Spirited Away and Haku belong to Studio Ghibli and associated parties. This website was made by Chihaya for entertainment, not profit. Please do not appropriate its contents without permission.
Spirited Away and Haku belong to Studio Ghibli and associated parties. This website was made by Chihaya for entertainment, not profit. Please do not appropriate its contents without permission.
ハクが好き! Meaning, "I love Haku!" I do. He's such a gentle soul. The first thing that struck me about him was how kind he is to Chihiro; how he's constantly holding her hands or hugging her by the shoulders. It's most sweet. I don't know of any other anime boy that does that.
Then there's the fact that, though he's quite powerful, he doesn't act all high and mighty (I mean in the original—curse you dubs and your gross misrepresentation!). On the contrary, he's respectful and polite, even when feigning detachment in the elevator. It's true: I wouldn't say he was rude, merely austere for the sake of Chihiro's safety. (This assessment excludes post-paper-bird-bombardment autopilot ryuu, as he was fighting for his life.)
Seeing him wounded and vulnerable sure tugs at the heartstrings. Especially when Chihiro lowers him onto Kamaji's futon and tells him not to die. Awww, Haku, how could you get yourself into so much trouble?? Well, we know how: Yubaba couldn't care less about his wellbeing as long as he retrieved some silly trinket. Despite this, Haku harbors no anger towards her. He could have been pretty unpleasant when confronting Yubaba about freeing Chihiro and her parents—but he wasn't. Now that's character!
Lastly and most obviously: he's a dragon! It's the best! Boy-Haku and Hakuryuu equals two graceful creatures in one. (^3^)
Because it's gorgeous! The quality is addicting. I've heard somewhere (probably in the making) that Studio Ghibli uses a higher frame rate (something like 25 frames per second rather than the traditional 24) to achieve extraordinary fluidity.
Uh, I actually can't tell the difference. In any case, it's evident that the team pours their hearts and souls into their work. Honestly, it can hardly get any better than this: the backgrounds are thoroughly rendered in every single scene and they don't reuse (except for the tunnel in the end); facial expressions, movements, lighting, textures, etc. are all carefully studied and accurately depicted; the sound effects are convincing, the music is beautiful and memorable; the plot truly resonates. It remains fascinating no matter how often I watch it.
Really, I think the beauty of Spirited Away lies in the delicate balance between its meticulous execution and its captivating storyline. This is fairly difficult to accomplish, if you think about it. Most anime focuses on the plot, omitting crucial details that help us believe that we're watching something real (for example, Chihiro's toes curling once she tastes the nigadango). Conversely, there is anime out there that's so cute and intricate that they forget they had something to say. In Spirited Away however, Miyazaki-sensei made certain to maintain an equally strong emphasis on both aspects—and to stick to strictly natural emotional expressions (no sweatdropping to be found here).
I'll just say this: the Ghibli staff (here is a piccie) is a group of extremely devoted individuals with phenomenal talent. Whatever they create sets the standard. (Chihaya says in 2003, then comes Howl's Moving Castle…)
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