Spirited Away

Watched spirited away again and its still my fav ghibli movie of all time and each time i watch it i notice new things. like the whole symbolism surrounding things that make you ill. No-Face hangs around the bathhouse like a ghost, wanting to be let in. nobody pays attention to him, nobody cares about him, yet he still stays outside the bathhouse anyway. Clearly he wants to be inside, cared about like the guests, or given a purpose like one of the workers. Then Chihiro comes in, and seems to get a job so easily. When Chihiro lets him inside, she’s all he can think about even when he’s getting everything he’s wanted, and it goes so far past trying to repay her for her kindness. He’s getting food, attention, a bath. People seem to love to be around him, yet all he wants is Chihiro because he KNOWS that this love he is given is fake. He becomes obsessive he goes from wanting to help Chihiro to wanting to BE her. Because Chihiro doesn’t know him, yet is so kind. She has a purpose, she loves and is loved. And No-Face wants that so, so badly. Chihiro sums it up perfectly as she leaves the bathhouse to go to Zeniba’s. The Bathhouse is making No-Face Crazy, and sick. Sick just like Haku, who Chihiro also gives the river spirit’s medicine to, who is also in an unhealthy relationship in his contract with Yubaba. The whole situation in the bathhouse just represents a terrible cycle people in need can get trapped in, where they can be given help or be horribly taken advantage of. It’s only when they are shown true kindness that they are able to get the help they need, and we see this in how Chihiro betters the people around her. She gives Haku his name back, finds No-Face a purpose, helps Yubaba’s Baby and Bird find independence for themselves. She makes the Bathhouse workers realize there is more than money. Chihiro is just so kind throughout the entire movie even when she’s in a terrible situation! All of this in Spirited Away will FOREVER make it my favorite movie.