There are few anime films more worthy of the title of ‘most essential’ than Spirited Away. From start to finish – and more importantly, beyond – this is a film that challenges your imagination and expands the horizons of what a ‘fantasy’ can really be. Chihiro and her parents are travelling to a new house when they find themselves off the beaten track and in an abandoned town. Wandering off alone, the young girl finds herself in a town of ghostly figures, and when she returns to the place she left good old mum and dad, only a pair of pigs remain. Launched into a bizarre world full of outrageous characters, Chihiro must survive and adapt to a new life that’s full of outlandish surprises. It should go without saying that the film has a thoroughbred background that would make it the envy of any animated production. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and from the prestigious Studio Ghibli, it was always a near-certain hit. However, when it won the Oscar for Best Animated Film, it rocketed to international fame on a scale almost unheard of for a feature length anime. No longer the stuff of sci-fi gore or philosophy, through Spirited Away’s success, anime became a high-profile medium once again, and has no doubt drawn a fresh batch of fans into the fold. Quintessentially Japanese, the blend of fantastical characters, folklore and imaginative settings makes this a film that can enchant people of all ages.

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