Twenty-five years after its release, Spirited Away is back in U.S. theaters for its anniversary, joined by filmed performances of the Japanese stage adaptation. Mari Natsuki, the original voice of Yubaba and Zeniba, returns as the bathhouse’s formidable owner. Yubaba, it seems, has no plans to retire.
At Afterworld Movie Nights, we’re celebrating with a new video essay about what makes Hayao Miyazaki’s strange and wondrous world feel so alive.
For all its magic, the bathhouse runs on ordinary work. Guests arrive, employees rush through corridors, meals are prepared, and someone has to keep the furnace going. Even an establishment built for gods depends on hot water and the people who keep it flowing.
Those practical details give us something familiar to hold on to. Chihiro may not understand the world she has entered, but she can learn where to leave her shoes, how to speak to a stranger, and whom to ask for help. Little by little, the place becomes less intimidating.
Food provides another way in. A shared meal can reveal plenty about the people around a table, even when some of them are spirits. Hunger and appetite expose greed, kindness, loneliness, and relief. Our essay follows meals through several magical worlds, from Harry Potter to Middle-earth, where the hope of making it home for supper can carry surprising emotional weight.
Spirited Away also gives the impression that this world was doing just fine before we arrived. Its inhabitants have their own problems. They know the rules, understand how things work, and see no reason to stop everything for a confused newcomer.
Chihiro has questions. The bathhouse has customers.
That sense of independence is central to Miyazaki’s world. We’re allowed to feel lost at first and to become familiar with the place over time. A frightening creature can become recognizable without ever being fully explained. Affection and unease are free to exist side by side.
Then there is Chihiro. She begins her adventure with no special training, no magical powers, and almost no idea what to do next. Still, her choices begin to matter. She remembers, helps, listens, and, when necessary, stands her ground. In Miyazaki’s world, those qualities become powers of their own.
Our new essay looks at how ordinary gestures give extraordinary worlds their emotional life. With stops at Hogwarts, Middle-earth, and Kiki’s Delivery Service, we explore what makes Miyazaki’s magic so convincing—and why it can be so difficult to leave behind.
Watch the full Afterworld Movie Nights video essay below.
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