Going down the stairs starts out as safe until one of them breaks and she screams running down and runs into a wall. 1. While Chihiro doesn't say much in this opening scene, we get an immediate grasp of her personality, which proves to be essential later on for her character development. As noted, 'Chihiro' means 'thousand questions' and is a nice hint to her character. When a grievously-injured Haku crashes into Yubaba's penthouse, Sen follows The eco-focus of Spirited Away added to the film's universal appeal (Credit: Alamy). It isn't always easy to accept such changes, especially at such a young age. With Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takashi Nait. Later, while most of the staff sleep, No-Face tempts a worker with gold. When she runs off, she finds out that where people were planning on putting a river, there is water in it. Then, when Chihiro was faced with Yubaba, she didn't back down from her claim of needing a job despite how terrified she was. That's not an opticians, it's an "eyeball shop", and it's even advertising FRESH ONES just in There are other ones that simply read FLESH or MEAT, and another one that just says GHOSTS. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Worklife and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday. At first Chihiro is sullen, whiny, and afraid, with an annoying voice and sulky face. As a character, she is not just incredibly likable, but also demonstrates huge amounts of growth and change meaning it is easy to invest in her journey. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. As Haku distracts the other workers, Chihiro has her opportunity to get away and heads down to the boiler room to meet Kamaji. There is great significance to this first meeting with Yubaba beyond it being our first glimpse of the film's villain as it proves to be a seminal moment for Chihiro. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% Her parents suffer the punishment for their gluttonous ways when they're turned into pigs, leaving Chihiro alone for the first time in her life. Initially skeptical, Chihiro accepts the food, which is a crucial moment as she begins to form a bond with Haku. Reeling from the trauma of seeing her parents turned into pigs, Chihiro finds an instant ally in the spirit world in Haku (Miyu Irino) a young boy who seems to be well-respected among the spirits at the bathhouse and is keen to help Chihiro escape from it. The story follows an ordinary 10-year-old girl, Chihiro, as she arrives at a deserted theme park that turns out to be a realm of gods and spirits. First, she was faced with Kamaji, who claimed there were no jobs for her and that she wasn't welcome in the bathhouse, but Chihiro stood her ground and proved herself. . While she lacks supernatural abilities, Chihiro's love for her friend leads to her brave and bold choices to save him. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? Photo: Spirited Away.. While still fearful, Chihiro demonstrates her determination to work in this moment, repeatedly asking the old man to give her a job and not giving up easily. act as her big sister. While it isn't initially clear what his intentions are, No-Face has the ability to absorb things from his surroundings, and he soon begins to mimic the corruption and greed that he sees in the bathhouse. in-depth analysis of Chihiro/Sen Miguel O'Hara (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), Spider-Man (Spider-Man: The Animated Series), Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Children have always been the hope of each new generation, the weight of a world that wishes for equality and fairness rests squarely on their shoulders. There are intricate layers of coding within the exquisite hand-drawn artwork and narrative twists, whether it's over-indulgent adults mutating into pigs ("People in Miyazaki films turn into pigs when they lose sight of their dreams, when they gorge themselves on unimportant, wasteful things and dont think about what really matters in life," explains Clements), or the Japanese script that unfortunately gets lost in the Netflix translation. Bh believes Chihiro has been sent there to make him sick, but also worries she will get ill if she leaves. Full Name Chihiro Ogino Alias (es) Sen Human Lazy Spoiled Crybaby (by Yubaba) Little Girl Girl Chihiro Origin Spirited Away Occupation Bathhouse Worker (formerly) Elementary School Student Powers / Skills Courage Cleverness Medicine from the River Spirit Hobby Being with Haku. misgivings. Yubaba agrees, but under the condition that she gives Sen one final test, and if she fails, she belongs to Yubaba. Chihiros name to Sen. Yubaba is perfectly groomed and heavily bejeweled, spirited away icons. Appearing as an almost ghostly apparition, the spirit known as No-Face is a wandering soul who seems to gravitate toward Chihiro. Even before entering the spirit world, Chihiro appears timid and scared of her own shadow, clinging onto her mother for dear life when they get out of the car to walk through the mysterious tunnel they stumble upon. After her name is changed to Sen, she becomes brave and self-sufficient enough to free herself and her parents from the spirit world. She accepts her fate and graciously takes on work from the very person responsible for her suffering in the first place. Sen discovers paper shikigami attacking a dragon and recognizes the dragon as Haku transformed. In . These early moments as Chihiro first experiences the magic and malice of the spirit world are pivotal for her as a character. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Photo Images. In one pivotal scene, Chihiro is enlisted to help wash a hulking "stink spirit" who has visited the bathhouse. - The book that changed Japan's image, - An indispensable guide to Studio Ghibli. By trusting in her own abilities, Chihiro manages to overcome her greatest fears and save her family. It's also worth noting that another much-loved fictional hero (and the Studio Ghibli mascot), cuddly spirit Totoro, also lends his name to a real-life environmental Totoro Fund, dedicated to preserving Japan's lush Sayama Hills region, which inspired Miyazaki's anime. Read an Chihiro, female protagonist in Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli, 2001) heeds the warnings of the mysterious Haku. She discovers he is actually the powerful guardian spirit of a polluted river. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. Spirited Away ( , Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, literally translated as "Sen and Chihiro's Spiriting Away"), is the 12th animated film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli, and premiered in theaters in Japan on July 20, 2001. He shares a particularly beautiful, heartfelt moment with her when he offers her food. in-depth analysis of Zeniba The process of recall is essential for her survival, but the idea of knowing who she is and finding self-assurance is an important life lesson that Chihiro must learn. Image Courtesy Studio Ghibli, Fathom Events. When her parents are eating, neither of whom (not even Chihiro herself) being aware of it being spirit food, she wanders off to eventually find out she is in a spirit world. While there are a number of great scenes to choose from, these are just some of her best moments in the film as her character developed. Within, Sen finds a goodbye card from a friend with her real name written on it. Throughout most of her adventure, Chihiro is on her own. Zeniba, now the benevolent "Granny," reveals that Sen's love for Haku broke her curse and that Yubaba had used the black slug to control him. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Her pet Later, we learn he is a river spirit "Studio Ghibli in general has always been interested in environmental themes," says Clements. When Yu-baaba takes a character from Chihiro's name to cruelly rename her and sign the contract handing the girl over to her, Chihiro's new name, Sen, just means "a thousand." Continue to start your free trial. Anyone in Chihiro's position would likely be overcome with emotion, but somehow, Chihiro keeps it together almost effortlessly. Chihiro Ogino, also known as Sen after being temporarily renamed by Yubaba, is the main protagonist of the Oscar winning 2001 Studio Ghibli film, Spirited Away. In an interview regarding Chihiro's character design, Hayao Miyazaki informs the audience that. The bathhouse . In the dark and steamy depths far away from the color and vibrancy of the bathhouse Chihiro finds the spider-like Kamaji (Bunta Sugawara). At first Chihiro is sullen, whiny, and afraid, with an annoying voice and sulky face. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Chihiro is first seen on the way to her new home with her parents. It was released in 2001, unanimously acclaimed by critics all over the world. Movie Info 10-year-old Chihiro (Daveigh Chase) moves with her parents to a new home in the Japanese countryside. A gangly, ten-year-old human the only one with power equal to Yubabas, and shes an important However, Chihiro knows she needs to do whatever it takes to get her family back, so she agrees to work for the witch instead. Undoubtedly the most prestigious of these is 2001's "Spirited Away," the movie that brought it widespread acclaim among Western audiences when it won the Academy Award for best animated feature a category that was still very much in its infancy, only having been introduced the year before. Spirited Away is available to watch now on Netflix. In Spirited Away, Chihiro befriends a mysterious "Dragon Boy", and is forced to work in an opulent bathhouse owned by the grotesque witch Yubaba (who seizes Chihiro's identity, and renames her "Sen"). of the spirit world. Chihiro's epic journey through the spirit world teaches many important life lessons, encouraging its viewers to never give up and face their greatest fears head-on. Whether this ties in to her losing her memory is unclear. The light of Yubaba's life, Bh lives a sheltered existence not just protected from the outside world, but taught to fear it and its "germs." After giving No-Face the dumpling gifted to her by the River Spirit, all of his evil and hatred come spewing out, leaving him "clean" again. Chihiro was ranked #27 on Empire's Best Animated Film Characters List. This act seems to make them forget their initial motivations in life, among other things, making them the perfect puppets for Yubaba to control. Kindness to others will always be repaid in some way. Profession student, up until now. cant leave the bathhouse. Not everything in life is what it appears to be. Ten-year-old Chihiro and her family are on their way to . By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Sen correctly states that none of the pigs are her parents, releasing her parents from the curse and herself from her contract with Yubaba. On the way to their new house, they take a wrong turn and find themselves at an abandoned and dilapidated theme park, which is a replica of an old-style Japanese village. Chihiro meets a boy named Haku and later finds out that her parents have been turned into pigs and are beaten away from the food by dark ghosts. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! come to the spirit world. Chihiro learns this shortly after she's hired in the bathhouse.