With the current volume of films being released continuously, it has become increasingly rare for movies to remain in theaters for more than a couple of months. Even films that receive lukewarm reviews tend to have their box office run dwindling to just a few weeks.
However, a remarkable event recently occurred when over 400 theaters across Japan collectively re-screened the beloved film Spirited Away, which first premiered more than 15 years ago. Despite being an animated film that has been available in HD format online, the box office performance of Spirited Away still attracted significant interest from dedicated fans.
The film follows the story of Chihiro Ogino (Hiiragi), a 10-year-old girl who finds herself trapped in a world of spirits and monsters. After her parents are transformed into pigs by the witch Yubaba (Natsuki), Chihiro is forced to take a job at Yubaba’s bathhouse in order to find a way to rescue her parents and return to the human world.
Spirited Away is regarded as one of the masterpieces of Studio Ghibli and has significantly contributed to the reputation of the Japanese anime industry. It is also closely associated with the legendary director Hayao Miyazaki, who is revered as a towering figure in the world of anime.
