Spirited Away Synopsis
DESCRIPTION
Spirited Away (2001) begins with Chihiro with her parents at an abandoned theme park, where her parents eat the forbidden food meant for the gods and are turned into pigs. Chihiro stumbles upon a nearby bathhouse for help, but gets sucked into a tale of grotesque monsters that represent corruption and greed.
Forced to surrender her name in order to save her parents (now called Sen), she relinquishes her past and joins the bathhouse world run by the witch Yubaba. Through a series of dark twists and turns, Chihiro finds the courage within herself to face the corrupted gods and discovers a kindness toward these gods, and herself, along the way.
CHARACTERS
- Chihiro (Sen): Chihiro loses her parents and must navigate a dark spiritual world in order to get them back. She begins as an inconsolable 10 year old, and learns quickly that she must become resilient in the face of adversity if she is to survive and, ultimately, save her parents. Her courage leads her to overcome challenges and obstacles she would have never otherwise been able to conquer.
- Haku: A boy who serves as a protective spiritual guide in the dark underworld who is later revealed to be the river spirit.
- Yubaba: The greedy and manipulative witch who runs the bathhouse and forces Chihiro to surrender her name in order to save her parents.
- No-Face: No-face represents greed and the longing for connection when one severs ties to the natural world. Chihiro helps No-face find peace.
THEMES
- Greed & power
- Consumerism
- Loss of connection to natural world
- Navigating adversity
- Losing and finding oneself
