My Spirit has been Awayed
Chihiro is a young girl who is bummed out that she’s moving away from what she’s grown up with. When their family ends up at an abandoned amusement park after a wrong turn, their lives turn upside down and are carried away to a magical world. It is up to Chihiro to race against the clock to help her and her family return to their own world.
This is an extraordinary journey and thanks to Ghibli Fest, we are able to watch it on the big screen. I’ve seen this and many other Studio Ghibli films before, but it was usually just on network tv or DVD. For a 16 year old movie, the hand drawn film looks like it could have been made today.
There’s always something magical about Studio Ghibli films, and Spirited Away is filled to the brim with it. I’ve always loved the world building from the great mind of Director Hayao Miyazaki and this cohesive film transports the characters and us far far away. The magical bath house is filled with and visited by the most imaginative beings and creatures. From water spirits to oversized chicken-bird-things, you’ll be “spirited away” by this colorful cast of characters.
The film tells a nice coming of age story. Chihiro is a young girl that sulks about change in her life that is happening at the event of moving. With the thoughts of giving up coming from being left alone to fend for herself, she develops a drive to work her way through the bath house to escape this mysterious world with her parents.
This is a great film to show people the wonderful world of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki. Each and every film that comes out from this pairing has managed to stand the test of time. Especially if you have the chance to watch it in theaters, it is a great experience.