Watching 'Spirited Away' again, and again(theatlantic.com)
theatlantic.com
Watching 'Spirited Away' again, and again
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2022/09/rewatching-spirited-away-hayao-miyazaki/671486/
126 comments
If you liked his review of Spirited Away, you will also like his review of Metropolis. I liked that he enjoyed movies from all genres as long as they accomplished what they set out to do.
> The movie is so visually rich I want to see it again to look in the corners and appreciate the details. Like all the best Japanese anime, it pays attention to little things. There is a scene where an old man consults a book of occult lore. He opens it and starts to read. A page flips over. He flips it back in place. Considering that every action in an animated film requires thousands of drawings, a moment like the page flip might seem unnecessary, but all through the movie we get little touches like that.
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/metropolis-2002
> The movie is so visually rich I want to see it again to look in the corners and appreciate the details. Like all the best Japanese anime, it pays attention to little things. There is a scene where an old man consults a book of occult lore. He opens it and starts to read. A page flips over. He flips it back in place. Considering that every action in an animated film requires thousands of drawings, a moment like the page flip might seem unnecessary, but all through the movie we get little touches like that.
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/metropolis-2002
To me, the animation in Ghibli movies feels lush and alive in a way that’s rare in the (seemingly) difficult, very cost-sensitive world of animation. Ebert’s review is wonderful; I also enjoyed this video, which touches on some of the same points: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM6PPxN1xas
That feels a bit like he hasn’t seen much Anime. Spirited Away was my first Miyazaki movie and I was similarly blown away, but after watching his other work and other Anime it felt more like a very polished and creative story but not mind-blowing in its originality.
My favorite re-watch movie (or in this case, series) have been Neon genesis Evangelion.
I have mixed opinions about the show but rewatching it in different stage of life (early teen, depressed high schooler, stressed college kid, anxious junior to the worklife) I always saw some new things.
As a kid the robots and fighting the angels were the focus, as a depressed teen the religious symbolism and reading too much in to it was the focus, as a stressed college kid it was the relation between the characters (and their parents) was the focus, and finally as an "adult" it was seeing how completely dysfunctional every single adult is in the series.
A hallmark of good rewatchable show is to always explore new stuff. I wonder what I'll explore if I re-watch it in my next step of life
I have mixed opinions about the show but rewatching it in different stage of life (early teen, depressed high schooler, stressed college kid, anxious junior to the worklife) I always saw some new things.
As a kid the robots and fighting the angels were the focus, as a depressed teen the religious symbolism and reading too much in to it was the focus, as a stressed college kid it was the relation between the characters (and their parents) was the focus, and finally as an "adult" it was seeing how completely dysfunctional every single adult is in the series.
A hallmark of good rewatchable show is to always explore new stuff. I wonder what I'll explore if I re-watch it in my next step of life
I think a big life lesson I learned as an adult is how disfunctional all adults are. Or at least, how less functional they are than I thought as a kid. I'm also not excluding myself :)
> I think a big life lesson I learned as an adult is how disfunctional all adults are.
I look at it this way: many adults are still kids.
I look at it this way: many adults are still kids.
I have almost the same take, except for me many adults are mentally stuck in their teens.
It is very good that kids make different things the most important focus of their life.
Fantastic. I haven't seen Neon Genesis, but this is how I feel about The Godfather. Every few years I rewatch the film, and different aspects of it stand out to me. I agree with you that I think this is one of the hallmarks of something good.
totally agree. I hate gangster and mafia movies because I think even great director like scorcese fall into the easy of a boy liking bad guys and most of those movies even the famous ones are really dumb. there are two exceptions to this. The Godfather that is probably one of the greatest movie about a family ever shot and carlito's way, that is just a very naive and beautiful movie about love and redemption
> the religious symbolism and reading too much into it
Funny thing is, Anno just shoved in random religious images because he thought they looked cool.
Funny thing is, Anno just shoved in random religious images because he thought they looked cool.
If you haven't already seen it, I think this video will speak to you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XeLhFKw_yM
> A hallmark of good rewatchable show is to always explore new stuff. I wonder what I'll explore if I re-watch it in my next step of life
That's my personal definition of 'classic'.Be it a book, movie or series; something you can always go back to come back little bit anew.
That's my personal definition of 'classic'.Be it a book, movie or series; something you can always go back to come back little bit anew.
Reading this essay gave me the opportunity to realize that while I see (and subscribe to) streaming sites as a convenience, the presence of any given title on streaming services has literally zero impact on whether I am able to watch it. Over the past 25 years, the binary NNTP feeds became FTP servers became bittorrent search engines. And of course, that's additive; NNTP is still alive and well, and I'd guess that most people reading this have that one friend with the half petabyte of every movie made in the past 100 years if your login credentials still work. People reliably seem to upload 1080p cuts of literally every show just minutes after it airs to BT.
So yeah, while I usually go the legit and lazy route, if someone says "hey, did you ever see Person of Interest? how about Dollhouse?" it never even crosses my mind that I might have to hope some streaming platform picks it up.
The idea that the author clearly perceives an artificial scarcity is fascinating. It's like... should someone tell her?
So yeah, while I usually go the legit and lazy route, if someone says "hey, did you ever see Person of Interest? how about Dollhouse?" it never even crosses my mind that I might have to hope some streaming platform picks it up.
The idea that the author clearly perceives an artificial scarcity is fascinating. It's like... should someone tell her?
Easynews, if you are wondering what this NNTP thing is. Amazingly fast downloads of just about anything you can imagine.
Protip: Go to the preferences and change the settings to reduce your chances of getting all porn in your search results.
Protip: Go to the preferences and change the settings to reduce your chances of getting all porn in your search results.
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On the Ghibli corpus: I recently watched As the Wind rises and I was completely blown away by the kind of perspective it offered into the japanese society of the time.
It is more mature than Spirited Away and definitly worth a watch if you are an engineer as the story is a free fictionalization of the life of the engineer that designed the japanese fighter airplane nicknamed "Zero". The classic Ghibli motifs of clouds, grassy mountaintops and fantasy of flying play their role as one might have guessed — but coupled with the serious and mature topics of the film it is even more magical when in a quiet scene the wind strokes through the grass.
As an Austrian who lives in Germany I also liked the scene where they traveled to Germany to see the Junkers plant (with the goal of spying of course) — I liked it because it offered a unique perspective on Germany of the time.
It was one of those Ghiblis I never watched because of odd reasons, but when I did I was blown away.
It is more mature than Spirited Away and definitly worth a watch if you are an engineer as the story is a free fictionalization of the life of the engineer that designed the japanese fighter airplane nicknamed "Zero". The classic Ghibli motifs of clouds, grassy mountaintops and fantasy of flying play their role as one might have guessed — but coupled with the serious and mature topics of the film it is even more magical when in a quiet scene the wind strokes through the grass.
As an Austrian who lives in Germany I also liked the scene where they traveled to Germany to see the Junkers plant (with the goal of spying of course) — I liked it because it offered a unique perspective on Germany of the time.
It was one of those Ghiblis I never watched because of odd reasons, but when I did I was blown away.
The Wind Rises is a masterpiece, and one I would especially recommend to any engineer.
The protagonist loves planes. He loves their grace, their beauty, the way they soar through the sky. He spends his whole life trying to build a great plane and... succeeds, only to find his dream (and Japan) in ruins from WWII.
It's a riveting exploration of the cost of mastery of your craft, made by a master of animation. Highly, highly recommend.
The protagonist loves planes. He loves their grace, their beauty, the way they soar through the sky. He spends his whole life trying to build a great plane and... succeeds, only to find his dream (and Japan) in ruins from WWII.
It's a riveting exploration of the cost of mastery of your craft, made by a master of animation. Highly, highly recommend.
I personally really disliked the wind rises - it seems apologetic to the role of an engineer in creating a machine used to kill people, just because they were beautiful. Perhaps I missed the point and there was a subtle sadness I did not perceive in the creation of the fighters. Also, a somewhat weird romance compared to even other Ghibli movies
> I personally really disliked the wind rises - it seems apologetic to the role of an engineer in creating a machine used to kill people,
I think that might have a lot to do with his father.
"His father, Katsuji Miyazaki (born 1915),[2] was the director of Miyazaki Airplane, his brother's company,[4] which manufactured rudders for fighter planes during World War II.[5]" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayao_Miyazaki)
He hates war, but his own father played a role in it. I imagine that a person would have to come to terms with that somehow. He also really does think military airplanes are beautiful so there's that too.
I think that might have a lot to do with his father.
"His father, Katsuji Miyazaki (born 1915),[2] was the director of Miyazaki Airplane, his brother's company,[4] which manufactured rudders for fighter planes during World War II.[5]" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayao_Miyazaki)
He hates war, but his own father played a role in it. I imagine that a person would have to come to terms with that somehow. He also really does think military airplanes are beautiful so there's that too.
I think the Zero was a turning point in Japanese manufacturing and development - and directly leading to skills and people who were mightily influential in the post WWII economy. As Americans, we lionize the B-52 bomber, the fighter jet, and other tools of our trade of war.
I think that's why they remember it so fondly, with a little footnote at the end about how it was a great example of Japanese engineering and effort used for a horrible end.
This film definitely is uncomfortably close to an intangible border of "war atrocity"; and, considerably more so considering the Zero's usage in the end of WWII and Japanese atrocities. Considering Miyazaki's anti-war stances and efforts, I always was inclined to take his thoughts and messaging on this with a positive light.
By the way, did you know that in Japan, this film was viewed extremely negatively by Japanese nationalists? So, there may be something culturally lost in our interpretation as well. I remember coming out of that movie thinking, "well, that's kinda fucked up". And yet, my understanding of that movie is contrary to the man's many decades of outspoken commentary. So, idk. I think I just didn't "get it".
> The movie’s subject dovetails with an issue currently under heated debate in Japan: the new prime minister’s plan to amend the country’s constitution to allow for the building of a full-fledged military, boosting the limited self-defense forces put in place after the war.
> Miyazaki, a venerated cultural figure in Japan, published an essay last month objecting to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s plan, in the process raising the ire of some Japanese conservatives, who on Internet message boards labeled him “anti-Japanese” and a “traitor.”
> Miyazaki’s movie, which is seeking U.S. distribution, reflects his pacifist stance. In the subtitled trailer above, he depicts Japan in the years leading up to WWII, when it faced some of the same problems that have plagued the country in recent years, including a devastating earthquake and economic stagnation. The character of Horikoshi appears as a contemplative young man, tossing paper airplanes with a girl, gazing at the Japanese countryside from the window of a steam train and working in a factory, until the war hits and the tone shifts, with a plane breaking up in the sky and blood falling to the ground.
I think that's why they remember it so fondly, with a little footnote at the end about how it was a great example of Japanese engineering and effort used for a horrible end.
This film definitely is uncomfortably close to an intangible border of "war atrocity"; and, considerably more so considering the Zero's usage in the end of WWII and Japanese atrocities. Considering Miyazaki's anti-war stances and efforts, I always was inclined to take his thoughts and messaging on this with a positive light.
By the way, did you know that in Japan, this film was viewed extremely negatively by Japanese nationalists? So, there may be something culturally lost in our interpretation as well. I remember coming out of that movie thinking, "well, that's kinda fucked up". And yet, my understanding of that movie is contrary to the man's many decades of outspoken commentary. So, idk. I think I just didn't "get it".
> The movie’s subject dovetails with an issue currently under heated debate in Japan: the new prime minister’s plan to amend the country’s constitution to allow for the building of a full-fledged military, boosting the limited self-defense forces put in place after the war.
> Miyazaki, a venerated cultural figure in Japan, published an essay last month objecting to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s plan, in the process raising the ire of some Japanese conservatives, who on Internet message boards labeled him “anti-Japanese” and a “traitor.”
> Miyazaki’s movie, which is seeking U.S. distribution, reflects his pacifist stance. In the subtitled trailer above, he depicts Japan in the years leading up to WWII, when it faced some of the same problems that have plagued the country in recent years, including a devastating earthquake and economic stagnation. The character of Horikoshi appears as a contemplative young man, tossing paper airplanes with a girl, gazing at the Japanese countryside from the window of a steam train and working in a factory, until the war hits and the tone shifts, with a plane breaking up in the sky and blood falling to the ground.
I liked the film because I thought it was an honest take on Miyazaki's feelings about that era. The hero and heroine were just people who had hopes and dreams and fell in love. The times they lived in were horrific. I identify with them because I have family members in my extended family who fought each other in the same war. War is evil.
I did not perceive the message as positive, but as rather sad. The protagonist is all work on a war machine while he looses a beloved one. In the end it surely made me (as an engineer) reflect on the role I am playing.
Thankfully my kids are devouring my Studio Ghibli collection. Ny Neighbor Totoro and Ponyo are played multiple times in the day. They've not yet gotten to Spirited Away, waiting until they are a little older. I dread the day they turn on Grave of the Fireflies. I thank the stars they have outgrown baby shark and cocomelon.
The movie that scarred me as a kid was Princess Mononoke. I remember my parents had a few friends over to watch it when it first released on DVD and they did this after my bedtime as I wasn't considered old enough to see but of course I snuck down to watch (I'm pretty sure they knew I was watching in retrospect).
The scene that I would relive in my nightmares repeatedly for years was the one where the protagonist's cursed arm comes to life in the middle of a pitched battle and everyone sets down their arms to watch as he pushes open a big gate or something. The music in this scene is foreboding, solemn, yet energetic, and the visual combined with the music evoked exactly the emotion I'm sure Miyzaki intended: dread at the vastness of the power of nature about which humans know naught, finally revealed in all its terrible horror. The prince's fate as a cursed person is supposed to feel worse than death and this was maybe my first time fully appreciating that concept in my short life, so it was doubly effective.
The scene that I would relive in my nightmares repeatedly for years was the one where the protagonist's cursed arm comes to life in the middle of a pitched battle and everyone sets down their arms to watch as he pushes open a big gate or something. The music in this scene is foreboding, solemn, yet energetic, and the visual combined with the music evoked exactly the emotion I'm sure Miyzaki intended: dread at the vastness of the power of nature about which humans know naught, finally revealed in all its terrible horror. The prince's fate as a cursed person is supposed to feel worse than death and this was maybe my first time fully appreciating that concept in my short life, so it was doubly effective.
Maybe bad parenting but my preschool aged kids watched mononoke without issue. I played the first Sam Raimi spiderman for them too..
> I thank the stars they have outgrown baby shark and cocomelon.
As the parent of a three year old: what made you break and put those on? (I'm just happy for the existence of Pat and Mat.)
As the parent of a three year old: what made you break and put those on? (I'm just happy for the existence of Pat and Mat.)
Have you shown them Kiki's Delivery Service? That's one of my favorites!
Just to warn you, mine (older now - 9 and 11) found Spirited Away scary and still refuse to watch it again!
My strategy is to provide selective spoilers. I think the scary/violent parts of movies are easier on children when they are prepared emotionally that everything will be ok.
So for Spirited Away I warned them in advance, “It’s got scary parts-for example, her parents get turned into pigs! But it all turns out ok in the end. You’ll have to watch to see how.”
And for “Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro” something similar: “Just so you know, there’s one part where he gets shot with a gun and blood comes out. But don’t worry he doesn’t die.”
So for Spirited Away I warned them in advance, “It’s got scary parts-for example, her parents get turned into pigs! But it all turns out ok in the end. You’ll have to watch to see how.”
And for “Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro” something similar: “Just so you know, there’s one part where he gets shot with a gun and blood comes out. But don’t worry he doesn’t die.”
I dont know if this is valid, but i intentionally showed it to my kids super young hoping to normalize it so they wouldnt be afraid if it (they love it now).
just wait til they get to pom poko
My nearly 3yo can hardly handle it in a longer drive. There’s always a scene were emotions are too much. Peppa Pig it is for now…
Animated movies that I often rewatch (in no particular order):
- Spirited Away
- Grave of the Fireflies
- Finding Dory
- Up
- Tokyo Godfathers
- Akira (NOT the English dub, which completely changes the story and dialogue for the worse, and for no good reason)
- Mononoke Hime
- Ghost in the Shell (the original one)
- My Neighbor Totoro
Animated series I'll rewatch:
- Guardian of the Sacred Spirit
- Castlevania
- Futurama
- Archer
- Arcane
- Cowboy Bebop
- Ergo Proxy
- The Dragon Prince
- Hakaba Kitaro
- Star Trek: Lower Decks
- Spirited Away
- Grave of the Fireflies
- Finding Dory
- Up
- Tokyo Godfathers
- Akira (NOT the English dub, which completely changes the story and dialogue for the worse, and for no good reason)
- Mononoke Hime
- Ghost in the Shell (the original one)
- My Neighbor Totoro
Animated series I'll rewatch:
- Guardian of the Sacred Spirit
- Castlevania
- Futurama
- Archer
- Arcane
- Cowboy Bebop
- Ergo Proxy
- The Dragon Prince
- Hakaba Kitaro
- Star Trek: Lower Decks
Given you like the Miyazake movies so much, you really should give Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/70019062) a watch.
Avoid the American "Warriors of the Wind" because it is terrible, for reasons similar to what you wrote about Akira.
Avoid the American "Warriors of the Wind" because it is terrible, for reasons similar to what you wrote about Akira.
Glad to see Nausicaä mentioned. While I find it really hard to rate Miyazaki movies (usually the most recent rewatch becomes my favorite), the deep echoing philosophy of Nausicaä and Princess Mononoke is definitely underrated.
I love how one of the comments talks about Roger Ebert calling the lamp post a gift. The entirety of Studio Ghibli is a gift. The empowering characters and almost eternal, non-preachy, storylines are truly some of the greatest epics in modern times.
I love how one of the comments talks about Roger Ebert calling the lamp post a gift. The entirety of Studio Ghibli is a gift. The empowering characters and almost eternal, non-preachy, storylines are truly some of the greatest epics in modern times.
And, of course, Ohmu are fricking rad as hell.
I have not been able to bring myself to rewatch Grave of the Fireflies more than once. Just thinking about it is almost enough to make me tear up.
+1. Even just seeing the "easter egg" in the poster of the movie that was discovered a few years back was enough to get my eyes to well up. Such an incredible movie, but not something I think I'll ever rewatch!
"‘Grave of the Fireflies’ Poster Has Heartbreaking Easter Egg Discovered 30 Years After Release": https://nextshark.com/grave-fireflies-poster-hidden/
"‘Grave of the Fireflies’ Poster Has Heartbreaking Easter Egg Discovered 30 Years After Release": https://nextshark.com/grave-fireflies-poster-hidden/
I recently rewatched it, kind of facing my fear of being sad and depressed and oh my god what a different perspective I have now!
The shock factor is completely gone, the gory and meant to be traumatic parts aren’t that bad like I’m always waiting for the part that is triggering and it just doesn't come.
And the main characters I can basically only laugh at, the story is a cautionary tale of degeneracy and all the adults point out other choices the whole time. I completely didn’t notice the first time I saw it as a pre-teen. I just saw freedom, desperation that nobody helped and shock at the resolution. I completely missed that it starts as an anonymous homeless person dying their last breath in a subway station, and ending with it. Seeing that and how I actively avoid that specific scenario and so could these main characters, its more of a comedy at “watch this dumbass burn every bridge with the worst decisions” an expected and purely Machiavellian outcome, as its so common in the cities I live in, and everyone compassionate realizes they cant help people that cant help themselves. The story moreso shows humanizing to the dead anonymous homeless off in the corner, but not really empathy as it might be interpreted, just caution of how not to make those choices. the adults point out other choices the whole time, the writers put that in there.
The shock factor is completely gone, the gory and meant to be traumatic parts aren’t that bad like I’m always waiting for the part that is triggering and it just doesn't come.
And the main characters I can basically only laugh at, the story is a cautionary tale of degeneracy and all the adults point out other choices the whole time. I completely didn’t notice the first time I saw it as a pre-teen. I just saw freedom, desperation that nobody helped and shock at the resolution. I completely missed that it starts as an anonymous homeless person dying their last breath in a subway station, and ending with it. Seeing that and how I actively avoid that specific scenario and so could these main characters, its more of a comedy at “watch this dumbass burn every bridge with the worst decisions” an expected and purely Machiavellian outcome, as its so common in the cities I live in, and everyone compassionate realizes they cant help people that cant help themselves. The story moreso shows humanizing to the dead anonymous homeless off in the corner, but not really empathy as it might be interpreted, just caution of how not to make those choices. the adults point out other choices the whole time, the writers put that in there.
I don’t think you are getting it.
Grave of the firefly is not a cautionary tale. You are failing to put it in its cultural context. Seita mostly acts or try to act as would be expected from a Japanese man at this time and the people around him are actually not really trying or failing to help because they are trying to survive the war too.
Takahata is actually extremely sympathetic to their plight.
In a lot of ways it is a reverse Hollywood war movie. There is no real heroism. Courage is pointless, people selfish in their will to survive. The protagonists are clueless and ineffective but they are touching in their humanity and try to root for each other and yet they fail and die forgotten.
It’s really a movie about how much of a waste war is. Takahata doesn’t even try to introduce suspense and plays it straight from the beginning. You know from the beginning that the protagonists struggle is pointless and that’s the point.
Grave of the firefly is not a cautionary tale. You are failing to put it in its cultural context. Seita mostly acts or try to act as would be expected from a Japanese man at this time and the people around him are actually not really trying or failing to help because they are trying to survive the war too.
Takahata is actually extremely sympathetic to their plight.
In a lot of ways it is a reverse Hollywood war movie. There is no real heroism. Courage is pointless, people selfish in their will to survive. The protagonists are clueless and ineffective but they are touching in their humanity and try to root for each other and yet they fail and die forgotten.
It’s really a movie about how much of a waste war is. Takahata doesn’t even try to introduce suspense and plays it straight from the beginning. You know from the beginning that the protagonists struggle is pointless and that’s the point.
Quite right. The failed hero is a very deep part of Japanese culture spanning centuries. To continue to the bitter end even in the face of insurmountable odds, even beyond the point where it's become obvious you'll lose and nothing will be gained from it, is considered a very honorable act.
An American published a study of this aspect of Japanese literature in the 70s. "The nobility of failure" I think it was called.
An American published a study of this aspect of Japanese literature in the 70s. "The nobility of failure" I think it was called.
The Nobility of Failure: Tragic Heroes in the History of Japan - Ivan Morris
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/573601.The_Nobility_of_F...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/573601.The_Nobility_of_F...
It is first and foremost a story by a man that wished he had died with his sister, instead of surviving similar events of the story. Because if he had died, he couldn't go on to regret not saving her and would know he tried his best. Dying is the courage.
> Takahata is actually extremely sympathetic to their plight.
Yes anyone willing to make a movie about homeless and the more relatable things leading up to it is going to be sympathetic.
I didn't use that word sympathetic, I agree that it does that. Its cautionary for viewers.
Yes anyone willing to make a movie about homeless and the more relatable things leading up to it is going to be sympathetic.
I didn't use that word sympathetic, I agree that it does that. Its cautionary for viewers.
Everything's obvious in hindsight though, which is why watching it for the first time really hits so hard because you genuinely see none of it coming.
Kiki's Delivery Service when you had a bad day. Or a good day. Or an average day.
It’s interesting how my appreciation of the “minor” Miyazaki movies grew with times.
I genuinely believe both Spirited Away and Momonoke Hope are better films from a critical standpoint but Kiki’s Delivery Service, Porco Rosso and The Castle of Cagliostro are the ones I have rewatched the most.
Miyazaki really is a master of the adventure genre. All his movies are incredibly tight when it comes to the pacing and I think lighter plots allow this to really shine and make for incredibly breezy movies.
I genuinely believe both Spirited Away and Momonoke Hope are better films from a critical standpoint but Kiki’s Delivery Service, Porco Rosso and The Castle of Cagliostro are the ones I have rewatched the most.
Miyazaki really is a master of the adventure genre. All his movies are incredibly tight when it comes to the pacing and I think lighter plots allow this to really shine and make for incredibly breezy movies.
Kiki's is a warm blanket. No major or epic dramatic things happen in it. It's just beautiful imagery and Kiki trying to navigate her new life in the city, with some minor conflict and struggles.
Or when you need to make big life choices
Once in a decade, give Serial Experiments Lain a rewatch. Check each piece of then-crazy-futuristic-technology which since become commonplace; and all the sociological problems which did not get solved then, or since. Eerily prescient.
I'm also a fan of Lain. Looking back, I think it's best if you watch Neon Genesis Evangelion first, and then go into Lain with the expectation that half of the scenes were inspired by the trippy introspective scenes in Eva.
As someone who watched Lain first, I found it much harder to follow as half of the scenes were distinctively dream-like and weren't "happening".
As someone who watched Lain first, I found it much harder to follow as half of the scenes were distinctively dream-like and weren't "happening".
Warm movies:
- Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs (2019)
- Leap! (2016)
And for the series you are really missing out on:
- Final Space (the first season only)
- Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs (2019)
- Leap! (2016)
And for the series you are really missing out on:
- Final Space (the first season only)
Bojack Horseman used to be top of my list, but now enough has happened in my life I find it a struggle to watch certain episodes.
I'll chime in with:
- Batmat TAS
- Gargoyles
- Howl's moving castle
And if you'll allow "animation" to also cover animatronics and puppetry:
- The Storyteller
- Labyrinth
- Batmat TAS
- Gargoyles
- Howl's moving castle
And if you'll allow "animation" to also cover animatronics and puppetry:
- The Storyteller
- Labyrinth
tokyo godfather and all the satoshi kon movies are pinacle of the genre. his tv show paranoia agent as well
I recently got into a Bob's Burgers kick, that show is delightful.
That reminds me, Central Park is a fun series by some of the same creators. Sweet stories, and I enjoy the music most of all.
I haven't checked that out, thanks for the tip!
Avatar the last air bender should be on this list. Thank me later :-)
I was surprised to see The Dragon Prince but not ATLA.
Even on rewatches, the show is powerful for me. There are two episodes that will always make me at least tear up. I would almost hazard to say it is a perfect show for youth. Even the youth qualifier feels shaky sometimes.
Just to add in, an animated show I have rewatched a lot that still inspires me is "Ping Pong the Animation". I recommend the original voice work for the initial run, especially if you understand Chinese. They recasted one of the characters for the bluray release, and the delivery is not quite right in my opinion.
Even on rewatches, the show is powerful for me. There are two episodes that will always make me at least tear up. I would almost hazard to say it is a perfect show for youth. Even the youth qualifier feels shaky sometimes.
Just to add in, an animated show I have rewatched a lot that still inspires me is "Ping Pong the Animation". I recommend the original voice work for the initial run, especially if you understand Chinese. They recasted one of the characters for the bluray release, and the delivery is not quite right in my opinion.
| There are two episodes that will always make me at least tear up
Tales of Ba Sing Se & Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters? ;)
Tales of Ba Sing Se & Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters? ;)
edit: no you are right, The Old Masters gets me too. I just rewatched it and :'(
Half right! "Tales of Ba Sing Se" and the very next episode "Appa's Lost Days", which apparently won a Genesis Award for Outstanding Children's Programming [0].
[0]: https://m.imdb.com/event/ev0000274/2007/1
Half right! "Tales of Ba Sing Se" and the very next episode "Appa's Lost Days", which apparently won a Genesis Award for Outstanding Children's Programming [0].
[0]: https://m.imdb.com/event/ev0000274/2007/1
The tv show, of course. There never was a movie and anything to the contrary should be censored heavily, first amendment be damned.
When my child was two, we re-watched it about once a week for several months since it was her favorite. The theory we keep debating is whether the two old ladies (the sisters) are actually the same person. Still unsettled.
Related: I drew a No-Face on our garage last spring and it's still there, creeping out everyone who walks by. Guess it hasn't rained much in CA! :)
Related: I drew a No-Face on our garage last spring and it's still there, creeping out everyone who walks by. Guess it hasn't rained much in CA! :)
If your child is still young enough to appreciate plush toys, can I recommend something?
https://www.amazon.com/YOUDirect-Dragon-U-shaped-Pillow-Stuf...
I'm leaning on one right now :)
https://www.amazon.com/YOUDirect-Dragon-U-shaped-Pillow-Stuf...
I'm leaning on one right now :)
Man, people buy stuff from sketchy vendors, give it to their children, and just expect it not to offgas formaldehyde?
I first saw Spirited Away when I was ten years old or so, and then watched it a bunch of times until I was 16 or so. Many years later, last year when I was in my mid twenties, I rewatched it and it was such a totally different experience.
I think in the time between, I've developed a much better appreciation for the beauty of a lot of the scenery in the movie: even the day later I still had the flower garden scene before my eyes, even if it's so short itself. It just gives and gives and gives, it is so amazing. I think I lacked that appreciation when I was a kid.
I also realized how much my fear of losing my parents has changed. When you are a little kid who loves and is so dependent on his parents, this is the worst catastrophy that can happen to you, and instills such fear. It strikes so different years later when you are a proper adult who has moved out and I only realized that once I actually rewatched it.
It is a movie about the first job, the first love, about independence, about travel, about human's destruction of nature, about japanese religion, and many more things. It is such an amazing beautiful movie. In our field of work you can find many fans of japan's cultural exports, and that's fine, but I was never really deeply into most of it. But Studio Ghibli stuff is just so amazing, I am a great fan (plus Your Name).
I think in the time between, I've developed a much better appreciation for the beauty of a lot of the scenery in the movie: even the day later I still had the flower garden scene before my eyes, even if it's so short itself. It just gives and gives and gives, it is so amazing. I think I lacked that appreciation when I was a kid.
I also realized how much my fear of losing my parents has changed. When you are a little kid who loves and is so dependent on his parents, this is the worst catastrophy that can happen to you, and instills such fear. It strikes so different years later when you are a proper adult who has moved out and I only realized that once I actually rewatched it.
It is a movie about the first job, the first love, about independence, about travel, about human's destruction of nature, about japanese religion, and many more things. It is such an amazing beautiful movie. In our field of work you can find many fans of japan's cultural exports, and that's fine, but I was never really deeply into most of it. But Studio Ghibli stuff is just so amazing, I am a great fan (plus Your Name).
The serene joy I get from watching this film with my kids is comparable to nothing. The scene where the parents are turned into pigs is a bit taxing on them, but even that has become an in-joke, with my daughter reminding me that I might suddenly start grunting and keel over if I keep on eating. There are so many inventive moments like those that are also animated with such mastery that you want to rewatch it as soon as you are at the end credits.
What I love about these types of Japanese art is how the magic and the surreal become normalised in a way that western films rarely go anywhere near. I'm not a big anime fan by any stretch of the imagination, but films like Spirited Away and my personal favourite: Tekkonkinkreet just blow my mind with the sheer creative breadth of the vision.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfQjc2hs34Y
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfQjc2hs34Y
Tekkonkinkreet is great! it's surreal and over the top but somehow still very grounded.
Some other awesome experimental animes that I think are worth watching are Redline, which has some amazing animation during car races on alien planets, and Dead Leaves, which is a classic escape from jail plot on steroids.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t26m_Q6ENo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvDMzmcbNkE
Some other awesome experimental animes that I think are worth watching are Redline, which has some amazing animation during car races on alien planets, and Dead Leaves, which is a classic escape from jail plot on steroids.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t26m_Q6ENo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvDMzmcbNkE
> Then again, it’s a strange time to consider the staying power of animation, given that HBO Max just unceremoniously erased 36 animated shows from its platform.
Did they tho? The NPR article this article links to does say they dropped 36 shows, but they include live action shows such as "Ellen's Next Great Designer" as well as animated titles. Animation looks to be the bulk of it at least, but that'd be a weird mistake considering the author directly linked to an article that would have pointed out the error.
> Instead, I’m left with the old ephemeral feeling, anxious about something I may never see again.
no need to feel anxious about never seeing Infinity Train again. There are DVDs for at least the first two seasons and it's available online via less than official channels which is always nice, but who knows for how long that'll stay true.
If you depend on someone else's service for content, there's a good chance you're going to eventually lose access to something you really care about. Having a copy (physical or otherwise) that you control and can backup is a good idea for the media that matters most to you.
Sadly, far too many animated series have never gotten a release on physical media. Disney is especially bad about this, and I suspect it's entirely to help drive up Disney+ subscriptions. Just one more way streaming is bad for consumers.
Did they tho? The NPR article this article links to does say they dropped 36 shows, but they include live action shows such as "Ellen's Next Great Designer" as well as animated titles. Animation looks to be the bulk of it at least, but that'd be a weird mistake considering the author directly linked to an article that would have pointed out the error.
> Instead, I’m left with the old ephemeral feeling, anxious about something I may never see again.
no need to feel anxious about never seeing Infinity Train again. There are DVDs for at least the first two seasons and it's available online via less than official channels which is always nice, but who knows for how long that'll stay true.
If you depend on someone else's service for content, there's a good chance you're going to eventually lose access to something you really care about. Having a copy (physical or otherwise) that you control and can backup is a good idea for the media that matters most to you.
Sadly, far too many animated series have never gotten a release on physical media. Disney is especially bad about this, and I suspect it's entirely to help drive up Disney+ subscriptions. Just one more way streaming is bad for consumers.
I didn’t notice mentioned in the article or comments here, but “Studio Ghibli Fest” has been running in Regal cinemas this year and there are still a few movies left (Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirted Away). We’ve pre-purchased tickets; it is a great opportunity for my kids to see some of these on the big screen.
https://www.regmovies.com/static/en/us/promotions/studio-ghi...
https://www.regmovies.com/static/en/us/promotions/studio-ghi...
The animation is so beautiful. I watch it again just for that... hanging out in that weird dreamscape.
It is my all time favorite movie. Its something of a joke in my family that we always watch it on my birthday.
Surprised no one has mentioned the representational content of No Face - it represents YOU, THE VIEWER.
The curiosity, the situational greed and lust, the remorse and the will to be useful and healing...
I love this film, and since learning about /why/ the film was made, I have a deep respect for the execution of something that is at once beautiful and inspiring and kid friendly, while also dealing with an extremely adult topic. Layers.
I'd be interested in hearing from Japanese lawmakers about the effect this had on the legislation drafting and enforcement process.
The curiosity, the situational greed and lust, the remorse and the will to be useful and healing...
I love this film, and since learning about /why/ the film was made, I have a deep respect for the execution of something that is at once beautiful and inspiring and kid friendly, while also dealing with an extremely adult topic. Layers.
I'd be interested in hearing from Japanese lawmakers about the effect this had on the legislation drafting and enforcement process.
/why/ do you think it was made?
>The film was made to please the ten-year-old daughter of Hayao Miyazaki's personal friend, director Seiji Okuda.
https://ghibli.fandom.com/wiki/Spirited_Away
>The film was made to please the ten-year-old daughter of Hayao Miyazaki's personal friend, director Seiji Okuda.
https://ghibli.fandom.com/wiki/Spirited_Away
Not sure what the deal is with this website but I can't scroll or otherwise interact with it at all. Amazing work really.
Chrome on Android
Chrome on Android
Try reader mode. Interestingly, this page worked fine for me, but when I clicked links to other pages on the same site they exhibited the same problem you are experiencing. This is on Firefox on Windows. Reader mode fixes the problem.
I get that too. I'm using Chrome on Windows 10, the only adblocking I use is a customised hosts file.
I think it really says something that besides the usual complaints about the website, all the comments here are about Spirited Away, with no one mentioning Hulu yanking titles, which is a very software-esque thing to do. Maybe it's because everyone here knows how difficult it is to fully delete something from the internet.
Listening to the soundtrack of this movie makes me cry.
"The Sixth Station" always gives me instant goose bumps. Probably stating the obvious but soundtracks can make or destroy a potentially good movie.
The scary trailer recuts of Mary Poppins [1] or Diff'rent Strokes [2] come to mind for example of how influential a soundtrack can be.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T5_0AGdFic
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwxLekENDw0
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T5_0AGdFic
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwxLekENDw0
I watched it, and rewatched it, because my girlfriend is really into these movies. I just don't understand the point. It seems so aimless to me. Can someone explain the fascination with Spirited Away?
A big thing with Japanese folk tales that is a bit of a jump for people with a European perspective is that they have no moral lesson. They are just a bunch of things that happen. It is fun to watch western audiences come up with theories about what these movies might represent, when they are just very Japanese. There are themes for sure and obvious messages about overconsumption and greed. But they are more about animism.
For me the bit that sticks in my mind about spirited away is the part with the empty train going through the water and it just feels so lonely. I can't describe it very well, but I can't think of another depiction of that feeling.
I would be with you most of the time but Spirited Away has a fairly clear narrative structure. It’s a somewhat classic formative story.
A young girl is thrown out of her daily life when she wanders into a supernatural world and facing hardships, grows with the help of benevolent older figures and finds that she actually possesses the strength to overcome them.
As you rightfully pointed however what distinguishes Spirited Away is how original and evocative its setting is. Miyazaki is a master at reframing common experience in enchanting way. The train is a good example. Anyone can relate to the fear of taking public transport alone for the first time, being surrounded by stranger, having to use a ticket but in the act is both stripped to its bare essential and yet shot beautifully.
A young girl is thrown out of her daily life when she wanders into a supernatural world and facing hardships, grows with the help of benevolent older figures and finds that she actually possesses the strength to overcome them.
As you rightfully pointed however what distinguishes Spirited Away is how original and evocative its setting is. Miyazaki is a master at reframing common experience in enchanting way. The train is a good example. Anyone can relate to the fear of taking public transport alone for the first time, being surrounded by stranger, having to use a ticket but in the act is both stripped to its bare essential and yet shot beautifully.
> A big thing with Japanese folk tales that is a bit of a jump for people with a European perspective is that they have no moral lesson.
I would argue that's not the case as there are plenty of morally naturalistic European works (e.g. Alice in Wonderland, upon which Spirited Away, among other anime, is based) just as there are plenty of morally didactic Japanese works. The movie may not be as blatant as an Aesop. It's certainly layered with subtext, but it's also a much simpler picture than most make it out to be.
There is a lesson, and it's one given in the form of a command by Hakku towards the film's end:
"Leave...and don't look back."
Chihiro's (and the audience's) lesson is to move forward in life, just as she's done up to that point. If you recall, the movie begins in media res as Chihiro is being driven away from her soon-to-be-former hometown. She looks sullen as she fidgets in the back of her father's SUV while clutching a bouquet implied to have been recieved from a friend or wellwisher in an attempt to hold on to the past. Despite being on the road for at most a few hours, she already misses whomever and whatever she and her parents were leaving behind. She's clearly frustrated by what seems to be an unneeded change in her life.
Throughout the movie, she faces one resentful change of circumstance after another. A change almost always inflicted upon her by an authority figure. As she develops a greater sense of agency, she takes it upon herself to change her own circumstances, and eventually the circumstances of almost every character she comes across including said authority figures.
The point of the movie is that things will change whether it's for the worse or the better, and you can either be swept by the river of events that is life or set your own terms and act accordingly. That's not to say that the latter choice will always bear desirable fruit, especially without a prepared plan. Such a choice can horribly backfire even with planning and preparation. Nevertheless, one should refrain from abdicating one's will in the pursuit of a goal. Instead, one should, inasmuch as one can, choose and direct the path that will take one forward.
I would argue that's not the case as there are plenty of morally naturalistic European works (e.g. Alice in Wonderland, upon which Spirited Away, among other anime, is based) just as there are plenty of morally didactic Japanese works. The movie may not be as blatant as an Aesop. It's certainly layered with subtext, but it's also a much simpler picture than most make it out to be.
There is a lesson, and it's one given in the form of a command by Hakku towards the film's end:
"Leave...and don't look back."
Chihiro's (and the audience's) lesson is to move forward in life, just as she's done up to that point. If you recall, the movie begins in media res as Chihiro is being driven away from her soon-to-be-former hometown. She looks sullen as she fidgets in the back of her father's SUV while clutching a bouquet implied to have been recieved from a friend or wellwisher in an attempt to hold on to the past. Despite being on the road for at most a few hours, she already misses whomever and whatever she and her parents were leaving behind. She's clearly frustrated by what seems to be an unneeded change in her life.
Throughout the movie, she faces one resentful change of circumstance after another. A change almost always inflicted upon her by an authority figure. As she develops a greater sense of agency, she takes it upon herself to change her own circumstances, and eventually the circumstances of almost every character she comes across including said authority figures.
The point of the movie is that things will change whether it's for the worse or the better, and you can either be swept by the river of events that is life or set your own terms and act accordingly. That's not to say that the latter choice will always bear desirable fruit, especially without a prepared plan. Such a choice can horribly backfire even with planning and preparation. Nevertheless, one should refrain from abdicating one's will in the pursuit of a goal. Instead, one should, inasmuch as one can, choose and direct the path that will take one forward.
this is a decent take, but i think you're missing a crucial centerpiece, which is the child's direct connection to the past, as represented by the kami (spirits) and her own parents. the bulk of chihiro's journey is discovering where she fits in within that past, so that she can then uncover her own sense of self within it, and thereby ultimately find the resolve to take action (find her agency). without this base understanding of eastern social/philosophical tradition, much of the journey seems like senseless obstacle-jumping, and that sounds like the context that the GP is missing to appreciate the movie.
Admittedly, I've only ever seen the dub and the last time I watched the movie in full was nearly a decade ago, so there may have been some elements that were lost in translation and others lost to memory.
With that said, I don't think Chihiro needed to know where she fit in the past, because, as she and practically every spirit knew, neither she nor her parents belonged there. Her parents, in the context of the story, weren't her connection to the past either, but to the future. At the beginning of the film, her parents were much more enthusiastic about the future (i.e. moving) than she was. Rescuing them wasn't about keeping her progenitors alive out of filial duty, but about rescuing her and her parents' collective future to live freely as human beings.
The only direct connection to Chihiro's past (established through a beautifully done albeit unconvincing Deus ex machina) is Haku and he's the one who later tells her to move forward. I'm not sure what class of spirit Haku is aside from being a river spirit, but almost everyone who operates the bathhouse, including Yubaba, are yokai and it seems they're lot in life/death is to keep the bathhouse running for eternity without change or reprieve. The yokai either don't have agency to begin with or trade what agency they have to remain perpetually employed. Chihiro, on the other hand, possesses and develops her agency as she tries to find a way to rescue her parents.
In addition, "senseless obstacle jumping" an apt description for what Chihiro had to go through . Various mythologies often depict the gods and spirits of nature as capricious as they are mighty and skillful. I suspect that Japanese kami/yokai are no different: to be revered but also cautiously interacted with, if at all, lest you invite their more "playful" nature.
With that said, I don't think Chihiro needed to know where she fit in the past, because, as she and practically every spirit knew, neither she nor her parents belonged there. Her parents, in the context of the story, weren't her connection to the past either, but to the future. At the beginning of the film, her parents were much more enthusiastic about the future (i.e. moving) than she was. Rescuing them wasn't about keeping her progenitors alive out of filial duty, but about rescuing her and her parents' collective future to live freely as human beings.
The only direct connection to Chihiro's past (established through a beautifully done albeit unconvincing Deus ex machina) is Haku and he's the one who later tells her to move forward. I'm not sure what class of spirit Haku is aside from being a river spirit, but almost everyone who operates the bathhouse, including Yubaba, are yokai and it seems they're lot in life/death is to keep the bathhouse running for eternity without change or reprieve. The yokai either don't have agency to begin with or trade what agency they have to remain perpetually employed. Chihiro, on the other hand, possesses and develops her agency as she tries to find a way to rescue her parents.
In addition, "senseless obstacle jumping" an apt description for what Chihiro had to go through . Various mythologies often depict the gods and spirits of nature as capricious as they are mighty and skillful. I suspect that Japanese kami/yokai are no different: to be revered but also cautiously interacted with, if at all, lest you invite their more "playful" nature.
that's great detail to add, but i'd still contend chihiro's journey is squarely about placing the self without the context of family and tradition, which is a super common theme in eastern cinema and literature. the spirits together form her past and come together to shape her (future) identity, something she's not even aware of before her journey.
her self discovery is certainly initiated by an uneasy transition point in her life (moving), but i'd argue that geting beyond that discomfort is not the main point of the movie. and for sure, the spirits are mischievous, but they all carry their own baggage that they try to dump on her (sometimes literally), which is what she's directly and figuratively resisting via all the hoop jumping. she's picking and choosing who she's going to be based on what her ancestors (loosely speaking) are trying to foist onto her. the yokai[0] are stuck in the past but she's not, and she must move beyond her ancestral past to escape back into her real life (which is symbolic of her forming the kernel of self identity). this is where your point about the future (and moving forward) dovetails nicely.
in that way spirited away is a story about a young human going through the process of realizing that they are a self-aware and self-actualizing person destined to become an adult (who much couch themselves in family and tradition), and not simply a child who can play and not care about the world (and her parents especially) anymore.
[0]: it's neat to see the parallel with yaoguai, which is the chinese version of these little demons/goblins, as i've more recently been watching wuxia/xianxia dramas.
her self discovery is certainly initiated by an uneasy transition point in her life (moving), but i'd argue that geting beyond that discomfort is not the main point of the movie. and for sure, the spirits are mischievous, but they all carry their own baggage that they try to dump on her (sometimes literally), which is what she's directly and figuratively resisting via all the hoop jumping. she's picking and choosing who she's going to be based on what her ancestors (loosely speaking) are trying to foist onto her. the yokai[0] are stuck in the past but she's not, and she must move beyond her ancestral past to escape back into her real life (which is symbolic of her forming the kernel of self identity). this is where your point about the future (and moving forward) dovetails nicely.
in that way spirited away is a story about a young human going through the process of realizing that they are a self-aware and self-actualizing person destined to become an adult (who much couch themselves in family and tradition), and not simply a child who can play and not care about the world (and her parents especially) anymore.
[0]: it's neat to see the parallel with yaoguai, which is the chinese version of these little demons/goblins, as i've more recently been watching wuxia/xianxia dramas.
It's hard to explain why I love it so much. I enjoyed that it wasn't so interested in plot machinery, it was more like the story of her summer. No one's season follows a strict rising action to a climax in the third act/month, but taken as a sum, you get a story about Chihiro learning about friendship, courage, love, and forgiveness. It's kind and gentle in a way that's never cloying or saccharine. I'm thinking specifically of the scene where she gets some rice from Haku and bursts into tears. It's a simple and moving depiction of sadness, homesickness, and fear being chipped away by a small gesture of kindness. But I don't think it's bad at all to have not enjoyed it.
If the movie doesn't hit you, that's alright. Not every movie has to connect with everyone.
However there is a lot under the surface. Find some theories and interpretations below, and decide for yourself how much water they hold.
https://sites.psu.edu/angelapassion/2016/07/02/spirited-away...
https://visualculture.blog.torontomu.ca/capitalism-in-miyaza...
https://www.thedailystar.net/shout/news/the-metaphors-capita...
However there is a lot under the surface. Find some theories and interpretations below, and decide for yourself how much water they hold.
https://sites.psu.edu/angelapassion/2016/07/02/spirited-away...
https://visualculture.blog.torontomu.ca/capitalism-in-miyaza...
https://www.thedailystar.net/shout/news/the-metaphors-capita...
I was high when I watched Spirited Away for the first time. I liked it so much I almost cried sometimes. After that watching I watched this movie multiple times without getting bored. What a masterpiece.
This one is interesting because when you see it as a kid you see the magic and all and when as an adult you see the geisha world behind the story
I heard that the bathhouse directly mirrors establishments that doubled as brothels—specifically in Japanese cultural details that aren't decipherable by an average Westerner or even an average weeaboo. Of course, as a Westerner I have no idea if this is true.
A rewatch is still in the queue, so I haven't yet seen if this revelation affects the experience.
A rewatch is still in the queue, so I haven't yet seen if this revelation affects the experience.
I havent watched the movie multiple times, but I have watched one specific scene dozens of times. Its the stink monster getting a bath scene. Something about it makes it incredibly amazing to watch. Makes you feel freedom, almost
I've never watched it but have heard about it repeated throughout the years. My Granddaughter is 7 years old, would this be acceptable for her to watch?
There are some scenes which can be challenging depending on her temperament: The smackdown of the pigs in the opening scenes, the bloody dragon as it’s chased by a flock of paper, the overwhelming presence of the witch, and of course no face when it starts gobbling people up.
I’ve seen a couple kids get visibly shaken while watching Spirited Away, and others who are just peacefully enthralled. It all depends on the kid.
I’ve seen a couple kids get visibly shaken while watching Spirited Away, and others who are just peacefully enthralled. It all depends on the kid.
Yes, but IMO there's depth to it that she might be able to understand and appreciate more once she's around 10 years old. Another really good Studio Ghibli film with a lot of charm but a bit less depth is My Neighbor Totoro, which might be an even better fit for a seven-year-old.
Thank-you for the replies. I'll shelve this for a few more years.
As mentioned Spirited Away could be hit or miss at that age, but you can't go wrong with My Neighbor Totoro. It's got some emotionally intense sequences, but they pay off well in the end.
It depends greatly on your and their approach; Id check with parents. I generally show my kids everything and try to coach them away from being afraid, but that might seriously bother other parents.
I think so
it's the best Miyazaki
Gonna say it.. this movie is overrated.
Had to scroll down quite a bit on the HN page to find your comment, obviously it has been downvoted because having this opinion is apparently not allowed in this world. That being said, I fully agree with you.
I've tried watching this movie multiple times. When it originally came out so many years ago, friends of mine recommended it to me and they were absolutely lyrical about it. I've tried watching it high, I hated it. I've tried watching it sober, I hated it. I've tried watching it many years after it came out, I still hated it. There is something about this movie that totally grinds my gears, and I cannot put my finger on it.
I've tried watching this movie multiple times. When it originally came out so many years ago, friends of mine recommended it to me and they were absolutely lyrical about it. I've tried watching it high, I hated it. I've tried watching it sober, I hated it. I've tried watching it many years after it came out, I still hated it. There is something about this movie that totally grinds my gears, and I cannot put my finger on it.
> There is something about this movie that totally grinds my gears, and I cannot put my finger on it.
Spirited Away is beautiful, in the artistic sense of the word. It has no real story, and is just a hodgepodge of Japanese folklore pieced together to half-resemble even a mild plot.
The rest of the stuff that isn't folklore-related is just the anthropomorphic elements Miyazaki added in as filler because of "kawaii".
-----------------
And as an aside.... "Had to scroll down quite a bit on the HN page to find your comment, obviously it has been downvoted because having this opinion is apparently not allowed in this world."
It's not the "world" that has this problem. It's hacker news. This place seriously has a groupthink problem. For this site, "Disagree(opinion)" == "Disagree(factually incorrect)" == "Disagree(against group opinion) == "Disagree(no reason)" are all given the same weight, and the same gray-on-offwhite text.
Spirited Away is beautiful, in the artistic sense of the word. It has no real story, and is just a hodgepodge of Japanese folklore pieced together to half-resemble even a mild plot.
The rest of the stuff that isn't folklore-related is just the anthropomorphic elements Miyazaki added in as filler because of "kawaii".
-----------------
And as an aside.... "Had to scroll down quite a bit on the HN page to find your comment, obviously it has been downvoted because having this opinion is apparently not allowed in this world."
It's not the "world" that has this problem. It's hacker news. This place seriously has a groupthink problem. For this site, "Disagree(opinion)" == "Disagree(factually incorrect)" == "Disagree(against group opinion) == "Disagree(no reason)" are all given the same weight, and the same gray-on-offwhite text.
Agree and I don't understand why anyone reacts to these blatant requests for comment from overt marketing anymore on HN. It's extremely naive to think these articles have any interest in mind apart from determining what sells with various social groups. HN is not an opinion farm and nerd culture has been dead for well over a decade. It's 2022 now, not 2009. No sentiment extracted from this place will capture any meaningful trend apart from maybe the negativity I'm giving off right now.
Downvoted because you gave zero reasoning
I don't really understand what such an opinion piece does on top of HN.
I guess that the article gets likes because of affection people have with this anime. But, otherwise, I have the feeling that this article is completely off-topic, and does not even provide any meaningful information.
In addition, the atlantic website sucks so so much as it is completely broken on mobile web browser, with the scroll not working...
I guess that the article gets likes because of affection people have with this anime. But, otherwise, I have the feeling that this article is completely off-topic, and does not even provide any meaningful information.
In addition, the atlantic website sucks so so much as it is completely broken on mobile web browser, with the scroll not working...
from the HN guidelines:
What to Submit
On-Topic: Anything that good hackers would find interesting. That includes more than hacking and startups. If you had to reduce it to a sentence, the answer might be: anything that gratifies one's intellectual curiosity.
I would argue that a thoughtful analysis of a film widely regarded to be one of the best films ever made is definitely something that gratifies intellectual curiosity. Furthermore, the fact that the post has attracted high-quality discussion and a high number of upvotes suggests that many hackers do, indeed, find this interesting. I hope you have a wonderful evening!
What to Submit
On-Topic: Anything that good hackers would find interesting. That includes more than hacking and startups. If you had to reduce it to a sentence, the answer might be: anything that gratifies one's intellectual curiosity.
I would argue that a thoughtful analysis of a film widely regarded to be one of the best films ever made is definitely something that gratifies intellectual curiosity. Furthermore, the fact that the post has attracted high-quality discussion and a high number of upvotes suggests that many hackers do, indeed, find this interesting. I hope you have a wonderful evening!
I hope you also have a wonderful evening/night but I wouldn't call this "high quality discussion". If the comments were technical in nature and direct from the people involved in the creation of this film, I would agree. Otherwise this is just a nostalgic circle jerk. The quality of posts on HN is vital to the continuation of the platform and this is hardly such an example. As I said, this is not reddit.
>The quality of posts on HN is vital to the continuation of the platform and this is hardly such an example.
The quality of discussion here is not much different than in most "technical" discussions.
The quality of discussion here is not much different than in most "technical" discussions.
I think you might misunderstand what HN is.
I agree. Regardless of opinion on the 00's pop culture, or the cohort of people reading this at the moment, this isn't relevant to the spirit or function of HN. This isn't reddit.
Uhm, perhaps HN is not for you? HN is about the community of hackers, not hacking in itself. Anything you chat about at lunchtime with colleagues is on-topic. Reddit is different, there's a lot more about memes and fun, usually. This is more intellectual.
ha! I was going to write something similar about the broken website. Turns out it was because my adblocker had blocked their "You don't have free articles" popup and the backdrop. I'd rather not read their articles, no thank you.
>The story of "Spirited Away" has been populated with limitless creativity. Has any film ever contained more different kinds of beings that we have never seen anywhere before? Miyazaki's imagination never rests. There is a scene where the heroine and her companion get off a train in the middle of a swamp. In the distant forest they see a light approaching. This turns out to be an old-fashioned light pole that is hopping along on one foot. It bows to them, turns, and lights the way on the path they must take. When they arrive at a cottage, it dutifully hangs itself above the gate. The living light pole is not necessary. It is a gift from Miyazaki.
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-spirited-away...