Miyazaki has done it again. The frequency with which he creates masterpieces in animated cinema would put any other director or company to shame. From the very beginning 'Spirited Away' {Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) sucks you in right along with the main character.

It is an adventure story, as well as a story about rising up to face impossible odds and overcoming them. Chihiro is a ten year old girl who is forced to move into the suburbs with her parents. While searching for their new house, they discover an abandoned town. ("An amusment park." Chihiro's father guessed) Although there is no one to be found, they smell delicious food cooking, and follow the smell. Against Chihiro's protestations, her parents sit down to eat.

Meanwhile, Chihiro wanders off, and continues to explore the town- she crosses a huge arched bridge in the classic Japanese style. She discovers the hard way that she is trapped when a strange boy urges her to flee for her life- when all the lights in the town come on, the "Kami" come out and the town is surrounded by water and becomes an island. Her parents have been turned into giant pigs that will later be used to feed the Kami in this strange world.

The only way for Chihiro to survive is to offer to work at the bathhouse at the center of town, or she will be turned into an animal and fed to the bathhouses guests. This story chronicles a young girl being forced to grow up too quickly- it shows how she must mature and some of the sacrifices she must make. Truly this is a great piece of film, and I'm sure it will entertain Otaku and non-fans alike all over the world.

If you enjoy this film, be sure to look into some of Miyazaki's other films. The first I would recommend is 'Princess Mononoke'. It is a beautifully constructed ballad set in feudal Japan about how humans destroy the environment around them, the sacrifices that people make to save it, and the wreckage left behind after the struggle.

Another beautifully rendered environmental piece can also be found in 'Naasica: Valley of the Wind'. It takes place in a world where civilization has already fallen, and is slowly being rebuilt- and the horrible state that humans left the world in before the animals (in this case, giant insects) could take over again.

On a more lighthearted note, there is also 'Whispers of the Heart', which once again chronicles a young girl's coming of age. This film has some very strange dream-like sequences about two cat figurines coming alive, but it is all very meaningful once you get to the end! A very heartwarming piece indeed!

A few other things by Miyazaki to check out: Lupin the III- The Castle of Cogliastro, My Neighbor Totoro, and Kiki's Delivery Service.

Best Picture of the Year at the Berlin International Film Festival and Audience Choice at San Francisco Film Festival.

Originally published in Wirehed Magazine Issue 3*

*Notes: The last paragraphs in the printed magazine were written by Vince Seifert. Orginal text was much shorter- by the time it had been added to, the first version with the end notes by Vince had already been sent to the publisher. This is the first time the extended version re-written by me has appeared.