Name: A magical journey which just ends up pulling you in its immersive storytelling
Item: Spirited Away
Rating: 90
Author: Kaito67

Waifra

A magical journey which just ends up pulling you in its immersive storytelling · Waifora

THIS REVIEW IS SPOILER-FREE! Unless you click on the parts hidden with a spoiler warning, ofc.

I think it's been a while since I watched a movie which feels so magical. I think it was when Haku suddenly appeared when the night cane, when Chihiro ran through the streets only to find out that her parents became pigs. It was like when a switch was suddenly pulled and the world depicted on screen suddenly was so different. From this point on, I was completely sold and eager for whatever this movie had to offer for me. And it sure offered a lot, it was pure magic. I don't think I can really condense this movie to an overarching theme, like many other stories, or I can point out something which I find good, because this movie as a whole, this world, was just so interesting, immersing and charming. The characters, who breathe in this world, were charming. It was an extraordinary synergy between godly visuals, a strong musical score, and also a well-written story, managing to bundle main plot threads, nuanced characters, and also the world itself, without never stopping being boring, into one, cohesive plotline.

Spoiler, click to view

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Everything just worked. Usually I would point something out which is kinda meh to me, but apart from very little nitpicks, I don't think I dislike anything about this movie.

Spoiler, click to view

Every character had his merit, like, even the squashed in no-face, who is a separate story thread on its own, worked well and I think it ended up concluding pretty sweet, with him finally finding a place where he's not alone. The movie also was more graphic than I anticipated for a movie which is also suitable for children, for example when Haku was hurt, or how her parents turned into pigs and were hit by the whip. It ended up making the world more interesting & intriguing, so it's not a complaint at all. ▶ Video

So yeah, frankly, I don't know much more to say than that. The magic really comes from watching this movie, by experiencing all the different aspects together. I couldn't really do it justice by writing about it, to be honest. Maybe, as someone is a bit nerdy when it comes to visual-related stuff, this movie was just a constant treat for the eyes. So lively colors, strong backgrounds, and the constant absurdly good animation, in both quantity & the quality of the character acting itself, it was gorgeous. It's unironically one of the best-looking, if not the best-looking anime movie I have ever watched.

Spoiler, click to view

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