Spirited Away

Storyline

Written and directed by master animation auteur Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli, the 2001 animated fantasy masterpiece Spirited Away broke all-time box office records in Japan and captured the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, standing as one of the greatest animated films ever produced. The story follows Chihiro Ogino (Rumi Hiiragi), a sullen, 10-year-old girl moving to a new town with her parents. Stumbling upon an abandoned amusement park that reveals itself at twilight to be a realm of Kami (Shinto spirits), Chihiro's greedy parents gorge on spirit food and are cursed into giant pigs. Trapped in the mystical world, Chihiro is aided by the mysterious dragon-boy Haku (Miyu Irino) and secures a job at a colossal, opulent bathhouse for gods operated by the formidable sorceress Yubaba (Mari Natsuki), who steals Chihiro's name and renames her 'Sen.' Through hard work, empathy, and courage, Sen pacifies a polluted River Spirit, confronts the lonely, consuming phantom No-Face (Kaonashi), and learns to trust her inner strength to break Haku's curse and save her parents. Infused with Joe Hisaishi's breathtaking orchestral melodies, Spirited Away is a visual marvel of pure imagination.