#1
Spirited Away
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Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winning 2001 Studio Ghibli fantasy following ten-year-old Chihiro inside Yubaba's spirit bathhouse.
When ten-year-old Chihiro's parents are transformed into pigs at an abandoned theme park, she must take a job inside witch Yubaba's towering bathhouse for weary gods and spirits. Hayao Miyazaki pairs hand-painted folklore wonder with a quiet Sixth Station train ride that lingers long after the credits.
About Spirited Away
Studio Ghibli's hand-drawn masterpiece directed by Hayao Miyazaki, blending Japanese folklore with a coming-of-age allegory. Development & Release: Conceived by Miyazaki after reading shōjo manga magazines and observing the 10-year-old daughter of a friend; released in Japan in July 2001. International Milestones: Won the Golden Bear at the 52nd Berlin International Film Festival on February 17, 2002, and the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003. Producer & Studio: Toshio Suzuki; Studio Ghibli.
Also Ranks On
View canonical entity profile (7 lists) →When ten-year-old Chihiro's parents are transformed into pigs at an abandoned theme park, she must take a job inside witch Yubaba's towering bathhouse for weary gods and spirits. Hayao Miyazaki pairs hand-painted folklore wonder with a quiet Sixth Station train ride that lingers long after the credits.
Key Metrics
Studio
Studio Ghibli
Release Year
2001
Runtime
125 min
Director
Hayao Miyazaki
Key Recognition
75th Academy Award Winner
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Won both the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and the Berlin International Film Festival Golden Bear
- Populates every corner of Yubaba's bathhouse with tactile spirit designs like No-Face, Kamaji, and Radish Spirit
- Lets Chihiro grow from timid child to resourceful worker through everyday kindness rather than combat
- Balances lavish feast-and-bathhouse chaos with Joe Hisaishi's intimate piano score One Summer's Day
Cons
- Follows dreamlike folklore logic rather than tightly explained Western three-act plot rules
- Resolves Zeniba's cottage visit and Haku's true river-spirit name rapidly in the closing twenty minutes
- Contains grotesque pig-transformation and No-Face gluttony scenes that can startle very young children
Eligibility
- First-time anime film viewers and longtime cinephiles seeking boundless hand-drawn imagination
- Families and adults who value coming-of-age warmth paired with rich Japanese folklore
- Viewers tracking Studio Ghibli works from 2001 directed by Hayao Miyazaki (75th Academy Award Winner)
- Community voters weighing narrative closure, animation craft, and replay value across 125 min
Things to Watch Out For
- Early scenes of Chihiro's parents turning into pigs carry genuine childhood separation dread
- Best experienced unhurried so quiet scenes like the flooded sea-railway ride can breathe
- Structure and pacing require 125 min of focused viewing rather than passive background play
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