#spirited-away

Nothing that happens is ever forgotten, even if you can't remember it.

Horsesaround. (2014, Aug 10). [Untitled photo of the movie Spirited Away]. Retrieved from http://38.media.tumblr.com/5d30b747d6c6c54fb8bb8e1ff5587dcc/tumblr_na2ugno64w1snusg4o1_500.gif

       Spirited away is an enchanting fairytale that tells so many truths about the living world. Chihiro, a ten-year-old girl, entered an abandoned theme park with her parents. As she wandered away by herself, she met a boy who warned her to leave the place before night falls. She hurries back to where her parents were, only to realize they turned into pigs. As the darkness came, she started becoming transparent. The boy she met earlier, Haku, gave her something to eat to keep her from completely disappearing. Little did she know, it was the start of her adventures, full of learnings and mishaps, in the spirit world.

       Throughout the movie, Chihiro is forced to dedicate herself to work without any complaints — in order to survive and save her parents. She helps clean spirits in the bathhouse where she works, such as the stink spirit, which turned out to be a polluted river spirit. The river spirit then gave her a herbal cake. From a small, spoiled brat, she transformed into Sen, a new name given to her by Yubaba, the witch who runs the bathhouse. This was part of the contract she signed, allowing her to work and live in the bathhouse. Sen was told by Haku to cling on to her real name dearly, because she would need it to go home, and get back to the real world. Later on in the story, she meets No-Face, the spirit who wanted to please everyone. It started eating the staff of the bathhouse out of anger. She fed him the herbal cake and helped him get out of the bathhouse to stop him from going “crazy,” as she calls it. As it followed Sen out, it threw up everything it ate and went back to it’s small, original form. That’s only part of the troubles and good deeds she has done to the spirits of the bizarre world she was in.

       Eventually, Sen not only saved her parents and turned them back into their human form, but she also helped release Haku from Yubaba’s grip, and helped him remember his true name — Kohaku River. Evidently, she became a completely different person, having entered a completely different world. Chihiro was now Sen, a girl who was brave and kind.

       Clearly, this movie was carefully drafted and molded into something that would not only catch the attention of the audience, but have them thinking at the end of the film. Watching the movie for the first time was unexpectedly exciting! At first, I thought it would be just another typical animated movie — one that would bore me, an eighteen-year-old girl. The storyline ran deeper than it seemed, as it was mind-blowing, how the writer of the movie was able to incorporate so many values into a two-hour movie filled with cuteness and bizarre creatures. It took imagination to the next level! More than just a movie, it was an eye-opening, heart-touching film that was a genuine reflection of today's world. I enjoyed every second of it!