SPIRITED AWAY

One of the most celebrated movies of the 21st Century, Spirited Away best animated feature in the second year of the category’s existence — and, to this day, it is the only (majority) hand-drawn feature to win the honor, and overtaking Titanic to become Japan’s highest-grossing film for 19 years.

It tells the story of Chihiro Ogino, a moody 10-year-old girl who, while moving to a new neighbourhood, enters the world of Kami (spirits) of Japanese Shinto folklore.

After her parents are turned into pigs by the witch 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.

For many people, Spirited Away is the first film that comes to mind when they think of anime. Winner of over 30 awards and the first anime feature to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature (the only hand-drawn and non-English language film to win that award). It introduced the genre into mainstream western cinemas in a way that nothing before it had quite managed. It is regularly cited as one of the greatest animated films of all time, in any genre or language.

It also made Miyazaki and his production company Studio Ghibli, already very highly regarded by that point, a household name across the world. While Princess Mononoke had raised the company’s profile in America, the limited release of its English language dub had not resulted in the ticket sales it deserved. Spirited Away’s success at the Oscars led to a wider distribution and elevated Miyazaki and Ghibli to the same levels of popularity as the likes of Disney and Pixar among English speaking audiences.

In Japan, it was even more of a phenomenon. It was number one at the Japanese box office for a total of 16 weeks and ultimately made ¥30.4 billion, making it the highest-grossing film in Japanese history – a record that it held for 17 years. It was also the first film to have already passed the $200,000 mark before even reaching its US release.

Right from the start of the film, it is abundantly clear that all of that acclaim is very well deserved. The animation is stunning – the attention to detail in every character and setting speaks to a long, rich back story and fleshed out personality. All of the Miyazaki boxes are ticked – a young protagonist, themes of man’s relationship with the natural world, deep roots in Japanese folklore, and a sense of wonder at everything the world has to offer are all combined into a truly magical two hours. Like Chihiro, you leave the film feeling like you’ve been in another world and become a wiser person for it.