I always like to see this movie as a metaphor for growing independent. You get separated from your parents, thrown into a new world, get a job, and it's scary at first. Then you get used to it, make new friends, grow confident enough to travel alone. And sometimes those friends leave.
Chihiro actually acts and feels like a 10 year old. And her growth into a braver person is so believable. Miyazaki definitely spends time with kids in real life.
Chihiro was actually based off of the daughter of one of his friends. Miyazaki often adds little details into his characters that are based on characteristics of the people he knows. Like how Chihiro's mother holds her arm when she's eating, that was taken from someone on his animation team, if I'm remembering correctly.
@@WinterLynne94 Or just otherwise in reality, like for the scene where she fed the medicine ball for Haku, Miyazaki took the crew to a vet to see and film how they give medicine to dogs :>
Apparently, what No-Face is based on is a creature from Japanese folklore called a noppera-bō, or faceless ghost. They can only gain a personality by mimicking the personalities of those around it. And in the case of No-Face, he was surrounded by the ill-tempered greed of the workers in the bathhouse, so he kinda went insane.
12:56 He's a river spirit. His river is very old which is why his face is very old. But people have been filling his river with rubbish and sludge and just about anything, dumping their old things into his river without a thought. It disfigured him, hurt him, made everyone think he was a stink spirit instead. But now he's cleaned. That's why he gave her something that could do the same (take away all of the bad things). And that's why he was laughing - joy of being cleaned and free of everything.
I feel like No-Face is affected by everything and everyone around him. When he's in the bathhouse, he becomes greedy. When he's around Chihiro, who's selfless and gentle around him, he's calm.
You know, that actually makes perfect sense. It's all in the name. He has no face, no identity, he is only a reflection of the people he interacts with.
@@Aster_Iris There we go! See! No-Face is like a canvas to everyone. When someone puts greed onto him, he will be greedy. When someone puts their kindness to him, he will be kind as well.
I think the reason why Yubaba's bird and baby wanted to tag along with Chihiro and stay in their 'mini' forms was because their whole lives they were trapped in the bathhouse - the baby was basically a sheltered child who knew nothing of the outside and the bird was a just another of Yubaba's servants. Zeniba said they could have transformed back whenever they wanted but they were enjoying their freedom way too much, like how they were hopping excitedly in the train. I thought it was so cute, and to add so much personality into two minor characters so subtly was really lovely to see :)
The part where Chihiro breaks down while eating always hits me in the heart. One time, we were watching this in class and when a student laughed during this scene, you don't know how badly I wanted to throw hands.
I never understood the scene when I was 7 (Yes, I was pretty young....), as it always confused me to if that was part of the spell Haku put in them. But, then I realized that it was her having to finally accept that this is REAL, and how she almost forgot her name (along with so much more....), that I understood why. The scene itself, as well as the actress's performance (Who you'll learn played Samara Morgan (The Ring) and Lilo (Lilo & Stitch)....) is just everything, I never knew I needed.
@@osmanyousif7849Miyazaki always ads these moments of calmness to his movies where the characters get a chance to breath. I think this is one of those moments. She got to sit down, eat something, it all finally dawned on her and then she got to let it out.
Miyazaki loves making calm scenes: moments where you get to slow down, breathe and relax with the characters you're following. He does that even when action is involved.
THANK YOU for acknowledging how CREEPY this movie was! I know it’s illustrated beautifully but this is nightmare fuel! My childhood best friend was obsessed with this movie and it creeped me out!
When I was a kid I actually liked the fact that this movie don't afraid to be scary and disgusting to add the realism of situation. That's the reason why I fell in love with anime in the first place. As a kid I always liked to watch a good story with good characters and hated that some cartoons treated kids as braindead people
10:23 "Those are some BIG tears" Yeah, I know from a conceptual standpoint, the way Hayao Miyazaki does huge, almost gelatinous/goopy, stylized tears is sort of weird, but VISUALLY, "Ghibli tears" make you empathize with characters much more than you'd think. Every time I watch a Ghibli movie I find myself cathartically crying with the character(s), at least a little bit. Chihiro included. Miyazaki just has the talent for making you feel and understand everything he wants you to, with minimal or no dialogue. The scene doesn't have to make any conceptual sense at all, but you'll still fundamentally get it.
Rip Suzanne Pleshette 1937-2008 she voiced Yubaba and Zeniba David Ogden Stiers 1942-2018 he voiced Kamaji and Jack Angel 1930-2021 he voiced the Radish Spirit
My 5 year old niece sat and watched this whole movie with me. She was really into it and the next day she wanted her big sisters to watch too. She’s such a weird kid. 😂
I could honestly write a full thesis on this movie, but I'll keep it to one fun fact. The final lines in the English dub of the movie don't exist in the original Japanese version. Miyazaki has confirmed that Chihiro doesn't remember anything about her time at the bath house, but the lessons she learned remained. The movie is a metaphor for growing up. Chihiro is ten years old, a time when many of us are starting to break away from more childish things as we near our teens. We're growing up, we have the potential to grow into whatever and whoever we want to be. Sometimes we need a little push. In the beginning, Chihiro was a bit of a petulant child, very whiny and complaining about everything. But over the course of her time at the bath house, she worked hard and managed to grow into a confident and mostly capable young human. I say "mostly capable" because she is still only ten years old and will need her parents for a while yet, but she's more independent now. It's amazing how Miyazaki can fill his films with so much wonder and fantasy, while still making them feel grounded and down-to-Earth. I hope you'll consider checking out his other films as well.
That aligns with the other change from original to English - Zeniba tells Chihiro, "Nothing that happens is ever forgotten, even if you can't remember it.' (whereas in the English version this line got switched to - "Once you meet someone, you never really forget them." Our childhood and every moment in our lives helped shape us - even if we don't remember it all.
13:02 It's debated in the fandom whether those steamed buns Chihiro eats are filled with meat (particularly pork or some other savory, meaty filling) or with adzuki red bean paste (which is sweet.) As someone who's tried both varieties of those buns, both are absolutely delectable and if I were Chihiro, I wouldn't be mad to have either one for dinner.
19:55 funny enough that's actually a Pixar reference because Pixar's John Lasseter Oversaw Spirited Away's English Dub. So they pay homage to Pixar in this scene!
To give a little context though I don't know how much it helps, what happens to chihiro is a kamikakushi or a kidnapping by a god. All of the weird things and people are Japanese gods and monsters from Japanese myth. The eating food thing is similar to the myth of the fae folk in Europe in that if you eat the food you become part of that world. Haku originally wanted for her to get out during the day while its still before the sun sets but because she got trapped he settled for the next best thing.
If this movie was so much nightmare fuel to me as a kid, imagine if I had watched Princess Mononoke when I was little. Great movie, but certainly not less traumatizing.
Lol, 15 years ago or so when I worked in an elementary school, I sometimes worked in the after-school programme for 6-9 year-olds. I lent them this movie once and apparently it was one of the few times almost every kid sat still and watched the entire movie all the way through, thoroughly captivated.
One of my favorite Studio Ghibli movies! I remember watching this movie for the first time when I was starting to dive more into Studio Ghibli and after watching this movie, I could definitely see what it was so praised and beloved by many. It's fantastic!
Ghibli movies never get old. Recently rewatched Castle in the sky and it's still just as amazing as a decade ago. They're just magical and I still plan to decorate my first own apartment inspired by Ghibli movies.
Oh MID and Welchy together for a reaction? Love it already and saved this video in my favorite list ❤️ Please do more together! You two are amazing, funny and just makes me Smile every time i watch both of your guys videos ❤️
I haven't seen if someone else shared this but the scene with the muck turned river spirit? That's based on Hayao Miyazaki's personal experience with a river cleaning effort. The things he found, the despair, and the sheer beauty of the river after the clean up.
Never seen this channel before but that reaction of pure confusion followed by "It's her sister." "Ohhhhhhhh" got me to subscribe so fast. LMAO you guys are hilarious to watch.
Welchy being down bad for Yubaba is hilarious. Also I love how you were freaked out about the baby turning into the mouse. The mouse form was adorable to me.
This was a childhood favorite of mine I literally feel the nostalgia of starting to love all things creepy because of this movie, plus the creator of the movie is one favorite from them❤❤❤❤❤❤
Back in September my family and I took a trip to Colorado and while driving in the mountains at night came across a casino town. Imagine bright neon casinos lining the one main road, and dark little houses on the roads above and behind them. And no people. Like we didn't see anyone for the 15 ish minutes we drove through. You could see the casinos had machines running and tvs on, but no one inside. Its 8:30 at night and the only traffic is us and the 2 cars we had been following for over an hour and no people or signs of life. It terrified me, I thought of this movie immediately. I told my dad this place was creepy af and to not stop for ANY reason.
I think I’ve driven through that place at night. We didn’t have time to stop and it struck us how random it was for exactly the reasons you describe. Couldn’t find it on a map later though. Maybe we dreamed it? 😮
My mom made me do unnecessary labor since I was like somewhere around 5 years old.(by unnecessary I mean hours of working in flower gardens and keeping my mother's hundreds of potted plants alive. Heads up Mom we're not your greenhouse employees we are children.) By the time I was in 2nd grade (so 7-8 years old) I was doing six people's dishes, my own laundry, the bathroom laundry, sometimes my dads's laundry, Vacuuming, sweeping, and mopping, feeding the dog, helping harvest apples, raspberries, elderberries, maintaining the garden and going to school🙃. So yeah by the time I watched this movie when I was 13 years old I could not imagine a reason why anyone would want to go back with their parents.... my actual thought process was "yeah I would do whatever I could to save them. but I'm happy here and they will be happy if I'm not longer a burden". The main character got screamed at a lot less than I did. Like when she was slow at mopping the floor I would have been constantly being called lazy, slow, stupid and weak. My parents are literally made me feel like I was a defective product and not a human being.... So yeah fantasy world with a cool dragon guy every day over human world with my parents.
I have a Ghibli tattoo sleeve because of my love of these movies since I was about 10 years old. I’ve got no face, the yellow cute duck, the mouse and yu-bird plus some of the soot sprites. It’s one of my favs.
The Stink Spirit actually isn’t a Stink Spirit at all, The idea is supposed to be that he’s a river spirit who’s river got polluted and now that’s why he’s in this condition, he’s a dragon to introduce the idea that dragons are river spirits, foreshadowing the Kuhaku River reveal
I came across this movie by when I was about 7 and then as I grew up it always felt like some trippy dream I had randomly had (cos I obviously didn’t understand anything that was going on when I watched it at 7). Then I found it again as an adult on Netflix and was like OMG IT WAS REAL 😂😂😂
Great reactions to all the weirdness in the film, you two bounce off each other really well. Please do Princess Mononoke sometime too, I think you guys would love it!
I adored this movie as a child, I never knew other kids found it too creepy to keep watching, or were scarred by it until way later. Whilst there were parts that made me uneasy for sure, I was always just enthralled by it. Very easy for my parents to put this on and keep me entertained for a few hours 😂
Don't do this drinking game with Princess Mononoke. You'll die of alcohol poisoning. That movie is amazing but also a great big bundle of 'what the fuck'.
4:35 I'm pretty sure those lines were added in the dub, with the dialog being inserted when the characters were hopefully far enough away that you wouldn't notice. Holding your breath so ghosts can't see you is a common superstition in Japan, where it wouldn't need to be explained. It would be like if a western exorcism movie was released in Japan and there's a scene where characters are sprinkling water from little glass bottles all over the place, there would probably need to be some dialog inserted to explain what the hell they're doing.
I remember watching this movie on a random Wednesday when I was 10 or something and I loved it!!! It was the perfect amount of creepiness and fantasy I thought it was the coolest movie in the world and then I forgot about it for years cause I forgot the name.
I too got scared as a small child. When i was in middle school i finally watch the whole thing and fell in love. Its so beautiful and different from western films
10:56 "Yup, turns into a horror movie immediately." Me, who has already seen "Spirited Away" a couple of times: Yeah, but maybe not quite in the way or for the reasons you think it will... (and it doesn't stay that way for long lol)
Not only my favorite Miyazaki film, also one of my favorite movies. The animation, the visuals, the music, the emotion...... I so can't wait for his next movie!
If you thought this movie traumatized you,try watching it in theaters with a kid,in an undefined point of the room,moaning:"Is she going to her parents now?Is she going to her parents now?🥺"FOR THE WHOLE-FREAKING-LENGHT-OF THE MOVIE!!!😵I swear I felt so bad for that kid 💔 and at the same time wanted to yell:"She's going to them _AT THE END_ OF THE MOVIE!!!Haven't you figured it out already?!?!?!>O
You guys say it isn't a kids' movie, but I remember watching this when I was about ten and LOVING it. I think when you're a kid, a lot of the horror kind of goes over your head. Like, as an adult now, a character like No Face who becomes obsessed with and stalks a little girl and goes crazy attacking people when she rejects him brings to mind all sorts of real world horrors and so he feels a lot scarier. Meanwhile as a kid, I just thought, "Wow, cool monster!!" Plus, the dreamlike logic just made sense to me back then. If anything, I think kids might have an easier time understanding this movie than adults because they don't have all our baggage and expectations.
I watched this movie as a kid, and I absolutely loved it; the creepy scenes didn't bother me at all. Of course, I also watched and loved Watership Down as a kid, so I might not be the best reaction to go by.
Yes! Keep watching Ghibli with Welchy! Princess Mononoke is a crazy watch. The Cat Returns(spin-off from Whispers of the Heart) and My Neighbor Totoro are wild watches along with Howl's Moving Castle. Most Ghibli movies have at least a touch of strangeness, but that's part of the charm. When Marnie Was There is heartbreaking when you understand what's going on. The Secret World of Arriety is the Ghibli take of the novel series The Borrowers, and a fantastic watch. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind technically predates Studio Ghibli, but gets included since the main writer made Studio Ghibli at some point after that movie. Love Kiki's Delivery Service and it really hits different as an adult some of the themes in it. Makes it so *very* relatable.
As a kid, I never understood what made this film so perfect. Even as I grew older, it really is easy to break the plot down which is similar to the usual trend: A main character and maybe a few others (probably friends or family) enter into a mysterious and fantasy world only for those "few others" to be captured or under a spell, so it's up to "main character" to rescue them by doing specific tasks in order to do so. But for some reason, the movie's narrative is very episodic, yet I feel like that works to it's core, especially when you consider: 1. This is a 2 hr film but the pacing somehow feels neither rushed or dragged out. 2. The director/writer, Hayao Miyazaki, made this film WITHOUT A SCRIPT, BUT WITH STORYBOARDS. And you can even tell throughout the movie, that's quite obvious. 3. The music flows well with the animation, telling you what's going to happen,. The best example being the opening scene when things are quite peaceful throughout the family driving to there new home, to when they arrive on the road leading them to the spirit world and the music tone an animation changes to become more intense, but then once they stop, things go peaceful again but with a more mystery vibe happening. 4. I also love how subtle the themes are done here. While I was mixed on the way they handle Chihiro's parents representing greed and gluttony, I have to give credit to the other ways it was shown with characters like with No-Face, the Bathhouse employees, even Yubaba. Then the themes about pollution and demolition, where the River Spirit, that people think is a muddy Stink Spirit blob, is revealed to be carrying so much garbage inside him. Or when Haku, is revealed to be a River Spirit too, but couldn't find his way home, due too humans turning the area into a place for apartment buildings (which probably explains why Chihiro and her family were moving away). But my favorite theme in the movie, is identity. From Yubaba taking Chihiro's contract, but taking away her name and being called Sen, to her forgetting her name, and Haku revealing that's how Yubaba controls people, to even being warned that Chihiro forgetting her name can lead her to never finding her way home, just like Haku forgot his. But one of the key details being added for this theme was Yubaba not recognizing her baby being turned into a mouse and it takes her much longer to see it when her baby in her room isn't hers. That being said, I definitely see every character standing out perfectly. Rewatching, you'll realize that there are no good guys or bad guys. Many characters Chihiro meets are very cold and hostile to her, but as time grows, they slowly soften up to her or respect her, when she shows how to be capable with herself. Even Yubaba, the antagonist, slowly comes to show that Chihiro has earn her respect, even showing a bit a compassion, despite not saying it out front to Chihiro, making you wonder if maybe she isn't always that evil, but just your average sly business woman who trying to run tight shifts. In general, the pros outweigh any cons, because this is indeed Studio Ghibli's and Hayao Miyazaki's magnum opus, and one of the greatest animated films of the 2000s, and a well deserved Oscar winner. A must watch movie for everyone, and definitely one that may never be made again, due to it being that great.
Critique on capitalism (greed) in how it affects nature (the spirits), and can corrupt such as pollution, abandoned theme parks and building over rivers (Haku, aka the Kohaku River).
No not every ghibli film is great there is one that has ocean in the title that is long boring and not that great to look at, apparently it was the project done completely by new people to let them have a try and it's horrible 😂. The rest of the films are great even if you can't make heads or tails of what's going on.
@@michellekeppler982Just because you didn’t find it interesting, doesn’t mean other people are gonna think the same, I for one think it was a great movie.
I'd recommend Howl's movie castle or Laputa if you want to continue with these anime films. They're honestly my absolute favourites and a good number of people will agree they're iconic.
"This is not a kids' movie..." Me, who grew up watching Ghibli movies because the Disney ones gave me second-hand anxiety: ... Edit: Also because my mom has excellent taste
It's funny you had such a terrified reaction. :p I was utterly blown away at ten. So wrapped up in the beauty of the art and fantasy world, I couldn't help but cry at the end. Instantly my favorite movie, and still is twenty years later.
This was the movie of my childhood! We would rent it from a place around the corner a few times a year and I would watch it on repeat for a week. I was around 4. Such a beautiful film- so glad more people are appreciating Studio Ghibli
I think the main thing you guys are not getting is the concept of spirits and japanese culture. In Japan there are many spirits. (For animals, rivers, mountains...etc. Think like native Americans spirits or folk lore about the fae in ireland) Some are scary looking or ugly but they aren't evil, its just a part of nature. Bears are cute far away but you get close you feel the threat. Japan tends to live with spirits as opposed to the west where we are more focused with exercising and getting rid of spirits.
I always like to see this movie as a metaphor for growing independent. You get separated from your parents, thrown into a new world, get a job, and it's scary at first. Then you get used to it, make new friends, grow confident enough to travel alone. And sometimes those friends leave.
That is such a beautiful sentiment
And you can still see and be with your parents, even if you don’t depend on them as much anymore
Seems to share this theme with Kiki's Delivery Service.
Chihiro for me is peak character arc
Thought it was about like prostitution like a work house
Or something can’t remember but a lot of people believe that
Chihiro actually acts and feels like a 10 year old. And her growth into a braver person is so believable. Miyazaki definitely spends time with kids in real life.
Yessss the metaphors are flying off the screen in this movie
Chihiro was actually based off of the daughter of one of his friends. Miyazaki often adds little details into his characters that are based on characteristics of the people he knows. Like how Chihiro's mother holds her arm when she's eating, that was taken from someone on his animation team, if I'm remembering correctly.
@@WinterLynne94 Or just otherwise in reality, like for the scene where she fed the medicine ball for Haku, Miyazaki took the crew to a vet to see and film how they give medicine to dogs :>
just not his own 😬
Yeah I really have wondered if his relationship with his son isn't too good but I don't know
Apparently, what No-Face is based on is a creature from Japanese folklore called a noppera-bō, or faceless ghost. They can only gain a personality by mimicking the personalities of those around it. And in the case of No-Face, he was surrounded by the ill-tempered greed of the workers in the bathhouse, so he kinda went insane.
Hence why only could talk after absorbing some people.
@@johankaewberg8162Yeah, he ate the frog, then took over his voice immediately!
"Chihiro" means "One thousand travels"
"Sen" means "One thousand"
So in other words, Yubaba reduced her to a number
Ok don’t make me cry now
In Czech "Sen" means Dream :) thats what this story feels like to me.
@schrodingerskatze2162 Ohh, that brings a whole other meaning as well. As if apprehending her ability to question.
「尋hiro」というのは昔の日本で使われた「長さ」または「深さ」の単位です。1尋が約1.5メートルです。千尋＝1000尋は、象徴的に非常に長い（深い）、という意味になります。
日本の漢字には複数の読み方があり、どう読むかで意味が変わります。
「千尋Chihiro」の名前は二つの漢字でできています。
「千」をsenと読むと「1000」という意味になります。chiと読むと「たくさん」という意味です。
「尋」をhiroと読むのは単位として使う場合だけです。別の読み方をすると「質問する」「訪問する」といった意味になります。
12:56 He's a river spirit. His river is very old which is why his face is very old. But people have been filling his river with rubbish and sludge and just about anything, dumping their old things into his river without a thought. It disfigured him, hurt him, made everyone think he was a stink spirit instead. But now he's cleaned. That's why he gave her something that could do the same (take away all of the bad things). And that's why he was laughing - joy of being cleaned and free of everything.
I feel like No-Face is affected by everything and everyone around him. When he's in the bathhouse, he becomes greedy. When he's around Chihiro, who's selfless and gentle around him, he's calm.
No face is my new nightmare
You know, that actually makes perfect sense. It's all in the name.
He has no face, no identity, he is only a reflection of the people he interacts with.
@@Aster_Iris There we go! See! No-Face is like a canvas to everyone. When someone puts greed onto him, he will be greedy. When someone puts their kindness to him, he will be kind as well.
No Face is SO relatable I love him
The two of you drinking shots every time you saw something disturbing added an extra layer of enjoyment and comedy I never knew I needed
It’s the gift that keeps on giving 😂
I think the reason why Yubaba's bird and baby wanted to tag along with Chihiro and stay in their 'mini' forms was because their whole lives they were trapped in the bathhouse - the baby was basically a sheltered child who knew nothing of the outside and the bird was a just another of Yubaba's servants. Zeniba said they could have transformed back whenever they wanted but they were enjoying their freedom way too much, like how they were hopping excitedly in the train. I thought it was so cute, and to add so much personality into two minor characters so subtly was really lovely to see :)
The part where Chihiro breaks down while eating always hits me in the heart.
One time, we were watching this in class and when a student laughed during this scene, you don't know how badly I wanted to throw hands.
Those were some BIG tears
I never understood the scene when I was 7 (Yes, I was pretty young....), as it always confused me to if that was part of the spell Haku put in them. But, then I realized that it was her having to finally accept that this is REAL, and how she almost forgot her name (along with so much more....), that I understood why. The scene itself, as well as the actress's performance (Who you'll learn played Samara Morgan (The Ring) and Lilo (Lilo & Stitch)....) is just everything, I never knew I needed.
@@osmanyousif7849Miyazaki always ads these moments of calmness to his movies where the characters get a chance to breath. I think this is one of those moments. She got to sit down, eat something, it all finally dawned on her and then she got to let it out.
yeah, her eating and crying combined with the music makes me cry every time.
Miyazaki loves making calm scenes: moments where you get to slow down, breathe and relax with the characters you're following. He does that even when action is involved.
This is so true
The fact that even Spielberg recommends this film to anyone who hasn't seen it brings me life
The goat knows good taste
Welchy simping for Yubaba is something I never expected nor knew that I needed
Its HERE
THANK YOU for acknowledging how CREEPY this movie was! I know it’s illustrated beautifully but this is nightmare fuel! My childhood best friend was obsessed with this movie and it creeped me out!
The way you both jumped when No Face ate the frog was perfect 😂
I thought I broke my chair on that jump
When I was a kid I actually liked the fact that this movie don't afraid to be scary and disgusting to add the realism of situation. That's the reason why I fell in love with anime in the first place. As a kid I always liked to watch a good story with good characters and hated that some cartoons treated kids as braindead people
10:23 "Those are some BIG tears" Yeah, I know from a conceptual standpoint, the way Hayao Miyazaki does huge, almost gelatinous/goopy, stylized tears is sort of weird, but VISUALLY, "Ghibli tears" make you empathize with characters much more than you'd think. Every time I watch a Ghibli movie I find myself cathartically crying with the character(s), at least a little bit. Chihiro included. Miyazaki just has the talent for making you feel and understand everything he wants you to, with minimal or no dialogue. The scene doesn't have to make any conceptual sense at all, but you'll still fundamentally get it.
That train scene is just stunning. So much is shown and said despite no one saying a word.
YES 🚞🚞🚞
The train scene is by far my favorite scene in this movie.
Rip
Suzanne Pleshette 1937-2008 she voiced Yubaba and Zeniba
David Ogden Stiers 1942-2018 he voiced Kamaji
and Jack Angel 1930-2021 he voiced the Radish Spirit
RIP! She was great!
@@MoviesinDepth the voice actress who voice Chihiro her name is Daveigh chase she voice Lilo, in Lilo and Stitch
Welchy falling for youbaba is the funniest thing ever
My 5 year old niece sat and watched this whole movie with me. She was really into it and the next day she wanted her big sisters to watch too. She’s such a weird kid. 😂
"that's a painting" Yes, yes it is. Most of the movie is hand drawn👀
While this movie was bloody terrifying as a child, it certainly is a fond memory
I’m glad I’ve seen it now, now I need the deep dive!!
Special shout out to my man, the movie's composer Joe Hisaishi. He always understands Miyazaki's vision and adds to it with his music.
He was an absolute G
And he just received a Winsor McCay award.
I could honestly write a full thesis on this movie, but I'll keep it to one fun fact. The final lines in the English dub of the movie don't exist in the original Japanese version. Miyazaki has confirmed that Chihiro doesn't remember anything about her time at the bath house, but the lessons she learned remained. The movie is a metaphor for growing up. Chihiro is ten years old, a time when many of us are starting to break away from more childish things as we near our teens. We're growing up, we have the potential to grow into whatever and whoever we want to be. Sometimes we need a little push. In the beginning, Chihiro was a bit of a petulant child, very whiny and complaining about everything. But over the course of her time at the bath house, she worked hard and managed to grow into a confident and mostly capable young human. I say "mostly capable" because she is still only ten years old and will need her parents for a while yet, but she's more independent now. It's amazing how Miyazaki can fill his films with so much wonder and fantasy, while still making them feel grounded and down-to-Earth. I hope you'll consider checking out his other films as well.
That aligns with the other change from original to English - Zeniba tells Chihiro, "Nothing that happens is ever forgotten, even if you can't remember it.' (whereas in the English version this line got switched to - "Once you meet someone, you never really forget them."
Our childhood and every moment in our lives helped shape us - even if we don't remember it all.
Today i learnt that the English VA for Lin’s the same person who voiced Meg from Hercules.
That's hot 😅
13:02 It's debated in the fandom whether those steamed buns Chihiro eats are filled with meat (particularly pork or some other savory, meaty filling) or with adzuki red bean paste (which is sweet.) As someone who's tried both varieties of those buns, both are absolutely delectable and if I were Chihiro, I wouldn't be mad to have either one for dinner.
this guys need to see Howls moving castle
You are absolutely right… because I havent
19:55 funny enough that's actually a Pixar reference because Pixar's John Lasseter Oversaw Spirited Away's English Dub. So they pay homage to Pixar in this scene!
To give a little context though I don't know how much it helps, what happens to chihiro is a kamikakushi or a kidnapping by a god. All of the weird things and people are Japanese gods and monsters from Japanese myth. The eating food thing is similar to the myth of the fae folk in Europe in that if you eat the food you become part of that world. Haku originally wanted for her to get out during the day while its still before the sun sets but because she got trapped he settled for the next best thing.
If this movie was so much nightmare fuel to me as a kid, imagine if I had watched Princess Mononoke when I was little. Great movie, but certainly not less traumatizing.
Oh don’t tempt us
That was the first cartoon I ever saw that had blood in it. I think I was 7. It was a transformative experience.❤
OMG! Mononoke Hime has pg16 rating! Who let you watch it at 7? I feel for you though! 🫂
Something that I've heard since but hadn't noticed on my own watching this movie was that No-Face talks with the voices of the people he eats
No face isn’t actually evil he just absorbs the traits of anything he eats, when he eats the frog he gains his voice and his greed
Lol, 15 years ago or so when I worked in an elementary school, I sometimes worked in the after-school programme for 6-9 year-olds. I lent them this movie once and apparently it was one of the few times almost every kid sat still and watched the entire movie all the way through, thoroughly captivated.
One of my favorite Studio Ghibli movies! I remember watching this movie for the first time when I was starting to dive more into Studio Ghibli and after watching this movie, I could definitely see what it was so praised and beloved by many. It's fantastic!
Totally agree!!
Ghibli movies never get old. Recently rewatched Castle in the sky and it's still just as amazing as a decade ago. They're just magical and I still plan to decorate my first own apartment inspired by Ghibli movies.
Castle in the sky is probably my favourite Gibli film ever
Along with Mononoke princess
Oh MID and Welchy together for a reaction?
Love it already and saved this video in my favorite list ❤️
Please do more together!
You two are amazing, funny and just makes me Smile every time i watch both of your guys videos ❤️
14:06 This is more than just paper. It is used when performing various spells. It is used as a tool for charms and curses in Japan.
I haven't seen if someone else shared this but the scene with the muck turned river spirit? That's based on Hayao Miyazaki's personal experience with a river cleaning effort. The things he found, the despair, and the sheer beauty of the river after the clean up.
Never seen this channel before but that reaction of pure confusion followed by "It's her sister." "Ohhhhhhhh" got me to subscribe so fast. LMAO you guys are hilarious to watch.
Me only just realising that Haku is voiced by Thackary Binx
Welchy being down bad for Yubaba is hilarious.
Also I love how you were freaked out about the baby turning into the mouse. The mouse form was adorable to me.
Honestly surprised Chihiro didn't break her nose after the stairs incident
She should be a PANCAKE after that
The stairs incident will always make me laugh! Even when I was 10 or 32 watching this film, it can get me 😂
This was a childhood favorite of mine I literally feel the nostalgia of starting to love all things creepy because of this movie, plus the creator of the movie is one favorite from them❤❤❤❤❤❤
This movie has so much going for it
"Do I know half of what's going on? Noooo" "but it's a spectacle 🥺"
This movie was unnerving, but the little girl definitely grew up a whole lot. So proud.❤💗
Back in September my family and I took a trip to Colorado and while driving in the mountains at night came across a casino town. Imagine bright neon casinos lining the one main road, and dark little houses on the roads above and behind them. And no people. Like we didn't see anyone for the 15 ish minutes we drove through. You could see the casinos had machines running and tvs on, but no one inside. Its 8:30 at night and the only traffic is us and the 2 cars we had been following for over an hour and no people or signs of life. It terrified me, I thought of this movie immediately. I told my dad this place was creepy af and to not stop for ANY reason.
I think I’ve driven through that place at night. We didn’t have time to stop and it struck us how random it was for exactly the reasons you describe. Couldn’t find it on a map later though. Maybe we dreamed it? 😮
Find someone who looks at you like Welchy looks at Yubaba.
Not possible
My mom made me do unnecessary labor since I was like somewhere around 5 years old.(by unnecessary I mean hours of working in flower gardens and keeping my mother's hundreds of potted plants alive. Heads up Mom we're not your greenhouse employees we are children.) By the time I was in 2nd grade (so 7-8 years old) I was doing six people's dishes, my own laundry, the bathroom laundry, sometimes my dads's laundry, Vacuuming, sweeping, and mopping, feeding the dog, helping harvest apples, raspberries, elderberries, maintaining the garden and going to school🙃. So yeah by the time I watched this movie when I was 13 years old I could not imagine a reason why anyone would want to go back with their parents.... my actual thought process was "yeah I would do whatever I could to save them. but I'm happy here and they will be happy if I'm not longer a burden". The main character got screamed at a lot less than I did. Like when she was slow at mopping the floor I would have been constantly being called lazy, slow, stupid and weak. My parents are literally made me feel like I was a defective product and not a human being.... So yeah fantasy world with a cool dragon guy every day over human world with my parents.
I have a Ghibli tattoo sleeve because of my love of these movies since I was about 10 years old. I’ve got no face, the yellow cute duck, the mouse and yu-bird plus some of the soot sprites. It’s one of my favs.
The Stink Spirit actually isn’t a Stink Spirit at all, The idea is supposed to be that he’s a river spirit who’s river got polluted and now that’s why he’s in this condition, he’s a dragon to introduce the idea that dragons are river spirits, foreshadowing the Kuhaku River reveal
I like to think of Spirited Away as a modern fairy tale. A coming of age story set within the folklore of Japan. 🧚♀️
Spirited Away is already a masterpiece! Back in 2004 it won the Oscar for best animated feature! 💖
I loved watching this movie as a kid, I had no idea what it was about but I loved watching it.
That is the most accurate comment I’ve seen lmao
OMG you’re together in person!!!! 🥰 Can’t wait to watch this reaction when I’m off from work! 😭
Thank you so much!!
I came across this movie by when I was about 7 and then as I grew up it always felt like some trippy dream I had randomly had (cos I obviously didn’t understand anything that was going on when I watched it at 7). Then I found it again as an adult on Netflix and was like OMG IT WAS REAL 😂😂😂
6:44 she is a fox spirit, a type of spirit known to be quite good at turning into human and tricking/seducing them
Great reactions to all the weirdness in the film, you two bounce off each other really well. Please do Princess Mononoke sometime too, I think you guys would love it!
I adored this movie as a child, I never knew other kids found it too creepy to keep watching, or were scarred by it until way later. Whilst there were parts that made me uneasy for sure, I was always just enthralled by it. Very easy for my parents to put this on and keep me entertained for a few hours 😂
Don't do this drinking game with Princess Mononoke. You'll die of alcohol poisoning. That movie is amazing but also a great big bundle of 'what the fuck'.
Best animated coming of age story of all time, hands down
4:35 I'm pretty sure those lines were added in the dub, with the dialog being inserted when the characters were hopefully far enough away that you wouldn't notice. Holding your breath so ghosts can't see you is a common superstition in Japan, where it wouldn't need to be explained. It would be like if a western exorcism movie was released in Japan and there's a scene where characters are sprinkling water from little glass bottles all over the place, there would probably need to be some dialog inserted to explain what the hell they're doing.
Apparently, the hopping lamp is an homage to Pixar. I hear John Lasseter worked in this film.
I KNEW IT
I think he was just a huge fan.
The reaction towards the spirit eating people was the best.
I remember watching this movie on a random Wednesday when I was 10 or something and I loved it!!! It was the perfect amount of creepiness and fantasy I thought it was the coolest movie in the world and then I forgot about it for years cause I forgot the name.
I too got scared as a small child. When i was in middle school i finally watch the whole thing and fell in love. Its so beautiful and different from western films
ハクの龍の姿の特徴が、顔が犬で胴体がヘビで前足と後ろ足が鳥なのが、素敵ですな。
I watch this video as a kid with my mom and we absolutely love it I’m so happy you guys watch it!
If you’re looking for a more lighthearted Ghibli film, I’d recommend Ponyo or My Neighbor Totoro 💗
Chihiro is actually 10 years old. Haku takes the appearance of a 12 year old but his ancient age is unknown.
Never in my life I though I would see @Welchy thirsting over a creepy Witch-Grandma 🤣🤣🤣🤣
The spirits can take any shape they want. The shadows at the beginning after Chihiro's parents turn into pigs represent formless spirits.
10:56 "Yup, turns into a horror movie immediately."
Me, who has already seen "Spirited Away" a couple of times: Yeah, but maybe not quite in the way or for the reasons you think it will... (and it doesn't stay that way for long lol)
My favourite film growing up. Ghibli films are so magical and I will always love them 💙
Not only my favorite Miyazaki film, also one of my favorite movies. The animation, the visuals, the music, the emotion...... I so can't wait for his next movie!
I hope you enjoyed the ride!!
If you thought this movie traumatized you,try watching it in theaters with a kid,in an undefined point of the room,moaning:"Is she going to her parents now?Is she going to her parents now?🥺"FOR THE WHOLE-FREAKING-LENGHT-OF THE MOVIE!!!😵I swear I felt so bad for that kid 💔 and at the same time wanted to yell:"She's going to them _AT THE END_ OF THE MOVIE!!!Haven't you figured it out already?!?!?!>O
The duo, that I need in my life☂💜
You guys say it isn't a kids' movie, but I remember watching this when I was about ten and LOVING it. I think when you're a kid, a lot of the horror kind of goes over your head. Like, as an adult now, a character like No Face who becomes obsessed with and stalks a little girl and goes crazy attacking people when she rejects him brings to mind all sorts of real world horrors and so he feels a lot scarier. Meanwhile as a kid, I just thought, "Wow, cool monster!!" Plus, the dreamlike logic just made sense to me back then. If anything, I think kids might have an easier time understanding this movie than adults because they don't have all our baggage and expectations.
I WANT MORE REACTIONS WITH YOU TWO!!! 🤩❤
Ohhhh you 🥹
I watched this movie as a kid, and I absolutely loved it; the creepy scenes didn't bother me at all. Of course, I also watched and loved Watership Down as a kid, so I might not be the best reaction to go by.
Yes! Keep watching Ghibli with Welchy!
Princess Mononoke is a crazy watch.
The Cat Returns(spin-off from Whispers of the Heart) and My Neighbor Totoro are wild watches along with Howl's Moving Castle.
Most Ghibli movies have at least a touch of strangeness, but that's part of the charm.
When Marnie Was There is heartbreaking when you understand what's going on.
The Secret World of Arriety is the Ghibli take of the novel series The Borrowers, and a fantastic watch.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind technically predates Studio Ghibli, but gets included since the main writer made Studio Ghibli at some point after that movie.
Love Kiki's Delivery Service and it really hits different as an adult some of the themes in it. Makes it so *very* relatable.
As a kid, I never understood what made this film so perfect. Even as I grew older, it really is easy to break the plot down which is similar to the usual trend: A main character and maybe a few others (probably friends or family) enter into a mysterious and fantasy world only for those "few others" to be captured or under a spell, so it's up to "main character" to rescue them by doing specific tasks in order to do so. But for some reason, the movie's narrative is very episodic, yet I feel like that works to it's core, especially when you consider:
1. This is a 2 hr film but the pacing somehow feels neither rushed or dragged out.
2. The director/writer, Hayao Miyazaki, made this film WITHOUT A SCRIPT, BUT WITH STORYBOARDS. And you can even tell throughout the movie, that's quite obvious.
3. The music flows well with the animation, telling you what's going to happen,. The best example being the opening scene when things are quite peaceful throughout the family driving to there new home, to when they arrive on the road leading them to the spirit world and the music tone an animation changes to become more intense, but then once they stop, things go peaceful again but with a more mystery vibe happening.
4. I also love how subtle the themes are done here. While I was mixed on the way they handle Chihiro's parents representing greed and gluttony, I have to give credit to the other ways it was shown with characters like with No-Face, the Bathhouse employees, even Yubaba. Then the themes about pollution and demolition, where the River Spirit, that people think is a muddy Stink Spirit blob, is revealed to be carrying so much garbage inside him. Or when Haku, is revealed to be a River Spirit too, but couldn't find his way home, due too humans turning the area into a place for apartment buildings (which probably explains why Chihiro and her family were moving away). But my favorite theme in the movie, is identity. From Yubaba taking Chihiro's contract, but taking away her name and being called Sen, to her forgetting her name, and Haku revealing that's how Yubaba controls people, to even being warned that Chihiro forgetting her name can lead her to never finding her way home, just like Haku forgot his. But one of the key details being added for this theme was Yubaba not recognizing her baby being turned into a mouse and it takes her much longer to see it when her baby in her room isn't hers.
That being said, I definitely see every character standing out perfectly. Rewatching, you'll realize that there are no good guys or bad guys. Many characters Chihiro meets are very cold and hostile to her, but as time grows, they slowly soften up to her or respect her, when she shows how to be capable with herself. Even Yubaba, the antagonist, slowly comes to show that Chihiro has earn her respect, even showing a bit a compassion, despite not saying it out front to Chihiro, making you wonder if maybe she isn't always that evil, but just your average sly business woman who trying to run tight shifts.
In general, the pros outweigh any cons, because this is indeed Studio Ghibli's and Hayao Miyazaki's magnum opus, and one of the greatest animated films of the 2000s, and a well deserved Oscar winner. A must watch movie for everyone, and definitely one that may never be made again, due to it being that great.
The gross bath think is a river god who's river was polluted
Critique on capitalism (greed) in how it affects nature (the spirits), and can corrupt such as pollution, abandoned theme parks and building over rivers (Haku, aka the Kohaku River).
Me as haku skid as chihiro ❤❤💖💓💗💗💗💖❤💚💚💚🤍🖤
We need more ghibli
I agree!!
Studio Ghibli is really strict with reactions. They have giving 3 strikes for 1 video, shutting down the channel. So be careful.
This begins, once you see spirted away you want to see all studio ghibli movies. One of us! One of us!
Ghibli/Miyazaki movies are the type of films that are so beautiful they make you cry. You both need to react to the rest of them.
They are all movies I haven’t seen even being a full on WEEB
No not every ghibli film is great there is one that has ocean in the title that is long boring and not that great to look at, apparently it was the project done completely by new people to let them have a try and it's horrible 😂. The rest of the films are great even if you can't make heads or tails of what's going on.
@@michellekeppler982is it called "ocean waves"? The one set in a high school?
@@michellekeppler982Just because you didn’t find it interesting, doesn’t mean other people are gonna think the same, I for one think it was a great movie.
The place the go in the first few scenes is a abandoned amusement park
This has always been my favorite Ghibli movie, I had such a crush on Haku when I was young lol
I'd recommend Howl's movie castle or Laputa if you want to continue with these anime films.
They're honestly my absolute favourites and a good number of people will agree they're iconic.
"This is not a kids' movie..."
Me, who grew up watching Ghibli movies because the Disney ones gave me second-hand anxiety: ...
Edit: Also because my mom has excellent taste
Chihiro and Haku's little love story is so cute! 😊💗
I watch all sorts of stuff and for some reason this particular film spooks me more than most.
I have no idea why.
The pig scene always traumatized me as a kid too, your not alone
It's funny you had such a terrified reaction. :p I was utterly blown away at ten. So wrapped up in the beauty of the art and fantasy world, I couldn't help but cry at the end. Instantly my favorite movie, and still is twenty years later.
SPIRITED AWAY IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES! I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!! 😊💖🔥
It’s def in the rotation now!!
This was the movie of my childhood! We would rent it from a place around the corner a few times a year and I would watch it on repeat for a week. I was around 4. Such a beautiful film- so glad more people are appreciating Studio Ghibli
13:17 had to pause it and subscribe you boys are brilliant reactors....i love the energy!
I think the main thing you guys are not getting is the concept of spirits and japanese culture. In Japan there are many spirits. (For animals, rivers, mountains...etc. Think like native Americans spirits or folk lore about the fae in ireland) Some are scary looking or ugly but they aren't evil, its just a part of nature. Bears are cute far away but you get close you feel the threat. Japan tends to live with spirits as opposed to the west where we are more focused with exercising and getting rid of spirits.