Spirited Away: A Story About Change

[@mannytprimeministerofthemanate]

“Accidentally watched the whole movie” happens to the best of us

[@therethan-family1234]

What I liked the most in this movie is how in her journey, she stops being a child, starts working and can no longer distinguish her parents from other pigs (because she stops seeing them as parents and starts seeing them as flawed people).

[@tlesser-aase7394]

The pacing of Spirited Away is PERFECT. Why do I say this? My three children and my niece and two nephews at all young ages did not move once when we watched it together. The animation, the music, the pacing, the story kept them engaged to the point they didn't get up for snacks or bathroom breaks. At the time, their ages ranged from 12 - 3. I will praise this movie's pacing forever.

[@Excellor64]

Oh Ghibli, my favorite studio. Princess Mononoke is my favorite from it. I am having a kid in June and the theme of his bedroom is actually Ghibli lol With all the elements and themes on this movie, No-Face is probably my favorite part of it. Not just from the movie, but I always think to Adam Savage's Ted Talk regarding Cosplay and his No-Face interactions. These movies have some serious themes at times, but are distilled to a very understandable level. Even if you can't explain with words, you feel different, you learned something new. That is why I like Ghibli movies.

[@merphynapier42]

Congratulations on expanding your family! The bedroom sounds awesome!

[@Excellor64]

@@merphynapier42 Thank you so much, I appreciate it! Just anxious, but happy and excited at the same time :D

[@FranFellow731]

I watched this movie for the first time about a year ago. When she first starts to cry from overwhelm while eating in the garden, processing and realizing she has to save her parents, I started crying too, because I related to that so much. I could empathize so strongly with her because if I were in her position I would be SO upset. I’d be mad at my parents for causing it, overwhelmed by all the new rules, scared I wouldn’t make it out or would mess it up. Pretty sure I’d feel that way even if I wasn’t as young as she is. It’s really effective.

[@mintman325]

I saw Spirited Away with my brother in theaters recently. He’s not big on anime, he was blown away. He loved it and the music was amazing in theaters. It deserves to be seen in theaters if possible it was a completely different experience than the dvd.

[@milo_thatch_incarnate]

It's been SO cool to see all these films I love in theaters!! My husband and I saw Princess Mononoke when it had its brief rerun in theaters in the fall of '23, and it was _a whole different level._ I'd always loved the scale of that film, but I FELT it in the theater.

[@kisatiger86]

Love that this movie along with others are being played in theaters now.

[@DrTimes99]

The train scene will always be one of my favorite scenes from any film. It's beautiful, quiet, and reserved tone somehow says nothing yet everything at the same time.

[@chrissyreader881]

The composer for a lot of Ghibli movies is named Joe Hisaishi and he is incredible, definitely my favorite composer of all time. He always knows how to perfectly capture the feelings and themes of the story, he seriously never misses a beat (no pun intended). He is a true master of his craft, especially piano. I used to listen to him on spotify in college whenever I had to study for long periods of time. I highly recommend listening to his music if you’re into classical/orchestra sounds, usually no lyrics so great to put on in the background when you need to focus. Spirited away is one of his best soundtracks for sure.

[@batu652]

If you havent watched Castle In The Sky then i highly recommend it cause there are a lot of parallels with one piece like ancient kigdom with advanced tech, poneglyphs, goverment agents, big mom pirates, and luffy's voice actress.

[@Pimpgamer101]

Oda has mentioned in interviews that he loves Ghibli, and takes inspiration from the studio.

[@DrTimes99]

not to mention sky islands

[@notrixamoris3318]

I love spirited away...the space was used so exquisitely it was best.

[@TabooHex104]

I was around five when I first watched the movie and I was in awe. only a few months ago I believed the hole thing was just a dream. my older brother and I was talking about the dinosaur movie "land before time" and I told him about the "Dream". I didn't know the movies name but I knew the story off by heart and even hummed him the music. the moment he told me that not only was it a movie and that he remembered its name I rushed to mum and convinced her to buy it for me.

[@nousabully9324]

I love the fact that the train that crosses the ocean can go only go in one direction, it doesn't go back, it's always moving forward and Chihiro takes that train to get to the place she need to, the silence and her expression while she rides the train is my favorite part of the movie, with just her facial expression you can tell exactly what she's feeling.

[@artemisife2871]

I have always had an appreciation for this movie. And I love the stage adaptation of this movie too. It was one of the most creative theater experiences i have witnessed. There's a pro shot of it and I tell everyone to watch it, even if they arent into theater. Thank you for sharing your thoughts

[@Hyoutonbr]

For me there are inumerous cristicisms of "modern" society throughout the movie, but it never feels like I'm being lecture on. Greed, overprotecting children and not let them experience the world, women work, work in general, nature, etc etc etc. Chihiro's development is always at the very front, making all those world provocations an incredibly light and seamless experience.

[@leeannsnyder6024]

Love the research you put into this video! I love this film and the significance of the food we see throughout. I did a lot of research on the food in Spirited Away because I create cinematic culinary experiences to post on Instagram and one of my favorite things I learned is about onigiri, the rice balls Chihiro eats when she starts crying. In Japanese culture, they dont express their love verbally the same way we do in the West. They express their love by showing care such as making sure their loved ones are well nourished and healthy. Onigiri is an easily transportable food so it is often packed for travel. Its common, for example, for a mother to pack for their child. It's a sign of familial love. Knowing this always fills me with so much emotion when I rewatch the film 🥹

[@crimsonraen]

Thanks for another great video, Merphy! I really love how Miyazaki gives us slow moments to breathe and process what's going on. Instead of running towards the end of the movie, we get to go through it with the characters. Journey before destination.

[@theundeserver]

I recently took my niece to see this in the theater and scenes like the exterior stairs and the fast driving through the forest were so powerful. If you do get the chance I can't recommend enough that you see this (or any Miyazaki film really) on the big screen. It's a more visceral and beautiful experience. Thanks for the great interpretation of the story.

[@colibri224]

You NEED to see the animated movies “Paprika” and “Pompoko” if you want to see a crazy Yokai parade.

[@Deewhite31]

Yeeesss paprika

[@silverstorynost]

Hayao Mayazaki is an absolute master of his art. Aside from what previous comments have mentioned, I definitely suggest not just watching Howl's Moving Castle, but reading the book it was loosely based off of. The movie in itself is a breathtaking work of art about self love and found family, and I feel the book amplifies what the movie offers. As an aside! I love your videos, and look forward to everything you release! As an author in progress I find myself returning to your channel time and again. Your reviews are amazing!

[@HarukoZ001]

If you haven't watched the other Ghibli films, I recommend watching almost all of them. They are amazing. The movies all have so much symbolism, attention to detail and beauty. Like, in one a child's loss of innocence was expressed with the use of a single sound so well (can't name the title, as it would cause this statement to be a huge spoiler) that it made my friend's normally very stoic husband cry. It was that moving. I love all of the Ghibli movies.

[@pythonxz]

Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away are the most beautiful movies I've ever watched.

[@anilallipilli1569]

have you watched ponyo? Not disagreeing, just curious.

[@pythonxz]

@@anilallipilli1569 I haven't seen Ponyo. I did say the most beautiful movies I've watched.

[@sakshamdwivedi4273]

[Howl's moving castle??

[@cheyennemoore8380]

Yay! Welcome to the rabbit hole lol. Spirited away is one of those that's stuck with me because I also felt it was about change and having similar experiences to being forced to move a lot as a child, when I saw this it was what I needed even though I didn't understand the spirited part until later on. Thanks for such a well thought out analysis of it. I'm pleasantly surprised to have learned new things as well as enjoying your reaction. Accidentally watching the whole movie is such a mood. Movies like this and your name and a silent voice are ones you have to see a couple of times to really understand imo. Thanks for this Merphy!

[@zacharyrichard8228]

I would love to hear you talk about more Miyazaki films. And I think this film definitely captures the unease of growing up and facing change in a way few others manage to do. All Miyazaki films leave me pondering their meaning for a long time after seeing them.

[@jfree672]

i feel like we are so close to Merphy doing a travel vlog to Japan.

[@ropecrewman36]

I am so happy that you are now actively covering anime. I knew it was a matter of time before you talked about this one. 😊

[@iz_pz8910]

As a child this movie is overwhelmingly beautiful and.. Just overwhelming. I've always cherished it, from the locations, the characters, the soundtracks, the start, the ending. Always. But revisiting it as an adult is something strange. It's even better, and I can relate to the sentiments even more on a deeper level. It's gone from nostalgia to genuine respect for studio ghibli. And that goes for a lot of their films. This is the most cold take ever but its an easy 10/10

[@MarioMartinez_]

My favourite Ghibli movie is Nausicaa and the valley of the wind

[@IBelieveInTheGYAT]

Great film, great studio even The Boy and the Heron made me cry at the theatre.

[@chrischill931]

Fun fact: the last line Chihiro said, “I think I can handle it” was in the English version only. She says nothing in the ending. Miyazaki has stated by the end Chihiro will remember none of the events that transpired

[@majikai9077]

Wow. That makes me think about all the development babies and toddlers go through, which leads them to being capable children, and yet they remember little to none of it. Like, the impact remains, but we don't recall what made the impact. (Maybe I'm reaching. It's just that the movie is about developing and changing, ya know.)

[@hunacean]

​@@majikai9077 No, I agree. Even some character manetions (maybe Yubaba's sister? It's been a while) mentions that she wont rembeber

[@crylorenzo]

I love all the things you mentioned, but I also love how accessible the pacing makes it to all audiences. My 4 and 6 year old watched it with my 9 and 13 year old nieces and all of them enjoyed it and talked about it afterward. I remember watching it soon after it released in the US in the early 00s and loving it even though I didn't piece together ANY of what I've learned since. I only knew how the movie made me feel and how it resonated without words. And that kept me coming back again and again since then like the rest of Miyazaki's movies.

[@christina_1313]

Thanks for this super detailed video! I really appreciate that you took the time to research all that :D

[@SharpAsRavenClaws]

This is the only animated movie that I LOVED, I love it so much, I've watched it a trillion times in my entire life.

[@pelouch8474]

Spirited away is just amazing. I've watched it over 10 times in 4 different languages. It never gets old.

[@yozarian86]

I forget if I watched spirited away or Howls moving castle first. One of them was my introduction to Ghibli. Both had me completely riveted. I’d rarely seen anything at all like it, even though I saw my first anime (didn’t know the word anime, but still) ~30 years ago. The story in spirited away is so deep and rich. It’s slow, but it never drags. It’s exactly the right speed. The mystery. The adventure. The fantastical creatures. The innocent child. I love this movie 🙏

[@BlackPhilosophy]

You’ve literally become one of us in real-time right in front of our eyes, you love to see it!

[@johnklaassen3437]

I went to see this at a showing my local theater had last week. I wasn't able to talk about my thoughts on it with anyone, so being able to hear yours while its still fresh in my mind is great. Thanks for deciding to watch it again!

[@erinlawrence6568]

I once saw a piece of Spirited Away out of context in college while eating lunch in the cafeteria. It felt like a fever dream. A little while later, I watched a bit more anime, read some manga, and aclimatized myself to the medium a bit more. I've recently been throughly enjoying Natsume Yuujinchou. It might be time for a revisit to Spirited Away. Thanks for the recommendation!

[@martinan22]

Thank you for reminding me why I subscribe to your channel.

[@soralazammoa1770]

This movie is one of my favorites

[@AdamFishkin]

My initial viewing of the film, many years ago, was undercut by the ridiculous amount of hype it was given by my college friends (some of whom have since moved to Japan and met animators who work at Ghibli). Spirited Away has grown on me over time; it's an undebatable masterpiece although it's never taken the top spot of my personal favorites (for me it's a contest between Kiki's Delivery Service and Howl's Moving Castle). When Pixar produced the English dub, we got lucky. Most of the Pixar directors have expressed a deep admiration and gratitude for the way Hayao Miyazaki tells stories, and John Lasseter went out of his way to translate it as truthfully as possible. A notable exception is when Disney execs mandated the added line "it's a bathhouse", because they thought we'd be too dumb to figure out what a bathhouse is. Filmmaking is all about choices. At 125 minutes, all the pacing choices you've described in your observations mesh together to create a rich tapestry within Chihiro's coming-of-age. The film's composer, Joe Hisaishi, has also been getting a lot more of the recognition he deserves from audiences who are sick of bombastic wall-to-wall music that's oftentimes devoid of thought or meaning.

[@reading.with.rachel]

The music in the stair case and the climbing up the bath house scenes really add to the tension so well!

[@saltyk9869]

“I sat down to watch a few scenes and accidentally ended up watching the whole thing.” Relatable

[@alwaysapirateroninace443]

This was such a great examination of Spirited Away. Doing something similar for Princess Mononoke would also be great.

[@ropecrewman36]

I played this movie's theme "Always With Me" on the cello for a wedding once. It was nice to connect with it on a musical level in a new way. 😊

[@starrynightfall00]

Oh my gosh I really love your analysis for this movie. It helped me understand things better :)

[@meowkat347]

Spirited Away is one of the foundational movies of my life! Studio Ghibli films have become my personality. I agree 100% with what you said about change being a major theme in this film. I love the zoomed in view of mundane moments in life. This movie means so much to me, I cannot even describe it! I love the Japanese folklore, the look into the depths of humanity. I love how Chihiro always sees the good in others. Her innocent outlook on life is a real breath of fresh air and helps you to tap into that part of yourself as well. I really hope you analyze more Studio Ghibli films!! I would love to hear your opinion on all of them because each movie has its own amazing beauty and deep themes. Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle are all my favorite films. Please do more Ghibli movies 🥺

[@Pau-ie9yr]

Love everything you have commented. I have loved the movie since i was a kid but as a kid i didn't really understand why. Nowadays i have it much clear and on top of everything you have mentioned i love the critic to capitalism, how you only are valuable if you work, the obsesion with money and jadeness that comes with having to grow up in such system (the rest of the bathhouse workers) and how it doesn't even benefit people that should benefit from it (the baby, yubaba's minions, etc) plus the whole arc of no-name. And at the end what is important is to remember who you are, where you come from, find something that you truly find fullfilling and protect that childhood view of the world despite what the world pushes on to you. To not give up on your inner child

[@monkeydmink6202]

This is my favourite film ever, glad you got round to it!

[@The_VultureKing]

I started watching anime while trying to find spirited away and accidentally ended up watching inuyasha that earned it a special place in my ❤

[@blueblazer9991]

My mom loved watching this movie with me, it was my favorite thing as a kid and I wanted to rewatch it over and over all the time

[@milo_thatch_incarnate]

Many Ghibli films are comfort movies for me, that I put on again and again when I'm feeling overwhelmed, because so many of them are about young women (like me) fighting to find their way in the world, determine what they're meant to be, and how to work harder and stretch further than you ever thought you could. But Spirited Away is always top of the list for me, when I'm feeling overwhelmed by my life changing. I think it's mainly the many moments of _ma_ in it (which I learned about thanks to Glowing Screens' awesome video, "Ma: Miyazaki's Calm"). I love Whisper of the Heart and Kiki and all the rest too, but Spirited Away has so many more _ma_ moments than them, and uses them to give you a space to take in how fast life is moving, and recognize how much Chihiro is growing, in those moments of calm. Those moments strengthen me so much.

[@ernestotorelli1209]

Fun trivia, the last lines about Chihiro being able to handle the new place were added in the english release, out of fear by the producers that occidental children might not be able to get the themes of the story.

[@blankface911]

Love these kinds of videos, I enjoy your non-One Piece related content a lot! Hope you post more of these regularly!

[@PropperProp-her]

You NEED to see the ProShot of the live stage production. It's flawless, fantastic, and pure magic. I'm crossing my fingers for a DVD release of it after it ends its run in London

[@neochris2]

Always love your analysis and commentaries, great video. By the way, Togashi is back to writing Hunter x Hunter. Hopefully we get chapters soon, because I enjoy your commentaries on that series too!

[@jamesfishmusic]

Might be my favorite movie I ever seen

[@austinsinger7565]

Spirited Away is one of my favorite movies to watch. It's in my top 3.

[@GN_SapoVerde]

Wow thanks for the lessons

[@mar_kos8319]

I watched this movie this year after hearing everyone praise, it was a great experience, also made me chek out Whisper of the Heart which I enjoyed too.

[@DanielleOutLoud]

I haven’t watched this since I was a lot younger but I loved this movie so much. I’ve watched very few Studio Ghibli movies so I don’t have a great opinion, but this is my favorite of the ones I’ve seen. 🖤🖤

[@pRahvi0]

You got so much analysis out of the movie. I only got that No-face had no power over Chichiro because she was not greedy and then something about the importance of names. But that didn't make it any worse of a movie for me, not getting all the meaning behind things that its. On the contrary, the fact I didn't realize all those things makes it all the more wonderous to discover them later. And it would have been and was a good movie even without me understanding everything. Now it's even better.

[@michaelcossel9654]

You are awesome!

[@robertchandler2063]

Happy you discovered Miyazaki. GHIBLI movies are mostly all amazing my favorite being Totoro

[@SnakeAndTurtleQigong]

One of my favorite movies

[@edamamame4U]

To this day Spirited Away remains one of my all-time favorite movies. I remember seeing the movie with an old friend way back in high school and being blow away by the animation, story, and music-- it was truly something that I had never seen before in animation. It cemented by love for Studio Ghibli and set me down the rabbit hole of Japanese animation and pop-culture. I will still argue that the train seen is one of the most haunting and moving scenes in a movie-it gives me goosebumps every time I watch it and makes me long for family that have passed away or old friends that I have lost touch with. I find all of Miyazaki's films deeply moving and they have played such a vital role in my love of the natural world. If you have not watched any other Studio Ghibli movies, I cannot recommend them enough-- I would love to hear your views on them.

[@dontaecrowder7952]

This was a super well made video Merphy.

[@joshfarrow9707]

My 4 year old loves this movie

[@eversonverissimo28]

It is one of the scariest movies I've ever watched

[@emanueldumea8217]

Natsume's Book of Friends is my favorite anime series and this anime taught me first about the amazing world of youkai and kami. Japanese folklore is fascinating.

[@Adino144k]

Love your videos!

[@seanaugust]

I always loved the train scene.

[@anamericanseoul1391]

Spirited Away is truly one of the most immersive stories ever put on the screen. Miyazaki’s passion can be seen in all of his films but this one has the most of it. Almost every scene has something that has stayed with me for a long time. The scene where Chihiro rides the train is a masterpiece. Also, shout out to Joe Hisaishi’s score. Almost every character and/or setting in Spirited Away has a recognizable musical cue or motif to accompany. It’s unreal.

[@kurathchibicrystalkitty5146]

I really hope you'll watch more Ghibli movies in the future, especially Castle in the Sky. It has ancient ruins with a slight twist that I won't spoil, a mcguffin ancient artifact, sky pirates, and, because it's a Ghibli movie, airships galore.

[@ratiuvictor9533]

Spirited Away is so good. It's my 2th Gibli film after Mononoke. Now you should watch Grave of the Fireflies. It's my favourite anime movie but before watching it you should have close a pack of tissues. or 2.or 3.

[@ChadveeA]

Spirited Away is the only movie I rewatch every year :)

[@watermelon7867]

Ah my favorite anime movie. First I saw with huge nostalgia factor for me.

[@danielquilter946]

Weird as it might sound, I thought Spirited Away was more of a commentary on the pitfalls of capitalism, and the need to prioritize love, kindness, and nature over industry and capital. Chihiro gets into trouble in the first place because her parents only care about their own greedy interests, and think that money is the solution to all problems. Because of that, they fail to recognize the spirits and the nature around them, and get turned to pigs. Then she gets stuck working at the bathhouse where the cost of her getting the job is her name. She's expected to give up her identity in exchange for money. She's constantly given challenges throughout that make her choose between money/her job and her identity/integrity. She ultimately wins because she rejects the pursuit of money, and instead pursues love, kindness, and the preservation of nature (all the stuff that extreme capitalism discourages, but Miyazaki really loves). Along the way she helps each character around her by helping them overcome their own particular issues around capitalism; No Face with his unchecked consumption, Haku with rediscovering his personal identity which he'd replaced with his job, etc. I thought it was a really good, nuanced take that managed to critique the greed that fuels the economy while still praising hard work, and encouraging a work/ life balance and a re-examinination of our priorities. But I like your interpretation of it, and the commentary on the need for navigating change. A well crafted story like this one can often have more than one thing to say.

[@MangoMann072]

Miyazaki film are works of art. Also Oda has said he's a fan of Ghibli films and Miyazaki

[@sicshop]

This is my favorite anime movie of all time. A great movie.

[@YouTubdotCub]

Would love to hear your thoughts on Porco Rosso, in my opinion it is the MOST underrated Miyazaki film. It's got everything you might expect from Miyazaki (reinforcing the autonomy and strength of children in an adult world, loud and proud feminism and little quiet feminisms, etc) but grapples with grief, guilt, regret and takes fascism seriously in an antifascist way while being way more light-hearted and fun than you'd expect from that description. Makes me grin and laugh and cheer every single time I watch it.

[@DoremiFasolatido1979]

While, stylistically, Asian folktales of this sort are wildly different from anything in the west...thematically, there are MANY close parallels with legends of the fair folk and all their variations in European lore. Iron-clad contracts, deception...don't mess with the spirit realm or they'll fuckin' eat you...the importance of etiquette and the privileges and responsibilities of hosts and guests, etc. Other cultures also have their own spirit worlds...but Southeast Asia, and Europe really have the most terrifying legends of all. Dark stuff. Makes the whole Aztec heart-cutting deal pale by comparison.

[@ricardovelasquez791]

Princess mononoke! Watch that please

[@pencilcheck]

The movie is really good

[@kclink1579]

My friend got to see the play last Wednesday.

[@samfisher6606]

Studio Ghibli Speed Run!!!! You have to watch _Howl's Moving Castle_ next!

[@seashorerumble1380]

Those stairs were really scary. Fortunately, at least, they weren't ondulating

[@AecoYT]

That Hyakki Yakō image looked suspiciously like one from Nurarihyon no Mago. :D

[@joaoalmeida99]

Can you do a video about whisper of a heart? Its from ghibilli too

[@wesbeuning1733]

Yay!!

[@TylerNOS386277]

The story takes it's time in the beginning because it doesn't operate on a Western 3 Act structure. It operates on the Japanese Kishotenketu model.

[@MichaelWhiting-ug4ht]

YOU HAVE A NICE SPEAKING VOICE PEACE

[@keanus9871]

No Face has the same “monster/found family” arc that Chopper and Robin have in One Piece, which is why I will always love and protect No Face

[@Dark_Jaguar]

This is far more in depth and interesting than frankly amateurish attempts to explain things like saying "Kami" means god in a judeo-christian sense and writers thinking "oh I'll just have them say 'oh kami' in place of 'oh god'" as if cultural differences are literally nothing more than a find-replace thesaurus swap. Thank you!

[@tabeatamm3594]

Have you watched any of the other Ghibli movies. My favourite is Castle in the Sky and I really recommend you watch it!

[@ricardovelasquez791]

Grave of the Fireflies

[@shannonhoenig873]

Studio Ghibli is one of my favorite productions studios how many have you seen

[@AustinKelly01]

Please watch Summer Wars. Words cannot express how much an analysis similar to this would mean to me. It’s such a good film. You won’t be disappointed! Hopefully you read this! ❤️

[@joephill2737]

You should watch Satoshi kon movies!

[@lyleabrahams]

Nausicaä of The Valley of The Wind (1984) 💚

[@Lynn-CA]

Merphy has watched that

[@leooftheblack]

Plz watch howls moving castle its amazing and right up your ally.