What’s In A Name? The 2001 film Spirted Away is an animated feature by the well-known Studio Ghibli, about a young girl named Chihiro. Through a series of strange circumstances she can not find her parents and is forced into servitude at a bathhouse for yokai, or monsters and spirits from Japanese folklore. Despite it being geared towards a younger audience as a coming of age story, this movie holds a surprising amount of symbolism and thought-provoking questions. The power of words, so to speak, is ever present. Haku, a boy who helps Chihiro throughout her journey and fellow servant at the bathhouse, warns her to watch what she divulges around the spirits, especially their employer. As a captured servant, her true name will be taken away
…show more content…
Lin, another employee who befriends Sen, is immediately drawn to No-Face’s seemingly unlimited gold, but that does not lessen how much she has helped. Although, the gold is an empty pursuit, as it tends to bring no happiness to those who take it. Sen never touches it, declining No-Face’s genderous offer, and and ultimately ends up better off for it, particularly morally.
Here, water symbolizes life and freedom, as it often does. In the bathhouse, people work constantly with water; it soothes and pleases visiting spirits, while earning money/food/lodging for the employees. Later, in the film’s final act, Sen must cross what appears to be an endless amount of water to break her friend’s curse. Showing that while it is perilous, the water will lead her closer to her original human life once more.
The best example to showcase this is with Haku. When he finally remembers his name and past as a river spirit, it is because Chihiro cries for him. Amusingly, the person who had helped Chihiro the most was in fact, the literal embodiment of a body of water. Spirited away is an oft overlooked coming of age story that takes a unique perspective on the work one can encounter later in life. The growth of Chihiro to Sen and to Chihiro again is aided by some common and some uncommon symbols. In the end, it’s a relatable tale that contains more depth than initially meets the
Lin, another employee who befriends Sen, is immediately drawn to No-Face’s seemingly unlimited gold, but that does not lessen how much she has helped. Although, the gold is an empty pursuit, as it tends to bring no happiness to those who take it. Sen never touches it, declining No-Face’s genderous offer, and and ultimately ends up better off for it, particularly morally.
Here, water symbolizes life and freedom, as it often does. In the bathhouse, people work constantly with water; it soothes and pleases visiting spirits, while earning money/food/lodging for the employees. Later, in the film’s final act, Sen must cross what appears to be an endless amount of water to break her friend’s curse. Showing that while it is perilous, the water will lead her closer to her original human life once more.
The best example to showcase this is with Haku. When he finally remembers his name and past as a river spirit, it is because Chihiro cries for him. Amusingly, the person who had helped Chihiro the most was in fact, the literal embodiment of a body of water. Spirited away is an oft overlooked coming of age story that takes a unique perspective on the work one can encounter later in life. The growth of Chihiro to Sen and to Chihiro again is aided by some common and some uncommon symbols. In the end, it’s a relatable tale that contains more depth than initially meets the