Home
Creators
Search Recent Random
Posts
Search DMs Popular Hash Lookup Tags Random
Importer
Import FAQ
Register Favorites Keys Review DMs Logout
Community
Telegram ThePornDude
Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

Spirited Away - Full Reaction (Patreon)

Published:
2022-01-10 07:20:14
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:
haven't archived this post yet. have a subscription? use the importer!

Content

Hey guys! Sorry for 3 posts in 1 day! Here is the full reaction to Spirited Away. This will be a Patreon exclusive as I hear they are sticklers about copyright stuff. This is the first anime film I've ever seen! Hope you enjoy the reaction and have a great week this week! 

Direct link in case the above player doesn't work. 

Find your own copy to follow a long with. 

Download this full reaction. 

Files

Previews only

[Full Reaction] Spirited Away (2001)

Comments

Clay F

My kids loved th Ghibli film: Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989). I think you would like the Ghibli film: The Secret World of Arrietty (2010).

Saturday Night Beaver

It's not that you're not cool or smart enough, you just worry too much Cassie ;)

Astramirran

I'm glad you took a chance on Ghibli as a Patreon exclusive. This is probably the oddest of them all, along with Pom Poko perhaps. There's one Ghibli title that is very grounded in reality; a straight drama that I think is right up your alley. It's something of a quiet, patient watch but the payoff is worth it. It's called "Only Yesterday"

Pirwzy

Happy you got a Ghibli under your belt, they're great. This one is definitely more out there with unexplained imagery. When I watch it I write it off as whimsical background imagery.

Victoria

I grew up as a kid in Okinawa 99' for 6ish years and had the fortune of learning (a little) about the culture and folklore that you see in these movies. He's a great commentator (the river spirit polluted by human junk shown at one point) and the negatives of war (other movies). He animated feelings in the way they FEEL not look, which is quite fun. :D It also helps to know that the culture has the belief that things, animate or not, have a spirit. Again, we will just use the river spirits here as an example of the literal spirit of the rivers themselves. It's really neat :D I hope you give Howls Moving Castle a go or Kiki's Delivery Service. They're rather cute. Seeing all those creatures in this movie are fun but I would say american culture tends to be more familiar with German folklore, Roman/Greek, etc. Seeing things like minotaur's, or cheekily a wolf in grandma clothing, while not important to the plot, you'd know of it. I hope you give his movies more of a chance someday :D Have a good one lass!

Ian Nakamoto

I can understand your confusion, the world of Japanese yokai (spirits) can be really alien to anyone not familiar with them. I'm glad you enjoyed this film, it's one of my favorites from the Studio Ghibli lineup. If you like, I'd also like to recommend you try looking up Howl's Moving Castle and The Cat Returns, I'm sure you'll enjoy those films as well

Kareem Harper

I know this is 2 years late, but I regret no one explained what kami and what spirits, signs like the Torii (鳥居) are and why it isn't about heaven or hell in Shintoism when it comes to the spirit realm before you watched this. Would have resolved a lot of your confusion and except the spirit realms denizens as is. Highly recommend eventually watching The Great Yokai War by Takashi Miike and earlier Kadokawa Yokai and Kaiju films like the 00's Gamera trilogy and Daimajin from the 60s.

Aaron

Omg this is aa😳 amazing!

SplinterTME

I just got done with Dances with Wolves and you post this! Now?! Damn, no sleep for me.

Matt

I recommend NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND if you want another great Hayao Miyazaki film

JediLounger

You picked a heck of a movie to start watching Anime. My first one was Akira in the mid 90’s. My brother rented Akira, Total Recall and Mall Rats and I found them in his room one Saturday evening. That was an interesting night haha.

Robin T

Don't beat yourself up too much about not understanding - it has nothing to do with smarts. It's just a different cultural context, which no doubt takes a lot of immersion to absorb. I don't watch a lot of anime either, and when I do mostly Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli), and so mostly what I get out of it is beautiful new worlds and a reminder that far more than we realize of what we read and watch is based on our own web of familiar cultural tropes, and when you take those away the world gets weird fast. So I don't try to understand what's happening, just let the world wash over me like a piece of music, and focus on the emotions. Also, just want to say I appreciate your dedication in choosing the subbed version. Ghibli often makes it easy for Americans with nice dubbed versions, sometimes even including all-star American voice casts (eg Howl's Moving Castle or Princess Mononoke). But I sometimes also feel, if the idea is to get another cultural perspective, then, well, in for a penny in for a pound.

Jeff I.

Props to you for giving this one a go, Cass! Some other reactors have done this movie who also weren't very familiar with anime or Japanese culture in general and had a similar 'huh?' feeling after watching. I had the same reaction myself in that I liked the animation style and creativity of the characters but was left a bit confused about the overall plot and some of the obviously Japanese myth and influences that I didn't have the cultural background to appreciate fully. If you read a bit more about the movie, you'll learn that there are indeed a lot of metaphors and cultural things going on in this movie that your average American probably would miss. It's one of those movies you kind of have to abandon logic and just let it take you on the crazy ride it wants to. :-)

Mr Jordan

I think you did great for your very first anime. I didn't get a lot of the cultural references either, but the beautiful animation and fantastical world it created was what drew me in. Some of the little details, like how they walk, run or even eat are just mesmerizing, and those were the human characters. I hope you continue to give this genre a chance as it has some of the most imaginative visuals and creative storytelling I have ever seen.

rubberkidney

think of this like a japanese version of 'alice in wonderland' obviously that had a lot of absurd circumstances and characters as well all revolving around an out of place little girl. combine that with japanese spituality and culture with the imagination of studio ghibli and this is what you get. there are themes like the water spirit coming and having his pollution removed and of course the obvious character development but mostly its just a fun imaginative fantasia based on spirits which dont obey human laws of logic and reason. I wouldnt compare this to all animation from japan its as diverse with genres as any media format ranging from serious and grounded to the other end of being extremely animated and imaginative. i would actually recommend something like 'your name' which was a huge hit and is a bit more grounded in what is real with an element of the fantastic in the plot. its a huge romance story too so you will def love it. after that watch some of the other ghibli movies, this one is def pushing the bizarre boundary in a way a lot of their other films dont. like i said spirited away is a lot like alice in wonderland or the oz books that way.

Sol-Edge

I am really glad that you took a leap into Japanese anime though Spirited Away might have been to out there for a first time, but then again it is a classic, I think something like Princess Mononoke which has a more simplistic plot might be good, but at least you gave it a shot, which I am happy for, I do hope you give more Japanese anime classics like this a look but no rush.

Hans Olav

There is a lot of culturally specific stuff in this, Shinto religion is based on that everything in nature has spirits and a lot of the imagery is inspired by that religion. Such as that the stink spirit was a river that had been polluted and needed help. Haku was a river spirit that had been dammed up, but its not anything that you're supposed to understand at once. This is a trippy story and way more trippy than the other Ghibli movies and most anime in general, it is recommended often because it won an Oscar. You're not at all stupid for not understanding this, its very new and meant to be absurd and weird, because you're supposed to feel like Chihiro who is a normal girl trapped in a world of spirits and gods and giant chickens with hats.

JediLounger

Cassie you did well for your first Anime as others have said. This film is a deep and complex narrative about accepting and longing for one’s past while struggling to fully understand your place and identity in one’s country and it’s future, and it’s told from the perspective of a child who is not aware of or is just starting to learn about that cultural history and her place in it. It’s ok that you were confused and scared for much of the movie, because if you recall, so was Chihiro. However she eventually learned to just roll with whatever was happening and trusted that she would find her way back, and she did. If you are interested in learning more there is lots of critique about the film and the messages it conveys. If you want a quick and dirty summary of all the subjects the film covers, the Wikipedia article for the film does a solid job. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirited_Away

Jens Pouplier

You were the perfect reactor / medium for Chihiru, as you mirrored her reactions so perfectly, especially in the beginning of the film - thank you. Obviously, the cultural references are alien to western audiences, and that is actually what makes me like it even more, as it makes the experience of Chihiro's bewilderment so much more immersive. We are in for the ride and wonder, just as Alice in Wonderland. I understand your confusion, but I hope you still enjoyed the beautiful animation (take any screenshot from the movie, and it looks like a gorgeous painting) and the music - and I do believe that upon rewatching or diving in to more Ghibli movies you will gain a greater appreciation for them. However the most important thing is that you gave it a shot - thank you.

Luetin

Its honestly fine to be confused at some things, it only will inspire you to likely want to discover more about a specific subject, period or culture. This was probably one of the best you couldve started with. I think youd enjoy Ponyo as well for its level of confusion coupled with amazing world. Theres many more for you to enjoy though. As I will keep saying - please do Akira - and the original anime movie version of Ghost in the Shell.

DJ Harrison

YES!!!!! I haven't seen this in so long

Planner

I took it to be a fantasy story where she ends up in another world with strange creatures. It's just a strange movie :) The reaction was great, you not understanding what was going on at various parts didn't take away from it at all, your empathy with her really made it. Smart or cool doesn't really come into it, but I get that you were trying to say you didn't have the context to appreciate it. Not having the context isn't a judgement of you like your phrasing was. I don't know that other anime has the same odd world with talking frogs and spirits, so that isn't what most other anime is.

djKENTO

Watching Cassie react to this is what I imagine it’d be like to watch an adult react to Alice in Wonderland for the first time with no knowledge of its tropes or plot.

Mr Trick

There are so many great Ghibli films. My personal favorite is “My Neighbor Totoro”, but there is enough that you could do an entire Ghibli poll.

David Crabtree

I highly recommend the 1986 animated classic, Transformers: The Movie. It's a totally 80's film, with a fantastic score and soundtrack. And stunning 2d animation!

Krusty “Topher”

You Anime guys pretty pumped about Miyazaki coming out of retirement to film How Do I Live?? That’s the ONLY thing I know about Anime. And I just read it.😀🤷‍♂️

Jon Johns

I've never seen this film before, but I think I Recall Roger Ebert gushing over it. I didn't get it at all. I really hoped I would. I've read Japanese fairy tales, I've watched Kurosawa's entire catalog, I've watched a dozen or so Anime films and TV shows... But Spirited Away left me shrugging. I enjoyed Cassie watching, though 🙃

Blaze118
>>75373151

Luetin?! By the Emperor this is a surprise to see you here, but a welcome one nonetheless!

nick bell

I liked StarBlazers as a kid. That's as Anime as I ever got.

WastedPo

You might've found the movie more accessible if you'd watched the English language dub. The English versions of the Studio Ghibli movies are very well done, and approved of by Miyazaki. (Disney co-produced Spirited Away, so it's not like they bastardized someone else's work.)

Jon Johns
>>75389980

I watched the HBO max version, which was dubbed, and done very well! But, that didn't help at all.

Yaisu

I hope you do more of these. I would suggest you stay away from Grave of the Fireflies though. I don't think your heart can handle that one.

Raj K. Dixit

Glad to see you reacting to this, even though I don't like this movie very much. Cassie, you and Carly would absolutely love "My Neighbor Tototo" from this same studio - it's almost like an anime "It's a Wonderful Life"! By contrast, "Grave of the Fireflies", although an incredible work of art, just maybe too much for you, especially since you're sensitive to things involving harm to kids. I have never cried harder at a movie than I did for Grave of the Fireflies. Best wishes for 2022!

Beau Oakley

I feel like Cassie really needs more of an "ease in" approach to Anime, rather than go straight to something as outstanding and strange as Spirited Away. the 2012 "Wolf Children" is exactly the level that I think Cassie would really connect and be immersed in. Something that has rustic, Japanese cultural subjects and lore, but also grounds itself in something incredibly connective and relatable: ie. "Single mum moves out to the country with 2 kids and tries to make it work." I really hope Cassie sticks with it and tries again, I know she can find something she would truly love... it's perhaps more about choosing the right things for her though.

Texas Anla'Shok

“This is really weird.” It’s Japanese, Hun. And this is fairly tame. Some of them can get REALLY out there. I think the Studio Ghibli films that are most accessible to western audiences are “Castle in the Sky”, “Kiki’s Delivery Service”, “Porco Rosso”, and “Arietty’s Secret World”.

James Little

Definitely need to watch AKIRA next! The artwork in that film is something to behold. Every single frame of it is HAND DRAWN and it has more frames per second than any other animated film in history. MILLIONS of pictures drawn together with incredible detail then merged together to make a seemlessly fluid motion, despite being a "cartoon" it looks almost real because of its frame count... - Also the story is mental!

Robxvx

Watch grave of the fireflies it's more reality based and your uncontrollable crying will make good react content.

Wu Sha Ling

for all non japanese watchers. in shinto, nature is represented with spirits. some are demonic, some friendly and some indifferent to humans. It might also help to know Miyazaki is a fervent environmentalist and it reflects in all his movies. [edit]: if those statements were not clear; it is a literal attempt to anthropomorphize aspects of nature as entities worthy of respect. Not so much as "gods", in the western sense, but as equals in this world. What Miyazaki often criticizes is that humanity only views nature as a resource. Settling, hunting, harvesting and polluting without concern. He's not wrong

Philip G.

For the love of God watch Your Name.

Opti_Frog
>>75402053

This, 100%. Your Name is spectacular, and probably a better introductory anime than Spirited Away.

frantaf
>>75401002

I don´t like organizated religions, idea of Shinto and others simillar old religions is much closer to me.

Wu Sha Ling
>>75390491

I agree. It is a powerful piece, but if you know the political context, i would not recommend it. It is a propaganda film, very manipulative and morally wrongheaded.

frantaf

I would say try Silent voice if you want story without too much foreign mythology, but i am only in 3rd book out of 7. So far its story that could be told in any country. I dont want to watch it alone before i finish manga, and that can be at the end of the year.

Robert Haynes
>>75367968

Nausicaa is my favorite of the Studio Ghibli films. I think it's a bit easier to take in as well. The world is fantastical, but has plenty of internal consistency, so it's easier to understand.

Michael Lynch

I have so many feelings after watching that and none of them are good. That was weird and boring and I couldn't wait for it to be done. I think I only kept watching it because I like watching her reactions. I've seen and liked Akira, Howl's moving Castle and both Appleseed movies. I just thought this was horrible.

Carol_White

Boy do I hate Japanimation conventions. Western animation all the way.

Mike Lemon

An animated movie recommendation if you haven't seen it already- The Last Unicorn (1982). It's one of my favorites.

Jordan Fink

the things are Kami- spirits of places some are Kami for people and some are kami for plants and animals. in traditional Shinto society people invite their household spirits into the bathhouse. The director of this film was interested in questions of what had happened to kami now that japanese society had industrialized and turned to consumerism.

Logan Worrall

Your name and a silent voice would definitely be far more ubiquitous idea wise vs spirited away definitely would be cool to see if you might like other areas of anime

Grinznmore

Wow, what an amazing piece of creativity.

I was so impressed with the work of the engineers and artists. The angles, the detail, and the colors. I came into this knowing very about “Anime” but I recognized the style from my childhood and “Speed Racer.” Yes, I’m that old. I grew up with the belief that good animation meant a life-like rendition. Disney’s Fantasia came along and we all marveled. Toy Story was another leap. But watching Peanuts was a joy too. I came to realize good animation means the craft enhances telling the story. And what a story Spirited Away is.

This is art; the animation and the story. Reactions to the story will be as varied as the number of viewers watching it. This is my take.

First of all, I’m sure I missed many of the cultural messages of the film. But that’s ok because I was struck by the universal themes. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more cross-cultural threads I found in the story’s fabric.

We have a coming-of-age movie. Chihiro is a typically difficult female adolescent who does not appreciate the disruption to her world that a family move is making. Parents are dismissive and don’t understand. The child finds empowerment and rescues the parents in the end. Does she remind you of Dorothy or Ralphie?

The story has deadly sins, foremost Gluttony. The parents succumb to the lure of tantalizing smells and gorge themselves like pigs. The scene reminded me of the pie-eating contest in Stand By Me.

There’s greed and lust for gold. We learn being virtuous bears sweeter fruit than materialism. Materialism spawns putrid, disgusting waste. Reckless plundering of the land destroys the life spirit of rivers and land. Cherynoble, Dances with Wolves… We have love and its ultimate power over the wicked spells of evil. A Power that’s in each of us, in our own backyard or cornfield. In Dances with Wolves were exposed to a reverence for the spirit that resides in all things. A notion that resonates across the world today.

And about resonating. This story makes perfect sense if you bring out your inner child. Take a moment and reflect on how young children make up their stories. I think this is the ultimate genius in the movie. It’s in tune with how a child thinks and the fantastical imagination they have. Dr. Seuss understood that, so did Roald Dahl, Shel Silverstein and…Hayao Miyazaki.

Jordan Fink

this is like rumpelstiltskin or cinderella

Jordan Fink

the old lady is based on folk stories of the Mountain Witch Yamauba

Jordan Fink

The Stink spirit was actually a river that had become polluted by human garbage and then was healed by Sen

Jordan Fink

"no face" represents the changes to the culture that came with western consumerism, offering gold, accelerating everything, making life out of balance

Jordan Fink
>>75429101

he helps her at first because he is about breaking the traditional rules: the only way she could get enough tokens, but as he get's bigger he is too much and almost destroys the spirit world

Steve Salazar

You should have watched My Neighbor Totoro. It's not as intense as this movie and cute as heck. Spirited Away is one of my favorite anime's, but as you said, if you don't understand the culture, you may not understand what is happening in this movie. Watch Totoro, it's a bit strange, but also very cute.

Forrest Tanaka

As a Japanese American, I didn't get it when I first saw it, but my then-young daughter loved Chihiro’s journey and we watched it many times, and it really grew on me (and she seemed to love the Spirited Away art book I gave her this past Christmas). But I’d say this is a difficult one to get into, as are several other Ghibli films. That said, I do hope you’ll give others a try, and others here have given good suggestions. I’d say Kiki’s Delivery Service is a really beautiful and accessible coming-of-age story, and Whisper of the Heart is accessible and enjoyable if a little meandering, and everyone loves Totoro. One that gets little attention is When Marnie Was Here, which some don’t like because Hayao Miyazaki didn’t direct it. But I found it a compelling and bitter-sweet accessible story, and surprisingly modern given other Ghibli movie’s settings. My favorite of all is Princess Mononoke, but I don’t think I’d recommend it as much as the other movies I and others have mentioned — it can get kind of trippy, and previous exposure to Japanese culture helps. But it’s a very compelling story driven by Miyazaki’s love of the environment.

DougheGoji19

If its any consolation, this was actually my first time watching this one as well so I was just as confused. If you're interested in a more grounded anime then you should definitely check out A Silent Voice. I can't recommend it enough. On the other hand, if you want something more fantasy oriented but a bit less confusing then check out Your Name.

Brother Who

Oh well, you didn't like it Cassie - all good! I was hoping you would, but them's the breaks (he said as if he was from the 1950s)

DeadNotSleeping

Don't want to bog you down with anime suggestions BUT Your Name is a much more "real world" grounded love story with only a little bit of fantasy type stuff. And the dubbed version is absolutely wonderful so no huge reason to watched the subbed version if it helps your immersion. Warning: it will bring the tears but it's just so, so beautiful!

Rainbow Dash

My earliest anime I remember watching was the original Dragonball, in English dub. Now I watch most anime in original Japanese and have gotten real good at reading subtitles quickly. I really hope you continue to give anime a chance! Not all of it is as extreme as this one.

inpham0us

Cassie, don't worry if you felt confused by most of the things in this movie. I've watched a lot of anime for the last 20 years and even I think this movie is very weird/unconventional. There are a lot of other different types of anime that are less confusing and more grounded. And yes, there's a lot of cultural meaning that they throw at you here and unless you are Japanese or are super into the culture (willing to dig into the meaning behind the metaphors, etc), it's tough to comprehend on your first go. I hope this does not discourage you from watching other types of anime because there is something for everyone...just like movies/tv shows in general!

Ricardo Alanis

I would definitely recommend Your Name as far as an anime you would really appreciate. Same with Weathering With You. Even as an anime fan this was quite jarring in terms of storytelling but by the end I loved the characters and how they grew and touched each other’s lives.

Tarek Sursock

The only way to understand this Anime film is to understand it’s creator Hayao Miyazaki. He has a great love for nature, nostalgia and flight. Those are common themes in his work that he keeps coming back to again and again. Spirited Away is not just a masterpiece, but it’s the only anime feature film to have ever own an Oscar. I highly recommend you watch, his other films like My Neighbor Totoro, Porco Rosso and Princess Princess Mononoke.

Rose

90s Sailor Moon & Escaflowne on Fox Kids first exposed me to anime before I got into Miyazaki’s Spirited Away & Howl’s Moving Castle. This is an entirely new genre for you, so don't worry about not getting the cultural references. The core of the story is about survival and supports the idiom ‘no man is an island.’ As social creatures, the act of spreading 💜 and kindness in life - and to our environment - creates a better world and brings out the best in humanity (somewhat similar themes to It’s a Wonderful Life - but with more fantastical visuals and imagery). Chihiro’s journey into the unknown and how she survives the spirit world is a very worthwhile adventure.

Tyler Foster

One of the simple things to understand is that the sludge guy was also a river spirit, and what Chihiro does is clean the junk out of him, like taking the trash and pollution out of a river. Ultimately, I think there is the risk of overthinking it just because it's Japanese. Consider, for example, the movie Labyrinth (if you've seen it). Is this that much weirder than that? There's definitely some cultural stuff here -- the spiritual element, for example -- but a lot of it is just that adventure story where she faces a villainous witch with a kinder sister (classic Wizard of Oz kinda thing), helps free Haku from imprisonment by giving him his name back, as well as showing No-Face, Bo the baby, and Yubaba's little bird spy some basic kindness, which is then repaid when they stand up to Yubaba in her defense. That said, if you move onto more Studio Ghibli, I would suggest either Kiki's Delivery Service (a straightforward story about witches that should be just as accessible for Americans as the Japanese) or maybe Porco Rosso.

Tyler Foster
>>75776473

Kiki's Delivery Service is a movie I loved back in the VHS days so that is the one where I recommend the English dub. All the others, I watch in Japanese, but I have trouble letting go of Phil Hartman and Janeane Garofalo's performances for Kiki.

Gideon James

First time watching this was with Cassie. I hate to say it but it's going in my disliked films list. 1/10. The 1 is for the music. I get that it's strongly culturally specific so don't @ me.

Walter King
>>75781118

I don't dislike the movie. But there are Ghibli films I like way more than this.

Gideon James
>>75781118

The exact opposite. I have a lot of respect for great writing and animation of all kinds. This movie barely moved my needle. I was with Cassie the whole film. Wth was that? Lol

MJ

You should watch Your Name with your sister. It's another anime, but in my opinion you... IT'S THE GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER! You can watch it on Amazon and watch the english version.

Doc Savage

Lol I watch alot of anime and even to me this movie has always seemed crazier than most.. so it's not you. Still though, artistic movies like this and Amelie will always hold a special place in my heart. Plus, can you imagine being Japanese and watching Disney's Alice in Wonderland? Anyway thank you so much for giving this a chance and I hope this doesn't put off from other anime titles. You may not believe it, but there actually are more coherent anime films out there worth checking out.

Singing Wordwright

Have you considered checking out Yuri on Ice? It's only 12 23-minute episodes (you really could watch it like a long movie) and it's just wonderful.

Groucho Barx

recommendations: kikis delivery service, my neighbor totoro and Your Name

Huh

this was pure gold. some of the facial expressions were priceless, just trying to make sense of all this 😂. I'd go for "your name" if you want to try another anime movie. more mainstream approach with a bit of love story involved

C R

Haha this was a fun watch! I usually recommend Howl's Moving Castle for first time Ghibli viewers - it follows a more western dramaturgy. Build on that and then expand!

Rhumu Roulee

Hi Cassie, I really hope you do more Studio Ghibli movies, this one is a weird one and is full of symbolism but i must say almost every Studio Ghibli movie could be listed among my all time faves! I loved this reaction and i hope to see more!

Deth

Sorry, late to the party. Just watched this. It’s ok to not understand. I honestly don’t think anyone fully understood when they first watched this movie. I’d like to recommend Grave of the Fireflies which is another studio Ghibli movie. It is quite possibly the saddest film I have ever seen. Not saddest anime. But the saddest film.

Grad
>>75781118

Didn't know it was possible to not like/love this movie. Now I know better.