Spirited Away (2001)
Original title: 千と千尋の神隠し
Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese-language animation movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki and Joe Hisaishi, with a running time of 2h 5m. It stars Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino and Mari Natsuki.
Ten-year-old Chihiro sulks in the back seat as her family moves to a new town, then everything tilts. Her parents wander into what looks like an abandoned park and are changed beyond recognition, and Chihiro is left alone in a realm of spirits ruled by the witch Yubaba. To survive, she takes work in a vast bathhouse where gods come to soak, learning its rules from the guarded Haku and a cast of soot sprites, river spirits and the masked No-Face. Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli build a world of hand-drawn wonder, strange courtesy and quiet courage.
Quick answers
What is Spirited Away about?
Ten-year-old Chihiro sulks in the back seat as her family moves to a new town, then everything tilts. Her parents wander into what looks like an abandoned park and are changed beyond recognition, and Chihiro is left alone in a realm of spirits ruled by the witch Yubaba. To survive, she takes work in a vast bathhouse where gods come to soak, learning its rules from the guarded Haku and a cast of soot sprites, river spirits and the masked No-Face. Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli build a world of hand-drawn wonder, strange courtesy and quiet courage.
When was Spirited Away released?
Spirited Away was released on 20 July 2001.
How long is Spirited Away?
Spirited Away runs 2h 5m.
Who made Spirited Away?
Spirited Away was directed by Hayao Miyazaki and Joe Hisaishi.
Where can I watch Spirited Away?
Spirited Away is available on HBO (Via Hulu), HBO Max, MAX (Via Amazon Prime), YouTube TV, Amazon and AppleTV.
Where to watch Spirited Away
Stream: HBO (Via Hulu), HBO Max, MAX (Via Amazon Prime), YouTube TV
Rent: Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango at Home
Buy: Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango at Home
Official site
Cast
- Rumi Hiiragi as Chihiro (voice)
- Miyu Irino as Haku (voice)
- Mari Natsuki as Yubaba / Zeniba (voice)
- Takashi Naito as Father (voice)
- Yasuko Sawaguchi as Mother (voice)
- Tatsuya Gashuin as Aogaeru (voice)
- Ryunosuke Kamiki as Boh (voice)
- Yumi Tamai as Rin (voice)
- Yo Oizumi as Bandai Frog (voice)
- Koba Hayashi as River Spirit (voice)
- Tsunehiko Kamijô as Chichiyaku (voice)
- Takehiko Ono as Aniyaku (voice)
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A few thoughts on Spirited Away
Readers chasing the same wonder should try The Girl Who Drank the Moon, where a young girl, a witch and a world of soft magic echo Chihiro's coming of age. In games, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild offers the same pull of wandering a strange, beautiful world and learning it by touch. Studio Ghibli's own game Ni no Kuni carries the look and the ache directly.
More hand-drawn Japanese wonder from Ghibli and its heirs
Spirited Away's patient, hand-drawn magic set the standard other Japanese animators keep chasing, and these films share that same unhurried wonder. My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service are Miyazaki's own gentler cousins to Chihiro's story, while Mary and the Witch's Flower, Earwig and the Witch and A Letter to Momo carry that same soft, spirit-filled tone into newer studios.
Kids who wander into another world and have to earn their way back
Chihiro doesn't choose to enter the spirit world, she stumbles into it and has to work her way home, and these picks follow kids caught in the same bind. The NeverEnding Story III and Halloweentown drop ordinary children into places ruled by different laws, The Wonderland reimagines that fall down the rabbit hole, and Children Who Chase Lost Voices sends a girl into a hidden underworld.
Fantasy worlds built to make you stop and just look
The bathhouse in Spirited Away rewards slowing down to notice every soot sprite and river god, and these games share that same devotion to a handcrafted world. Breath of the Wild and Ori and the Blind Forest turn exploration itself into wonder, Hollow Knight hides a whole civilization in its tunnels, and Skyrim's frozen peaks and old ruins invite the same wandering curiosity.
Gentle coming-of-age tales where kindness is the real magic
Chihiro grows up through patience and hard work rather than a single heroic act, and these picks share that quieter idea of courage. The Girl Who Drank the Moon follows a girl raised by unlikely guardians, Charlotte's Web and Redwall both find bravery in small, ordinary creatures, and Doraemon turns everyday problems into gentle, inventive magic.