Almost everybody spends time reminiscing about their childhood. For some people, it causes joy, for others it causes heartache. It can be a wonderful experience to take a trip back to your childhood through certain artifacts. A piece of art, like an album or a movie, is a common way to travel back to your childhood. For me, one of those things is an animated movie by Hayao Miyazaki called “Spirited Away.”There’s no arguing that Miyazaki is a legendary director, and one of his most admired works is “Spirited Away.” It’s an animated movie about a young girl named Chihiro who’s family is moving to a new neighborhood. On their trip to this new place, they come across a deserted theme park that actually happens to be a gate to the spirit realm. When Chihiro’s parents are turned into pigs, she has to embark on a long and daunting journey to rescue them and go back to the normal world. 

There is an admirable attention to detail in the animation of the film. It’s easy to get lost in Spirited Away when the world seems so real. Chihiro’s feet collect dirt on them as she runs across the bathhouse, and she taps the toes of her shoes on the floor before running off to make sure they’re on right.

The beautiful cinematography and pretty music make the emotions of the film even stronger. There are endless skies and gorgeous landscapes to lose yourself in. The interiors of the bathouse are detailed and have a larger than life quality to them. The music is full of tear-jerking string arrangements and piano compositions that complement the film perfectly and make the world that started as a mere idea in Miyazaki’s mind seem even fuller.

The journey that Chihiro goes on to save her parents carries more meaning to it than many blockbuster action movies. There’s something relatable about watching an ordinary girl go up against a world of magic spirits. The characters that she meets along the way make the story even more special. Yubaba is a memorable antagonist, and all of the quirky side characters like No-Face or Chihoro’s mouse friend help to make you lose yourself in the world.

“Sprited Away” can only be compared to other movies directed by Miyazaki. “Totoro” and “Princess Mononoke” are equally immersive and magical and are equally deserving of your time.

Spirited Away is a movie that I would recommend to anybody. It has a great story, great aesthetics, great characters, great cinematography and more. The world that Miyazaki creates feel so real that you don’t even notice the 125 minute runtime. Please, for the love of everything that is good: watch Spirited Away.