Spirited Away
Synopsis
Winner of the Golden Bear Award at the 52nd Berlin International Film Festival, Spirited Away makes its first appearance on the North American shoreline. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki (Princess Mononoke), the film itself has broken box office records in Japan. Originally aimed for the 10-year-old female audience, it is a movie suitable for the young and the old alike.
Review
It could not have been described better than in the words of Hayao Miyazaki himself: ‘This film is an adventure story, although the characters neither swing weapons around, nor use supernatural powers in battle. It is an adventure story, but its theme is not a confrontation between good and evil. It is a story of a girl who was thrown into a world where both good and evil exist. She gets trained, learns about friendship and devotion, and survives by using her wisdom. She finds her way out, dodges, and comes back to her old daily life for the time being. However, it is not because evil was destroyed, evil does not simply disappear from the world. It is because she gained the power to live. Today, the world has become ambiguous; but even though it is ambiguous, the world is encroaching and trying to consume everything. It is the main theme of this film to describe such a world clearly in the form of a fantasy.’
The Breakdown
Excellent film. A must see for all anime fans and a perfect starter for anyone who might be skeptical having sincere doubts of watching anime.