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One of the lesser-known (but on the rise) theories is that Chihiro, the protagonist of the 2001 classic, may have a deeper connection to Haku than we initially thought. He even made a deal with Yubaba to let Chihiro and her parents leave the spirit world after he brings her child back from Zeniba. This made it the year's most-watched foreign-language film on BBC, and the year's second highest foreign film on UK television (below the Indian Bollywood film Om Shanti Om). The mainstream world came to recognize his talent for making these uniquely symbolic kids' movies in the 1990s and 2000s, with his reputation truly cementing itself following the Academy Award won by his film "Spirited Away" at the 2003 Oscars (via BBC). Haku and Chihiro meet again![Spirited Away Fanart animation]-Always Haku isChihiro's dead brother? Studio Ghibli fans blown away by Factory re-issued the film on Blu-ray and DVD on 17 October 2017 following the expiration of Disney's previous deal with Studio Ghibli in the country in North America. It just takes a while for your memories to return.". Copyright 2023 ComicBook.com. Spirited Away FanFiction Archive | FanFiction He is further emancipated when Chihiro remembers something sudden and coincidental. Chihiro and Haku first meet on the bridge that leads to the legendary Bathhouse. How old are chihiro and haku? : SpiritedAway - Reddit The second indication hails from Chihiros inability to recollect the time she drowned. 3 comments. [11], The cast of the film consists of Daveigh Chase, Jason Marsden, Suzanne Pleshette (in her final film role before her death in January 2008), Michael Chiklis, Lauren Holly, Susan Egan, David Ogden Stiers and John Ratzenberger (a Pixar regular). ", This page was last edited on 16 July 2023, at 21:06. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. In the penthouse, the stowaway shikigami shapeshifts into Yubaba's sister Zeniba, who turns Yubaba's son, Boh, into a mouse. What's your favorite Studio Ghibli head-canon? The most compelling part of the argument is the notion that most viewersattempt to understand the story purely from the dialogueand takewhat the characters say on face value. [39], Yubaba has many similarities to the Coachman from the 1940 film Pinocchio, in the sense that she mutates humans into pigs in a similar way that the boys of Pleasure Island were mutated into donkeys. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. For example, when he was summoned to Yubaba's office after Chihiro was given a job, he did not speak to her as a friend, leaving Chihiro completely confused. [19] In 2022, it was ranked as the 75th greatest film of all time by the Sight & Sound critics poll. With the use of more computers and programs such as Softimage 3D, the staff learned the software, but used the technology carefully so that it enhanced the story, instead of "stealing the show". Also the sixth major arcana card in the Tarot is The Lovers. When looking at his young friends, Miyazaki felt this was not what they "held dear in their hearts" and decided to produce the film about a young heroine whom they could look up to instead. [72] In its second weekend, Spirited Away grossed a cumulative $54.8 million in China, and was second only behind Spider-Man: Far From Home that weekend. 7 years have passed since Chihiro left the spirit world, and she thinks of it every day. Be the first one to comment on this story. But upon deeper inspection,Toshio Okada, the anime producer/writer that brought usGunbuster, thinks that Haku means way more to Chihiro than just being her light in a tunnel of darkness. Its a heart-wrenching parting thats similar to the ending in Spirited Away. She reminisces about her adventures with Haku but, a. However, in the world of Buddhism, the journey of the soul doesnt end after one cycle, it continues through a number of cycles, which opens up the opportunity for Chihiro and Haku to meet again and again. [17] In 2016, it was voted the fourth-best film of the 21st century by the BBC, as picked by 177 film critics from around the world, making it the highest-ranking animated film on the list. For both Chihiro and Haku, an . [a], Spirited Away was first released on VHS and DVD formats in Japan by Buena Vista Home Entertainment on 19 July 2002. [120][121][122] Comic Book Resources wrote that the film "set the bar extremely high for all anime movies that followed it -- including Studio Ghibli's." 1. Also, the word love is a bit tricky in English. As they fly, Chihiro tells Haku of the time when she fell in a river and thought she was going to drown- but he saved her. Plus, Haku is an ancient Shinto river spirit. Sen is ostracized by the other workers. 11 February 2009. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". [79] The movie was released on Blu-ray by Walt Disney Studios Japan on 14 July 2014, and DVD was also reissued on the same day with a new HD master, alongside several other Studio Ghibli movies.[80][81]. Seeing that the film never revisited just who it was that helped Chihiro, it can be inferred that this choice was because the person who saved her was there all along Haku. Train ride at the 6th Station is a metaphor that Haku and Chihiro will be on that train of life to go back home, to each other. Is she visiting her dead brother in the spirit world? Understanding their origins gives this classic movie an even deeper meaning. While thats a pretty strong argument in itself, there are other moments in the film to support this theory. [44] For instance, Yubaba is stylistically unique within the bathhouse, wearing a Western dress and living among European dcor and furnishings, in contrast with the minimalist Japanese style of her employees' quarters, representing the Western capitalist influence over Japan in its Meiji period and beyond. By Megan Peters THEY ARE SOUL MATES! His penname was Jitoku () She helps Haku, Boh, and several needy spirits, even though doing so means she may get stuck in the spirit world. [86] On 12 November 2019, GKIDS and Shout! Haku searches for her and once he finds her, tells her that she is becoming invisible and gives her some food, insisting her to eat it or she'll fade away. Another reason could be that Haku didn't want anyone to know that he was connected to Chihiro in order to help her without any interference. [32] The lyrics were written by Kimura's friend Wakako Kaku. The story revolves around a ten-year-old girl named Chihiro who gets trapped in the spirit world after her parents are turned into pigs for eating food that belongs to spirits. Haku/White Dragon Character Analysis in Spirited Away - SparkNotes [91], In the United States, the 2015 Blu-ray release grossed $9,925,660 from 557,613 physical units sold as of 21February2021[update]. It's Chihiros vision that tells her what Hakus real name is too, setting him free. According to Zeniba, only true love can break the curse on Haku. Chihiro : Haku, listen. [28][29][30] Later, Hisaishi added lyrics to "One Summer's Day" and named the new version of the song "The Name of Life" (, .mw-parser-output .noitalic{font-style:normal}"Inochi no Namae") which was performed by Ayaka Hirahara. Chihiro doesn't remember Haku but Haku . save. I want my young friends to live like that, and I think they, too, have such a wish. Haku appears to be around 12 years old in physical age. Mitchell drew a favorable comparison to Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass, and wrote that Miyazaki's "movies are as much about moodiness as mood" and that "the prospect of animated figures' not being what they seem either spiritually or physically heightens the tension. "Spirited Away" follows 10-year old Chihiro, a bitter and dejected girl in the midst of her family's relocation to a neighborhood far away from the one she knows. Chichiyaku. Their first meeting wasn't your normal meet-and-greet, but these two soon meet again when Chihiro wanders around in panic. [106] In 2010, Rotten Tomatoes ranked it as the 13th-best animated film on the site,[107] and in 2012, as the 17th. [82] The attention brought by the Oscar win resulted in the film becoming a strong seller. Part of Hakus name, Kohaku, is the name of the river where Chihiro miraculously survived from drowning as a child. 'Sen and Chihiro's Spiriting Away') is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Tohokushinsha Film, and Mitsubishi and distributed by Toho. But it's strangeonly love can remove the seal." -Zeniba When Zeniba comes to the realization that Haku and Chihiro may be more than friends. 'one thousand') can be thought of as symbolic of capitalism's single-minded concern with value.[42]. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. By the end of the film, the two form a strong bond. Over the course of the movie his relationship with Chihiro becomes stronger, especially after she learns he is a dragon. He even protects her from Yubaba, who is the witch and owner of the Bathhouse. All rights reserved. Japanese convenience stores new chicken katsu sandwich looks deceptivebut is it? And when he offered those rice cakes to Chihiro, he encouraged her to eat them by saying that he cast a spell on them that would help her survive in the bathhouse. Intuition is a big part of this movie, and Chihiro's gut is never wrong! It became NTV's most-watched film of all time with a 46.9% audience rating, surpassing the 35.1% record previously set by Princess Mononoke in 1999.[96]. Then she says the name of the river was Kohaku, which broke the curse and caused Haku to revert back to human form. He saved her, now she saved him. [27] The soundtrack received awards at the 56th Mainichi Film Competition Award for Best Music, the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2001 Best Music Award in the Theater Movie category, and the 17th Japan Gold Disk Award for Animation Album of the Year. Talk:Haku (Spirited Away) Haku is a 13 year old boy whom is controlled by an old witch named Yubaba, but his soon-to-be aquiantance Chihiro (A.k.a. "[103], In 2004, Cinefantastique listed the film as one of the "10 Essential Animations". and further explained that "It's a movie many people re-watch due to its comfort and nostalgia, and since Netflix brought the Ghibli movies to North America last year, it's become even more accessible". Middle Way is a Buddhist term to describe an ideal way of life that avoids extremes of self-denial and self-indulgence, eternalism (living forever) and annihilationism (dying forever). During the first scene of the movie, Chihiro is holding a bouquet of flowers with a card that said, Good luck, Chihiro. Chihiro: Haku, listen. [73] As of 16July2019[update], the film has grossed $70 million in China,[74] bringing its worldwide total box office to over $346 million as of 8July2019[update]. Featured image: Studio Ghibli His loneliness began when humans stole his home. If this were Chihiro reaching in for her shoe, she ought to be wearing a white T-shirt, but as the camera dives beneath the surface, we see Chihiro beneath the water, and her shoulders are bare, showing shes topless. Privacy Policy. The films theme song, Ano Hi no Kawa, which literally translates to The River That Day, wascomposed by Joe Hisaishi. [135][136], On a limited time release from November 11 to December 18 in 2022,[137][138] the Imperial Theater performance of the play was available for rental in Japan in several streaming services such as Abema, Amazon Prime Video Japan, Docomo Anime Store, FOD, Hulu Japan and U-Next.[139]. [23] While some guidebooks and articles claim that the old gold town of Jiufen in Taiwan served as an inspirational model for the film, Miyazaki has denied this. Even after all of these years, the movie still resonates with fans young and old. Later that night, when Yubaba leaves, Haku finds Sen and shows her her parents, who are being held in pigpens. In his guise as a white dragon his appearance suggests a river: flowing and graceful. Stranded in the foreign world of the supernatural, Chihiro finds her only chance at returning home is to seek help at a nearby bathhouse. This fits into the dynamic of a young child not really remembering an older sibling but an older sibling being able to recall a younger sibling in the case of a life-changing event. [87][88] Along with the rest of the Studio Ghibli films, Spirited Away was released on digital markets in the United States for the first time, on 17 December 2019. As Chihiro described this experience: I feel like Haku and I met a long time ago.. [114][failed verification], Spirited Away is frequently regarded as one of the best films of the 21st century as well as one of the greatest animated films ever made. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards,[16] making it the first, and to date only, hand-drawn and non-English-language animated film to win the award. The river he's from, namely the Kohaku river, was drained, and buildings have been built in its place. On the surface, one of the animation studios most beloved films,Spirited Away, is a story about a lonely girls desire to escape from the world of the unknown, but she somehow finds herself lost in an unfamiliar world. Obsessed with travel? Fanfics Often take place years after the events of the movie, and Chihiro either remembers Haku, or doesn't, but something is calling the two together. This comment on the love between the two characters can be read as a romantic type of love, but the love hes referring to here is the one shared by brother and sister. Photo: Spirited Away.. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Semi-Canon 8. "I created a heroine who is an ordinary girl, someone with whom the audience can sympathize []. Haku searches for her and once he finds her, tells her that she is becoming invisible and . We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. In my vantage point, Haku told Chihiro not to look back because she wouldve been somehow stuck between the two dimensions. Trivia IMDbPro Plot Spirited Away Jump to Edit Summaries During her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches and spirits, a world where humans are changed into beasts. Cookies help us deliver our Services. But when you read this song as a conversation between both characters, everything changes. Spirited Away is one of Hayao Miyazaki's best works and is perhaps most people's favorite Ghibli movie. Spirited Away - Wikipedia [130] Turning Red's director Domee Shi named Spirited Away as one of her favorite animated films and one of the influences for her film. Due to the fact that only true love can break Haku's curse, Chihiro and Haku are canonically in love with one another. One secret that may have been hiding under our noses all along, though, is the true relationship between protagonists Chihiro and Haku. She then undergoes a rite of passage according to the monomyth format; to recover continuity with her past, Chihiro must create a new identity. [32] In the special features of the Japanese DVD, Hayao Miyazaki explains how the song in fact inspired him to create Spirited Away. The website's critics consensus reads, "Spirited Away is a dazzling, enchanting, and gorgeously drawn fairy tale that will leave viewers a little more curious and fascinated by the world around them. Haku played a central role in Spirited Away. Haku reveals he is also working for Yubaba, and takes her back downstairs. spirited away (2001) saddest movie from ghibli in my opinion. Meanwhile, No-Face imitates the gold left behind by the river spirit and tempts a worker with it before swallowing him. If Chihiro ever visits that river," Suzuki wrote. However, Chihiro discovers that her parents have become pigs, and the exit is blocked by an ocean of water. Nigihayami Kohakunushi (, Nigihayami Kohakunushi, lit. He was father of Mutsu Munemitsu ). 11 Times In "Spirited Away" That Proved Chihiro And Haku Are - BuzzFeed He had to delete many scenes from the story, and tried to reduce the "eye candy" in the film because he wanted it to be simple. Lin is a spirit who can connect a new awareness to an old way of thinking. After Chihiro tries to help but inadvertently causes some disruption, Kamaji asks a worker named Lin to send Chihiro to Yubaba, the witch who runs the bathhouse. Haku appears in dragon form, and Sen, Boh, and Haku leave for the bathhouse, leaving No-Face with Zeniba. No-Face is given large amounts of food, but soon begins eating more workers. It's fair to say that most adults, at least in the first world, probably feel they lived relatively safe childhoods. Is she on the brink of death? The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". So, there you have it. However, Ive been able to glean some extra insight into the possibilities by researchingNight on the Galactic Railroadfor more clues. "[20] Another major inspiration was the Notoya Ryokan (), a traditional Japanese inn located in Yamagata Prefecture, famous for its exquisite architecture and ornamental features. [110] In 2017, The New York Times ranked it as the second best film of the 21st Century so far. However, because the Spirit World is unsafe for Chihiro, Haku tells her to leave immediately. Either way, with both of them having grown through life lessons, an important part of the journey towards enlightenment, both these characters are now on a good trajectory to cross paths again in one of these higher realms in future. [101] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times praised Miyazaki's direction and the voice acting, as well as saying that the film is the "product of a fierce and fearless imagination whose creations are unlike anything a person has seen before. Helloo!! They find a restaurant stocked with food, which Chihiro's parents begin to eat. January 25, 2022. Her father decides to take a shortcut and stops in front of a tunnel leading to what appears to be an abandoned amusement park, which he insists on exploring despite Chihiro's protests. 4. If we consider this idea in the context of Buddhist beliefs about reincarnation, Hakus selfless act in dying for Chihiro can be seen as an act of good karma that led to him being reborn outside of the mortal worldas a river spirit, a demi-god in the heavenly realm. [60] The company would then on-sell it to independent distributors across the world. He knew Yubaba would do anything to get her child back. Mind-blowing theory will change the way you watch - NextShark "Sen" name given to her by Yubaba) will free him from that control. Haku is Chihiro's first friend when she enters the world of spirits. Studio Ghibli . When you imagine this song being sung from Hakus point of view, In that small river I met you its easy to see how he cherishes the moment he saved Chihiros life greatly. Why did Haku tell Chihiro not to look back? It ultimately grossed around $10 million by September 2003. One of those images is a house thats seen from the train. Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! [108] In 2019, the site considered the film to be #1 among 140 essential animated movies to watch. Haku | Ghibli Wiki | Fandom Thats how he ended up with Yubaba in the first place. 10/10, Spirited Away: Understanding Haku's nature. This shows that Haku knew what he was doing and wasn't reckless. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. I'm a fan of the Spirited Away movie! But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Chihiro will most likely try to find a way back to meet Haku, when she eventually remembers. [112][113], In his book Otaku, Hiroki Azuma observed: "Between 2001 and 2007, the otaku forms and markets quite rapidly won social recognition in Japan," and cites Miyazaki's win at the Academy Awards for Spirited Away among his examples. [32] The song itself would be recognized as Gold at the 43rd Japan Record Awards. Haku instructs her to ask for a job from the bathhouse's boiler-man, Kamaji, a ykai commanding the susuwatari. Occasionally the ship is also depicted during the events of the movie. Since Chihiro leaves the spirit world at the end of the movie, she never sees him again. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Haku's subtle, yet meaningful, gesture shows that he genuinely cares for Chihiro's well-being. Credit: Studio Ghibli. He lost his identity (and name) once the river was buried. The central location of the film is a Japanese bathhouse where a great variety of Japanese folklore creatures, including kami, come to bathe. Best Spirited Away Quotes. ", Callis, Cari. [126], Film director Steven Spielberg said that Spirited Away might be "better than any Disney films" he has ever seen. Image Courtesy Studio Ghibli, Fathom Events. 'Always, No Matter How Many Times') was written and performed by Youmi Kimura, a composer and lyre-player from Osaka. At the beginning, he was frustrated at how she looked "dull" and thought, "She isn't cute. However, he acts cold toward her, which causes Chihiro to become confused and wonder if there's another Haku. Sixth Sense is intuition. This alludes to human pollution of the environment, and how people can carelessly toss away things without thinking of the consequences and of where the trash will go. ", "Asian films are grossing millions. "Regaining Continuity with the Past: Spirited Away and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Lastly, the theory that Haku may be Chihiro's older brother is backed by the name of one of Spirited Away 's original soundtracks, "Ano Hi no Kawa". She is distraught at the idea of moving away, though her parents see it as an opportunity for her. Spirited Away (Japanese: , Hepburn: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, lit. If you want to believe Chihiro and Haku reunited, then you should be glad to know the pair really could. In his . Yubaba | Ghibli Wiki | Fandom The Ending Of Spirited Away Explained - Looper This doesn't just apply to the fantasy world. While in the process of moving to a new town, Chihiro and her parents stumble into the spirit world by accident. - January 12, 2022 12:18 am EST. Chihiro is 10 and Haku is like several millions year old. Miyazaki said he wanted to include a scene in Spirited Awaywhere Chihiro falls asleep on a train and wakes up in darkness wondering where she is. Reply. [83] The bonus features include Japanese trailers, a making-of documentary which originally aired on Nippon Television, interviews with the North American voice actors, a select storyboard-to-scene comparison and The Art of Spirited Away, a documentary narrated by actor Jason Marsden. Haku vows to see her again, but she leaves the city with her parents, who do not remember anything after the restaurant.