Research - Spirited Away

I wanted to talk about a second Studio Ghibli film for the research brief, and originally I was going to talk about Howl's Moving Castle but I decided against it was Spirited Away was actually the first Studio Ghibli film I ever saw and it is still one of my favourite films they have produced to date. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki and released in 2003, it is actually the highest grossing film ever released in Japan. However, I'm not at all surprised by this statistic as the combination of characters, story and Studio Ghibli charisma together make this one of the most recognised and successful films they produced.

This film really reminds me of my child hood, not just because that's when I first saw it but it's the magical and fantastical story about a young girl who accidentally enters a spirit world. Another great work by Studio Ghibli which leaves you stunned due to the incredible artwork. Some of the themes in this film are actually incredibly relatable for most people despite the fantasy element. The story starts out with a typical family; a mother, father and daughter en route to their new house. Furthermore, whatever your age from the start of the film to the end you see Chihiro who starts out as a shy, anxious character into a brave adventurer, and that is quite an inspiring tale in itself. There is so much going on within the film that it's hard to pin point specific characters or elements to talk about, the design of characters and personalities is exceptionally well done and you feel part of a small society as you watch Chihiro integrate herself. Overall, the main thing aspect to this feature that captured my enthusiasm in the first place and continues to every time I get the chance to watch it, is the design of the world that you find yourself immersed in. It's all so foreign but at the same time you completely understand it, and it's through things like this that Hayao Miyazaki's ability to design and speak to an audience through design shines.