25 Years Later, Hayao Miyazaki Reveals the Truth Behind 'Spirited Away's Most Iconic Character

3 days ago 10

Chihiro and No-Face sitting among spirits in a train in Spirited Away

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25 years ago, the world was introduced to Spirited Away, a Japanese animated film by Hayao Miyazaki. Now, the award-winning filmmaker has shared details behind one of the film's fan-favorite characters: No Face (aka Kaonashi). In the movie, No Face was voiced by Bob Bergen. He's a spirit who enters the bathhouse, forms a bond with Chihiro (Daveigh Chase), and travels with her through the Spirit World.

CBR reported that Miyazaki appeared on Nippon Television's Friday Road Show, where he talked about his Oscar-winning film. When asked about No Face, the filmmaker said that No Face represents "clingy" people who lack a sense of self and would depend on people they meet. He also noted that there are other people like No Face in our everyday lives. When No Face first appeared, he was seen as lonely and communicated only through grunts. He takes an interest in Chihiro, which slowly turns into an obsession as he's willing to give her anything, from food to gold, causing problems at the bathhouse when he attacks the staff. Eventually, he finds a new home and becomes Zeniba's (Suzanne Pleshette) helper.

Spirited Away is a fantasy movie that follows Chihiro, a 10-year-old girl who's forced to work in a bathhouse in the spirit world after her parents were transformed into pigs. While working in the bathhouse, she's tasked with remembering not only what her parents look like as pigs, but also her real name, as her contract makes her forget, so the bathhouse's owner, Yubaba, can control people. Since its release, Spirited Away has grossed over $396 million worldwide and is widely regarded as one of the greatest animated films ever made. It won "Best Animated Feature" at the Academy Awards and was the first non-English film to win that award.

Films Like 'Spirited Away'

If you like Spirited Away, there have been other Japanese films that carry the same premise. One suggestion is to watch any other Studio Ghibli film, as Miyazaki has worked on many projects, some of which have received Academy recognition. His most recent work is The Boy and the Heron, which came out in 2023 and also won "Best Animated Feature" at the Oscars.

Another anime movie worth watching is A Whisker Away, a 2020 animated feature directed by Junichi Sato. This movie follows Miyo Sasaki, a young girl who receives a magic mask that lets her turn into a cat. After regretting her choice to give up her human life, she goes to a secret island inhabited by cats and former humans who also made a similar choice.

Spirited Away is available to stream on HBO Max.