Spirited Away

Gorgeous. Breathtaking. Magical. All of the things. This film just has an abundance of life and feeling. I can't explain it, but it's bursting at the seams with humanity. From the moment Chihiro is whisked away to the spirit realm, she, and the audience, are overwhelmed with sights and sounds, unfamiliar figures that defy logic. There's so much going on, and it all feels so alive. And that's what I think this movie is about. It's about life. Growing older and being so terrified of everything changing around you. Learning to push past this terror and stand tall, even when you tremble. There's people who will hurt you, try to take advantage of you. There's greed, selfishness, and sometimes you will ache inside and out. But there's also companionship, there's love, there's so much to experience. Chihiro lost her parents and was stranded in a world that didn't want her. And yet, she still found moments of joy. She was experiencing life in all of it's intensity. I could ramble about this movie for ages, but I'll cut this short. Seriously, this movie is so special to me, and I think it's just gonna keep getting better as I grow older.