
Today sees the release of already critically acclaimed animated movie The Wind Rises. The Japanese cartoon is another triumph for Studio Ghibli but unfortunately the last for the master Hayao Miyazaki, who is bowing out in style. His stint heading one of the world’s most ingenious animated studios that not only rivalled Disney but exceeded it has brought us impeccable cartoons such as My Neighbour Totoro and Princess Mononoke. Able to convey the fierce intelligence of his characters, understand the joy of childhood and adulthood combined in an ever spinning spiralling dance of fantasy. That story is no more moving as the hugely successful Spirited Away.

Famed for magnificent animation, Spirited Away is a combination of technical grace and exhilaration of fantasy. The flow of the hand drawn artistry is captivating. It is a visual feast of colours splashed on a backdrop with these inventive characters that are etched forever in your mind. Entwining realistic lines and the colourful brushstrokes, the painstaking hard-work and emotional investment from Ghibli really shines through with Spirited Away. There is nothing more that needs to be said, with steam rising like breaths in the winter and the sea crashing on the waves. With dragons and spirits all dancing on the screen, it is a movie that will make you feel so childlike.

Miyazaki said that the movie was inspired by his daughter and I hope that is a legacy she carries forth. Spirited Away is a movie I will show my daughter, my little sister and my neice. It is one that transcends the ages, combining themes such as Alice In Wonderland and the previous Princess Mononoke. Chihiro stands the ground with not only the other heroines of Ghibli’s backdrop, but those as strong as Arya Stark or the ladies of Frozen.