihiro throughout her journey. His performance superbly captures the complex nature of his role.
• Mari Natsuki brought the antagonist Yubaba to life with her gruff and distinct voice, effectively making the character threatening and memorable.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• It is the only hand-drawn animation and non-English language film ever to have won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
• This movie also held the record for highest-grossing film in Japan for nearly 20 years.
• Hayao Miyazaki personally redrew much of the film himself, correcting what he viewed as mistakes by his animators.

Awards

Spirited Away won numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards, making it the only hand-drawn and non-English language animated film to win this award to date. It also won the Golden Bear at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival.

Quotes

• "Once you've met someone, you never really forget them." - Zeniba
• "I finally get a bouquet and it's a goodbye present. That's depressing." - Chihiro

Music, Soundtrack

• The film's score was composed by Joe Hisaishi.
• The film's main song, "Always With Me" (Itsumo Nando Demo), was composed by Yumi Kimura who also performed it.
• The soundtrack was released on July 18, 2001 by Tokuma Japan Communications.