SPIRITED AWAY -- or This Week In Acid Casualty Anime Fairy Tales That Will Haunt Your Dreams For A Long Time But Make You Want To Watch Them Over And Over Again

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http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/sen/filmstrip3.jpg

So, I got back from my week long stay in British Columbia (Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo) last night, only to be whisked away to a friend's birthday party and then to a showing of the just-off-the-racks DVD for this little gem of an anime movie called Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki.

Oh.. my.. god. Not to underrate the surreal values of most anime flicks, but this one takes the cake, only because it's disguised as a fairy tale free of violence. And, while, compared to most anime flicks, this is indeed relatively violence-free, the images from this movie will never ever leave my brain -- partially to will, and partially not.

Keep in mind that I'm hardly a movie kinda guy, much less an ANIME kinda guy, and I think this is just one of the movies of the year. Maybe anime connoisseurs will balk at my recommendation... but whatever. And with almost all movies, I recommend the Japanese dialog with English subtitles.

Mind you, I still don't understand most of "Spirited Away", and probably never will. (And that pic at the top really doesn't even touch the surface of what horrific wonders and wonderous horrors are contained within)

Anyway, here are some links...

http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/sen/

(look in the credits of this link, and you'll FINALLY see what 'Cliff''s been up to these days)

http://www.sentochihiro.com/

http://www.digital.anime.org.uk/rsen.html

― donut bitch, Saturday, 24 August 2002 16:16 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm no anime expert, nor even much of a fan myself, but Miyazaki seems to be the most highly regarded director. He also produced what is one of the best Japanese comics I've ever seen, which your first-mentioned website is named for.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 24 August 2002 16:24 (twenty-three years ago)

my god...i had no idea it was out. this is great, just great. miyazaki is very, very high in my pantheon of personal heroes. this is supposedly his last film as a director (in the writing/designing/storyboarding/directing sense), but then again, mononoke was supposed to be his last film, so i hold out hope...

― jess (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 24 August 2002 17:17 (twenty-three years ago)

grrr, well, apparently it's not out commercially in america yet. goddammit. buena vista has really fallen down on the commercial release of studio ghibli's films in america.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 24 August 2002 17:20 (twenty-three years ago)

heh, if anyone's interested i can dig out my age old run down of all of miyazaki's movies up to porco rosso for further recommendations...

― jess (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 24 August 2002 17:23 (twenty-three years ago)

*crickets*

― jess (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 24 August 2002 17:23 (twenty-three years ago)

No, please, dig it up. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 24 August 2002 20:10 (twenty-three years ago)

okay, you asked for it, slightly edited and updated:

castle of cagliostro: his first feature as an "auteur", although not 100% his own creation as it's a feature based on the popular lupin III manga/anime characters. but the execution is pure miyazaki: lupin goes from slavering, sexmad criminal to heart of gold criminal with little to no icky saccharine aftertaste. the most impossible car chase evah (one of the joys of animation), sexy catburglah, a royal wedding, and a climax in a clocktower that disney ripped off for the great mouse detective. marx brothers X cheezball 70s caper movies -/- fairy tale. it's ace.

nausicaa of the valley of wind: as martin said above, based on miyazaki's manga bildungsroman about a young princess in a post apocalypse blah blah where most of the planet has been rendered poisonous and small portions remain inhabitable owing only to the vagaries of tradewinds and luck. and giant bugs! it's a bit truncated, at least when compared to the comic which is much more complex (one of the most complex i've ever read) and wouldn't end for another dozen years after the film was released in 1984. an edited, dumbed down version was released in america under the title "warriors of the wind": AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

laputa: castle in the sky: miyazaki makes a boys own adventure (since most of his films feature female protagonists), but one which is still highly feminized. based - ever so vaguely - on gullivers travels. neat society of benevolent (yet dangerous) robots; bumbling keystone-stylee air pirates led by their ballsy mother. not his best, but highly enjoyable in a saturday afternoon kind of way. streamline released a dub of this which didn't get wide release but still shows up in video stores every now and again. it's pretty good.

my neighbor totoro: the best film ever made. okay, not really, but on most days my favorite film of all time. pastoral picture book tale of two sisters moving to the country where they encounter giant, plush-toy ready beastie. very japanese, in that not much "happens." very keenly observed, detailed (and not even in an animation quality sense.) the portrayal of children is brilliant (if a bit idyllic.)

kiki's delivery service: story of a young witch. saw it once and can't remember a thing about it. therefore i'm tempted to call it his weakest film, but i think it probably deserves another viewing or two before that. some people rate it very highly.

porco rosso: possibly miyazaki's first truly "adult" film, but definately shot through the lens of a family adventure movie still. ther story of porco rosso, "the crimson pig", who was cursed during world war I when he woke up as a squat, fat little pig man. he's also a pilot, and this film represents the apex of miyazaki's fascination with air travel. plenty of great bi-plane action scenes, the spectre of fascism (italy in the 30s, keep in mind), a spunky female mechanic (of course!), and more bumbling air pirates. there's slapstick, but there's something oddly elegiac about this film. it's definately the film of a post-middle aged man who is coming to terms with, well, himself. people think i'm nuts for think this is his "best" film (from an objective, non-totoro standpoint), but i think it's far deeper than most give it credit for.

princess mononoke: certainly his darkest film (although from the description above the new one might trump it), and the one most people have probably seen since miramax gave it wide release in both theaters (!) and video. a pretty bleak view of man vs. ecology (which is a subtext of most if not all his films to one degree or another), but ultimately a redemptive vision, again like all his films.

obviously i could talk about these movies (and the movies of his partner in studio ghibli, isao takahata) all day; i cut a lot out of the capsules above. miyazaki represents pretty much everything i love in film - populist popular entertainment for a broad audience which doesn't sacrifice brain-engagement and minus the cloying nature of most "feel-good" american film. he was a big part, maybe the biggest part, of why i went to film school. he was also a big part of why i dropped out, realizing i would never be able to make these kinds of films in this country, animated or otherwise.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 24 August 2002 22:49 (twenty-three years ago)

heh, i'm such a fucking geek!

― jess (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 24 August 2002 22:53 (twenty-three years ago)

my neighbor totoro

I saw this one, some three times

― Chupa-Cabras (vicc13), Sunday, 25 August 2002 00:41 (twenty-three years ago)

Ah, this guy -- wasn't aware he did Totoro, Mononoke and now this. Most interesting...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 25 August 2002 03:28 (twenty-three years ago)

i saw princess mononoke. it was great. but it was shown outside (in the cold), late at night and i ... well... fell asleep because it was a bit too long for my liking. i did notice the differences in english subtitling and spoken japanese: the subtitling had a different impact, i felt.

― nathalie (nathalie), Sunday, 25 August 2002 03:58 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, doesn't Disney/Miramax own the rights to all of Miyazaki's film in the US? I think that's where the big problem has been in distribution, dubbing, etc. I really really want to see Spirited Away, but dollar to a doughnut they do not release it before Disney's own new animated flick, Treasure Planet, comes out around Thanksgiving. Grr...

― Nicole (Nicole), Sunday, 25 August 2002 11:48 (twenty-three years ago)

To clarify, the copy I saw was one of the few Japanese pre-releases they put out for rent at this video/DVD rental store in Seattle called Scarecrow Video. Last I checked, an American version would be released late September... I just really hope that it has at least the Japanese version with English subtitles. Bad english dubbing, this flick deserves not.

― donut bitch, Sunday, 25 August 2002 15:45 (twenty-three years ago)

I *heart* Kiki's Delivery Servive. I don't *heart* Disney's buying up Ghibli--I don't care except they put the stoopidest dubbing--why can't they leave it in Japanese--I know I know they want to hook the masses but I want the original! I was in Japan when Mononoke fever was at its peak--a Japanese teacher took me to see it...later I rented all the other Ghiblis and Kiki is my favorite cause I really like her cat... Totaro is also lovely... I really want to see Tonari no Yamada-kun which Akiko Yano did a lovely theme song for ("Hitori Bochi"), but the mean man at the MOMA film library wouldn't let me...

― Mary (Mary), Tuesday, 27 August 2002 04:22 (twenty-three years ago)

(thanx for posting that, jess)
(. . . & er, don't really have anything to add but grumblings about limited availability of Miyazaki's work in upsidedownland.)

― Ess Kay (esskay), Tuesday, 27 August 2002 07:36 (twenty-three years ago)

um, have seen (and probably own) all of the above on video. does that make me a geek too? cool.

disagree about 'warriors of the wind' though. if the choice is between seeing 'warriors of the wind' or not seeing it then see it. great flying sequences (something of a common thread in his films) and BIG insects.

the catbus in totoro is, if nothing else, proof that they have LSD in japan 8)

and much as i heart claire danes, she made mononoke sound like she came from The Valley. like, totally.

andy

― koogs, Tuesday, 27 August 2002 09:54 (twenty-three years ago)

three weeks pass...

I had to tell you all about my FABULOUS find this weekend! A box set of all 12 of the Studio Ghibli movies on DVD (except Spirited Away) for really cheap! And it's nice subtitles instead of the crappy Disney dubbing (Claire Danes, just go away).

― Nicole (Nicole), Sunday, 22 September 2002 22:20 (twenty-three years ago)

?!?!? Um, please tell me how and where I can find this ASAP. One of my housemates had Princess Mononoke on DVD and I was happy -- then it was discovered it was Disney's version and I was sad.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 22 September 2002 22:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Not really sure. I got my copy at this skater shop that has an awesome anime collection...I suppose I could email you the phone number of the place if you wanted.

― Nicole (Nicole), Sunday, 22 September 2002 22:56 (twenty-three years ago)

I might be able to order it through hkflix.com as well -- yeah, send me the info, along with maybe the technical details on the box itself (who released it, catalog number, etc.). Might help me scare it up! Thanks! :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 22 September 2002 23:07 (twenty-three years ago)

:```````(

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 23 September 2002 00:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, thanks to this thread and DB, Nicole and Jess's enthusiasm, I went and saw Spirited Away tonight -- it did indeed just get released in the States here. Oddly enough, I think I really lucked out -- see, I heard that in fact it would be a dubbed version, and even the studio promo stuff in the theater lobby said that. But it turns out -- possibly because of the Japanese emigre community around here -- that the version shown was in fact subtitled! Thus blessed, I got the film straight up as it was created, and while I'm not as completely and thoroughly blown away as DB was, I'm not far behind -- there are indeed some amazing images and set pieces, and the story as a whole is beautifully, exquisitely handled. Yes, let me recommend this thoroughly -- it was a blessing to be able to see it that way in the theaters, and I understand the passion for the studio's work as a whole that much more clearly now.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 29 September 2002 07:50 (twenty-three years ago)

And a little research has turned up how to get that DVD DB mentioned at the start of the thread for a good price, though it is Region 3. Definitely time for me to get that multi-region player...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 29 September 2002 20:28 (twenty-three years ago)

I got the DVD of Spirited Away for $20.00, but it was a region 2 dvd; however, I have found out that region 2 dvds work fine on my region 1 dvd player (at least the ones I have got so far).

― Nicole (Nicole), Sunday, 29 September 2002 20:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Yay! Hurrah for technological loopholes.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 29 September 2002 20:42 (twenty-three years ago)

i am no face

― chaki (chaki), Sunday, 29 September 2002 21:03 (twenty-three years ago)

I saw this last weekend, and it was every bit as good as everyone on this thread says it is. I think it's probably the most visually enthralling animated feature I've ever seen. For once, I was actually glad that it was dubbed rather than sub-titled because (1) there were no subtitles blocking the bottom section of the screen, and (2) I didn't have to worry about missing the visual action while trying to keep up with the dialogue.

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 17:17 (twenty-three years ago)

*SPOILER ALERT*

One of the scenes in the movie that still haunts me and confuses me is the earlier No Face scenes where he makes these really disturbing, almost orgasmic grunts to produce the gold and offer it. It still sends shivers down my spine.

― donut bitch (donut), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 17:24 (twenty-three years ago)

True, I'm surprised Disney didn't tone down the grunts while redubbing the dialogue. Or maybe they sounded different in the original.

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 18:00 (twenty-three years ago)

:`````(

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 19:07 (twenty-three years ago)

five months pass...

FYI: The movie has been re-released this weekend. If you haven't seen it yet, don't miss your chance to see it on the big screen!

― Nicole (Nicole), Friday, 28 March 2003 20:26 (twenty-two years ago)

How cool! :-) Good run up for the DVD release as well -- but I hear said release is only going to include the dubbed version, so imports here I come...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 28 March 2003 20:29 (twenty-two years ago)

i saw it! it came to the oly art theater a month or two back. there's a reason he's my only hero

― jess (dubplatestyle), Friday, 28 March 2003 21:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I laurv this film. Best new movie I've seen in years.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 28 March 2003 23:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Grate film. Also available on KaZaA, for those so inclined. I recently watched another great anime, "Grave of the Fireflies", which was incredibly good, beautifully illustrated and totally wrenching. It's about a teenage boy and his baby sister in Japan during the fierce American bombing campaign near the end of the war.

― webcrack (music=crack), Friday, 28 March 2003 23:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Grave of the Fireflies is a Miyazaki flick also right?

― James Blount (James Blount), Saturday, 29 March 2003 07:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I've cried everytime I've seen this movie

― James Blount (James Blount), Saturday, 29 March 2003 07:54 (twenty-two years ago)

fireflies was directed by isao takahata who's his partner in studio ghibli. yes, it's brutal, especially if you have a little sister

― jess (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 29 March 2003 07:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I got three little sisters! include me out!

― James Blount (James Blount), Saturday, 29 March 2003 07:59 (twenty-two years ago)

"Good run up for the DVD release as well -- but I hear said release is only going to include the dubbed version, so imports here I come... "

The (US) copy I've seen on sale lists Japanese as one of the english language options, with english subtitles. Does this mean you get the "untampered" version too?

― Nathan Webb (Nathan Webb), Tuesday, 1 April 2003 17:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I love this movie, but I must say that it did lead me to get involved in the only movie theater altercation I have been involved with this past weekend.

From everything I have read, the Disney DVD will have the original version (w/subtitles) as well as the dubbed version. Though I must say, having heard the dubbed version it's a vast improvement on the dub for Princess Mononoke.

― Nicole (Nicole), Tuesday, 1 April 2003 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)

the only movie theater altercation

!!!

Heavens. Dare I ask the details?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 1 April 2003 17:51 (twenty-two years ago)

i watched grave of the fireflies for the first time a couple of weeks ago, on the first day of "shock & awe". very sad.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 1 April 2003 18:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I actually got to see Grave Of The Fireflies in my 10th grade World History class courtesy of one of the best teachers I ever had, Doc Wilkerson (who retired a year later). I just wanted to give him a shout-out.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 1 April 2003 19:43 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

Saw this yesterday, incredible movie. It was dubbed, but I thought it was done really well.

― dleone (dleone), Monday, 12 May 2003 12:57 (twenty-two years ago)

The dub for this turned out to be surprisingly good, probably because John Lasseter was in charge of it.

― Nicole (Nicole), Monday, 12 May 2003 13:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Which leads me to ask who John Lasseter is...

*googles*

Yeah, that would qualify him, wouldn't it?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 12 May 2003 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

BRING OUT NAUSICAA, PORCO ROSSO, AND THE OTHERS YOU BASTARDS

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 12 May 2003 13:53 (twenty-two years ago)

This movie is fucking amazing. I can't even begin to describe...just WOW.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 12 May 2003 14:09 (twenty-two years ago)

And a little research has turned up how to get that DVD DB mentioned at the start of the thread for a good price, though it is Region 3. Definitely time for me to get that multi-region player...

Ned, the Japanese Region 3 double DVD set (Spirited Away + Storyboards & Making of) is playable on my computer (RC1) as well as my flatmate's (RC2). I don't know about "regular" DVD players though.

― Frühlingsmute (Wintermute), Monday, 12 May 2003 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I've got a multiregion one now so I might yet get that. But I wonder what it's like compared to the American release.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 12 May 2003 14:17 (twenty-two years ago)

This movie needs more giant robots and tentacle sex.

― adam (adam), Monday, 12 May 2003 14:39 (twenty-two years ago)

And Will Smith in the lead role.

― Frühlingsmute (Wintermute), Monday, 12 May 2003 14:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Kiki's Delivery Service is out on DVD. And Jess, if you're not a Jap-lang. whore, Kim's has like a 12 dvd set for around $59 dollars or something, English dubbing with Chinese subtitles. I would get it but I like to hear the Nihon-go.

― Mary (Mary), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 04:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I really enjoyed this movie, though it really did give me nightmares. It was all because of that No Face guy - yikes!

― Sarah McLUsky (coco), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 12:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I had a dream last night that I was on a hanglider and the muddy stink-beast from Spirited Away was chasing me. I tricked him into going into the ocean, though, where the saltwater dissolved him.

― NA. (Nick A.), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 12:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Wow - we watched Spirited Away twice last night (taking a break to do a Baskin Robin's run for Chocolate Chip Mint and Cookie Dough). I am still completely entranced and disturbed and my mind is all swirly. I do wish that I had some concept of the mythological/historical/cultural allusions in the film - I think that there were many levels of meaning that went right over my head. I loved those little coal-carrying things, though.

So, um, does anyone want to venture what happened to the family once they returned to their car and drove to their "new" home? (With the time passage and stuff, I mean.)

― I'm Passing Open Windows (Ms Laura), Monday, 19 May 2003 00:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I saw this last night and LOVED it and now I want to watch it again. Despite No Face being kind of scary, I really liked him.

― Mandee, Monday, 19 May 2003 00:41 (twenty-two years ago)

strictly Alice In Wonderland turf
I reckon he wanted to animate certain things - then found a way to link 'em all in a 'story?'

― Paul (scifisoul), Monday, 19 May 2003 01:29 (twenty-two years ago)

does anyone want to venture what happened to the family once they returned to their car and drove to their "new" home?

That's part of the joy of the story...that it ends there, and you just don't know. I'm not sure myself.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 19 May 2003 02:15 (twenty-two years ago)

That's one of the things I really like about Miyazaki's style, is that he leaves lots of things unexplained; the 3 bouncing grunting heads, the strange encounter with the radish spirit, the strange eerie spirits out in the streets...it kinda adds to the strange realism of his films by leaving so much unexplained.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 19 May 2003 12:46 (twenty-two years ago)

It seemed really long. Almost all anime movies I've seen seem too slow. I liked the imagination on display, but I doubt I got more out of it that I would had I looked at a portfolio of the character designs.

I agree with Paul. Very Wonderlandish... As in nearly every scene is another "This is how we do things here in CRAZY Alternate Dimension World... Look there: CRAZY!"

― Stuart (Stuart), Monday, 19 May 2003 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

six months pass...

NO FACE was so cute. When he tried to give her all those herbal cakes he looked like a puppy. It was a bit sad that she never said goodbye to him properly.

I just saw it for the first time on Thursday. The CCA are showing it with subtitles. They never bother me but I guess I must have been missing visual tuff without realising - I'd love to see the dubbed version too, seeing as people say it's so well done.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 14 December 2003 12:49 (twenty-two years ago)

If you want some insight into the origins of some of the weird beings and happenings in Spirited Away, have a read at Shinto and its Festivals by Denny Sargent.

― Momus (Momus), Sunday, 14 December 2003 13:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Miyazaki believes in the audience feeling genuine, powerful emotions, terror, confusion, unease, gladness, love. Like in early Disney, eg Pinnochio, not today where it's all filtered for you into a low-key blandness.
I saw Spirited Away several times and it stayed fresh while each time suggesting more to me. Finally i think it's an allegory of the horror of having to grow up and go to work. Chihiro being in fear of her life conveys the death of innocence that we fight against.

― pete s, Sunday, 14 December 2003 14:01 (twenty-two years ago)

i have gathered that @d@m doesn't like this movie AT ALL and want to know why.

I think it's great, but the story is a little meandering and the characters seem to change from being likable to unlikeable rather suddenly sometimes, I'm assuming this is just a cultural difference or something.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Sunday, 14 December 2003 23:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't hate it, I just don't understand all the hullabaloo!

Manga/Anime-what's the big deal?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Sunday, 14 December 2003 23:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't hate it, I just don't understand all the hullabaloo!

Well, you're a punk. Uh, yeah.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 14 December 2003 23:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Films that make N post stuff like THIS -

"NO FACE was so cute. When he tried to give her all those herbal cakes he looked like a puppy.

- should be banned OUTRIGHT!

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Sunday, 14 December 2003 23:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I saw it a few weeks ago and was left singularly unmoved.

Was too long, the charcters were not particularly interesting, story was not that original and the animation did not excite me at all. I was all excited too as I'd heard good stuff about it and walked out feeling 'that was it?!?'

― H (Heruy), Monday, 15 December 2003 06:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, you big meanie. I finally saw this Saturday and I thought it was absolutely beautiful! HSA was a bit "Oh, it was slightly too self consciouly weird!" and I told him "no, it's a fairy tale, fairy tales are always weird, you just think of it as self conscious because you don't know the myths that it's based on!"

I loved it, and I'm film-deaf. I thought it was charming and beautiful without being twee, it was suspenceful and scary without being horrifically violent, and it made me happy.

― HRH Queen Kate (kate), Monday, 15 December 2003 11:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Fantastic film, wonderful, marvellous, and I can't believe it's not out on DVD yet :(

I saw the dubbed version and thought it was excellent. Of course, it's animation, so it's MUCH easier to dub than a live action film - from experience there should be almost no lowering of quality or balance because of this. Having said that, Sarah saw it in Japanese and definitely preferred that version - sgs to thread to explain why?

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 15 December 2003 11:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I was disappointed that it was dubbed and not subtitled. There seemed to be things that were missing, but not enough to spoil my enjoyment of the film. However, subtitles in such a visual extravaganza of a film might have really intruded. You don't want to be busy trying to read subtitles while a stink demon is wrecking havoc on the bathhouse, do you?

― HRH Queen Kate (kate), Monday, 15 December 2003 11:16 (twenty-two years ago)

In here we have subtitles in every film (except in Finnish ones, obviously), it isn't that big a distraction. I have no idea about the dubbed version, but the Japanese voice actors in Spirited Away were great.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 15 December 2003 11:21 (twenty-two years ago)

markelby, I saw it on DVD so you should be able to find it.

― H (Heruy), Monday, 15 December 2003 13:12 (twenty-two years ago)

You can get it on Region 1 but Amazon doesn't list a Region 2 release date yet I don't think. I know, region-free players yadda.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 15 December 2003 13:15 (twenty-two years ago)

When I watched it I had trouble reading the subtitles, problems keeping up like I was in 2nd grade or something. But Dakota Fanning who dubbed for Chihiro really grated on my nerves, so I learned to read again.

I suggest rounding up all the hataz into a rocket and firing them into the sun. The scene on the train is one of the most powerfully emotional scenes I've ever witnessed.

― Leee Iacocca (Leee), Monday, 15 December 2003 23:44 (twenty-two years ago)

on the dubbing of anime ... i was very surprised to see the recent re-release of Akira w/ subtitles. the original i'd seen had been dubbed and i found the plot and dialogue v. confusing. the subtitles seemed to make much more sense - why couldn't they have just translated the dialogue that way in the first place??

― vahid (vahid), Monday, 15 December 2003 23:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I bought the dvd for a friend for xmas. I really want to open it and watch it. :(

when i saw it in the theater it was dubbed so i assume the dvd is too.

― A Girl Named Sam (thatgirl), Tuesday, 16 December 2003 01:30 (twenty-two years ago)

The DVD has both dubbed and subtitled options, thankfully.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 16 December 2003 01:31 (twenty-two years ago)

DO you have access to a shrinkwrap machine? Because then you could watch it and then wrap it back up! (Not that this has ever occurred to me before or I've tried it when I was younger with disasterous results, oh no...)

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 16 December 2003 01:32 (twenty-two years ago)

If you believe that, the Brooklyn Bridge is still new....

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Tuesday, 16 December 2003 01:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Can't you just pretend you got it from some independent eco-friendly DVD store that doesn't shrinkwrap things?

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 16 December 2003 01:40 (twenty-two years ago)

three weeks pass...

Here's an article that talks about Miyazaki's next movie. Sounds pretty cool too.

― dleone (dleone), Monday, 12 January 2004 14:29 (twenty-two years ago)

This guy retires more often than the Cure.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 02:57 (twenty-two years ago)

*rechecks story* Although Diana Wynne Jones! That's wonderful, she's a fantastic and deeply underrated author, and given Miyazaki's increasing cachet everywhere now, I hope this turns into something that really showcases her work.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 02:58 (twenty-two years ago)

seven months pass...

at the risk of reviving another thread for it to just die on it's arse like the last half a dozen:

Spirited Away double dvds available for a tenner in Virgin megastores around the country* now

* sample size = 1 - Hammersmith

― koogs (koogs), Thursday, 26 August 2004 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw quite a few Japanese animation things, but I don't know if they're any good. Something about vampires.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Thursday, 26 August 2004 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Blood: The Last Vampire?

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 26 August 2004 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Thursday, 26 August 2004 15:37 (twenty-one years ago)

The animation is very good, the story for that one is very meh though.

― Leon Czolgosz (Nicole), Thursday, 26 August 2004 15:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, it was just too short.

I got Kah Doh Maru on DVD, it was very disappointing!

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 26 August 2004 15:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Beware the Disney DVD of My Neighbor Totoro, by the way. It's JUST the dubbed version, with no subtitle feature offered. WTF? I thought that was kind of standard for a non-English film on DVD. My dreams will remain unfulfilled until I've seen the Japanese version of Totoro.

― briania (briania), Thursday, 26 August 2004 16:00 (twenty-one years ago)

What of all this 'Ghost in the Shell 2 / Innocence' business? I've seen a trailer but have no idea if this is already out worldwide or still a Japan-only thing (?)

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Thursday, 26 August 2004 16:04 (twenty-one years ago)

animation and story are more than meh - they're crap.

i recognize the unhealthily excessive love for this film is driving my ever-increasing levels of dislike - but PLZ PPL its is just not that good!!!!

Why??? Why??

― H (Heruy), Friday, 27 August 2004 00:21 (twenty-one years ago)

eh? "kai doh maru" doesnt seem to haev an imdb entry. not even the crew can be found. what is goign on here.

― :|, Friday, 27 August 2004 01:00 (twenty-one years ago)

wow great jess post though yeah kiki's is my favourite ghibli...

― cºzen (Cozen), Friday, 27 August 2004 18:40 (twenty-one years ago)

obviously i could talk about these movies (and the movies of his partner in studio ghibli, isao takahata) all day; i cut a lot out of the capsules above. - jess.

do you still have the rest, around, on file, somewhere jess?

― cºzen (Cozen), Friday, 27 August 2004 18:42 (twenty-one years ago)

is that 'handjob from god' 12 disc dvd set of ghibli films still available at all anywhere?

― cºzen (Cozen), Friday, 27 August 2004 18:44 (twenty-one years ago)

this is a great film, ef the haters. do you hate fun/ghibli guilt/etc.

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 27 August 2004 18:48 (twenty-one years ago)

YES I DO GYGAX

― adam. (nordicskilla), Friday, 27 August 2004 18:48 (twenty-one years ago)

even I like this film.

― cºzen (Cozen), Friday, 27 August 2004 18:49 (twenty-one years ago)

have you seen the short documentary DVD that comes with the Geto Boys greatest hits?

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 27 August 2004 18:50 (twenty-one years ago)

― adam. (nordicskilla), Friday, 27 August 2004 18:50 (twenty-one years ago)

point me to some decent Ghibli and I will give it another try. Please bear in mind - I like films to be either totally plotless or incredibly plotful. Inbetween is death.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Friday, 27 August 2004 18:53 (twenty-one years ago)

i would recommend "raccoon wars". shapeshifting racoons guerillerize humans who steal thier land. the raccoons can change into ANYTHING and this element is played out in ways that wuold have made tex averys jaw drop. the movie doesnt have much of a story to tell or even charatcers though.

― :|, Friday, 27 August 2004 19:26 (twenty-one years ago)

two weeks pass...

Right. I am going to put myself in stocks for a couple of hours and the rest of ILX can all throw tomatoes and eggs and excrement at me for not enjoying Spirited Away. then we will never speak of this again. Do we have a deal?

― adam. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 September 2004 18:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Stop squirming, I can't aim the tomato.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 16 September 2004 19:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I was fine until you revived the thread and reminded me.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 16 September 2004 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

I do sympathize with you, though. I kind of hate when people give me guff for not enjoying something (or not having seen something: OH MY GOD YOU HAVEN'T SEEN "GOODFELLAS" ARE YOU UNAMERICAN? WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?).

On the other hand, you're still wrong.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 16 September 2004 19:14 (twenty-one years ago)

i liked princess mononoke better.

― Richard K (Richard K), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Have people seen the trailers for "Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence"?

― Dan Perry '08 (Dan Perry), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Adam, I do not like Spirited Away very much either. It is teh boring and if it wasn't for cutezzzzz animal-things no one else would like it either.

Yeah, I said it.

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Thursday, 16 September 2004 21:02 (twenty-one years ago)

good. you can take over as an object of scorn and ridicule.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 September 2004 21:05 (twenty-one years ago)

BRING IT FUCKOS

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Thursday, 16 September 2004 21:06 (twenty-one years ago)

i think adam is being anti-semetic.

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 16 September 2004 21:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I agree with adam and Ally.

― luna (luna.c), Thursday, 16 September 2004 21:06 (twenty-one years ago)

The backlash begins!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 16 September 2004 21:08 (twenty-one years ago)

It is just really, really, really, really aimless. I have a difficulty with this, owing to some mild ADD I'm sure but I just couldn't really sit through it and when it was over, I jut looked at Tom and we both were like laughing, like that's IT? What a waste of time just to see a catbus, we could've just watched the g if on the internet.

My keyboard at school sucks.

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Thursday, 16 September 2004 21:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I like Nausicaa better, but Spirited Away has this incredible scale - like the sky and the sea and train tracks go on forever.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 16 September 2004 21:10 (twenty-one years ago)

No, visually, it's very beautiful. But so is Akira IMO and that's a lot more interesting.

(Because it has teh bloodshed, obv)

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Thursday, 16 September 2004 21:11 (twenty-one years ago)

What a waste of time just to see a catbus, we could've just watched the g if on the internet.

Er...was this Spirited Away or My Neighbor Totoro you were watching?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 16 September 2004 21:36 (twenty-one years ago)

this thread is very useful

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 16 September 2004 21:37 (twenty-one years ago)

owing to some mild ADD I'm sure

*touches nose*

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 16 September 2004 21:45 (twenty-one years ago)

There is something about Totoro that makes it feel like the pilot for a series.

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Thursday, 16 September 2004 23:21 (twenty-one years ago)

You spirited away haters are gonna be first against the wall

― \(^o^)/ (Adrian Langston), Wednesday, 29 September 2004 16:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Come and get me, monkey face!

― Little Lord Travolta (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 29 September 2004 16:19 (twenty-one years ago)

i loce u adeeee

― Professor Challenger (ex machina), Wednesday, 29 September 2004 16:30 (twenty-one years ago)

monkey fa-@ce??1/ LISTEN ADAM, I WILL FUCKING DESTROY YOU OK

― \(^o^)/ (Adrian Langston), Wednesday, 29 September 2004 16:31 (twenty-one years ago)

two months pass...

I got this for Christmas and have just watched it. It is bonkers.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 27 December 2004 01:49 (twenty-one years ago)

if anyone is in paris soon, there's a miyazaki/moebius exhibition at the money museum, or whatever its called - left bank, on the seine, across from the palais du louvre, i think. it was nice

― phil-two (phil-two), Monday, 27 December 2004 02:00 (twenty-one years ago)

should I buy this:

http://www.discountanimedvd.com/detail.asp?dvdno=158

― cºzen (Cozen), Tuesday, 28 December 2004 23:36 (twenty-one years ago)

It's on Sky Cinema 1 tomorrow, and Sky Cinema 2 the next day, by the way.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 28 December 2004 23:42 (twenty-one years ago)

wow. $48. a bargain

― phil-two (phil-two), Tuesday, 28 December 2004 23:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, Cozen, you should.

― cis (cis), Tuesday, 28 December 2004 23:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I am looking to buy this, on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1345&item=5946452010&rd=1&ssPageName=WD2V

― cºzen (Cozen), Tuesday, 28 December 2004 23:54 (twenty-one years ago)

For what it's worth, those are both bootleg sets -- there are a number of them out there, some better than others (the set Nicole mentions up top is one of them, I gather). I'm about to embark on a catch-up program with the American releases, as a good slew of the Ghiblis are now available over here. There is at last count apparently one actual legit straight-up box set, but it's Chinese and ruinously expensive, I gather. I'll dig up the page I found more info on to share.

I actually watched Spirited Away last night at home, as I had brought it along for my Xmas holiday to show my mom, who I thought would enjoy it and unsurprisingly did, very much. However, as she's not fond of reading subtitles on the small screen, we watched it in the American dub, in my case for the first time -- all previous times have been with subtitles. Now, I know that John Lasseter oversaw that and the other recent American dubs, and I know that it kept a large amount of the original intact, fair enough -- but there were still a number of changes that grated horribly, I mean REALLY horribly. I particularly couldn't believe the final two lines of dialogue in the dub in the final few seconds, which from what I recall had absolutely no equivalent in the original version -- it changed the ending from a wonderful, beautiful and ambiguous meditation on what really 'happened,' as the car drives away to what's essentially an unknown fate, to a miserable Afterschool Special of the worst variety. I felt like I had been smacked in the face.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 28 December 2004 23:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I've only ever watched the dubbed version because I abhor subs (they detract from the action) and besides, they are rather good. Can you tell me what the last bit is like on the subtitled version please Ned?

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 14:44 (twenty-one years ago)

There's a big subtitle orgy and everyone shoots Raisinets out of their bums.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Now, I know that John Lasseter oversaw that and the other recent American dubs, and I know that it kept a large amount of the original intact, fair enough -- but there were still a number of changes that grated horribly, I mean REALLY horribly. I particularly couldn't believe the final two lines of dialogue in the dub in the final few seconds, which from what I recall had absolutely no equivalent in the original version -- it changed the ending from a wonderful, beautiful and ambiguous meditation on what really 'happened,' as the car drives away to what's essentially an unknown fate, to a miserable Afterschool Special of the worst variety. I felt like I had been smacked in the face.

Huh. I have yet to watch the dubbed version, I am surprised to hear it turned out to be this bad. I guess it could be due to Disney's influence, though.

― Leon the Fratboy (Ex Leon), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Unless I'm *very* wrong -- I really should just throw on the DVD and confirm it, maybe I will! -- the car drives off into the woods with no further word from anyone in it. No groan-worthy little bit about how school won't seem so scary anymore.

xpost -- Actually I'm lying and Dan is quite correct. Also, the Overfiend appears and...well, anyway.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Whoa, that's weird, Leon, I thought you HAD seen the dubbed version! Way upthread:

The dub for this turned out to be surprisingly good, probably because John Lasseter was in charge of it.

-- Nicole (nicolew1...), May 12th, 2003.

I should say that it wasn't consistently and constantly horrifying or anything, in fact technically it's a superb piece of work in terms of matching words with characters' mouth movements, and most of the dialogue does match the subtitles while occasional changes for those technical reasons often are fine enough. But again, it's just those couple of moments that bug me -- and I think you're right, I could easily see some Disney hack saying "Just make sure it's a happy ending." Dorks.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 14:52 (twenty-one years ago)

It ends with Chihiro saying: "Mommy, promise me you and daddy will become vegetarians."

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Hahaha.

"Mom, I'm not going to eat bacon sandwiches anymore."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 15:00 (twenty-one years ago)

"Daddy, how come humans smell?"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 15:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Whoa, that's weird, Leon, I thought you HAD seen the dubbed version!

Maybe I did, but I don't even remember even watching it now! My memory seems to be getting worse each day. :(

― Leon the Fratboy (Ex Leon), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh I don't know, it's not as if "It's fun to move to a new place" is THAT offensive. I think it ties it up quite nicely. I guess it's the version you're used to though.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 16:14 (twenty-one years ago)

But there's such a lovely Rip Van Winkle air of mystery about the return to the car and the sense that it seems years have passed. Perhaps it is just me.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 16:53 (twenty-one years ago)

ned aren't you being a bit theatrical? I saw the dubbed version a few times and enjoyed it just fine, admittedly I had no other version to compare it to, but it's still such a minor alteration. i also think i was just so elated and schoolgirl-giddy that I wouldn't have even noticed if the last line was "i'm too old for this shit!!"

― CROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW (Adrian Langston), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 16:56 (twenty-one years ago)

ned aren't you being a bit theatrical?

Isn't this like asking, "Do you like the Cure or something?"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 16:57 (twenty-one years ago)

two weeks pass...

this week's new yorker has an big long article/interview (!) on Miyazaki, not available online though. It's the January 17 issue, black-and-white cover.

1. Nausicaä is being released on video/DVD in America with voices of Uma Thurman and Patrick Stewart. This will be a Miyazaki-approved edit with the option to watch the japanese version with subtitles, like Spirited Away. It will be released Feb 22 along with Porco Rosso and The Cat Returns.

2. The next Miyazaki film is an adaptation of "Howl's Moving Castle." Possible US release date of June 5.

― teeny (teeny), Sunday, 16 January 2005 01:25 (twenty-one years ago)

"howl" is probably still in theaters in japan, anyone seen it or a bootleg?

Here is an interview with the author of the new yorker article:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/content/?050117on_onlineonly01

It was a really really good article, it made me want to have kids so I could take them to Miyazaki movies.

― teeny (teeny), Sunday, 16 January 2005 01:27 (twenty-one years ago)

looking forward to the Porco Rosso release, but I wish they'd gotten Jean Reno to reprise his role as Marco from the excellent french dub. nausicaa is pretty marginal by miyazaki standards (ie. still very good), it was one of his early features and mostly suffers from attempting to streamline the massive, brilliant manga on which it was based.

the manga is really, really worth your time as well. serialized monthly for 12 years straight, he wrote and illustrated it himself (a rarity in the manga industry) and didn't actually complete it until 10 years after the movie was finished. some of the most beautiful and utterly berserk comics ever produced.

― ade (Adrian Langston), Sunday, 16 January 2005 01:55 (twenty-one years ago)

and I'm pretty sure Howl isn't on DVD in japan yet, so any bootlegs available right now are probably of questionable quality. the US release date is supposed to be June 05, i think i can wait. oh, and peep this!!!

From a 15 January Chinese news article:

----
Impressed by the success of the movie "Howl's Moving Castle", Studio Ghibli decided to make a "sequel": but this is no ordinary sequel. It will be a "Big Circus Show", with a story that begins with Sophie and Howl's thought of forming a circus together.

The "Big Circus Show" will be started in late April (27 April) and will last for about 100 days (till 21 August). Howl, Sophie, Witch of the Waste and all other important characters will jump out of the screen as actors and let the audience to experience a fantastic voyage of circus.

The nature of a "sequel" and a "circus" seem to be fundamentally different. What made Ghibli to come up with such an idea? Producer Suzuki explained, "Outwardly there seems to be no correlation between the 'sequel' and the original story. In the 'sequel', the characters will make you feel that they have feelings of isolation. But when we examine the outward appearances and the inner hearts of the characters again, you can find that it is related to the original story."

There will also be a gigantic "Howl's City" in the site of the show. All the characters in the story will be displayed as puppets. In the middle of the site, an old-style "tent house" will be built. There will be even more surprises waiting for the people. It will be a new record of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Tokyo that a movie-related show can occupy the museum for 100 days.

According to the the people in the movie industry, probably Director Miyazaki was influenced by the idea "Circus is the source of movies" which made Ghibli to come up with the decision of making a circus show. Producer Suzuki said, "we don't want to be limited to animation which is just a narrow form of creation. We hope that through the circus show, people can grasp the new charms of 'Howl's Moving Castle'."

― ade (Adrian Langston), Sunday, 16 January 2005 02:03 (twenty-one years ago)

a conversation between moebius and miyazaki

http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/interviews/miyazaki_moebious.html
http://www.miyazaki-moebius.com/
http://animeland.com/index.php?rub=articles&id=623

― ade (Adrian Langston), Sunday, 16 January 2005 02:08 (twenty-one years ago)

two years pass...

so ashamed to have only just watched this.

― blueski, Thursday, 7 June 2007 23:02 (eighteen years ago)

But you enjoyed it, right?

― chap, Thursday, 7 June 2007 23:05 (eighteen years ago)

I think my favorite bit is when the stink monster comes in, and it turns out to just be a polluted river.

― kenan, Thursday, 7 June 2007 23:27 (eighteen years ago)

it's all about the scene on the train and all the ghostly passengers getting on and off. i must watch this again soon.

― the next grozart, Thursday, 7 June 2007 23:32 (eighteen years ago)

Giant radish spirit!

― Jaq, Thursday, 7 June 2007 23:33 (eighteen years ago)

terrible film.

― jed_, Thursday, 7 June 2007 23:41 (eighteen years ago)

you mustn't say such silly things.

― kenan, Thursday, 7 June 2007 23:42 (eighteen years ago)

But you enjoyed it, right?

hell yeah, even tho it was the dubbed version. great fun - haters puzzle and sadden me. the 'domestication' of No-Face at Zeniba's amused me (amongst 99 other things) and i liked that Chihiro seemed to always have some new challenge to overcome every 5 minutes, and the general increase in scale of these challenges. now for My Neighbour Totoro i guess.

― blueski, Friday, 8 June 2007 00:03 (eighteen years ago)

I prefer the dubbed version, even of Mononoke, where the celebrity voices are a bit distracting. You get more information. The subtitles are so... terse.

― kenan, Friday, 8 June 2007 00:13 (eighteen years ago)

I tend to enjoy Miyazaki films a bit more if I don't parse for information so much, actually. Few of them make perfect linear sense.

― chap, Friday, 8 June 2007 00:18 (eighteen years ago)

Really NONE of them make perfect linear sense.

― forksclovetofu, Friday, 8 June 2007 05:16 (eighteen years ago)

re dubbed i enjoyed hearing Susan Egan's voice as Lynn. and i thinki recognised Principal SKinner's Mom as the voice of the twin witches.

― blueski, Friday, 8 June 2007 09:46 (eighteen years ago)

HEY if yr an adult and you expect good movies to make perfect linear sense then maybe you should watch more good movies amirite

― strgn, Friday, 8 June 2007 10:27 (eighteen years ago)

I never watch Myazaki films with subtitles. I don't like to have half of the animation covered with superimposed words, and some of the young Japanese girls voices are really shrill to my ears.
In any case, both the Japenese and the Western versions are 'dubbed' - they're cartoons not real people!

― DavidM, Friday, 8 June 2007 11:52 (eighteen years ago)

otm.

― the next grozart, Friday, 8 June 2007 12:04 (eighteen years ago)

wow i never realised

― blueski, Friday, 8 June 2007 12:11 (eighteen years ago)

hahaha! you dumb man!

― the next grozart, Friday, 8 June 2007 16:32 (eighteen years ago)

thirteen years pass...

Hm!

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hayao-miyazakis-spirited-away-to-get-stage-adaptation

(What's potentially all the more interesting -- though I'm finding it a little hard to believe -- is that it doesn't specifically say it's going to be a musical.)

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 26 February 2021 21:36 (four years ago)

this is the thread title huh

― rob, Friday, 26 February 2021 21:37 (four years ago)

one year passes...

It is indeed.

That stage production has launched

A stage production of Spirited Away has opened in Tokyo and it might be the greatest thing you’ve ever seen. ✨

Photos via puppet designer and builder @TobyOlie. pic.twitter.com/e1sRxqt0T7
— Letterboxd (@letterboxd) March 5, 2022

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 5 March 2022 18:25 (three years ago)

two years pass...

Will be seeing this next Friday in London. Very excited!

― willem, Monday, 6 May 2024 07:00 (one year ago)

Yes! I'm going later in the month and I am psyched!

― your mom goes to limgrave (dog latin), Monday, 6 May 2024 08:00 (one year ago)

(Is that the play of My Neighbour Totoro, though?)

The start of this thread is the least grumpy I've ever seen jess!

― Andrew Farrell, Monday, 6 May 2024 08:30 (one year ago)

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