Animation Reviews: Miyazaki’s Spirited Away

Spirited Away, directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki, is arguably the best animation film I’ve ever seen. A bold statement right? Well, I thought I’d start my animation critiques by analyzing one of my favorite Academy Award-winning films. This movie was released in 2001, making it a nostalgic and cherished movie for Gen-Z.  Miyazaki tackled very critical topics in his film, discussing cultural influence and identity through animation. 

In Spirited Away, the audience follows a young girl named Chihiro. Chihiro struggles a lot with her identity, as she is afraid of everything. Her name was eventually taken away from her, forcing her to forget her identity. Through all of this, Chihiro learns what it means to be strong-minded and brave, overcoming all of her fears. Chihiro was surrounded by cultural references as she found herself trapped in the spirit world.  

Much like Chihiro, you see many other characters such as No Face, Haku, Yubaba, Boh, and Lin start off with some sort of struggle, which they later overcome towards the end of the film. Miyazaki tells a unique and inspiring story, using animation to display his creativity and make religion and cultural references more intriguing. Specifically, Spirited Away describes the Japanese Shinto religion.

In the very beginning of the film, Chihiro and her family are moving to a new house and pass a torii gate on the way there. This special gate is known for allowing entry to the spirit world once you pass it. This was the first big reference that allowed the audience to see how culture and religion are incorporated within this film. Another example of culture and religion incorporated within this film was the concept of the infamous bathhouse where Chihiro worked and lived. This bathhouse is known to hold spirits of all kinds. During this film, we see various spirits that symbolize different meanings. Chihiro came across Haku, a friend who represented sadness and bravery. Haku was a trusted friend of Chirhiro, who helped her remain calm in the terrifying situations she faced while away from her parents. Haku guided Chihiro and constantly reminded her of her identity even though he struggled to remember his own. 

Besides the cultural references and religious inspiration, this animation is filled with details making it more interesting every time you watch it. Although this movie may be a bit confusing when watching it for the first time, I would suggest watching this film again for a deeper understanding of the plot and self-identity. 

Art by Sharon Chen

Author