Easily one of Studio Ghibli's best work of all time.

Rating: 10/10 (17 September 2019)

With such a huge filmography, it is difficult to consider which one is the best out of everything that Studio Ghibli has released. Just like with Disney, people will have a different, but understandable preference toward why they consider that film to be the best. One thing that people can agree on is that this film is one of the best out of everything that Studio Ghibli has made throughout the years.
Mixing in culture with fantasy, I loved how you become totally engrossed in this world and will be in total wonderment as you go on this journey with Chihiro. Sprinkling in humor and emotional moments throughout the film, this really helped the flow of the film and making it very fun to watch and embracing everything that happens. Never looking down on the audience, this film doesn't spell out everything for you, allowing us to figure things out and to find the answers on our own. Even just by watching the film again, you are able to catch certain details that you may have missed while watching it for the first time. The biggest strength of this film are the characters. For example, you are able to embark on this journey with Chihiro and you see her growth as a character, becoming more mature as the story progresses. Even with some of the sub-characters, you see them grow as well, making this journey very worthwhile, along with making this film very rewatchable.
This film is enriched with very colorful characters who are very memorable and have such interesting personalities to them that has them stand out with every scene they are in. From Yubaba, even with some of the gods that enter the bathhouse, I loved every single character that had appeared and they all helped add life to the whole movie. Surprisingly enough, the voice work here does help as well. I'm judging on the Japanese version here, so bare with me. Many of the actors chosen are not professional and there isn't a single weak point in the acting. Usually, Ghibli films will hire actors who are sometimes really good, but for most of the time are subpar passable or terrible. This is not the case as everyone was wellcasted and I loved everyone's performance.
Mixing such beautiful art with Hisaishi Jo's music helps add more personality to the overall film. I have to say that this may be the most beautiful film from Studio Ghibli. The mix of colors and from the look of the bathhouse to the scenery, the film has such a great look that makes it very beautiful to look at. There are plenty of memorable moments here that can be a painting of itself and mixing all of these great elements together really helps make this film stand out from the other Ghibli films and is still worth watching up till this day.