Spirited Away

Anime Staff
-Director & Script: Hayao Miyazake (Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke)
-Art Director: Norobu Yoshida, Youji Takeshige (Ghost in the Shell, Princess Mononoke)
-Animation Director: Masashi Ando (Princess Mononoke, Tokyo Godfathers)
-Executive Producer: Yasuyoshi Tokuma (Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke)
-Music: Joe Hisaishi (Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke)

The Anime Review By Cassadamius
It is hard to convey the feelings and respect I have for this film. It is a dive into the deep and highly formed imaginary and artistic recessess of Hayao Miyazaki. It may be likened to a modernistic, fully animated and fully sound-tracked fairy tale told to us by a cheerful grandfather by the bedside. And its story his chock full of symbolism and morality. Our young heroin, Chihiro, finds she is lost and alone in an enchanted land full of magic and spirits; but only through her courage, curiosity, kindness, and love can she find her way out. It generally leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling somewhere inside that makes you feel like the world is a wondrous place again, if that is your bag. And even if it isn�t your bag, there are many other great things about this movie.
The sound and animation are top notch. Both crafts are fine and unique, but easily loveable. Studio Ghibli�s drawings are filled with great colors and formation. Every character is ripe in its style. There is the cute, the frightening, and the strait up weird. Green Russian heads replace dogs and lamps walk around on a gloved hands, spirits are everything from ducks to shadows to giant vegetable-snorlacks.
The sounds, oh, great Joe Hisaishi, we all bow down. Mostly the music is made to enhance the film, but there are tracks with in it with melodies, that are truly unique. Hisaishi and Miyazaki would have one hell of a kid if they could, they are like salt and pepper. Hayao�s magic pictures with Joe�s wonders of sound. If you listen, you can feel curiosity, hope, anger, love. Joe is after very high fidelity and careful placement, to enjoy the sounds, you really need a good system. He has won best composer 5 times and has released numerous solo albums and DVD�s.
Nothing is perfect, no one or nothing, but that doesn�t mean you have to love it any less. This film at times seems jumpy, and a little random, with odd occurrences, magical rules, and characters. And the ending is unfulfilling and abrupt when compared to the relaxed, meticulous beginning, it is clear the crew was rushed, but they did their best with time and money constraints, beside a movie cannot last forever.

Images
         

Extra Information
-The flexible light thing that jumps around and leads to the house is a reference to Pixar's mascot. Miyazaki is a big fan of Pixar and wanted to show his admiration.
-Yasuko Sawaguchi, the voice actress for Chihiro's mother, actually spoke while chewing chicken for her scene where she had to talk while eating. Dub actress Lauren Holly did the same thing but used an apple instead.