Spirited Away ( Japanese: 千と千尋の神隠し, Hepburn: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, lit. 'Sen and Chihiro's Spiriting Away') is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Tohokushinsha Film, and Mitsubishi and distributed by Toho. [7] The film features the voices of Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takeshi Naito, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Tsunehiko Kamijō, Takehiko Ono, and Bunta Sugawara. To say more of the densely layered plot would ruin the delightful thrill of experiencing Spirited Away for yourself. Much like Pixar's productions, it is successful because it pulls you into a fully imagined, breathtakingly visualized other world that is both strikingly real and terrifically fantastical all at once. Miyazaki, who also wrote the Japanese screenplay, has a gift for keeping the story emotionally grounded and relevant to his audience even while magic completely surrounds it. Never once do you pause to question that these are not real, living, breathing beings inhabiting a world that is shown to us so fully that we accept it as being real, too. The film is brimming with imagination and succeeds not only as a compelling fantasy epic but also as a deeply emotional, complex human drama examining such themes as courage, determination, friendship, love and goodness. In one of many marked differences from American animation that also runs throughout Miyazaki's other works, no one can clearly be defined as the "villain" here, and there is no clear "evil"; instead, everyone exists in shades of gray. Also, not every question posed is given a clear answer, instead adding allure to the movie by encouraging audiences to actively think as part of the experience. The movie is all the better for it.

Boyd, James W., and Tetsuya Nishimura. 2004. " Shinto Perspectives in Miyazaki's Anime Film 'Spirited Away'." The Journal of Religion and Film 8(2). Prior to arriving at the main menu, Disc 1 opens with trailers for the other titles that appeared in Disney's first wave of Studio Ghibli releases: Castle in the Sky and Kiki's Delivery Service. Other trailers are accessible on the sneak peaks menu, including the theatrical trailer for Pixar's Finding Nemo, which was upcoming at the time of this disc's release. However, all of these trailers are now out of date. Though it sounds terribly clichéd, there are certain films that simply defy description in mere words and must truly be seen to be believed. They come few and far between, but when they do, it's always a huge treat for moviegoers. As I sit down to write this review, I am at a loss for how to begin, because Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away ( Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) is one of them. Fascinating Facts About Spirited Away". mentalfloss.com. 30 March 2016. Archived from the original on 22 May 2019 . Retrieved 16 May 2019.Japan Record Award)". Japan Composer's Association. Archived from the original on 9 October 2003 . Retrieved 2 September 2013. Galbraith IV, Stuart (2008). The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6004-9. Since its inception in 1933, Toho Co., Ltd., Japan's most famous movie production company and distributor, has produced and/or distributed some of the most notable films ever to come out of Asia, including Seven Samurai, Godzilla, When a Woman Ascends the Stairs, Kwaidan, Woman in the Dunes, Ran, Shall We Dance?, Ringu, and Spirited Away.

The 100 Best Films of World Cinema– 10. Spirited Away". Empire. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012.

A stage adaptation of Spirited Away was announced in February 2021 with a world premiere planned in Tokyo on 28 February 2022. It is written and directed by John Caird, with Toho as the production company, with Studio Ghibli's blessing. The role of Chihiro is played by both Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi. [137] [138] In August 2023, it was announced that the production would have its European premiere at the London Coliseum from April 2024. [139] Main Cast HSC Extension course" (PDF). New South Wales Department of Education and Training. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 January 2017 . Retrieved 7 July 2016.