Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki
Released in 2001, Spirited Away is a Studio Ghibli film directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It's a masterpiece with beautiful world-building, stunning visuals, and enchanting music, making it enjoyable no matter how many times you watch it. It's my favorite among Ghibli's works, and upon watching it again after a long time, I made many discoveries.
The scenes I particularly love feature Kamaji, the boiler man, and the spirit resembling a white radish, known as Oshira-sama. Kamaji treats and says Chihiro like his granddaughter, protects her, gives her train tickets, tucks Haku into a futon, and even sits beside him until he wakes up. He's a warm and endearing grandfatherly figure. Oshira-sama doesn't speak but protects Chihiro. Modeled after a deity worshipped in the Tohoku region known for its fondness for children, Oshira-sama likely protected Chihiro due to this characteristic.
Another scene I adore is when the transformed Bo, a mouse, reenacts the scene of "えんがちょ / Put your thumbs and forefingers Together! Evil be gone!” with the soot sprites, which is cute and charming. Also, the meticulous attention to detail in the film, like the sign at the izakaya run by spirits saying "おいでおいでおいで… / Come, come, come…” or the ledger-like characters on the bathhouse walls such as “葬儀 / funeral", “大入 / big entrance”, and “貸借 / lending and borrowing”, adds to its allure.
The character of the River Spirit, Okusare-sama, being polluted by humans also serves as a critique of modern society. Furthermore, elements of Buddhism are incorporated alongside Shintoism, as seen with the “中道 / middle path" inscription on the train and the reference to the sixth station, indicating a blend of spiritual themes.
The opening scenes, with numerous houses of gods and a torii gate, suggest that the world Chihiro stumbles into is that of the gods. The bathhouse run by Yubaba is said to be a place where the Yorozu no kami come to relax from their daily fatigue, though it's speculated to possibly be a brothel. In the movie, when night falls, the bathhouse becomes brightly lit and bustling, reminiscent of a lively night city street. Many kami visit, and within the private baths, women attendants wash their bodies of them. In the morning, those descending from the sleeping quarters are with women. Some women are wearing revealing clothing. The clientele, who are gods, are male, as indicated by the blue color of the curtains bearing the character for “湯 / hot water". Employees have their names taken away and are given pseudonyms, a characteristic of brothels. Also, the blackened newt is an aphrodisiac, and this is implied in the film like Rin's blushing cheeks when Kamaji gives it to her and the frog's demanding for it. The presence of the term “回春 / revitalization" and the shadow on the upper floor when Chihiro and Oshira-sama ride the elevator further support this interpretation.
Losing one's name also acts as a constraint to keep individuals in the bathhouse. Not only employees are taken by their name, but also they lose their original clothes, shoes, and even their scent by consuming the food of that world, essentially losing their identity. To return to the original world, they must remember their name, and their identity, a task made difficult as they forget it while working there. Chihiro quickly forgets her real name, unable to recall it. Rin and Haku are also among those who have lost their true names and selves, forcing them to work under Yubaba. Therefore, Haku and the Susuwatari were hiding Chihiro's clothes, shoes, and belongings to help her return to the original world. By the way, Rin, despite her feminine appearance, exhibits many masculine traits such as speech patterns and using “俺" (a masculine pronoun), suggesting she embodies both male and female characteristics, leading me to believe she's a white fox possessing elements of both genders.
No-face represents a lack of identity, devoid of facial expressions or speech, with its name likely derived from its appearance. Not being invited by the bathhouse and merely brought by Chihiro, it's not considered a god. Considering that no one else besides Chihiro could see him at first, it's possible that the reason he was so attached to her and eager to help her was that she was the first person to notice him, and that brought him joy. Perhaps that's why he became angry and consumed the frog who mocked Chihiro. He likely yearned to be noticed by someone and to fulfill the expectations of those around him, as he seemed to lack a sense of self. So perhaps he became a valued customer at the bathhouse by eating a lot of food, as desired by the employees, and settled into a role of calmly assisting under Zeniba's care. He seems to have inherited the voice, mannerisms, and hairstyle of the person he merged with. It's akin to how humans can exhibit vastly different traits and personalities depending on whom they spend time with.
Moreover, Chihiro undergoes significant growth throughout the narrative. Initially portrayed as a timid girl unable to write her name correctly or descend stairs, she gradually becomes fearless and adaptable, overcoming her fears and bravely facing challenges. There's also a theory suggesting not only psychological but also physical growth, namely, the onset of menstruation, is implied. Chihiro's age as an elementary school student is evident from the scene with her parents at the beginning, making her age fitting for such a milestone. Also, when Chihiro decides to work at the bathhouse, she clutches her stomach and crouches down, complaining of feeling unwell. Later, unable to sleep, she trembles while lying down in the morning. From that point on, Chihiro becomes braver than before. Considering the narrative as a depiction of Chihiro's growth as a young girl, it's highly probable that Miyazaki intended such implications.
The film depicts contrasting parent-child relationships, too. Chihiro and her mother's relationship feels notably cold compared to other Ghibli films. Her mother shows little warmth towards Chihiro, not even looking at her or matching her pace while walking. She seems indifferent to Chihiro's fears, telling her to wait alone in the car or don't walk close together. In particular, it feels unsettling or unusual to see Chihiro's mother show neither concern nor assistance towards Chihiro, who had almost drowned when she was younger, as they cross the river, especially considering her worried demeanor towards her curious father. Observing the mother smiling and embracing the father suggests that the mother's behavior seems cold only towards Chihiro, rather than being her inherent personality. Also, Chihiro is depicted as a skinny girl and you can see her struggles to carry coal from Yubaba's remarks. From those scenes, the neglect or lack of concern for her by the mother is apparent. In contrast, Yubaba and Boh are portrayed as an overprotective mother and a pampered son. Yubaba overly coddles Boh, using baby talk and sheltering him from the outside world, indicating an unhealthy level of parental indulgence even though he is big enough and able to speak. It's like watching a grown-up who remains childish inside and a mother who continues to baby her child even as he grows older. However, while Chihiro can recognize her parents even in their transformed pig forms, Yubaba fails to notice Boh transformed into a mouse, insults the mouse, and fails to realize the existence of the fake Boh for a while. Both sets of parents exhibit distorted forms of love, with neither seeming genuinely caring about their children. However, both Chihiro and Boh mature by venturing into the outside world and gaining experiences.
When Chihiro and her parents return to the real world at the story's end, her parents have lost their memories. Her mother repeats the same lines she said upon entering the tunnel-like gate as if nothing had happened. Yet, their car is covered in dust and grass, indicating a significant passage of time. The gate's color has changed as well. Also, the hair tie made by her friends glows. All of those elements confirm that Chihiro's experiences were not a dream but a reality.
Wow I could make out that when they spoke of the spirits, that they really meant the kami of Shinto but you've really nailed the influences. The film's physical separation of the real world and the spirit world along with the spiritual separation between humans and kami show the disconnect that modern Japan has to its cultural roots. The spirit world's resident's hatred for humans demonstrate the incompatibility and resentment of nature and cultural figures for being forgotten by people. Not only is this plain to see with Okusare-sama through pollution, but also Haku. As we find out, Haku was a river spirit whose river was buried underground by people. There's also the parental theming present in this film like you said. But it's not just Yubaba and Chihiro's parents, but also Zeniba too. Zeniba's role in the film is to serve as the healthy balance of protective and nurturing but also hands-off and trusting.
