A Surprisingly excellent and well-crafted film. transcends genre

Rating: 8/10 (9 November 2004)

Miyazaki once again demonstrates his clear perception of the child psyche in this excellent, beautiful, and almost haunting masterpiece of the animated form.
I first saw "Spirited Away" in Japanese, and then in English, dubbed by pixar, and i must say, both versions are excellent indeed.
The film begins with the journey of a small child, dragged along by her parents, waiting and watching and being what small children are. Then, as her excitable (and foolish) father is attracted by a "theme park" in the middle of a mysterious wood, the entire world changes in more ways than the viewer would have easily imagined.
The juxtaposition of expectation and result, fear and wonderment, awe and love... create an atmosphere, and a FEELING, that truly transcends any genre, stereotype, or precedent to the film. If you go into it expecting anime, expect the unexpected. If you go into it expecting horror, prepare to be swept away with the amazement of the "revelations" --if i may use the word tenuously-- which are at the center of this film's sweeping grandiosity. It is a wower indeed.
As for a more specific definition, This is a film based mainly upon the legends of the "gods" and "spirits" of Japanese legend and lore. It takes place mainly in a "bathhouse of the gods" a place where the spirits of the world (in this movie) come to relax, cleanse themselves of dirt and grime, and fraternize with other inhuman beings.
The entire experience is truly magical and not to be missed, so please, open your eyes, open your minds (at least a little), sit back, and enjoy the (marvelous) show.