Therapist Reacts to SPIRITED AWAY

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How can you be brave in the face of fear? What is the key to working through hardship?
Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright are jumping into the fantastical world of Spirited Away. They talk about Chihiro’s journey from fearing everything to being incredible brave, and how she works through her fears to achieve great things. They discuss how Studio Ghibli movies have a magical balance of being nonsensical and weird but somehow relatable to everyone. And they learn how bath houses work.
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Written by: Megan Seawright, Jonathan Decker, and Alan Seawright
Produced by: Jonathan Decker, Megan Seawright, Alan Seawright, and Corinne Demyanovich
Edited by: Trevor Horton, tzhediting.com
Director of Photography: Bradley Olsen
English Transcription by: Anna Preis
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[@pigpjs]

One of the things that makes this movie magical is how appropriate Chihiro behaves for a 10 year old. It makes the stakes feel real. She isn't some wise sage child or a complete brat. She is complex and interprets the world as a 10 year old would.

[@genericname2747]

Also contributes to the emotions. Feels bad when a kid cries.

[@edenborden3846]

So true! There were a lot of people who hated how "whiny" she was when it first came out, but it was like...uh yeah. She's a child.

[@animeotaku307]

@@edenborden3846 And she’s going through things that are devastating for a child. We forget how world-changing it is to move to a new place and leave all you knew behind when your whole world was your home. That’s without getting into the Spirit World things that happen.

[@Madjichen]

How children behave in Miyazaki's movies (more specifically, Totoro and Ponyo) are so realistic and kind of relatable. It's so refreshing to see!

[@anarosareyes6269]

Thats really just the japanese way, is impressive how children are like mini adults there, they teach children to rake responsabilities that here in occident we are not usted to see children perform but i'm sure they are capable.

[@KelciDComics]

Fun fact to add to the name-stealing discussion: Chihiro's name in the Japanese language is written with multiple characters. But when Yubaba steals her name, Yubaba takes all the characters except one that, when by itself, is pronounced "Sen," which means thousand. She's literally reducing Chichiro to a number. Which tells you everything you need to know about how the witch sees the people in her employ.

[@shadowguy321]

one of those things that gets lost in translation

[@nekokaitou4027]

Nice detail I hadn't noticed yet. The Name stealing kinda reminded me of slavery, when a lot of white slave owners would re-name their slaves because a) they never bothered to learn the actual names of the people (they weren't considered human, so why bother) and b) they took their identity and with it a part of what makes the person unique. The slave owners erased the names because they belived it was easier to break the slaves and because tools didn't need names. Same goes for the Nazis. The people at the concentration camps became numbers, no longer deemed human.

[@eileensnow6153]

I came to the comments section after the name discussion. I don’t know anything about the Japanese language, but as someone who grew up with abusive parents, I grew to absolutely _hate_ my name. You can only hear your name used as a weapon so many times before you stop identifying with it.

[@HumbleWooper]

@@nekokaitou4027 Also, names given by a child's parents often have cultural or religious meanings behind them. A virtue, family profession, ancestor, famous religious or political figure... slavers replacing names tended to choose a name from the owner's culture/beliefs to cut ties to the slave's old life. "You're mine now, forget your past." sort of thing.

[@themisfitowl2595]

@@eileensnow6153 This is also why people who are re-discovering their identities in the process of healing from abuse, will often adopt a new name that they choose for themselves, and refer to the older name and it's usage as their "dead name." Whenever you look at abusive people who insist on using the dead name, instead of the chosen name, you can see how these abusers try to use the dead name to re-exert control over this person, just like Yubaba tried to control Chihiro and Haku.

[@floof_croissant]

“I love this film and I couldn’t possibly explain why” pretty much how I feel for every Studio Ghibli movie ever 😂

[@brigidtheirish]

Yes! I saw My Neighbor Totoro first when I was very young and only remembered a few little bits as I got older, mainly the three-wheeled car and the soot sprites. When I was in college, I discovered Spirited Away and it triggered those memories. I started searching and watched *so many* Studio Ghibli movies. There's something about them that triggers nostalgia even when watching them for the first time.

[@ChiliKatsuRamen]

ya except Grave of Fireflies. lmao

[@ProtonFilms_Mark]

Porco Rosso is completely devoid of a story and yet it's one of my favourite films ever. But so is Ghostbusters, which is also one of my favourite films ever, so there may be a pattern there in my preferences.

[@marallenrondez2606]

This one in particular, this is often considered one of, if not the best Ghibli film to date. The feeling you get watching Spirited Away is ethereal and unexplainable joy and melancholy by the time you finish the film.

[@easyusprime4639]

he's right you know

[@TrashBunBun]

I've re-watched this movie a MILLION times and only just now noticed in the end when Chihiro's mother said "Don't worry, everything's going to be okay," the hair tie that was given to her by Zeniba glowed and spread through her hair. That's such an AMAZING touch since the hair tie had a spell to protect her. I wonder if that was a sneaky way of saying the magic still carried on to the real world and she would be protected by the people she befriended.

[@Electivedrop]

It definitely was. In these Ghibli movies I feel like nothing is put into the movie just cause. It all has a purpose.

[@ccorvid]

wow, I never noticed that before either! that's so cool

[@ccorvid]

@@kachi9293 this is the coolest comment ever. I think most western audiences know a bit about baba yaga, but we def don't know the Shintoism of it all as well. I appreciate your breakdown of the kanji meanings too! I think spirited away is actually a pretty good translation though. it doesn't have all the same meanings ofc, but I'm pretty sure 'spirited away' does refer to old folklore about like the fey stealing away children in a similar fashion. so it at least works on some level, if not all of them haha your explanation of the riceball, and the twin witches, and Bo, and No Face are all rly appreciated too! they can all be kinda just taken at surface level, but your detailed explanation did make it all make a lot more sense, suddenly!

[@mivvy]

omg me too! i watch this movie once a year on my birthday (idk it's a tradition i randomly started on year lol it's my favourite movie of all time.) and am just now noticing the hair tie sparkling in that scene! thank you for ur comment :D

[@avefenix4ever]

​​@@kachi9293Thank you for the time and love you put to explain us everything. It's so beautiful and meaninful what gets lost in translation, it is a pity. They should invite you when analyzing a Miyazaki's movie You should publish your thesis, I will be honored to read such an interesting study. Thank you from 🇦🇷

[@AlakaxamM]

Cihiro's parents' lack of fear and respect was a warning about ignoring culture and traditions. Chihiro's mom started to tell her about the shrine statues and then just waved off the idea. The theme of forgetting one's identity leading to their downfall is prevalent throughout the film. The river spirit, by contrast, NEVER forgot who he was, even though no one else recognized him. It's a detail I've always loved about this film.

[@KatieLHall-fy1hw]

That is very cool, and I never quite got it all the way (sort of did with Haku but not with the parents) that is really insightful!

[@AlakaxamM]

@@KatieLHall-fy1hw thanks, I love this movie! There are so many mini themes sprinkled in and each one is just as important as any other.

[@okaminess]

And there are those who prey on others if you forget your identity.

[@HunterSentinel]

But I’d also say that with the stink monster, may be a message about Sitting still and stagnant for too long, but casting all of that junk aside might be about indecision causing issues. ....Jesus Christ you have no idea how much trouble it’s been to write.... . They comfrtabkec..... I am practically going in and out or consciousness while I’m types mathing this stuff so much harder than not.

[@AlakaxamM]

@@HunterSentinel I'm sorry it's been difficult to type but I'm glad you got in on the Convo 😊. The "Stink Spirit" was always a river guardian spirit. He didn't look that way because he sat for too long. Humans polluted his river making it sludgy and gross. A bunch of trash pours out of him after his bath. A fridge, a toilet, and all kinds of things that were dumped into the river.

[@kaitlynfoster7971]

Spirited Away started as a bedtime story that Hayao Miyazaki was telling to a friend’s ten year old daughter. He got inspired to continue it and make it a movie. This was written for a child. To give a small girl a hero.

[@CinemaTherapyShow]

That's wonderful.

[@treespirit3796]

I had no idea! How wonderful 🥰

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

What I noticed about all the Ghibli movies I have seen so far, and that must be around 8 to 10, in ALL of them the protagonist is female. So in the midst of all of this "representation" discussion, these movies have done it for decades.

[@terrimeakin-rosario9189]

that is beautiful

[@MudakTheMultiplier]

@@Quotenwagnerianer there's a few girl/boy duos, but yeah I'll give it to you.

[@mwester891]

Funfact; Miyazaki said in an interview that the real reason Chihiro stared at the tunnel at the end was because she had forgotten everything that happened. It was part of her breaking the curse and leaving the other world. That's also part of the reason why she wasn't allowed to look back as she and her family were leaving. It would have broken the magic and she would be trapped once more. Pretty scary.

[@AngelichuXD]

I disliked that she forgot the lessons she learned

[@jace_d]

@@AngelichuXD She didn't, though. Her last phrase at the end of the movie shows that. She can not remember the specifics, but if she's leaving changed, then she remembers the lessons, and if not the lessons, then what she learned from them.

[@kaiayang2855]

@@jace_d That's only in the dub tho. I like the dub don't get me wrong, but the original had no dialogue at the ending. It sorta leaves it ambiguous that way.

[@KariN-rt1ok]

​@@kaiayang2855 thank you! I was so confused when I heard the phrases in the ending, as every time I've watched Spirited Away I didn't recall hearing those phrases. But I had never watched it before with the English dub. Although, I think they are unnecessary.

[@Penguinfrommars]

Thank you! That's so fascinating!!

[@aceaster2657]

Ya'll made me realize something about the symbolism in this movie. Chihiro goes from not being able to cross a simple stream at the beginning of the movie to literally helping out TWO whole water/river spirits. Such an interesting way to show her growth. Not being able to cross a small stream to being completely surrounded by water of her own will.

[@ccorvid]

this comment also just made me wonder whether there is some deeper meaning to all the water in this movie. chihiro almost drowned as a child, until the kohaku river spirit saved her. now she's afraid to cross that tiny stream, but comes to a bathhouse surrounded in water, and eventually almost intentionally drowns herself again trying to save the polluted river, which in turn pulls her out as well to thank her. it's possible that her almost drowning back then is what made her such a frightened child, until she and the rivers are able to work together to save each other

[@blessedbe222]

​@@ccorvidexactly

[@melissam9253]

There is a theory that the river spirit/Haku is actually Chihiro’s brother who drowned in the river while trying to save her.

[@blessedbe222]

@@kachi9293 respect tf out of you

[@aceaster2657]

Goddamn! SO cool!!@@kachi9293

[@edenborden3846]

No face's greed is such a compelling story. Especially when he echoes, "I want Sen, I want Sen," because the ultimate form of greed is to posess a person. He is lonely and tries to fill that space with power, money, food, and adoration. But ultimately what he wants is a friend. That's why it's so lovely that the end of his arc is to live in a little cottage with a kind old witch who knows how to call people out and how to give all the love in her heart.

[@animeotaku307]

I kind of like that he reflects the environment that he’s in. In the bathhouse he’s affected by the greed and gluttony there, so he focuses too much on consumption. Then in Zeniba’s cottage it’s calming, so he eats neatly instead of mindlessly gobbling and is good at handicrafts.

[@yuukicyan]

Sen is also literally a coin in Japan, so No Face goes from material Sen to spiritual Sen :)

[@Hireiuta]

I felt kind of bad for him during his "corruption arc", where he was clearly trying to repay and/or befriend Sen with things that she needed, and then he got swept away by the idea of gold and consumerism (thinking that giving away riches would make the others like him, but all they wanted was his money). By that point, he was so sick and gorged with food that all he wanted was Sen, because only Sen had been truly nice to him. After he's cured by the medicine, he gets to have his redemption arc by gradually returning to his polite and calm self, making Sen a loving gift, and staying in a place that gave him stability, respect, and a purpose. :)

[@thirst4truth204]

A friend u say, more like trying to pay her for a favor

[@ima.ekenes]

For me, No-Face represents loneliness. It can feel like hunger, and it can feel like the solution is to give everything the others want to make them like you. But what he really needed was to be seen, and to be met with compassion. She became friends with loneliness.

[@freshcupofangst]

Agreed.

[@HouseMDaddict]

Yeah that's what I was thinking too. He just was waiting out in the garden and no one saw him (or WANTED to see him) due to their own preoccupations but chihiro leaves the door open "just in case" he wanted to go in. Then of course, he got super overwhelmed and became toxic, but Chihiro grounded him once she refused his toxic behaviors.

[@________1516]

Wow, that’s really insightful! I never thought of it that way.

[@kelliehorn1082]

That's DEEP!

[@msk-qp6fn]

The lack of a face, literal in its name, can symbolize the lack of or erasure of one's identity. I find No-face antics very much like that of an impressionable child or baby that has little to no identity for itself, with how quickly it adopts people's behavior and is influenced by those it encounters or is in the presence of.

[@ThinlyCut90]

Honestly, the most beautiful thing that I love most about Ghibli films is how well they romanticize living. For people who are depressed, it makes the most simple thing absolutely freaking magical, and whimsical. It reminds me of the beauty of a simple life, and it makes me fall in love with living.

[@Kawaiimunchkin312]

I could not agree more. Well said.

[@xxchesire_catxx8176]

Literally this.

[@tinykass]

Wow this comment floored me to tears. 🖤 it’s so true.

[@lilygreen221]

I almost tear up reading this because its so true

[@revangerang]

Thissss

[@madeleinereads]

I like that many of Miyazaki's movies have environmental themes. It's powerful when Chihiro sees that the stink spirit turns out to be a river spirit severely hurt by pollution. In a behind-the-scenes video I saw, Miyazaki said that the river/stink spirit was based on his own experiences cleaning a river when he was younger. He was part of a team that pulled tons of trash (including a bicycle) from the river.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

That’s fascinating and profound.

[@shyguypro9876]

But I also love that nature is never portrayed as innocent or pure. Nature in his films is dangerous and scary. But also life-giving and beautiful.

[@gavmonn5901]

Real, same with post-colonialism. His films always somehow explore these ideas, always saying something new and significant.

[@stephaniewu132]

Spirited Away tells how scary it is to grow up: moving cities, getting a job, losing your name, working with strange people you don't know. But Chihiro showing bravery through all of it is some of the best cinematic story telling out there. There's a reason this movie still holds up more than two decades later. Thank you for delving into more anime films!

[@cinthyaoceguera4321]

I could wrap it up as facing and going through Change with bravery, maturity and grace

[@katatonic726]

I can't believe it's been 21 years 😐😑😐😑😐

[@LyndsianaJones]

Yes! Came here to say this exactly. Watching it when I was younger I didn't really get the deeper points. I felt her fear running down the stairs (que me running down dark hallways to "outrun the shadows") but as an adult in my 30s I remember the fear and uncertainty of 18-24 year old me and see it in Chihiro, I can definitely see my first "tough" boss in yubaba, that "work mom" in Lin who takes you under her wing, the kindly neighbor in Zeniba. Although my parents are rather young, I also get the pressure of eventually have to take care them in future that is present throughout. It all just hits different when you are older.

[@HosCreates]

also that kinds "strangers" aren't always kind and can be sus- example no face.

[@leafyveins4985]

I always saw No Face as a representation of how being exposed to people who are only interested in you for your wealth or status and how those horribly toxic relationships turn people into monsters. Also, I saw it as a way to say, "It's okay to live a quiet life with only a few friends." This movie really is a masterpiece.

[@frostfang1]

He's lonely and he only knows how to pay for companionship and they aren't real friends. He's just consuming them or they are kinda hangers-on that work as his mouthpiece. And even if he already knows he's not there for the luxury, he's misguided and trying to offer the only thing he knows how to be treated better and to have a chance of being around people who don't ignore him and can make a connection with. But deep down the only time he doesn't feel lonely is with chihiros kindness. Has to purge himself of those people and that luxury and follow the person who treated him with kindness, and that sometimes just accept the kindness, there doesn't always have to be an exchange, a transaction, that's not how bonds of friendship are formed.

[@johnbrownlee5419]

He represents the corrosive nature of desire in Buddhist philosophy.

[@leafyveins4985]

@@johnbrownlee5419 Did Miyazaki say that?

[@johnbrownlee5419]

@@leafyveins4985 I don't know. It's pretty obvious though.

[@leafyveins4985]

@@johnbrownlee5419 ..............How is it obvious if none of the creators have ever said that? I'm not disagreeing with your opinion, but as the guys said, a lot of the film seems to be up for interpretation. Are you just talking about the way No Face looks, like his appearance?

[@kaseyareda6017]

In one interview Hayao mentioned that at the end what made her look back after the tunnel was the fact that her soul remembers her growth even tho she herself doesn't anymore. So yeah, she doesn't remember what happened on the other side of the tunnel. But even tho most times we don't remember all of our experiences, we stay with the changes that they made in us.

[@alyssashoemaker3414]

She doesn't remember it? That's so sad!!! But hey, it makes sense since people aren't supposed to be in the spirit world so they'd wipe her memories of it

[@taynahibanez9952]

I didn't know she doesn't remember her journey. What sad...

[@Mia_M]

@@alyssashoemaker3414 I think it might also be that she can't process those memories outside of the spirit world

[@kaseyareda6017]

@@alyssashoemaker3414 I think it's bittersweet because somewhere inside herself she remembers.

[@kaseyareda6017]

@@Mia_M If you play close attention when they go through the tunnel and back to their car, Chihiro loses somewhat the confidence that she had gathered in the spirit world and starts to cling on to her mother like in the beginning of the movie.

[@SpaceAuddity93]

Jono saying, "You don't stand up for yourself if there's no self to stand up for" really hit me hard. Love you guys.

[@djdegracia02]

I remember watching the scene where Chihiro eats the food given to her by Haku, and thinking, as a kid, "Why is she crying? She just got her name back and some food!" Watching that scene again as an adult, I can't stop myself from crying with her. Chihiro must be SO SCARED the entire time. And she's - what? - 13 years old? A CHILD is grappling with the fact that she may lose her parents and her freedom forever. The fact this small moment of peace and Haku's comforting words gives her the chance to actually feel how she's feeling absolutely destroys me every single time.

[@Varies16]

Chihiro is actually 10 years old, so yeah...

[@anis_n]

It’s my favorite scene in the movie. Haku provided her with more than just food- but also the space to comfortably just cry and be sad. It was the only time where she could just stop and process what just happened in the past few hours. He then gave her the encouragement to keep going and that everything was gonna be okay 🥲

[@Varies16]

@@anis_n Exactly

[@hw7003]

It's pretty real too, a lot of times children and teens who've gone through traumatic situations will shut down and seem like they are keeping it together well while they are still unsafe, but once they're given safety and are with authority figures they start to feel they can trust, paradoxically they break down and/or lash out because they are finally in a place to process and express everything they've been though. Foster parents see it frequently. Everything has been happening so rapid fire up until this point in the movie Chihiro can barely keep up, the moment Haku gives her space and food and a safe environment to think, it all just hits. Poor kid.

[@m.mallecho]

I also learned from this film that sometimes crying unabashadly while eating comfort food is the best thing you can do.

[@medchan5810]

Miyazaki once explained that he created Spirited Away for a young girl in his life (can't remember if it was a niece or daughter of a friend). He said that he wanted to make a movie for her where she could be the main character just as herself, without super powers or special abilities, and could overcome everything just as a normal girl.

[@xxTC-96xx]

I appreciate that in this movie there's a lot of antagonists for Chihiro but no outright villains, not even the head of the bathhouse, she's just mean and intimidating for a lot of it

[@loregoblin3854]

I think that actually comes from the way the movie is structured, and that it's more of a critique of work culture than it is of a particular character. originally Chihiro is fearful, clumsy, and she doesn't know anything... and that's at total odds with characters like Haku, or Lin, or Kamaji, or Yubaba, who all know their way around the bath house really really well. the thing about that is... their competence is kind of what isolates them. all of these characters have problems, but most of them have already arrived at the conclusion that there is no solution. primarily, characters like Haku, Kamaji, and Lin have resigned themselves to the idea that there's no way to leave this place... if anyone else had figured it out, they would've just taken off by now. each one of them is stuck in their own perspective, but Chihiro's lack of competence actually prompts them to reach out, and help someone outside of themselves. and I mean, we see how unexpected this idea is at the bathhouse, from as early as Chihiro lifting the lump of coal off of the soot sprite near the furnace... Kamaji actually reprimands her. there are magically enforced consequences for sticking your nose into other people's business, but Chihiro literally doesn't know these rules. when she sees someone who looks like they need help, she doesn't really have any idea why she shouldn't help them. over the course of the movie, Chihiro does learn what the consequences for helping people are. it makes things difficult. it's hard work, and it can be really scary. but further past that, people's circumstances actually change quite a bit. and we watch Chihiro go from being someone who needs help and inspires people to look outside of themselves, to someone who is realizing what she's really capable of, to someone who knows she has the ability to give back to the people around her. she's capable, but she's learned how best to use her capability in service of other people, as well as herself. I think the moment where Chihiro sits there quiet on the train is kind of when she turns that corner... from someone who didn't know anything, to someone who now understands. and it is kind of somber, because she'll literally never be the same again. her identity is different, but not because Yubaba stole who she was... the person you are changes naturally over time. it is a type of loss... she's not the child she used to be, and as she watches all these figures around her on the train, they remain unknown to her. she knows she can't reach out to all of them... they're transient things, and she doesn't even try to speak to them. there's a vast space between her and them, in much the same way that you can't expect to know the story of everyone on a crowded city street. on some level, the world is just vastly bigger than herself and her experiences, and the potential of becoming unmoored in it all is as close for her as it is for anyone. but for the time being, Chihiro knows where she has to go, and what she has to do. so eventually, she exits the train... to parts unknown, as far as anyone else is concerned. and when she reaches Zaniba's house, it's important that she finds genuine connections there, even outside the oppressive atmosphere of the bathhouse. it isn't just adversity that causes bonds to grow... Chihiro has that in her regardless.

[@avengefullgirl95]

I love that in studio ghibli films, except for castle in the sky, there are no real villains just people being people 🥰🥰

[@Daniel_Schmaniel]

On the subject of Chihiro's gratitude to the witch, I think it is more complex than simply being grateful for hardship. It's true that the witch did many horrible things, however without her Chihiro would have died in the spirit world. Yubaba plays unfairly, but at least she gives Chihiro a chance, and Chihiro recognizes and appreciates this. I think this is an important part of the virtue gratitude. You cannot take any goodness no matter how small for granted. Nothing is guaranteed and you are not entitled to any measure of kindness in this world.

[@titanillabraun7598]

@@kachi9293 This is amazing, thank you for the insight!

[@SannaJankarin]

​@@kachi9293Your knowledge in Japanesse culture is amazing. I would love to learn more from someone like you. I could listen this for days. Thank you so much for the kindness of sharing this with us.

[@le13579]

​@@kachi9293Have you considered self publishing a version in English? I would love to read it but am limited by language.

[@sarapeach2912]

These are eastern values and don’t work in western culture, People will either take you for granted or abuse your kindness. We need to teach our kids to be aware of these differences

[@danielhale1]

I like the scene where she carries the coal for the little spirit that struggled to carry it, and all the other spirits respond by feigning collapse so she'll do their work too. Sometimes when someone needs help, it's really important to not simply do the work for them.

[@sanschmidt5457]

exactly! sometimes the kind thing to do is to not help somebody. I've learned this the hard way by trying my best to always help. People can learn helplessness and learn to rely on your help for their well-being and it's toxic to the both of you.

[@jessicav931]

From that scene I also love that the old man say to her: "finish what you started", when she was asking if she should leave the coal in the floor. It make me think in how, specially when we are kids, we want to help others but making a third party pay the price. Like when you offer to bring the lunch for all the fotball team, to solve some organization problems, but are your parents who will have to do the extra cooking and pay for the extra shopping.

[@crashrock13]

I’m surprised they didn’t talk about the scene where he gives her food and she burst out crying. I love that scene so much. It’s like she’s finally able to process and deal with all the trauma

[@edenborden3846]

Omg yes. Obviously they can't get to all the scenes. The onigir scene makes me cry every time. It's just a sweet moment where she's comforted and nourished and given space to just RELEASE.

[@abedi_ryan]

Same! I was watching this recently with my sister and it hit us so hard now that we're older and we realized that. As kids, we had no idea why she was crying - we thought the human food might have just been hard to eat? Then we realized no... the kid lost her parents, was forced into labour, and almost forgot her name! She literally rediscovered her humanity in this simple, beautiful moment of respite! Ghibli movies are amazing at making the little moments of life seem so extraordinary!

[@cinnamon9390]

He says specifically "eat this, it will make you strong" and I always loved that as soon as she finished eating it she bursts into tears. Like sometimes that IS strength, processing your emotions and letting them out takes strength

[@emmagination444]

YES I really connected with that too. As someone with ptsd as well as a eating disorder when I was a teen-that scene took a different meaning for me. Food is healing, and allowing yourself to finally unleash and experience emotionally the trauma you’ve stored in your body is extremely painful.

[@kittybailey672]

I’m so glad to hear you all picking up on that too!💖 That’s my favorite moment in the film, it helped me to process my own stresses

[@sketchs_art_corner]

I think Kiki’s would be absolutely perfect for them to talk about. The depression and burnout that are major themes of the story, it’d be great to see them talk about it

[@xmiunax4385]

One of my favs like the blimp scene gives me chills every time 💜

[@elektraeriseros]

I would love this forever! That's the studio ghibli film closest to my heart 😌 And you're absolutely right. They'd get a lot of mileage out of the themes of depression, burnout, coming of age and the weight of societal expectations in general

[@cecizilla]

same themes in whisper of the heart! definitely movies for creators

[@MizuPiano]

I just watched KiKi’s delivery this past weekend. I loved every moments of the film. And I completely didn’t expect to cry during the first scene before the main movie started, also bawling after the movie was finished.

[@anivijudi]

I was thinking that too. Though of course I want them to do all of them!

[@timelordacaelus5959]

20:24 An explanation for No-Face that I've come to really like is that he's a house spirit. Specifically he's a spirit that reflects the state of the household. He grows fat and monstrous because the household is consumed by greed, competition, and lead by Ubaba's abusive and controlling hand. Further emphasized by the fact that he only calms down again once he's both expunged the people he's eaten, and left the bath house entirely.

[@16poetisa]

I love how her hair tie shines just as she turns away from the spirit world to face her new life. It's like a symbol of everything she went through, all the people she met, and how that will carry her through the rest of her life.

[@frostfang1]

That and that she won't forget. She will always have this reminder that it happened. It's like her card that helps her remember her name in a new world that is so easy to get swallowed by. Now she has a hair tie that will always help her remember her bathhouse family and how she was forged.

[@LuKaChiix3]

Also I like it because before you see it everything could've been a dream especially because the parents don't remember anything. But then this hair tie sparkles and you know it was real.

[@msk-qp6fn]

That's somewhat of the lesson or theme I think. That we may not be able to recall what we experienced but we don't forget them.

[@dathomar]

Howl's Moving Castle, or Castle in the Sky, or Princess Mononoke, or All of Them. I like how all of Chihiro's small acts of kindness prompted small acts of kindness in return. The little soot creatures kept her shoes for her. No Face helped her with tokens after she let him in from the rain. Plus, she never expected these returned acts. She just acted kindly and accepted the kindness of others.

[@C0rran05]

I wouldn't blame them for skipping Grave of the Fireflies. That is such a depressing movie, and it's meant to be. Makes you think, but I did not like how I felt afterwards. Though again, kind of the point of that one. it's not a feel good movie. It's a 'war sucks' movie.

[@sirhcsnomde2002]

@@C0rran05 what you are saying is it is a movie you only watch once?

[@Rainfall7]

@@sirhcsnomde2002 it's one of the best movies I've seen that I have no desire to watch again, it's too painful

[@C0rran05]

@@sirhcsnomde2002 if i knee before hand how bad it was going to make me feel, i wouldnt have watched it, especially given we'd just had our first kid shortly before watching it.

[@mcpherson1222]

Seconding howl's moving castle

[@cate1324]

Some cultural context to this movie. crossing a river via the red bridge (as we see when Chihiro and her family moves through the abandoned station into the literal spirit world) is actually a part of Shintoism where it's thought that crossing the bridge is moving from the physical/material world to the world of spirits. It's also similar to the red shinto gates we see and the red bridge into the spirit bathhouse. They translate the word "kami" into spirits in the film, but kami is a traditional Japanese spirit or life that is imbued in every object, living and nonliving, and is a form of indigenous animism. The kami in the film treated as guests because they come back to the spiritual world after enduring the defilement of the material world and are given baths as a form of cleansing the filth and grime that comes from said materialism -- Miyazaki is a huge environmentalist, as seen with most of his films though notably with Nausicaa and Princess Mononoke, and the filthy stink spirit is the kami embodiment of human pollution. His actual form is a river spirit, similar to Haku, but it's been continuously defiled until even bathing doesn't help until Chihiro literally goes in there and cleans the junk from his literal innards. the whole of this film is a huge criticism on materialism and greed; of defilement, both physical and spiritual, and the necessity to cleanse as we go further into what is known as "modernity," in the western sense. Japan's economic development, especially after the war, is also the main backdrop of the film, as we see with the abandoned station/building that Chihiro and her family walk through. So it can also be taken as allegorical to a wider social problem in reconciling the rise of capitalism and materialism while balancing the need to protect and honor nature and the environment around us.

[@vapx0075]

Insightful. Tis quality art indeed.

[@jmac9877]

oh THANK you! thank you for taking the time to write out all of this context. adding the understanding of elements of shinto just gave this movie even more beauty for me.

[@iforkinglovelemonade]

This comment deserves more likes, couldnt have said it any better

[@user34user73]

Thank you for your comment!

[@suprememugwump1405]

Came here to say this. Most of the "why's" asked by our hosts has their origins in shintoism and Japanese folktales. For instance the rolling heads are Daruma.

[@kimberlyterasaki4843]

Another thing about Chihiro is that she inspires other people around her to be better. Kamaji gives her his train tickets and the lizard tail to help her, Lin takes her under her wing and even threatens no-face if he tries to hurt Chihiro again, and of course she and Haku save each other. Even the baby who had never left his room becomes more kind and self assured, mirroring’s Chihiro’s journey

[@linneaeggers899]

His movies are made with motives like “having a great role model for young girls” and “making a magical world where the magic is never explained” it makes them unique and perfect for kids ❤

[@MadinGamez]

Ya it really leaves so much space to fill it up with your own imagination. Extremely rare in children's movies!

[@elbownio5820]

It's such a contrast to so many other dumbass Hollywood kids films. He doesn't have some idiot producer breathing down his neck trying to make sure it's marketable, making sure it's easy for stupid people to understand, ruining the film. He could just make excellent films.

[@Daisy-mb8kt]

Kiki’s Dilivery service probably speaks to me the most. Kiki is very set in her morals and just wants to do the best she can for others, until it tires her out. As an artist the burnout part specifically was soooo relatable. Finding a balance between what you want for yourself and what you can do for others is powerful to me.

[@RoStopMotion]

Same!!

[@nolatamblyn1593]

I would love to see them talk about Kiki! That movie is an amazing "coming of age" story and probably more concrete in its message than Spirited Away or Totoro. Still probably my favorite Ghibli film.

[@deborahryder7521]

Jiji is my fav character!

[@enise4514]

Same. It was the most relatable one for me. Now when I have time I always watch it and it gives me the same pleasure when I watched it for the first time.

[@KwispyZ]

Definitely hope for Kiki's Delivery Service! It was one of my favorite movies growing up. Phil Hartman's voice as Jiji was awesome and upset me when the other movie distributor cut some of his lines.

[@Eimi13]

Howls moving castle is my all time favourite movie - just the correlation between Sophie screaming at young Howl -"find me in the future!" and the beginning of the film when Howl joins Sophie and says "I've been looking for you everywhere" It breaks me

[@kevinndoj392]

I'm just waiting , its gotta be howls reaction next , please cause i need that in my life

[@kittybailey672]

I’m so glad you picked up on that! I love that moment too😁💖

[@_allybobally]

I’ve probably watched this movie over 5 times and never put those pieces together :0 I love this movie so much it’s amazing that you can notice something new every time you see it

[@Mal-t4x]

Something I find bittersweet is that once Chihiro left the tunnel at the end, she didn’t remember her time in the spirit world. She knew something had changed, but didn’t know why/what. It’s like knowing you’ve had a dream but it slips away as soon as you wake up. Loved your reactions. Spirited Away was the first Ghibli movie I watched back in 2001/2002.

[@stevecozzens5023]

It makes sense that Chihiro forgot, otherwise she would have ptsd and of course virtually nobody would believe her story.

[@toddstoptens1384]

I love the little glint that subtly indicates Zeniba’s headband as the only physical artifact she took from the spirit world. “Once you do something, you never forget. Even if you can’t remember.”

[@annem4655]

When I was a 10 year old kid watching spirited away, my emotions synced with what Chihiro feels as the movie progresses. I feel the genuine fright and hopelessness when her parents turned into pigs, I feel terrified when she has to blend in to get a job, I feel the dread when she has cleaned up the bath house... So the film did an excellent job at portraying kids.

[@jellyt4935]

With Ghibli movies, a lot of their stories integrate folklores from Japan and it may seem out of context and almost mismatching with all the different cuts and sudden introduction with no context but if you dig deeper into real life history or lore or even language use, you’ll find many reasons for why Hayao Miyazaki might have portrayed things a certain way And the fact that Miyazaki and his team made these films relatable to general audiences despite it all, is something charmingly impressive

[@luckyish888]

This is very important. The cultural context cannot be underestimated in these movies. Great reading about it more.

[@annana6098]

In the context of Japanese mythology, yeah, the movie makes as much sense as Greek mythology, or Norse mythology, and they're clearly not that familiar with it. Her parents were foolishly drawn into the spirit world and presumed to eat the food there without permission. The giant baby makes as much sense as leprechauns. The water dragon was the spirit of a polluted river. Hell, even just familiarity with European folklore--do not tell the fae your real name. Do not eat fairy food. Don't be rude to strangers, they might actually be really powerful people. It's not that bananas if you know the general rules of fairy tales and folklore.

[@kinokochan]

Exactly. I'm really glad Ghibli movies have found such success internationally because they are uncompromising in their reference to folklore, which can be a great introduction for foreign audiences who might not have the cultural context.

[@msk-qp6fn]

The radish guy with the red bowl hat that Chihiro meets at the elevator is apparently a diety of family and children, which is why he helped Chihiro.

[@questoachtzehner9912]

My favourite is Princess Mononoke. An episode about Ashitaka’s selflessness and the fact that there is no “good guys” or “ bad guys” would be amazing!

[@kayseacamp]

I’d love to hear them talk about Princess Mononoke. It’s my fav too.

[@QueenOfTheZombieApocalypse]

Me too!

[@HalE14]

That would be a great one to cover! I remember watching that one after watching their more “wholesome” movies and being a little freaked out by the violence 🤣 but yeah. It’s a good story for sure

[@mr.stuffdoer8483]

I’ve only seen this, Mononoke, and Howl’s, and that is my order for them. Which is also how I rank the quality of the romance/love element. Here it works since she’s a kid and Haku didn’t reciprocate. Mononoke it’s just really unnecessary, but Howl’s is the worst since it’s a major story element yet Howl treats her like shit for most of the movie.

[@rosh_lal_music]

Mononoke is the best. It has a great message about including the non-human world within our moral circle, as well as many other great themes. Such a beautiful film.

[@mirabanxx9218]

Who else holds their breath too when they walk across the red bridge? lol 😂This is my favorite SG movie. From the loving friendship between Chihiro and Haku to Chihiro's outstanding growth and courage, and so much more. My absolute favorite scene was the train ride on the way to Zeniba's. It was a time of stillness for us to breathe, think, and process the wild ride up until that point. Gosh i love this movie.

[@YodasPapa]

The train in the water is one one of those high pinnacles of cinematic imagery for me. It expresses a unique feeling, one that cannot be put into words.

[@hikaru8158]

The music Joe hisashi composed for the train ride… plus the ominous peacefulness of the scene is something I have never felt other then watching it.

[@Casin]

Howl’s Moving Castle would be a great one to analyze next! You could dig into Sophie’s transformation from being insecure to finding self-confidence.

[@faithyoung5879]

I completely agree! It's my favorite Ghibli movie!!

[@karalynn8850]

I second that! It is one of my all time favourite films, and definitely my favourite heroine!

[@sierrahall8791]

and Howl’s arch is pretty great too!

[@ray25lee]

Hey y'all, what do you think... about them watching Grave of the Fireflies next? Is that too heavy for this channel? Because, christ... THAT is an enormously imperative movie to psychoanalyze. The severe consequences of dogma and nationalism, communal division, PTSD in warfare. Otherwise, I agree Howl's Moving Castle. The movie itself is a good commentary on appearances; aging, beauty, so on. As someone who has a deformity, I'm very lone in terms of finding my deformity beautiful. My mother absolutely raised me right and only built up my confidence in it; she made me appreciate that it's not a disability and that I really can do what I aspire to. But most people still prioritize the whole "well, there IS innate beauty" thing, which bothers me. Yes there ARE differences, but "conventional beauty" is not some pinnacle, it's just not. I get that most people have a drive or attraction for it, but that still doesn't mean that everything else is OBJECTIVELY "hideous" or otherwise "inferior."

[@revangerang]

@@ray25lee GotF should probably wait a bit since Jonathan has only seen two Ghibli films so far. But as for the existence of "innate beauty," you only have to look at the WILDLY differing beauty standards across cultures/subcultures, and across time even within those same cultures, to see that there is clearly no such thing- unless we're talking about the beauty that is inherent in each and every unique person. And honestly those beauty standards can usually be boiled down to things that require wealth to achieve, so most of the time it's just a case of internalized class bias...

[@Mandiuxvargas]

“Bravery is not the absence of fear, it's being terrified and doing it anyways” this understanding will probably stay with me for the rest of my life from now on.

[@msk-qp6fn]

For real, it like how goodness is not the ignorance of the bad, but rather the choice of good despite knowing the bad.

[@kristinaclapper9807]

There was an episode of DS9 that ended with almost this exact quote. When he said this, I immediately thought of this episode, "Nor the Battle to the Strong."

[@deborahgarrett2997]

Ooh, do Howl’s Moving Castle next! That one always makes me cry; hiding who you really are because of past hurts resonates deeply with me. I love Ghibli films, they’re so deliciously weird, and they’ve a special meaning for each of us.

[@kellymathews6615]

Yes, Do Howl's moving castle for Cinema Romance! It's such a classic!

[@634Phoenyx]

Yes please! that was my exact thought too. So much good character growth in almost every main character.

[@thewildrose347]

PLEASE LISTEN TO HER!

[@kittybailey672]

Oh imma keep that phrase, deliciously weird😎

[@Apple-Pie-]

One thing that makes me sad when I hear people talk about this movie is when they say it's weird and nonsense. So much of this movie is tied to japanese culture and folklore. I'm american, and can't speak much about it myself, but the more I learn about the spirits in this movie and the legends/stories they were based on, the more I love it. And I wish more people knew a bit more than just "It's weird and doesn't make sense." Like with the herbal medicine ball. Alan called it a seed, but part of the reason it helped No Face was because it was meant to be healing and cleansing him. And it only fully worked because he got away from the bath house that tainted him in the first place.

[@lucretiahoverter9486]

*THIS* "It's weird and it makes no sense" is an American reaction to cultural and mythological references from a non-American culture! I wanted to say the same thing to address both Alan and Jono's sense of . Thank you for going there, @Apple-Pie- . Another very clear theme that contributes to the meaningfulness of Spirited Away is the Shintoist connection to nature and the refutation of greed and capitalism, which is pretty much the revers of the American perspective. It isn't "child-like wonder" that gets Chihiro's parents in trouble, it's their piggish greed and rudeness. One of the virtues that helps Chihiro is her politeness and reverence towards everyone she encounters. Sure, it was her general fear that made her so uncomfortable to pass through the tunnel, but that fear was founded in her awareness that they had crossed into the spirit realm uninvited. Chihiro knew what her parents wanted to do was to trespass, and she rightly feared the consequences. #itsonlynonsenseifyoudontunderstand

[@stevecozzens5023]

That's how it was for me when I first saw the film on VHS back in 2003, it made no sense to me and I almost walked out when the parents turned into pigs. But I found myself watching the film again and again and now I love it.

[@free4everinmyworld]

There’s a lot of nature references too. Japanese “Reddit” sort of pages would go into full discussions on trying to understand what the interpretation was to be, and a lot agree it’s a word to the pollution, accepting nature and respecting it.

[@jbcatz5]

No Face could be perceived as a mirror being, someone who reflects the personality of whoever he is around. When he’s in the bathhouse with the staff members who get gold fever his greedy side comes out and overwhelms him, but Chihiro’s compassion puts him in a humbler disposition. Zeniba too shows him kindness, her little home an environment he is happy to stay in for this. Indeed, the bathhouse is bad for him because there are too many people for him to reflect once the engage with him, it’s far safer for him to be in a smaller, more happy place.

[@amandawade7803]

I love the symbolism of the hair tie in that last moment when she's done looking at the tunnel and turns to leave when it shines. It's like she's leaving, but she's not leaving alone. That moment of her life is over but it will always be with her, the courage, the sacrifices and the friendships will always be with her. There is so much symbolism in this movie and I love it.

[@carlamcmann8142]

What I love most about this film is how Chihiro and Hauku help each other remember who they are. It emphasizes the importance of friendship and support. Otherwise, they would have both forgotten who they were from all the hardships! And only true love could break Hauku’s spell…. It’s not a romantic love, it’s a platonic love of friendship 🤍

[@kimyoonmisurnamefirst7061]

BTW, it's spelled Haku.

[@karenwapinski4822]

One of the things I love about the ending too is that when Chihiro first arrives you can see all the resident spirits and monsters look down on her, they think she's stupid and weak and useless and they all talk down and bully her. But by the end she's helped the river spirit, rescued the bath house members from No Face and freed Haku. Now that she's shown herself to be courageous, clever, and kind hearted they are all cheering for her at the end to rescue her parents and want her to succeed.

[@angelofdusk13]

I love how kind and unselfish Chihiro is. She's surrounded by greedy people who get taken in by no-name, but Chihiro doesn't, because she doesn't want anything from him. Instead, she GIVES him something, something she thinks she NEEDS to save her parents. But she decides he needs it more. That kind of pure empathy is her strength.

[@spheres0082]

I find it a bit funny that the spirits there are pretty expressive and vocal about what they think about humans (albeit a bit condescending), and yet when faced with material riches like gold, they become exactly like humans. I found that pretty interesting. Then here is Chihiro, who is basically the antithesis to their general opinion. Who, led by her empathy, rejected riches in favor of helping a friend. And I absolutely love that her presence and kindness did leave an impression on them as well in the end.

[@SomeSpirit]

No-Face, not No-Name

[@dannyjorde2677]

Oh I thought he gave it to him because she knew it would make him puke 🤣

[@Just.Kayla21]

“The pain of changing is less than the pain of staying the same”- that was so powerful to me.

[@Bibochan18]

They skipped the part where Chihiro helps Haku remember his name! That was my favorite part. It literally made me cry and I don't cry unless a scene REALLY touches me. And if those are our options for the next video, definitely Howl's Moving Castle. But other Ghibli movies they need to watch are Princess Mononoke and Grave of the Fireflies. GotF had me sobbing not only because its emotional, but also because that situation really happened.

[@predatorop999]

I have yet to watch GOTF simply because I know it will turn me into a blubbering mess

[@ForenzaAudio]

and the meaning behind her 'given' name after her's was stolen

[@FlareHeart]

They mentioned somewhere else that they've already watched Grave of the Fireflies for an episode, so that one is already coming!

[@TheMaymia33]

yes! Princess Mononoke and Grave of the Fireflies! Those are my go-to choices if someone ever asked me for recommendation .

[@ramram_1904]

Bro my friend watched GotF and the told me it's fricking traumatic I'm too scared to watch it from what she told me💀 though I'm very curious too...

[@sunshine-dz6xj]

I like that Miyazaki emphasized Chihiro's new purple scrunchy to show us that Chihiro didn't just get lost and imagine all of that (which we could theorize based on the parents' experience) and that the whole spirit world was real and everything actually happened

[@kellyrawhouser5219]

I hope they do Howl's Moving Castle in this whole journey. Sophie learning to love herself and the talk about war being pointless is amazing.

[@chocolatewolf3914]

Howls moving castle, Kiki’s delivery service and princess mononoke are the top tier of studio Ghibli - I think Kiki has a clearer message about burnout, howl about self image and self love, and mononoke about revenge and peace

[@leighmartin9187]

It is interesting how it is pointed out that she was scared to go from one rock to another in a 3 inch stream. Later in the film it is revealed that she almost drowned years ago, trying to get her shoe. But the river carried her to safety and she wasn't so scared anymore. It parallels so well with her growth in this world

[@bearoqueiro8905]

plus the river is actually haku

[@JArtOtaku]

I think this relates a bit to that ptsd like response that is so common in traumatic situations that Mr Therapist mentioned. Had she been able to identify the river as it was, she would know that 3 inches is not really a threat to her life, but because of the trauma of nearly drowning, her instinct is moved into that hypervigilence/overprotective range. Sometimes we have to be reminded that we can handle uncomfortable situations because our alarms in our head are a bit too touchy

[@skyhideaway]

i remember feeling so bad for Chihiro when i first watched the movie, because she didn't have to go through all that shit because of how immature and reckless her parents were being. for a 10 year old, she was incredibly mature even in the beginning. sure, she was afraid but in that particular situation, it made sense for her to be afraid. please please do The Secret Life of Arrietty next! it's one of the less popular Ghibli movies but it has such a good message of breaking traditions, unlikely friendships and uncertainty of life.

[@empanda.123o]

Her parents weren't immature actually. Sure they were curious, but they ate all the food because the foods smell actually cursed them

[@okthen623]

YES Arrietty was the first ghibli film I ever watched and its by FAR my favorite

[@meh2510]

@@okthen623 The first Ghibli film I ever saw hasn't even been stamped with the Ghibli label yet and I've been waiting for the better part of three decades for them to release it on DVD. Puss n Boots. Made by the same guy that did Grave of the Fireflies and Princess Mononoke. I've always wondered why they have taken so long to bring it back like they did some of their older classics like Totoro, Nasica Valley of the Wind, and Earthsea.

[@huntrrams]

@@okthen623same I like it more because it was a good adaption from one of my favorite British book series The Borrowers.

[@moth_belly]

The reason Miyazaki's films are so engrossing is because they are all nostalgic of dreams we have all had or shared. The strange creatures and "rules" may not make any sense to us in real time, but in the dreams, they do. The scene where Chihiro has to hold her breath to cross the bridge undetected is similar to "rules" in dreams I have had. These films are simply magic.

[@RottingMoss]

I would love to see a video on Sophie's self image issues in HMC- or Howl essentially being on the opposite side of the spectrum as Sophie and how their relationship compliments one another. there's a lot you can take away from in that one but I also just want John to see Howl's tantrum mostly

[@aidanlanz3114]

I was about to say this! Howl's Moving Castle was one of my favorite movies (and books) for a long, long time, and Sophie was always a relatable yet comforting character I could connect with while going through my own struggles as an adolescent. I would love to see them review it.

[@alexandradavies6669]

Yes! Commentary on ageing/ableism would be interesting and on Sophie's general self-esteem issues. And Howl's self-destructive tendencies.

[@lizzychan844]

Adding to that, it's wonderful how Wynne Jones showcased the different parts of Howl's past through his companions and how Sophie changed him - Calcifer, the scarecrow... (admittedly I found the book too difficult as a child so I just skimmed through it, perhaps Miyazaki added his own interpretations eg. feeding Calcifer). Like his companions are good friends but didn't really encourage him to take charge of his troubles until Sophie

[@Anna-yy9so]

I'm surprised that you didn't show the clip of Chihiro's dad speeding through the forest. To me, that goes a long way toward explaining why Chihiro is so scared of everything! Her parents let her lounge around in the backseat without a seatbelt, and then proceed to drive completely recklessly on a tiny path and almost crash the car. They demand bravery of their kid, even when there's no need to scare her even more than they just did. Haku needs her to be brave because there's no other choice, and he gives her the knowledge and empathy she needs to be successful.

[@Thenoobestgirl]

Now that's just bad parenting 😂

[@amabileverreschi2155]

Well, that's just how things were in the 80's and 90's when nobody cared about seat belts, especially in the back of the car. 😅

[@yvindliabfjeldstad4828]

A common thing in cults is to give new names, new clothes etc try to distance the new "recruit" from their previous identity as much as possible. I think that is also one of the reasons it's so important for Chihiro to be given back her clothes and name. On a whole I think the movie is about moving, leaving the place she liked and felt she belonged for a new one and everything that happens is sort of an embodiment of the grief cycle that follows and ends with her coming with terms with it

[@jackieminnillo2379]

I've seen this movie dozens of times but I've never noticed the little piece at the end. When Chihiro is looking back at the tunnel and her parents are telling her it's okay, her hair band glimmers as she turns to leave. The band was made by Zeniba and the gang in which she tells Chihiro that it was made with love from her friends and will protect her. ❤️ Love Miyazaki and his little hidden gems

[@KariN-rt1ok]

I think the band that glimmers in the end is what proofs that everything that Chihiro experienced was real, because as she and her family go out of the tunnel her memories start fading more into a "dream-like" sensation. And even as a viewer, you start to question if everything that happen was real until you see the glimmer on the hair band.

[@Soraskysenpai]

I absolutely love the call back when they walk through the tunnel in the beginning versus at the end. "Chihiro, don't cling to me, you'll make me trip!" It seems like she was clinging out of fear in the beginning, and at the end she's clinging cause she just got her parents back.

[@sagejungwirth4155]

Fun fact: the creaters got assistance from their children to help make sure they were very accurate about how chihiro would act, feel, and wether she would be capable of the feats she pulls off in the movie. That why chihiro is such a relatable and believable character. 16:50 it's a river spirit that had become so polluted by humans it came to bath house to try and clean. Everyone mistook as a lowly stink spirit.

[@alonaadlerkelner3552]

Also: PLEASE DO PONYO

[@ishkir1877]

I always read this film as a metaphor for the fear of growing up/going through puberty. It starts with her moving to a new town, and she's at the age to go through puberty. She doesn't know anyone there, she's leaving behind everything she knew, and it makes her worried for the future and worried about herself. Her parents stop down a wrong path and are unafraid of going into something scary; "Come on, it'll be fun" - like how becoming an adult/being an adult is fun once you're actually there. She's terrified of having to ask for a job (late teen years, heading to adult age), she's initially terrified of the giant baby (parenthood?), and in the middle of all this she begins to forget her name (like forgetting who she is/her roots or where she came from. Who is she in this new town? Who is she on the other side of puberty? Who is she in adulthood? She doesn't know yet and she's scared! And she has nothing to remind her!) She makes new friends along the way who show her she doesn't have to grow into a piggish adult or cruel woman (boss/old grandmother), and she's saved by something (someone) who knew her since childhood (her past/her roots), the Han River, when she remembers him (like remembering her childhood self). I think it works wonderfully as an allegory for being afraid of the changes of aging, puberty, reaching into adulthood, and finding strength in remembering who you are at your core.

[@NoNameArtist89]

What a beautiful interpretation. Thank you. It reminds me a little of how scared or pessimistic I've been for a long time unconsciously, thinking negatively about being an adult. "Adulthood is bad, people smile even less, and everything is so hard and can only be endured; life can only be endured, there is no joy". That way nobody would want to mentally get older. I hope noone needs to stay in such a dark place, I think I've been there and got out of it, and it's still scary to think "childhood = good, adulthood = bad"....

[@ILikeMyPrivacytbt]

It's actually about child prostitution, her parents lived careless and decadently at a fancy festival and because of that she was forced to pay for them by working in a bath house (Japanese brothel) while they were imprisoned and treated like animals. She was told to leave before she became trapped in their debt and once she was she was told that the longer she stayed in that life the harder it would be to leave. The witch is obviously a madam who takes her name (identity) and puts her to work as only a child would do at a brothel (cleaning) until all the working girls were busy and she had to jump in a bath with a slime ball who uses her and covers her in filth (he was actually a rich, old man who usually take a girl for the first time in a brothel). Just as the witch is a madam, the boy is a errand boy (what do you think boys do in brothels), no face is that customer who stalks girls and wants to get in a brothel but otherwise isn't allowed because he's the customer who gets really handsy with the girls and clients in a violent and destructive way and doesn't really pay which is why he is not allowed in the establishment and she gets in trouble for letting him in. I don't know if KZbin will let me post this comment considering what I'm talking about but we will see.

[@tactfulcactus]

​@@kachi9293 ​This was a fascinating read, I'm happy i stumbled across your comment! I've really liked this movie for a long time, but knew i had to be missing out on a lot of cultural references and touchstones since i am not very familiar with Japan. To me, it was obvious that these references were there, but i just didn't know their meaning. Thank you for sharing your insight.

[@smemily2806]

Howls Moving Castle is one of my favorites! You should talk about that one next. I love that the story teaches that Sophie had to break her own curse by choosing to love herself!

[@KatieLHall-fy1hw]

I love that movie, I have it on a lot just to listen. It is great!

[@leppender2450]

I agree, and think the psychological analysis of Howel would be deeply meaningful; was Sophie a victim of Stockholm syndrome, and how well did she manage the circumstances of her unusually stressful situation? Was it realistic, or relatable to any other traumatic encounter? It'd be nice to hear their take on it.

[@aleyial]

I agree !! I can't wait to see the video

[@FlyToTheRain]

my vote as well!

[@Rutabega_NG]

This was the one I want to see them review

[@violentapolenta]

I'm sad Alan didn't mention the GENIOUS of Joe Hisaishi's work with all of Miyazaki's movie scores. I live for that soothing, calming and awesome shit

[@zia_the_taby_cat]

I play Totoro to fall asleep to

[@aimeekneip2571]

I just saw a candlelight joe hisaishi concert (a string quartet played a bunch of their music) and it was wonderful! All the songs speak to me and I can see the scenes they go with.

[@AndarilhoMarco]

Hisaishi is a god in terms of soundtracks.

[@hyunsungwoo9821]

Merry-go-round is my favorite

[@elbownio5820]

His music immediately induces tears as soon as I hear the first notes of any theme

[@sofiasanz2066]

When I discovered Spirited Away I was 14 and I was in an integral recovery program for eating disorders and was having sessions with three psychologists and two psychiatrists every week... I was in rock bottom. The Drs needed some neurological tests so I visited a neurologists and I told him what I was going through at the moment. At the end of the session he gave me a prescription and it was to watch Spirited Away. Now I'm 24 and I can say Spirited away was a crucial part of my recovery. Ghibli movies gave me the courage to continue living. I have tattooed the scene where Chihiro and No face are just sitting on the train, that part will forever make me feel at peace. In december I will be finishing my Ghibli tattoo sleeve with scene of other ghibli movies that had an impact in my life, but Spirited away will be forever my favorite movie. Hayao Miyazaki saved my life with his art ❤️

[@CakeofRage]

this is it the comment that makes me cry 😭

[@naraku971]

@@CakeofRage Same!

[@naraku971]

He's a master of his craft.

[@naturallyamused]

You brought tears to my eyes ❤️

[@VixLeu]

Congratulations on the successes of your journey. May you continue to thrive and have many more successes. These movies are so inspiring and soul-touching, I'm glad that they helped you as much as the do for myself and probably many of us. Spirited Away is one of my favorites as well. There are so many underrated ones too, like Whisper of the Heart from 1995 by Miyazaki that represents those children's growth and journey as well.

[@toffylikesgames]

I really love the train travel scene. It's such a change from the chaos and the colours of the bathhouse. And I think it shows more than anything the "otherworldness" of this place. It looks more like a memory than a real place, dreams and ideas of people. Always made me a bit teary.

[@YodasPapa]

I was just thinking that. Watching it feels like visitng an early childhood memory. For me, it stands as a truly great artistic achievement.

[@GoldenWreck]

Yess I was hoping they would provide more commentary on that. It's such a powerful scene without requiring any dialogue. Purely magical and comforting, and it gives you the feeling that Chihiro is going to be okay.

[@toffylikesgames]

@@GoldenWreck I agree so much! and for a viewer it's a bit of a break, too, from the loud noises and chaos and anxiety.

[@standingbylife]

Yeah, it always reminded me of when I was little and I just stare out the window looking at the neon signs as they passed while my parents drove at night, kinda thinking about the whole day in general…

[@g.mhamilton1505]

Came here just for this 👍🏽

[@grimsbeast]

The “Stink Spirit” being cleaned into a River Spirit is Miyazaki’s environmentalism on display, while not the focus of this movie, I love that he finds ways to allude to it and then three movies devoted to a pro-environmental message. Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa have helped to process all my feelings about the environment and how humans destroyed it. Also, Spirited Away makes a lot more sense when you take Shinto, Japanese folklore and animism into account. While the themes you discussed are certainly there, figured y’all would like to know where the “weirdness” comes from.

[@Cbear139]

Yes thank you for bringing up Shintoism and how much ancient spirituality explains the “weirdness” they are referring to. ❤ the imagery doesn’t seem weird at all when you understand that belief system.

[@AlakaxamM]

There were a number of subjects that the guys didn't touch on and I was a little disappointed.

[@Jennag1166]

Yes! And this also applies to Haku as well since, (if I remember correctly) the river that he is the spirit of was destroyed by human development

[@kyliehua9892]

Ah! I didn’t know that. I often assumed when watching this movie that she was just dealing with something that appeared to be ugly, clearing a a block in a way to ease pain and discomfort (for her or the spirit).

[@captainmaim]

I don't think "environmentalism" is a good word for the respect due to the world. I would not use that word, it makes the issue political and not spiritual.

[@MeonLights]

I wanna point out that it makes a lot of sense for Chihiro to be scared to cross a small stream. When she talks to Haku before giving him his name back, she mentions that she fell into the Kohaku river when she was a child and would have drowned if the river hadn't washed her ashore.

[@Maski110]

Also some kids don't want to be wet because they're scared to be yelled at or simply dislike the feeling.

[@annana6098]

@@Maski110 Hello, I'm here to represent the kids scared of the absolute meltdown their mom would have when kids got dirty. I cried and was terrified to fingerpaint in kindergarten, because my mom couldn't get over even tiny flecks of paint on my clothes. My mom taught me, through her own anxiety, every day, every hour, to be worried and afraid of everything.

[@trinaq]

My absolute favourite Studio Ghibli production. All elements are absolutely perfect, and I love how No Face takes on the emotions of the people around him, namely being kind to Chihiro after she helps him, because he doesn't have any personality of his own.

[@Firegen1]

It's perfection! Everything Miyazaki's best traits as a storyteller rolled into one

[@trinaq]

@@Firegen1 Preach, it's simply a flawless piece of Anime. It's beautifully animated, voice acted and told.

[@lawrence5584]

I was raised in a Japanese household, with my Great Uncle and Aunt teaching me a lot about Shinto and Japanese folklore. Also a lot of the "fairytales" I was raised with were Japanese in origin. Thus I think I was the only in my group who wasn't thrown for a loop by this film.

[@MaddieCollins13]

I’d love to see you guys do Howl’s Moving Castle next! The four main characters represent four clear personality types so well, and it’s so interesting to see how they play together.

[@squeso33]

I CANT WAIT TILL THEY DO HOWLS MOVING CASTLE!!! They said more studio ghiblii movies are coming and I can't wait 😭😭

[@Simone_Subtle_Salt]

One is my favorite movies! Would love to see them cover it.

[@mymediadiary2674]

What ate the chances they do grace of the fireflies at some point? Not exactly fa.ily friendly, pretty dark, but I just wanna see them cry.

[@squeso33]

@@mymediadiary2674 oh God. I'd be crying through that WHOLE interview

[@arachnidsLor]

honestly chihiro trying to keep her parents, first from going into the strange building and then, from eating that food, it really puts me back in time, where you as a child can sense danger and your parents dont. and they dont listen to you. and you feel so horrified and powerless about it. this movie portrays a realistic child in so many ways

[@yomega69]

27:27 They missed commenting on one of the most brilliant pieces of visual & audio storytelling. Chihiro's mom says "Don't be afraid honey, everything's going to be okay" then we hear an orchestral ding and see a glimmer from the hairband she got from the spirit world. This is emblematic of everything she went through, her struggles, and how she overcame them. An absolutely beautiful moment of storytelling.

[@Patrickisat]

Hayao Miyazaki and his team are just amazing. I do love that little detail.

[@RhizanthellaSlateri]

Yessss. The hairtie flicker makes me so happy, because it proves that the journey really did happen and she gets to take a piece of her real, new friends with her. Unlike the Wizard of Oz which always makes me angry. XD

[@presentitory]

I ADORE how every time I watch this movie and hear from fans, there's always something I didn't spot. Thanks for pointing this out! I'll add this fact to my collection of details I love on Spirited Away :)

[@SK-tp4kg]

these comments are just so insightful

[@attomicchicken]

This. It also cements that the struggles she's gone through was real. Her expression seemed one to be one of familiarity. Like she was wondering if it was all a dream. We got out answer with the glistening band.

[@imaginarysball7178]

As someone raised heavily influenced by Japanese-Chinese cultures, I find it interesting that westerners consider this movie weird, which I totally understand considering the gaps in cultures. While understanding all the cultural and language aspects will certainly contribute significantly to one’s experience with this film, I still find it amazing that even people who don’t have that “privilege” can still appreciate this timeless masterpiece.

[@lottaraatikainen3942]

I wouldn't say this movie is weird for all "westerners" if the word is used in the broad sense that includes Europe too. The people of USA just tend to live so wrapped up in their own culture and language that anything from outside that sphere very easily looks weird and nonsensical to them. From my Nordic "westerner" point of view Ghibli movies are simply something totally else than the very US Disney/Pixar movies, and refreshingly so. Knowing something about even the Japanese culture and language also helps to see the inner logic of them.

[@angelsunemtoledocabllero5801]

I would say this movie has a similar "anything goes" kinda structure of stories like Alice in wonderland, Coraline, The Wizard of Oz and also never takes its time to explain a lot of this elements so it makes sense that they think is just "weird surrealism" instead of a cultural or spiritual thing.

[@user-pjjdttl]

@@lottaraatikainen3942 Interesting view. (I am Japanese.) 😊

[@Fawndolyn]

One thing so few people notice is the little hair-tie glimmer when she turns back from the tunnel at the end - she got to keep the hair-tie created by her spirit friends

[@jocelynfisher3174]

Dude she brought protection from her spirit friends... so cool

[@rachel7689]

It's very sweet, especially when the filmmakers' consensus is that she didn't remember the events in the spirit world, but that she's still grown from it.

[@haleybug2208]

My two votes are definitely Howl's Moving Castle and Kiki's Delivery Service, but for both very different reasons. Kiki's is near and dear to me because it's such a wonderful story of discovery and change and growth. As an artist I've spoken with many peers and determined that Kiki's journey and struggles perfectly mirror the struggle of an artist going from casually playing with your art to then having to harness it and use it as your career. The stakes are so much higher, and when you lose your creative spark it feels as if you've lost everything and it will never return. Her ability to let herself heal and then come out of it even stronger than before is so inspiring... For Howl's Moving Castle it's a completely different set of values. Sophie's arch is something i haven't seen discussed anywhere close to the depth in this film, the struggle of living a life both too grand and too dull. She's a young woman with the world at her fingertips, but she's grown up with this increasing feeling that she doesn't belong, that she's too plain, too shy, not talented enough or not daring enough, so she shuts herself out from the world and views herself as worthless in every way besides her work ethic. It's only when the witch of the wastes transforms her externally into what she feels like internally does she realize her worth. She's young! She's smart and witty and charming and loyal and oh so loving, and she doesn't learn this because Howl loves her, she learns it by being vulnerable with other lost souls, she learns it by speaking her mind and being unafraid of the backlash (a trait from old women that everyone should use). And Howl is a cowardly flamboyant runnabout without a clear direction, but he's also whimsical and earnest and sees the world with a childlike wonder and admiration. He hates the war and how it ravishes the poor and weak, and so desperately wants to find love, but he's also too afraid to be hurt both emotionally and physically, so he runs and he hides and he licks his wounds until he realizes he's never going to find and hold onto love unless he fights for it. I could go on, gosh... Anyways, those are my votes for the next videos, but any and all Ghibli movies are welcome!! you've got at least a dozen views from my friend group alone!

[@eryniel95]

Ok, your words about both these movies is EXACTLY my thoughts too! As a freelance artist myself I incredibly relate to Kiki´s stage of helplessness and depression, and as a shy wallflower find incredible courage in Sofia's journey.

[@scatteredsol]

I think Kiki's, Howl's Moving Castle, Nauusica, and Mononoke have good messages in them, too, but Howl's is my ABSOLUTE favorite of all!! Sophie's journey from a lack of self-confidence to being content with herself and where she is in life is a such a good story. *goes to watch it again* 😊

[@agenttheater5]

As the author of the book put it: "It's a very different story, but it's still a good story"

[@torenatkinson1986]

Nausicaa is my favourite film of all time! Do yourself a favour and look up Joe Hisaishi in Budokan] Studio Ghibli 25 Years Concert on youtube. It's 2 hours of bliss.

[@cocoPABL0]

Shout out to Joe Hisaishi and his masterwork of music that is both heartfelt and heartbreaking. When I listen to his scores, it’s almost like the music speaks straight to my soul without any lyrics.

[@notrelatedtoleeharvey5284]

Howl’s Moving Castle is one of my all time favorite movies. Every time I watch and Sophie cries “I’ve never been beautiful in my life!” I feel that to the depths of my soul. I literally ache with it. And Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is another wonderful story of kindness and compassion. His stories all have strong girls and women and yet none of the men are put down or belittled to make the women long better. Kindness and curiosity, compassion and strength, these win the day every time.

[@naylisyazwina6836]

1. Wolf Children 2. A Silent Voice 3. Howl's Moving Castle That's my list. I can see myself quickly just accepting "This is me now, an old lady, doing old lady things" like her

[@reginaldgickington4793]

Nausicaa is frankly one of my favorite movies of all time. The sheer breadth of what it has to say; messages about environmentalism, war, metaphors about nuclear weaponry, strong female characters, and it manages to blend all of that without ever making characters feel cartoonishly evil or misrepresented. It's so earnest, nuanced, and just... perfect. It comes together so perfectly.

[@notrelatedtoleeharvey5284]

@@reginaldgickington4793 Nausicaa is my brother’s all time favorite as well. Before the shut downs, we would go see it in the theater every time it played with the Ghibli Kids movies. And I do mean every time (a couple times, we went 3-4 times in a week, as our schedule allowed). And I agree with your analysis. Miyazaki has a way of blending all the strong themes together that doesn’t feel overly preachy or “in your face.” It’s just a beautiful story that you walk away from having learned something about yourself and, hopefully, others.

[@MondkeksLP]

I think the original material that inspired Howl's moving Castle is so interesting as well. In that Sophie is a witch too, and actually cursing herself whenever she talks herself down. The spell is only lifted when she starts loving herself again. Which honestly is very real

[@dylanmoore7902]

Fun fact: the Japanese version is more ambiguous. The line where she says “I think I can handle it” is not there. That was added for this dub. When Chihiro leaves the tunnel she actually does not remember her adventure. As if it was all a dream. The reason she is looking back is because she’s like “what happened?” But…despite the fact she doesn’t remember she feels this change in her because she still did experience it and it’s hinting maybe in time and she actually will remember because in both versions Haku still says “we will meet again”

[@msk-qp6fn]

But considering the close up at their seperating hands, I think it is true they will never meat again....at least not in the form they once met. It might be a rumor but I heard that there were additional clips made for show only at the ghibli theme park(?) or studio where Chihiro at sees a small creek which is implied to be Haku.

[@HelTra91]

@@msk-qp6fn Ghibli museum had short movies they would show. Most infamous was Mei and catbus movie. Not sure if they will ever release those.

[@EterPuralis]

That's one way to interpret it, personally i think it's just the reaction to seeing the place where everything started as a whole new person. Heck, the car even looked like they'd left it there for exactly as long as she spent working in the bath house.

[@dylanmoore7902]

@@EterPuralis oh everything really did happen and ur right she was not there about 3 days I think so that’s about 3 days of leaves just falling all in the car. In fact, when they get to the house it might have all there stuff and Chihiro may have even missed her first day of school haha what I do know for sure is Myazaki did say she is suppose to not remember once she’s out of the tunnel. So you could be right, she’s looking cuz it’s a new beginning. That’s cool thing about it, it’s ambiguous. So it’s whatever we feel

[@dylanmoore7902]

@@msk-qp6fn that’s very true they may never meet again in the orthodox kind of way. If that’s really how they meet by her going to his river I think that’s very beautiful. In a way, they’ll always have each other even if they don’t remember. I think both endings work very well. Either way, she is a changed person and has grown enormously as a human being

[@taywilburn1447]

If I remember right, Spirited Away is meant to be a mashup of Japanese folklore type stories and legends with creative liberties thrown into the mix too. Glad to see you guys enjoyed this movie. I use to rent this movie on DVD all time at Blockbuster when I was a kid, lol. What a time!

[@SventFulgur]

You are 100% correct, Miyazaki wanted to share the folktales of Japan with the world in a way they could understand 😀

[@Layniacsofficial]

Haha yeah it’s based off the spirit world. Japanese people believe there are two worlds. The world of the living and the world of the dead. This movie basically is the stories being told to children to keep them in line. Don’t go far and cross the shrine because you will be followed by a long slender spirit that blocks you from seeing your path

[@fruity4820]

That's the thing, I never know if those movies are weird because they are just weird, or are they weird to me because of cultural differences? Like, if I saw a movie with all sorts of weird unexplained Greek mythology references, for example, it wouldn't feel nearly as dreamlike as those Ghibli movies.

[@moujayay]

yess! that was my first thought when they didn't know how to describe the transformed spirit's form. It is a river god which was so trashed with junk that it changed it's appearance and needed a cleansing which Chihiro gave it.

[@animeotaku307]

@@Layniacsofficial That’s what I think works best about this movie. All folklore and tales have universal rules to them that an audience can grasp when presented thanks to their simplicity. We see Chihiro’s parents turn into pigs after eating the food and understand that they got cursed for stealing from the spirits. And Komaji just needs to explain “killing that slug is bad luck and I need to perform a charm to counter it” for us to understand what is going on.

[@Ashamanic]

Probably my favourite Ghibli movie. It has much in common with Coraline, in that they both feature a somewhat whiny girl, who has just moved away from her friends and is feeling isolated and concerned about her new life, learning to be independent, brave and to fight for her parents

[@KyCandicee]

Chihiro was all I wanted to be like as a 10 year old girl. This isn't the typical story where she becomes a super strength power, she is terrified yet pushes through with courage while still remaining soft hearted and soft spoken.

[@jennytr5056]

I think the story seems stranger to us as westerners than it would to someone steeped in Japanese culture. The more I learn, the more these films are reflective of folklore rather than bizarre dream. So glad you're doing the Ghibli journey! It would be just cruel to recommend Grave of the Fireflies next, but it *is* an excellent film...

[@abigailhubbard1055]

Seconding a vote for Grave of the Fireflies.

[@tammygant4216]

Also voting for Grave of the Fireflies....mostly because I'm about to re-watch it and I would love a therapist's take on it. Also, I just saw a video explaining that it was made at the same time as and meant to be seen before Totoro.....hmmm

[@tlesser-aase7394]

I recommended it after Your Name. It's a hard watch, but I think it would fit with the channel very well.

[@artsyweirdo]

The saddest film ever made. Prepare the tissues Alan

[@RS-bn1ty]

Man that film always makes me cry 🥺

[@BeautifullyBookish95]

Can you do a part two where you talk about Haku's journey? His part in this whole thing is so deep- the guy who has done bad things and is hated by nearly everyone is the way he is just because he didn't know who he was anymore and Chihiro helps him remember how good and powerful he was/is. They reminded each other of their names when they had lost them. True friendship right there.

[@azura-moonstar]

with a deep platonic love for each other. I mean he saved her as a tot.. then again years later to then be saved by her.

[@TheDizzyDream]

For me, the ending is like a good bye. A good bye to the piece of herself she left there. She's changed. Maybe we leave pieces of ourselves wherever we go and this makes room for the new experiences that help define us.

[@vixxcelacea2778]

Like lego. You take pieces off and add new ones to make something new.

[@bishielurfer]

I've always thought that spirited away was Miyazaki's most well-made film, but Kiki'a Delivery Service is my favourite. I've always enjoyed the whole vibe of that movie, and the depression she goes through is so understated and real. And I always liked how it connects to her losing her magic, because you really can lose parts of yourself to depression. You lose that spark, and it can be really hard to get it back.

[@FullMetalFeline]

Im exactly the same! Kiki is my favourite but Id say Spirited Away is objectively his strongest film all round

[@Nobody-sx3vk]

I've never thought of it that way, but that makes a lot of sense!

[@amabileverreschi2155]

Kiki is amazing but there's no way that spirited away is the worst Myasaki movie.

[@keepthefaith01]

@@FullMetalFeline I disagree to a point because howl and castle in the sky.. are his big three- I love porco Rosso the most tbh or his lupin take.. love this man

[@msk-qp6fn]

It's one of the more lighthearted and feel good movies by Miyazaki too.

[@Diceverses]

What I love so much about Ghibli movies is the pacing of it, the way they’re so calm despite everything. Every movie has those quiet moments where nothing is happening and sometimes there isn’t even any music, but you don’t spend those moments jumping up and down itching for the action to start up again. No, instead you’re filled with a kind of serenity and you feel light and contemplative at the same time and it’s just magical to me.

[@crazymoogle]

From a cultural perspective, the significance of Chihiro forgetting her name and Haku telling her that it's how Yubaba controls people comes from the point in history when Japan occupied Korea and used the elimination of language and names to exert control. It's a lovely nod, intentional or not, to actual points in their own past.

[@msk-qp6fn]

Damn I never thought of it that way. Although it was a very common practice for females who worked in the red light districts (which bath houses COULD be part of) often used alias in most cultures but it is definitely something that was prominent in Japan too.

[@efoxkitsune9493]

That's an interesting idea. The concept of the power of names (words in general) is a very old one in Japanese culture. "Kotodama" (言霊), lit. "the soul of words/language", is a very very old concept refering to the belief that spoken words have power and they can cause things to happen. Names were very significant for that reason - if someone knew your name, they had certain power over you, they could make bad things happen to you. If you read some old Japanese love poetry, for example, you can find passages where one lover muses about wanting to learn his love's name, them sharing names, etc. - that doesn't mean they barely knew each other, in fact it was a genuine act of intimacy. We still refer to many figures from Japanese history by their titles or other signifiers (Murasaki Shikibu or Sei Shonagon come to mind, none of those are names), simply because we don't know their names, they were protective of them. You can still find many traces of this idea in Japanese culture today, even in the language itself. Many words are not to be said in certain contexts because they sound the same as another word that means something bad (such as the number four, "shi" (四), having the same sound as the word for death (死) (for that reason, the japanese reading of 四, "yon", is often used instead); I remember an example that if someone is sick, a hairbrush would be the most inappropriate gift because that's "kushi" (櫛) in Japanese - I already explained what "shi" means, and "ku" (written like this: 苦) means suffering, lol). I could go on but I feel like I've already written too much, haha. Either way there's a lot of cultural symbolism in the movie for sure!

[@SasuNaruL0vR80]

I really love the sparkle of her hair tie as she turns to leave in my opinion it suggests she is looking at the tunnel and realizing that, although she can't go back, the changes and growth she has gone through are still there and won't disappear from her head it's being "held in place"

[@varsii_c]

That stink spirit turned river spirit part felt like a slap. Like how all the trash that got dumped(by mostly elder generation) into the river is the thing that made it to stink so much in the first place. And how it all fell into the hands of a child (next generation whose fault it isn't) to clean them all out. Thank god atleast everyone helped in the end or else I would have been hating the scene all my life.

[@wonderstruck.]

I was disappointed that they didn’t catch this. They just called it a weird “stink spirit” and “old man”.

[@samrevlej9331]

mAyBe It'S a HiDdEn MeSsAgE aBoUt ThE eNvIrOnMeNt. WoW, tHaT's DeEp.

[@papabearlives9995]

I believe that the director included this when he was helping clean up a river.

[@forgenorman3025]

@@papabearlives9995 Yup, the bicycle is one of the things that was pulled out that stuck out to him so he included that in the movie. He's a staunch environmentalist, which is what Nausicaa and Princess Mononoke were all about (Princess Mononoke came about because he felt Nausicaa was too subtle lol)

[@tgbluewolf]

Not necessarily the older generation doing the littering and the younger cleaning up--a lot of older people grew up with recycling via hand-me-downs, etc, and things were made of a better quality and lasted longer. Meanwhile now we just want the latest thing and there's lesser quality. Yet the actions of the older generation can help spur the younger generation on to change--as how Chihiro was inspired and able to help the river spirit only because Yubaba insisted on allowing it inside and her serving it.

[@gabiluch87]

I have never felt more represented by a child protagonist as I did with Chihiro. I was a shy kid, scared of everything, attached to my parents, I'd cry a lot over everything. I'm a 36 Latinamerican and this is the first time a fictional kid has represented me in media, from a culture that has nothing to do with mine. That's insanity! Only the wonderful Miyazaki can do this... Her growth, her braveness is inspiring because it's not there from the start, it blossoms from inside her out of love and empathy.

[@Mossy-Artist]

It would be really fun to see you guys do couples therapy on Howl and Sofie from Howl's Moving Castle. Or just to watch the movie for the hidden meanings behind it! When Sofie gets turned into an old lady you can see her confidence boost, because before her entire complex was that of not being beautiful enough. But when she meets Howl he seems to fall in love with her even though she looked like a 90 year old woman.

[@QuantumWaltz]

The book version of _Howl's Moving Castle_ shows Sophie in kind of a fun way in that regard. As a young woman, she's mousy and repressed, but when she gets cursed to look like an old woman, she finds that she aches too much to care what other people think anymore, and she just starts speaking her mind and acting her will. It's that old-woman-ferocity that gets her through most of the challenges ahead of her - that and figuring out how her personal brand of magic works, which isn't touched upon in the movie and is a delightful thing that resonates with me strongly.

[@sierrahall8791]

Omg couples therapy for Howl and Sophie would me AMAZING

[@blueplague5911]

its funny because all the things you guys say are dreamlike and random, seemingly without sense- refer to some really cool japanese folklore and stories. So there is a lot of sense and they influence the design too. Even understanding those references a little REALLY enhances the experience of this movie. So good.

[@c.2531]

"When Marnie was there" is one of the best Ghibli Movies to analyse psychological topics, because in the Movie there are a lot of things who Anna & Marnie, the Main Characters, have to deal with.

[@ShigeakoCosplay]

it's a really beautiful movie incl gross sobbing

[@ForAnAngel]

This is the only Studio Ghibli movie that made me cry like a baby.

[@calsaver]

This would be good for this channel.

[@eliseg1574]

That movie had me absolutely wrong-footed because it felt like a slow-burn romance. I was so sure it was a love story, and the ending threw me for a loop.

[@MillyKKitty]

@@eliseg1574 The book it is based on was probably going to be about two lgbt girls but had to have the twist because people wouldn't have been fine with it back then.

[@laramaria2908]

How could anyone comment about the line "You being you is a good thing in my eyes."?? That was beautiful! Two male adults treating each other with kindness is not a common thing where I live so thanks for sharing this moment!

[@shannonmcelroy8454]

When you explained how, as kids, we exaggerate how monstrous the unknown is, that hit me so hard. As a kid I always imagined how scary it would be to ask for a job, make my own way, and trust new people. Now I appreciate this film even more for how well it shows that period of time.

[@MADEbySOUL]

Still frightening

[@KoongYe]

When Chihiro expresses her gratitude to the Witch, she actually means it. Despite all the circumstances, Yubaba provided her with a place to stay and foods to eat. If anything Yubaba could just do away with her existence or leave her to perish. Despite the cold-hearted, calculated look Yubaba has on herself, Chihiro looks right through it and sees the good in her. Which you guys seem to miss.

[@videoket]

Well I mean, even at the end Yubaba still tried to trick Chihiro by asking her to identify her parents when they weren’t there. Yubaba loves her son and I agree she’s not all bad (a classic Miyazaki antagonist trope) but Chihiro is fortunate to get the heck out of there.

[@gl15col]

I love the way Chihiro starts out alone, but keeps accumulating friends as she goes who help her get through the challenges. Her kindness attracts the help she needs. Good advice for all of us. And if you love the art, you'll love Howls Moving Castle. Or any Miyazaki movie for that matter.

[@NansJns]

My family saw this in theaters; my dad, brother and I were already big anime fans, but my mom wasn't, and she initially didn't want to go. Dad talked her into it, and within five minutes she was mesmerized. We all love this movie; it's amazing! And if you're going on a Ghibli journey, I can't wait to see your thoughts on Princess Mononoke! It is the ultimate case of no villains, just conflicting needs.

[@madmanchlab6888]

Definitely have to agree - I would love to watch them unpack Princess Mononoke

[@fionatsang9353]

Apparently Chihiro was based on a real girl. Miyazaki holidayed at a cabin over the summer with a friend who had a twelve-year-old daughter; seeing how lazy and apathetic she was, Miyazaki decided to create a movie to inspire her and show girls just like her how strong they really are. The father is also based on a real person (might be the girl's actual father); the mother is based on one of miyazaki's animators, right down to how she holds her arm a certain way while she eats. I think in the original Japanese ending, Chihiro is supposed to have forgotten everything that happened (there was no line about being 'able to handle' her new school in the original script), but the hair tie perhaps suggests that she'll be reminded of it all next time she undoes her hair and sees it. Also a lot of time seems to have passed since they first entered the tunnel, so maybe it was a Rip-Van-Winkle situation and they'll arrive at their house several years after the movers ;P

[@SasskiF]

Yeah, I think it is meant to be at least a year later.

[@tag3086]

I feel like its the fear of children personified, being dumped with ton of responsibility and forced to be independent. the fever dream setting makes it resonate with a ton more people since it could really go anywhere from there, just like life.