Don't believe the hype

Rating: 4/10 (16 April 2003)

I just saw `Spirited Away' (Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi), and have to tell you that this is no `Akira.' Although the animation is crisp, clear, and flawless for what it does it breaks no new ground and doesn't deliver what I would consider an Oscar-worthy performance. The plot, if one can call it that, is thin; amounting to very little. This is Japanese `Alice in Wonderland' on hallucinogens.
I'm completely at odds with all the rave reviews: this doesn't deserve any of it. I suggest everyone take a deep breath, and step back from being an otaku for just one second and rethink their viewpoints. For the uninitiated, this is pure fantasy gibberish. I have no choice but to give this movie sub-par ratings because of the plot-which is practically nil. I gave it the rating I did only because it is wonderfully colored and next to Akira is as flawless as anime will ever get; but at the same time its non-existent plot breaks the whole thing apart, and what you're left with is  well  nothing. It's all style and no substance.
I give this a `4' only because it shows how good Japanese anime can look. Pity it was hobbled by not having a story worth sitting through.