Anime, style of animation popular in Japanese films. Early anime films were intended primarily for the Japanese market and, as such, employed many cultural references unique to Japan. For example, the large eyes of anime characters are commonly perceived in Japan as multifaceted “windows to the soul.” Much of the genre is aimed at children, but anime films are sometimes marked by adult themes and subject matter.

This article will examine why Spirited Away appears to lack ‘logic’ and what, aside from ‘logic’, gives it structure. It will consider how these features serve a thematic purpose in the story. It will also briefly examine how
studying context (for instance, the film’s relationship with Japanese culture) can provide further ways to approach the idea of logic.

This feministic attitude can also be seen in Spirited Away and is widely considered to be a film which promotes the ideas of feminism. However, this characterization of the film is slightly misleading. While it does portray Chihiro as the center of the story, as the plot unfolds and Chihiro runs into trouble, a male figure named Haku, the embodiment of a river god, assists Chihiro by counseling her and explains how she can escape from her challenging predicament in the film.

Representations of women and girls in lead roles are desperately needed. The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University found that females comprised just 12 percent of protagonists in the top-grossing films of 2014