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Why is Spirited Away so extremely highly regarded?

The animation? The story?

I watched Wolf Children recently and I would rate that significantly higher in terms of emotional impact. It's the best anime I have ever seen in that respect. Animation is top notch too.
 

Papa

Banned
I’m not an anime fan by any stretch but Spirited Away is one of my favourite movies. It was so whimsical and just made me feel good. I don’t know, I can’t really explain it any better than that. For the record, I found Princess Mononoke a bit boring.
 

NahaNago

Member
I’m not an anime fan by any stretch but Spirited Away is one of my favourite movies. It was so whimsical and just made me feel good. I don’t know, I can’t really explain it any better than that. For the record, I found Princess Mononoke a bit boring.

I get it, Spirited Away was a blast with all of these fantastical elements,colors, and action whereas Princes Mononoke would seem like a slow plod in comparison. Plus the somewhat depressing ending of Princess Mononoke.
 
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KevinKeene

Banned
Because people who don't know anything about anime only 'know' that anime are tentacle perv shit or for little kids and were surprised when they saw a Ghibli-movie.

Of course, there's hundreds of better anime, and I agree, Ookami kodomo no Ame to Yuki is much better.
 

Lupingosei

Banned
Because it has one of the best world buildings in any movie. It is so good, that they don't even have to explain it to people outside of Japan. It works on a universal level even without the cultural background. It works like a good fairy tale and speaks to children as well as adults. And as in many Ghibli movies, there is no strict black & white and after the conflict of the protagonist is resolved, most of the characters have grown during the experience or found their place.
 
Because it's a really high-quality anime, kind of like how Akira is so extremely highly regarded.

It came out at the peak of Miyazaki's popularity. His more recent films like The Wind Rises, Howl's Moving Castle, and Ponyo are all just as good but Spirited Away is his last truly fantastical, mythical adventure (sorry, Howl's). Plus, a lot of people were introduced to Miyazaki via Princess Mononoke, so it makes sense that they'd gravitate towards his other high-fantasy titles. People had already been turned on to his earlier stuff like Totoro and Nausicaa but Spirited Away really encapsulates all of that. I'd consider it his last big film and the following movies were more like a victory lap before he officially retired.
 

BANGS

Banned
I liked it a lot but definitely the kinda movie you gotta smoke during to really appreciate lol. Not that it's a bad film, it's just a bit nonsensical and whimsical. The story and characters themselves are just... nothing too special. But the animation, the imagination, all that cool stuff is pretty neat...

In contrast, Princess Mononoke has gotta be my favorite of all the Ghibli movies. Great characters, great story, some cool action scenes, just great overall. It does get a bit weird toward the end but pretty tame for the most part...
 
I just found Spirited Away to be like a bad trip with all the disgusting creatures and all the giant mess they create during the film. It was a turn off for me
 

Barsinister

Banned
A friend of mine and I were passing back and forth movies that would make each other feel uncomfortable. I gave him "Freaks", he gave me "When the Wind Blows". We went back and forth and one of his movies for me was this one. He told me it was kind of like "The Wizard of Oz". I watched it and never forgave him. I think that was when I gave him "Freaks".
 

ilfait

Member
Beautiful, magical, and I think the English Disney release was higher profile than his other movies, so lots of people watched it.

I haven't seen Wolf Children, but I don't doubt you when you say it's good. Visually it doesn't seem as striking as Spirited Away, though not a lot is.

Miyazaki's stuff is also a lot more subtle than is typical of anime, and while I like do like over-the-top stuff and melodrama now and then, I wouldn't fault anyone for being turned off by it completely and thinking of something like Spirited Away as a somewhat rare exception.
 
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Barsinister

Banned
I don't know how you don't like Spirited Away. Everything about that movie is gorgeous.


From what I remember, it was a very fun to watch movie. If you turned up the volume and tried to listen to it also, it became a trial. Everyone in the movie was scared of the old woman, until she just explained herself and then no-one was scared anymore. The conflict of the movie just evaporated like it was never there. I always thought is was a culture thing. Like, I didn't like it because I wasn't of the culture and believed stories were meant to resolve themselves. I later read that quite a few Anime type movies are content to give you a feel of a theme but the story could be thrown away. A wind blowing a leaf gives you a feeling, the story is about a fish girl who hates her dad.

My daughter loves it though. She watches it all!
 
Because people who don't know anything about anime only 'know' that anime are tentacle perv shit or for little kids and were surprised when they saw a Ghibli-movie.

Of course, there's hundreds of better anime, and I agree, Ookami kodomo no Ame to Yuki is much better.
Which to me is funny because there's so many different kinds of animes that there is guaranteed to be something for everyone, I still say Legend of the galactic heroes is the best space related anything I have seen (anime or otherwise)
 
ugh, threads like this are silly. because it's clearly & obviously a great work; the product of immense talent. good for you that you think another movie is better. that has nothing to do with spirited away is a great movie and deserves recognition as such.
 
S

SLoWMoTIoN

Unconfirmed Member
Mainstream studio means praise. Look at Pixar cartoons for similar comparisons.
 
The animation? The story?

I watched Wolf Children recently and I would rate that significantly higher in terms of emotional impact. It's the best anime I have ever seen in that respect. Animation is top notch too.

Wolf Children was a legitimate tear jerker

I'm starting to tear up just thinking about it
 
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GeekyDad

Member
Wow, this is some pretty old shit you dug up. But...since it's here, might as well have a nibble.

For me, it just stirs up many things inside that are hard to articulate. Like many fine artistic expressions of art, you just love it for reasons you cannot explain but understand completely inside your soul.

Though Totoro is my favorite Ghibli character, Spirited Away is my favorite Ghibli work. My family holds it particularly dear.
 

Spaceman292

Banned
Comparing ghibli films just feels kind of heartless. They're all magical and lovely. Except for that piece of shit 3D thing they made last year.
 

Zeroing

Banned
Spirit away is a classical story with a happy ending. The characters are interesting and it’s whimsical and visually interesting.

Princess Mononoke is a tale of humans and their fight for power and to control nature, all the main characters have agendas of their own. The animation has a moral of the story and it’s made so people start comparing it with their own reality

So I think princess Mononoke is a more accomplished animation. But of course these are opinions some put higher value in different things
 

Toots

Gold Member
9a5d6eb32518f66f6714d9f05198607c.gif

The thread is dead guys, let it rest...
 

Keihart

Member
what a necro.

Animated GIF



Maybe is because i feel old now, but the wind rises and only yesterday feel more impactful to me, emotionally wise.
 
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p_xavier

Authorized Fister
what a necro.

Animated GIF



Maybe is because i feel old now, but the wind rises and only yesterday feel more impactful to me, emotionally wise.
With Princess Monoke they are my top 3. Spirited Away is one of my least favourite of SG movies.
 
To me it's a bit like 2001 in that I can't really articulate why I like it but it stirs up emotions that seem to defy simple, verbal explanations.

With 2001 it's feelings of wonder and awe. I'm not religious but I can see why it got official approval from the Vatican. The way in which it alludes to a higher power that is unknowable and beyond the comprehension of human imagination.

I've only seen Spirited Away once and that was many years ago. From what I remember it was just a whimsical, magical film filled with beauty. I can barely remember the plot but that doesn't seem to matter. It's the feelings that the film conjured up that stayed with me.
 
Because it's visually and artistically incredible, and the story is great.

It's much more interesting than Totoro, to compare it to another Ghibli movie that I love. The world in spirited away is so alive.
 

mcjmetroid

Member
It's just full of joy and imagination the drawings the characters the little mini stories within the movie like the bathhouse.

I didn't know how to take the movie the first time I saw it, but multiple viewings later and yep it's a classic.
 

Mossybrew

Banned
Spirited Away is still my GOAT. Just something about it.

But agree, Wolf Children is great and hits hard.

Just noticed Fridge is a hardcore thread necromancer.
 
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Billbofet

Member
I could watch Spirited Away on an endless loop. The creativity, music, everything is just magic to me.
I used to have very vivid dreams as a child, and they all felt and looked like the world in Spirited Away. I think that's what connects me to it so hard, but my kids and wife all adore it endlessly as well.
I would say we watch it at least twice a year, and I honestly couldn't explain the plot if I had to.
 

MachRc

Member
How funny I watched 2 episodes of "10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki"

via this link:


Very interesting how he works, I recommend episode 1 but the 2 and the rest got pretty stale quick.



A closer look at the artist , how he creates, his family life.

I had no clue he had such a bent relationship with his son. I guess his life isnt always charming and bright like his creations.
 
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Pejo

Member
Howl's Moving Castle and Totoro were the superior Ghibli flicks. I find all of them to be a bit overrated, but the animation quality was great.
 
D

Deleted member 1159

Unconfirmed Member
Sounds like I need to watch Wolf Children…Spirited Away is probably top 10 if not top 5 all time for me though. It has so much heart, all the best parts of a fish out of water/coming of age movie, Joe Hisaishi at the top of his game, even a great dub. I really like Princess Mononoke, one of the first DVDs I ever bought, but Spirited Away is extra special for some reason
 

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
Wolf Children was a legitimate tear jerker

I'm starting to tear up just thinking about it

Off topic and just out of interest, but why did you necro a thread that hasn't seen activity for almost four years by replying to your own post?
 

TheInfamousKira

Reseterror Resettler
And yea unto the fields of the banned, arms outstretched towards the sky like twisted limbs of deadened winter trees, comes the man armed with the most necro of bumps. Lo!
 
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DGrayson

Mod Team and Bat Team
Staff Member
Its awesome! The train scene is just magical. It doesnt try to do too much. it tells a solid story and it tells it well With great emotions and music.

My personal fav SG is Howl then Totoro probably but Spirited Away is great.
 
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