The narrative revolves around a 10-year-old named Chihiro Ogino who is initially unhappy with her family's decision to move into a new house. However, when they come across an abandoned amusement park on their way there, she cautiously explores it and discovers that it is more than just a regular park. As night falls, strange occurrences begin to take place, such as ghostly apparitions appearing and food transforming her parents into pigs. Chihiro has unknowingly entered the spirit world, where she must now learn to live and work alongside spirits with the help of Haku and other unique characters she encounters on her journey. The story is captivating and follows Chihiro's struggle to save her parents and return home from this mysterious realm.
Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi was the highest grossing film in Japanese history, with a total of ¥30.4 billion from Japanese box office sales alone. It is also the most successful film to debut from Japan, with a total of $289 million worldwide. This critically acclaimed film has won numerous awards, including the Academy Award, more commonly known as "Oscar", for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards in 2003, as well as the Golden Bear at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival (alongside Bloody Sunday). It is also among the top ten in the British Film Institutes list of the "50 films you should see by the age of 14". The English version of Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi was dubbed by Walt Disney Pictures and premiered in 2002. The film was released on DVD and VHS formats in North America by Buena Vista Home Entertainment in 2003.
Joe Hisaishi
Yumi Kimura