Ill never forget October 28 2018 for two reasons. The first is that it was my 20th birthday. The second is that its the day I went to see a movie. It was a movie I already owned on Bluray and had seen several times but that couldnt dull my enthusiasm. The movie in question was of course Hayao Miyazakis Spirited Away a film notable for being not only the only piece of Japanese animation but also the only handdrawn animated film to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. More than that Spirited Away is that rare Oscar winner that actually lives up to its hype. Miyazaki has crafted an ode to the best parts of the human condition that masterfully explores fear and how to overcome it the follies of greed and gluttony the importance of compassion and selflessness the importance of friendship the true definition of bravery and the triumph of the human spirit all through the eyes of a child. The result is one of Miyazakis most intensely satisfying films one that many consider his finest hour even some 20 years after its arrival in Japan and one that this Miyazaki fan certainly counts among his favorites. 800https://cdni.fancaps.net/file/fancapsmovieimages/570006.jpg 10yearold Chihiro Ogino Daveigh Chase in the 2002 Disney dub Rumi Hiiragi in Japanese is not at all pleased with the fact that her parents Akio Michael Chiklis Takashi Naito and Yuko Lauren Holly Yasuko Sawaguchi have decided to move to the middle of nowhere not wanting to leave her friends behind or to have to deal with a new school thats gonna stink. As if that wasnt enough however Akio takes a wrong turn and the family ends up in front of a creepy tunnel rather than at the door to their new home. Moreover Akio decides he wants to see whats on the other side. When Akio and Yuko stuff themselves on some unknown food at an oddly empty restaurant and mutate into pigs it seems like Chihiros situation cant get any worse. However a boy named Haku Jason Marsden Miyu Irino gives her carefully laidout instructions on how to survive in this ghostly world. First she must ask Kamaji David Ogden Stiers Bunta Sugawara the sixarmed man who operates the boiler for work. Since Kamaji already has all the help he needs he has Lin Susan Egan Yoomi Tamai take Chihiro to see Yubaba Suzanne Pleshette in her final film Mari Natsuki the witch who rules the bathhouse. The sorceress first tells Chihiro to leave playing up her scare tactics but Chihiro not one to hang her parents out to dry persists informing Yubaba right up front that she wont leave without a job. Yubaba concedes but not without taking Chihiros name giving her the name Sen and beginning to drain her memories a process Haku soundly annuls the next morning by returning Chihiros name. He also warns her that she wont be able to go home if she completely forgets her name recalling that he cant remember his own name. This doesnt spell a sudden end to Chihiros troubles in the spirit world however. Aside from Lin the other workers in the bathhouse look down on Chihiro with what can safely be called genuine disdain. Not only that but Chihiro will also soon have to deal with a polluted spirit a gluttonous NoFace and even Yubabas identical twin sister Zeniba Pleshette Natsuki on her way to rescue her parents. 800https://cdni.fancaps.net/file/fancapsmovieimages/572568.jpg Goodness. Two decades later and were still talking about Spirited Away. One of the foremost reasons is its storytelling Miyazaki stuffing the film all 124 minutes of it with enough heart depth and meaning and yes enough thrills and light scares that its nighimpossible not to get swept along in the depths of Chihiros ghostly adventure. Each character has either a story or a purpose often both and none come off as superfluous to the film including a moneygrubbing frog. Its perfectly understandable why Chihiro isnt happy with the move. She has friends in her old home friends she doesnt want to leave behind and its not like shes grousing for nothing. When I was 10 I know I wouldnt be very happy if my parents suddenly decided to leave my hometown where all my friends lived. Haku has a welldeveloped backstory that Miyazaki reveals in manageable increments throughout the film the bond that eventually forms between himself and Chihiro arguably forming the films emotional backbone just as much as Chihiros lost parents. While Chihiros parents make a foolish decision Miyazaki doesnt portray them as the worst parents of all time. While Lin initially teases Chihiro its clearly devoid of genuine animosity. While not a likable character or a good person by any means even Yubaba is entertaining. For as scary as he can sometimes be NoFace is not the evil monster some might expect him to be. Through it all we see Chihiro find the bravery she never knew she had during her venture to rescue her parents and the resulting character transformation and trampling of fear is something truly special to behold. Moreover little bits of the story reveal themselves with repeated viewings and it all serves to make Spirited Away a film thats equal parts exciting and emotionally satisfying. 800https://cdni.fancaps.net/file/fancapsmovieimages/572170.jpg Equally importantSpirited Away is an anime after allthe animation is absolutely stunning when has Miyazaki ever delivered anything less? Every color is nothing short of striking. Each character is fully detailed and Masashi Andos character designs are wellsuited to the film while clothing is full of natural textures. Each location from the town we see in the films opening to the bathhouse where the bulk of the film takes place is mesmerizing. Every object is welldetailedis that a box of Kit Kat bars in the car at the films opening? Every creature is welldrawn and believable within the world the film creates while the CGI such as that used during the train sequence enhances rather than denigrates the film. All things considered the team at Studio Ghibli did a real job animating Spirited Away. 800https://cdni.fancaps.net/file/fancapsmovieimages/572418.jpg Another key to the films rampant success is its voice actingin both English and Japanese. Chase and Hiiragi are excellent as the films young protagonist Chihiro Ogino. While each has received more than her fair share of criticism from a handful of fans who prefer one audio track or another each effortlessly brings Chihiro to life and makes her likable sympathetic and easy to root for. Marsden and Irino are equally impressive as Haku a mysterious boy who claims to have known Chihiro ever since she was very small. Egan and Tamai are also excellent as Lin the bathhouse worker who takes Chihiro under her wing and takes on a sisterly role as the film progresses. Pleshette and Natsuki are also rocksolid in their dual role as Yubaba the wicked witch who rules the bathhouse and Zeniba her twin sister who ends up taking on a very different role from the one many viewers might expect from judging solely by her first appearance. Stiers and Sugawara effectively make Kamaji the sixarmed operator of the boiler room gruff but likable. Chiklis and Holly and Naito and Sawaguchi are also solid in their brief time as Chihiros parents. Overall Spirited Away couldnt have better voice actingits full of life character depth and purpose dubbed and subbed. Watch both and enjoy both I guarantee you wont regret it. 800https://cdni.fancaps.net/file/fancapsmovieimages/569509.jpg Miyazakis longtime collaborator Joe Hisaishi lends Spirited Away one of his very best musical scores. From the moment One Summers Day a somewhat melancholic piece of which several variations play at key moments throughout the film plays over the films opening scene we know Hisaishis about to deliver something special. Dragon Boy is genuinely thrilling. Sens Courage is very effective in both scenes in which it plays evoking a sense of dread in one scene and a sense of catharsis in the other. NoFace also effectively conveys a sense of dread the unknown and otherness with its drumbeats and metallic tones. Reprise is an extremely satisfying piece that features in one of the films most intensely satisfying and memorable scenes. To top it all off the film closes with Yumi Kimuras Always With Me Itsumo Nando Demo a bittersweet piece accentuated by Kimuras voice and the harp she plucks expertly throughout Wakako Kakus lyrics reflecting perfectly on the two hours that preceded it despite the song not being created specifically for the film. The incredible sound design also helps pull it all together with each sound effect fully realized to make the film just that much more involving. 800https://cdni.fancaps.net/file/fancapsmovieimages/570821.jpg My affection for Hayao Miyazakis Spirited Away knows no bounds. It is my second favorite film produced under the Studio Ghibli banner just behind Castle in the Sky as well as one I consider an alltime favorite anime or otherwise. Its story is one of the filmmakers very best its principal characters rank as some of his most likable its animation ranks with the best of them and Joe Hisaishis incredible musical score is also one of his very best. The resulting film is every bit as relevant and engrossing in 2021 as it was in 2001 if not more so as touching as it is beautiful as haunting as it is poignant and as captivating as it is unforgettable. Ive kept coming back to it since the first time I saw it at age 19 and it never ceases to amaze me. Its core story of overcoming ones fears continues to satisfy time and again with repeated viewings its characters are all too easy to get invested in all over again its animation continues to amaze with each new watch the voice acting is faultless in both English and Japanese and Joe Hisaishis musical score continues to send a chill down the spine. The film is uplifting poignant exciting emotionally satisfying and consistently rewarding with repeated viewings. The fact that even those who dont consider themselves fans of anime often count Spirited Away among their favorite films speaks volumes to its beauty and power. It deserves its reputation and every award it won including but not limited to the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and the Japan Academy Prize for Picture of the Year. If you havent see it ASAP. Trust me its worth it. All in all Spirited Away is above reproach as a film and Im awarding it my highest recommendation.