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