Reference
NCTA Seminar on East Asia
Terry Owens
Review: Spirited Away film by Miazuki
Grade: 10th World History, AP US History, Global Issues
Pine Richland HS
Miazuki’s film at first seems to be about a typical, whiny, pre-teen named Chihoro. But when Chihoro is faced with the challenge of survival in a strange magical place, her resiliency emerges. Her parents have been transformed into pigs, she must deal with an old lady, cranky and obsessed with greed and gain, and other pitfalls on her journey out of this pace and before she is reunited with her parents. On the basis of this coming of age framework, the film would be useful in middle school, However, I would play this in high school on the basis of the following analysis.
This film is definitely a reaction to capitalist interference in Japanese society and shows the Japanese interest in nature and the environment. There are many examples of this in the film: one character,"no face", represents an innocent Japanese society which has turned to craziness by capitalism. He is a character driven mad by the greed and selfishness of the people around him . He is like a child-blank slate-changed by people and greed around him. Another character, "muck spirit", represents pollution. Chihiro upon cleaning him in the bath house where she works, realizes he is the river spirit. This also represents the pollution of Japanese traditions/values as well as Japanese rivers.
Miazaki's other films are either anti-capitalist, pro environment, or dealing with the horror of WWII. I might use Princess Mononoke by the same director because it takes place in feudal Japan or Grave of the Fireflies (same director)about a boy who is 10 and his little sister who is 3. There father has just died in the war and the Americans are still bombimg. The film shows how people are changed by the war-how cruelty is a bi-product of war. The town in which the children live has been bombed, when the children look for their mother, they find her in a pile of dead bodies. They go to live with their aunt who won't feed them because she finds them a burden...she represents the evil that society has created; the children are forced out of the house and eventually the little sister dies of starvation.
The draw of Anime films is escapism and fantasy. But, they also reflect Japanese obsession with stereotypes and gender specific characters. Additionally, almost like with children's toys, girls will not read boys' manga; and vice-versa.
