Alice in Wonderland, Japanese style

Rating: 10/10 (1 July 2004)

It draws you right from the start and i didn't notice the passage of time. The characters are very well realized with their own individual mannerisms. Parts were reminiscent of "Alice in Wonderland". Without spoiling it for anyone planning to watch it, it's about a girl and her parents who find a disused theme park. While the parents pig out at a food stall, their daughter goes exploring and discovers that the theme park is a place where spirits (e.g. river spirits) go for R&R. Because humans shouldn't be there, she finds herself trapped and has to take a job at the bath-house. With the help of some of the spirits, she has to face her fears and complete several tasks in order to win her freedom.
There are lots of lovely little sub-texts and details: the polluted river spirit, the over-cosseted baby, the spirit of old Japan driven to over-consume, the ghost train etc. Its Alice in Wonderland type qualities make it one of the most Western-friendly animes I've seen.