Spirited Away (2001)

For the longest time, period, I never got to see this movie, at a young age i know about this film and I was aware its beloved (because of the Oscar winner of 2001) but never got an experience from it.

So as I was thinking of a movie that is worth my time to watch, movies that is 4 stars and above. So it would ideal for me to watched a movie that I haven't seen but want to watch.

So I sit down (on my comfy bed) and watched it on Netflix.

After watching it (2 hours later), was it worth it? So without a further-a-do, let's see:

To best start, the animation is spotless. Im not going waste your time much with the animation because everyone has already praised it but what's worth mentioning is the great quality of Studio Ghibli is how life-ful (that is not a word) the world's feels.

It really has this nature felt to it and what I appreciated is the opening where Chihiro and her family explores the town, it has this vacancy, liminal space feel which im a big fan of liminal spaces.

Also the Train on the water is neat, this movie gets extra points for this.

So anyways, what about the story? Let me tell you, its so utterly bizzare!

Why my boy Eggman with spider arms, I guess Gerald was right of humans experiment failure.

Interesting enough, according to director Hayao Miyazaki said in an interview he said:

"I don't have the story finished and ready when we start work on a film, I usually don't have the time. So the story develops when I start drawing storyboards. Its not me who makes the film. The film makes itself and I have no choice but to follow."

Huh, that is such an interesting way to direct a film. Sure i think some scenes I think they maybe a bit filler, but a entertaining kind of filler, I honestly how to explain this. It really feels like the time passes by.

What i notice throughout the movie is the Greed and Gluttony aspect, the scene where Chihiro parents get turn into pigs, according Miyazaki the inspiration comes from the time where people in Japan in the 1980s are in the Bubble economy, it that they haven't realised they've become pigs because they are a consumer society.

I could go on to explain about the mythology about this mocie because many people have already talk about.

I also want to mention about Chihiro and the idea comes from what Miyazaki said:

"I created a heroine who is an ordinary girl, someone with whom the audience can sympathize. It's not a story in which the characters grow up, but a story in which they draw on something already inside them, brought out by the particular circumstances. I want my young friends to live like that, and I think they, too, have such a wish."

So what Miyazaki is trying to say is that, the journey Chihiro goes on isn't like many Americans third act of some hero's journey where they must over come the obstacle its not like that.

Here Yubaba is the obstacle but not the antagonist of the story, sure he manipulates and not being a very good but she is Not evil, the movie give her momments with pleasant times.

Its that its Chihiro's parent's fault for eating the food for the spirits and the movie clearly established the fundamental rules of working at a bath house and its the rules to get a job of the bath house other wise there's nothing Chihiro could do and she has to work to earn her place.

Its like the real world where you have to get work to get paid and you have to abide those rules and Chihiro resolves mistakes.

She even praise Chihiro for doing a great job with the spirit (which looks like Muk) and at the end, after Chihiro guess it right, she was like: "You did a good job, now move out."

It makes you wonder that she maybe actually cares for Chihiro or she is just too by the numbers with her work place.

Its not black and white as you think, there's no "good" or "evil" labels, its none of them. It shows the capability, even No Face despite devour food and even some workers, isn't the antagonist of the story, sure he chased Chihiro but never attacks her or actually hurts her, so he learns to not be self Greed by giving money or gold so instead he become Chihiro's friend, he just wants to be with some to be satisfied because he was all alone with no one to talk to.

Its very human in that way, I also think tis the genuis story structure on Japanese story telling.

As I said before, Americans tend to learn thr idea of the hero's journey of "good" vs "evil" where the Good guys must over come the evil and the evil is only problem they have in their minds.

Not that Hero's Journey Philosophy is bad or boring, or nonsensical. Its that we tend to think of the story structure but it depends on different cultures, Japan in the other hand has a different approach of story telling.

Its called KiShotenketsu. Its a four structure of story acts (Ki- Shō- Ten - Ket Su)

1. Ki means the introduction, its the waking up the main character

2. Shō means Listen or inform of the world and things move a long

3. Ten means twist or change, this is where the story the new force of chaos controls the main character (which isn't anything evil)

4. Ket Su means an conclusion, its the part where all the pieces comes together to bring an ending to the main character (it doesn't have to be overly joy with everyone is so happy to the main character)

Closing Thoughts: So yeah, Spirited Away is a good and i did enjoy this one and as I just demonstrated its a nice change of pace of me consuming movies. It's nice for me that I tried something different from the standards and you know what.

I think the best advice of you to get excited of watching movies, try new things to keep your mind fresh and trying to avoid consuming the main stream.

So I'm happy for myself that I did something I never got a chance before and this difference is worth my time.

So that's everything I got to say!