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Spirited Away

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
Written by: Hayao Miyazaki
Produced by: Toshio Suzuki
Starring: Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takeshi Naito, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Tsunehiko Kamijo, Takehiko Ono, Bunta Sugawara
Music by: Joe Hisaishi
Release date: 20 July 2001 (Japan)

Staring:
Release Date: July 20, 2001

Notes:
Plot: Ten-year-old Chihiro Ogino and her parents are traveling to their new home when her father decides to take a shortcut. The family's car stops in front of a tunnel leading to what appears to be an abandoned amusement park, which Chihiro's father insists on exploring, despite his daughter's protest. They find a seemingly empty restaurant still stocked with food, which Chihiro's parents immediately begin to eat. While exploring further, Chihiro reaches an enormous bathhouse and meets a boy named Haku, who warns her to return across the riverbed before sunset. However, Chihiro discovers too late that her parents have been transformed into pigs, and she is unable to cross the now-flooded river. Haku finds Chihiro and has her ask for a job from the bathhouse's boiler-man, Kamaji, a yokai commanding the susuwatari. Kamaji refuses to hire her and asks worker Lin to send Chihiro to Yubaba, the witch who runs the bathhouse. Yubaba tries to frighten Chihiro away, but she persists, so Yubaba gives Chihiro a contract to work for her. Yubaba takes away the second kanji of her name, renaming her Sen (?). While visiting her parents' pigpen, Haku gives Sen a goodbye card she had with her, and Sen realizes that she had already forgotten her real name. Haku warns her that Yubaba controls people by taking their names, and that if she forgets hers like he has forgotten his, she will never be able to leave the spirit world.

Review: This is an amazingly well crafted fantasy of a young girl who finds herself lost in a world of ghost and spirits. She is challenged to find her way through the many incredible encounters and eccentric charractors. Ultimately to save her parents and herself from being trapped in this shadowy world. This is another brilliant creation by Hayao Miyazaki. A well know director of classic Japanese animations.

The story and the charactors are well crafted. While the sotryline travels well. I thoroughly enjoyed this anime and would gladly encourage families to take time to watch this as it has a feel good and slightly quirky ending.

M J Flack