Source: Wikipedia Image
Trying to rise to the call for content I figured I’d try to combine both my interest in Japanese language and anime into a single quick read. I also want to suggest that all Japanese animation doesn’t revolve around an unnatural attraction to one’s younger sister. If there is interest I’ll do more. For the first attempt I figured I’d review an anime that I can actually recommend, Hayao Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away”.
Japanese: 千と千尋の神隠し
English: “Spirited Away”
千 – “Sen”- In this case what the main character is called through most of the film. It’s an odd name and the reason is explained in the film.
と – “to” this a particle equivalent to “and” here in English and links nouns together. Japanese is a bit more interesting because “to”is generally use link things exhaustively. “I went to the store and purchased (only) milk and bread“. However, Japanese also as another version や or “ya” which is used on a non-exhaustive list “I went to the store and purchased milk や bread” which means “I went to the store and bought milk, bread and other things“.
千尋 – “Chihiro” – Name of the protagonist
の – “no” – shows possession or used to link nouns together. Similar to ” ‘s” in English.
神隠し – “Kamikakushi- noun- mysterious disappearance, spirited away.
So we actually have the rare case where the Japanese title mostly matches the English one. “Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi” or “Sen and Chihiro’s Spiriting Away”
The key point I want to make here is the different reading of 千. In the first reading it uses onyomi or sound (aka Chinese) reading and in the second 千尋 it is kunyomi or Japanese reading and sounds like “chi”.
The character has the 尋 (hiro) removed from her name and her memory in the film and becomes “Sen” through most of the film. This kind of word play happens throughout the film and would be instantly recognizable to the Japanese audience and is essentially untranslatable in English.
It also stresses just how important kanji or the Chinese characters that Japanese uses are to convey meaning with written Japanese. This kind of word play is central to all kinds of Japanese humor and literature.
Spirited Away (Japanese: 千と千尋の神隠し Hepburn: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, “Sen and Chihiro’s Spiriting Away”) is a 2001 Japanese animated coming-of-age fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Tohokushinsha Film and Mitsubishi and distributed by Toho…and tells the story of Chihiro Ogino (Hiiragi), a sullen 10-year-old girl who, while moving to a new neighborhood, enters the world of Kami (spirits) of Japanese Shinto folklore. After her parents are transformed into pigs by the witch Yubaba (Natsuki), Chihiro takes a job working in Yubaba’s bathhouse to find a way to free herself and her parents and return to the human world. – Wikipedia
Studio Ghibli films are generally top notch and “Spirited Away” is no exception. There are other more highly rated films from the studio, but near the top of my list is “Spirited Away” for it message of growing up and responsibility. It works as simple and fun story for children while still having many parts that will be interesting and thought provoking for an adult audience.
Comments
198 responses to “Learn Japanese Through Anime Titles – 千と千尋の神隠し – “Spirited Away””
Yeah, that’s intimidating as hell if you’re not a native. How do you find the time to invest in understanding it?
It’s close to impossible.
Somebody asked Miyazaki about it once and he said he wasn’t sure how someone could fully understand his films without knowing Japanese.
For me personally I just view as peeling back another layer of the onion and realizing I’ll never get through the whole thing…
I’m way behind you and seems even more of a slog, and further as I realize how much I’d don’t know. My goal is to be able to understand a little but I’m resigned to never really understand colloquial Japanese. Then I see non-native English speakers that have learned the language and picked up idioms and cultural references, and otherwise seem to have acquired a fluency in a non-native language.
I assume it’s pretty much like studying TS Eliot all the time. I think he was the king of literary references
Oruchuban Ebichu is a funny, stupid anime that explains to English viewers some of the puns and gags that make it humorous for the Japanese. I doubt it’s any use for Miyazaki films, but hey, you get to watch a woman repeatedly beat her clueless gerbil house servant because her boyfriend is a layabout cad.
The guy who did that bootleg that’s floating around the internet spent an incredible amount of time explaining all the gags.
I highly recommend it!
My ex was stupid into anime. I didn’t like much of it, but some of the highlights were Plastic Nee-san and Kill La Kill (obviously).
I watched a couple episodes of Cowboy Bebop over the weekend for nostalgia and ehhhhhhhhhh
I’ll stick to GitS if I feel nostalgic. SAC has some great episodes.
Although Toys in the Attic still holds up as a genuinely creepy Alien homage.
You asked for it.
Can’t help but think of this.
No.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubYyofUBnec
Great song. Sobriety wrecked that band.
QFT
Your avatar isn’t loading. It’s just text that reads “commodio spittoon”
Chihiro takes a job working in Yubaba’s bathhouse
We need a mash-up of Spirited Away and The Ritz. 😉
I don’t even understand how the Japanese understand Japanese. Makes my head spin.
First loser!
Damn. Bronze.
Studio Ghibli films are like Pixar (especially pre Disney) for me. I appreciate the production value but the movies just don’t draw me in. Do have the Studio Ghibli museum/tour on my todo list, but probably down quite a ways.
Studio Ghibli peaked with Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
Prove me wrong.
That does seem to be the hardcore anime fan choice.
I think it’s a great film, but to me there are just so many things going on that it can be tough to follow.
It was originally a manga so I think that is part of the issue.
That and after Nausicaä Miyazaki just told the same story over and over again.
You’re talking about the one in Mitaka (Tokyo suburb) I assume. Don’t go if you’re over six feet tall. Went to it and my back hurt for a week. It’s filled with winding passages and tiny doorways. Cool to to his original drawings, but not worth the pain.
Yeah, that’s the one. I’m right there so maybe I’ll scratch that.
My grandfather’s generation hated the Japs with the heat of a thousand suns. I find them very appealing in many ways and like them quite a bit.
I also find them…..inscrutable. They are just weird in so many weird ways.
Same for my grandfather. I’ve often wondered how he would react to both my interest and my Japanese friendships.
I understand why – they were absolutely brutal in WW2.
That said at this point I think we’d all be better off trying to understand each other and be friends. As he was a charitable man who I never heard a bad word from I’d like to think he would now understand.
My grandfather was the same way about the “Japs”, as they were the ones that killed his big brother at Iwo Jima. He never openly expressed hate of the Germans, which is surprising considering they nearly killed him and put him in the hospital for two years.
My National Guard battalion’s predecessor regiment was nicknamed “Bloody Butchers” by the Japanese. One of my grandfathers barely missed getting bombed at Pearl Harbor by getting sent to an advanced gunnery school. My other grandfather also went into the Navy and spent much of the war in the Pacific. Yet 65 years later I could walk freely on the streets of Tokyo and right up to the Imperial Palace grounds unmolested. My dad was in Japan for a business trip a long time ago and had similar experience waking up there realizing it was Dec 7th.
Very odd, yet fascinating culture. It’s like feudalism and capitalism had a baby with birth defects.
My first ambulance partner was American born but had a German father and a Japanese mother. He was a wealth of information on the Japanese culture. A later partner of mine was American born Japanese. He also had a deep understanding of the Japanese culture. I have deep Irish roots and really couldn’t tell you squat about Irish culture.
Irish “culture”.
Hey, we got culture asshole. Irish. Fucking. Whisky.
Whisky is Scottish, asshole. You People have whiskey.
And terrible music.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rr2n8bscP3w
Scotland, ftw.
My thanks to whoever posted the “how many potatoes does it take to kill an Irishman?” the other day.
My family left Ireland 120 years before the potato famine, so I’ve got that going for me.
I can’t even.
Come on. Don’t wreck a good spat with facts.
Oh, and spend the money on a really good mattress. It is worth every dime.
Yeah! Take THAT, Tundra!
And this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d8SzG4FPyM
Fuck, I knew someone would trot that shit out.
Scotland
Scotland
*sigh* Some day. There are a couple higher priorities on my plate.
And, of course,
Scotland
Scotland.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDGt9XiOGSo
Scotland
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. The Bay Fucking City Rollers as an exemplary example of Scottish music?
You need to go sit in the corner and think about what you just did.
Dammit
Scotland
Lol!
Just making sure you are paying attention.
Scotland
Scotland
I saw The Pogues. There were pretty good.
Mae casáu Saesneg yn ddiwylliant.
Dad said that he grew up during the period where all the movies showed “the evil Jap bastards”. He finally relented, buying his first Japanese car (a Toyota pickup) in the 1980s.
He could be prejudiced at times but the one thing I’ll always thank him for, he never passed that along to his children.
When I was a little kid my older brothers and I played WAR, circa WW2. I always had to be the Jap, the Nip, the Kraut, the Heinie. I was destined to lose every battle we fought. My oldest brother, 7 years older, was always Mike. If he wasn’t available my middle brother was Mike. I never got to be Mike and then the war was over and I was still the loser until VJ Day. Some things never change
Spirited away was great. I saw it in the theater with my girlfriend now my wife.
It was otherworldly and I thought easy to understand. It might just be that I don’t understand what I didn’t understand.
Whereas I saw Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are with my (other) ex, which might explain why we’re not married.
That’s the strength of the film it works on many, many levels. So even with my rudimentary skills I can get something out of it!
I have very limited exposure to Japanese “genre” films, just the few that reach wide exposure in the US – Ringu and such. I know I’m only enjoying the most superficial level. All the mystical stuff flies over my head, and you can forget about any word-play.
Adults shouldn’t watch cartoons.
Fuck you and the art-hating horse you rode in on.
Except this one, maybe.
The best homage.
I loved them both! SP was spot on. I couldn’t stop laughing when I saw it.
I loved Heavy Metal. I saw it at a midnight show. A sign on the ticket kiosk said “Loud and unruly behavior will not be tolerated. Midnight shows excepted.”
There was a fog bank in the parking lot. It apparently followed everybody into the theater.
Oh yeah. I remember those shows.
Sort of.
(People who watched Fritz the Cat) (People not high af)
Bite me, bro.
Cartoons, particularly “Looney Tunes” and “Rocky and Bullwinkle” shaped my modern being. I am who I am because Wile E. Coyote painted a tunnel on a rock wall. When walking down the hill to the lab while singing, “Kill the Wabbit” my co-worked commented that I had been warped by Saturday Morning cartoon. Yup, guilty as charged.
The only time Bugs Bunny was funny.
Nope
Bugs Bunny is the animated version of a fart joke.
Now you’re just trolling.
he’s not wrong i just dont get his point
No, Rufus can tell you that I am a true Looney Tunes contentious objector.
Well, he’s half right.
Low-brow slapstick, fart jokes on a site that celebrates irreverence and bad puns.
I am not seeing the problem.
Don’t get me started on puns.
Yeah? Well, farts are fucking hilarious.
OK-jokes about farts can be hit or miss, I’ll give you that.
Hit this.
If you want good animated fart humor (and are willing to install and enable flash player on that page)
When my boys were young, they spent almost a solid week playing that stupid game. Their mother was not amused after the first hour or so.
I sure do!
Oh…
Heretic.
Venture Bros. Archer.
Apparently having a cartoon character for an avatar wasn’t enough, and I needed to add the sarc tag
I got it. I was laughing out loud. Now we know who has a stick up their ass about it, though.
Where’s Neph and my (330) homies?
Happy Dyngus Day!
*beats Tres with pussy willow*
I read that as “Learn Japanese Through Anime Tiddies” and now I’m disappoint.
#metoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSVkprXlc6k
I *hate* when the placeholder pic is a fucking tease.
placeholder pic?
Maybe you don’t have auto-play disabled. It’s the pic that displays in the video before you press “Play”.
Sorry, no idea.
The placeholder pic shows an anime chick with giant tiddies that doesn’t appear anywhere in the actual video.
Oh, sorry.
Ha, I don’t care. Just an annoying thing that Youtubers do to drive clicks.
Anyway, when I watched Dead Sushi https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2396429/ I got many of the references without knowing any Japanese, just from watching other Japanese movies.
That’s kind of happening with me from watching Italian operas with English subtitles. It makes me want to learn Italian, but I just have too much other shit on my plate right now.
“Opera in English is, in the main, just about as sensible as baseball in Italian.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f307vtPkgg
Speaking of Japanese things, I made Nikujaga recently, and it’s now my son’s favorite stew, so thanks to straff (I think) who originally linked the recipe. My husband at first wasn’t so excited because his mom used to make it with tofu, but the version I made had none of the Devil Soy Cake (lol he hates that stuff), and they’re both fans.
Nikujaga is in the regular meal rotation for me.
I also like chankonabe, which does contain tofu (but also beef meatballs, chicken, and shrimp).
That looks good. I’ll have to try it
I’ve tried prying my MIL’s nikujaga recipe from her skull, but she just won’t give it up. Guess that’s her way of guaranteeing we go to visit her often.
Anyone watching Kamala Harris town hall right now? What a blithering idiot. That fact likely makes her a front runner.
Endorsed Green New Deal, reparations and how it’s not fair that blacks have lower home ownership than whites (didn’t we learn anything from 2008?)
Yes – that they need to Prog Harder™ next time!!
That, and, instead of forcing lenders to give mortgages more easily, it will just be easier for the government to give houses directly to “those needing homes”.
/no Section 8–straight up giving out mcMansions.
And here’s what’s even stupider: in their push to get more people into home ownership, they’re not even going to forewarn them about the hidden costs of owning a home. I’ve owned a home since 2014, and it has reinforced the importance of having a good amount of money just sitting around, because there are a hundred different things that could go wrong with your house and require an expensive repair.
And when these people who got free gub’mint houses suddenly have a $1,200 bill for a new water heater, guess who they’re going to run to for help?
I shudder to think of what stupid, wasteful bullshit we’re going to get if the Democrat Party doesn’t get over this “home ownership for all” notion. They’re probably drawing up some Obamacare-like program for houses as we speak.
Housing is a Right in South Africa, how’s that working out for them?
Well, it’s nothing that gangs of armed goons can’t take care of.
/Housing is a right, but, not property ownership
I remember when I moved into our hose in ’95. We barely scraped in and were living pretty close to the edge for a year. The stress of all the things we needed and didn’t have really didn’t help.
Lawnmower? Shovels? Rakes? The list goes on and on. You don’t realize you need something like a ladder until you have to clean the gutters.
And if you don’t have the right tools, it’s gonna take heck of a lot more physical work. I spent a fair amount of time spreading 2.5 yds of loam. Shit is heavy.
Wait. Did I somehow miss the part where she voted Yea on the GND resolution in the Senate?
I’m sure someone at the town hall stood up and pointed out the blatant pandering she is engaging in if she says she is for the GND today, but didn’t vote for it. Right?
That GND vote in the senate was tricknoloy! Of course she voted against it!
*narrows gaze*
That was GOP tricknology, shitlord.
God, I would love for Remy to do something with that concept!
Just to raise a few eyebrows, I always mispronounce it as Sento Chikubi.
Does your wife roll her eyes?
Depends. If we’re out with friends, she’ll laugh when they laugh at my intentional slip ups. At home? The daughter likes those jokes, but the wife ignores them.
OFFS. Kicking back, good day, little bourbon next to me, hey, let’s watch some “Hostile Planet” on NatGeo. Holy crap! That goose chick just tumbled down a 400 foot pillar to go get something to eat! Climate change is making it even harder to survive. This mountain sheep is leading it’s kid on a dangerous journey. The heavy snows of winter made stream crossing even worse because of the ravages of climate change. The fucking lamb makes it to the salt lick that apparently used to exist higher up before climate change. I’ve never been a Bear Grylls fan, but he has become an acolyte of Climate Change in pursuit of the almighty dollar. I had to change the channel 15 minutes in because I was already yelling at the television.
Always listen to the guy who drinks his own piss for money.
That’s sage advice, my friend. Sage advice.
Bear Grylls gets even dumber than that on Netflix.
I’m mildly disappointed that he didn’t drink someone else’s piss. And, I am talking about on-camera. I have no idea what he gets up to off the clock.
Didn’t he get in some hot water for faking his exploits? I was big fan of that Canadian dude whose name escapes me and who had the same jam but apparently didn’t have the same cachet as “Bear”, and remember reading some critiques about “Bear” along this line.
Ol’ Les Stroud? The guy who takes mini-cams with him and does most of the videography? His most recent stuff is
STEVE SMITHBigfoot-related.Yah, that’s the one. I found him more, uh, relatable? than that Bear person. Can’t comment on the ‘realism’ or lack thereof.
Yes, relatable. I think that is a very good descriptor of his show/brand.
Hell, I like Alone, and I’m sure it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
Never heard of it. Guess I moved on to other things.
Part of me is surprised. The rest….ehh, not really. I find it interesting to see the strategies used by the contestants. And the locations are usually beautiful. Lots of talented outdoorsy types on the show.
He was caught staying at a 5-star resort during the night when he was filming an episode where he was ‘trapped on a desert island’. As Sir Digby pointed out the other guy’s name, I’ll just say I think his stuff was almost as fake. Watching his show and knowing how it all works, I don’t think he was as alone as the show let on either.
I always like these ‘reality’ shows where the host talks about how hard it’s going to be to climb something, then we get a view where the camerman has already climbed up there with all his equipment that weighs quite a bit.
I am pretty much in agreement with this. I still think Les is more (Sorry, couldn’t resist) authentic in his show than Bear, but, that seems to be a pretty low bar to clear. Also, not saying they don’t both have skills, per se. Just that television production is what it is, regardless of how it’s packaged.
My favorite episode of Dirty Jobs was when they had cameramen filming the cameramen to show how dirty their job was.
This guy gets it
Soothed my nerves by watching “The Orville” reruns.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx3QmqV2pHg
So, is Ms.
KombuchaKlobberellaThat Minnesota Whore the gift that keeps on giving?I think we all know the answer to that.
Wow. She has no idea how to work with the audience.
“What are you going to do to help Americans?”
A: ” I am going to stand here and talk about me for five minutes solid”
Not a Ghibli fan. Crimson Pig and Totoro were good I suppose. My favorite anime
1. Shinchan. By a mile.
2. Danchi Tomoo.
3. Chibi Maruko.
4. Gegege no Kitaro.
5. Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bob
Huh…. Oh, well. I love Miyazaki/Ghibli stuff. Even if HM is correct about recycling the same story.
Not saying it’s bad, just not my cup o’ ocha. Not sure if it means anything, but Ghibli stuff is most popular with Jr/High school girls. Make of that what you will.
Hmmm…I guess I should start identifying as a Japanese school-girl.
/DO NOT tell HM.
Not to worry. We’ll get you fitted for your sērā-fuku first.
If trying to find Asian/Chinese clothing to fit my gwai lo ass is any indication of inherent difficulty, I’ll be waiting a loooong time.
Of course, if CPRM’s niece is willing to be a patron for me, maybe we can just pay for a custom set-up.
Ok fine. How about starting off with a yo-yo?
Oooohhh, a fantastic bitch-slap, there!
ehm well it is certainly a different list than mine
Mine:
1. ?
1. The Japanese Simpsons. Again, #1 by a mile.
I like Ghibli stuff well enough. Also Satoshi Kon stuff.
I watch it if it’s on TV. The wife and daughter like it. I prefer the slightly crude, slightly dirty Everyman humor in Shinchan.
I haven’t really watched anime in 10 years. Used to watch a lot when I was in University, but what I assume is considered classic mainstream stuff by the Japanese. Whatever I could torrent in Romania back then and had subs…
I actually already knew that.. except the exhaustive and part…
Good morning Glibs
Mornin’…from the dark side of the planet.
Ok, this is an unexpected wrinkle. Just got a new Patron. A name I don’t recognize, so I click through, there is a link to twitter, apparently it’s my niece who today I let in on the secret that I make the Hat and Hair cartoons. Oh boy, hopefully she doesn’t catch on to reading the comments here.
Age? I assume sufficient if she is a Patron. If over 18, Hotness level? Single?
17, hands off pervert.
I’ll admit, I like the fact that she’s so young. But the fact that she’s a hands off pervert is a deal killer for me.
I like my perverts to be hands on. Like with lube covered latex gloves.
Honestly, I’m glad she finds the cartoon funny, a couple years ago she was brainwashed into thinking she’s trans because she likes girl stuff AND boy stuff. She isn’t into politics, but I covered all the history with her when she was young, focusing on Jefferson a lot. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to let then Pope lay a finger on her! Although, she was an alter server in a Catholic church, so maybe it’s too late for that…
“My niece-the Patron”
Has a cool sorta vibe to it.
Better than “My Mother, The Car”.
I won’t lay a sexual finger on her. But I will subvert her will and get her to dress up in Vikings gear. Then I will send you Polaroids of her prancing around in a Purple #4 Favre jersey making the Skol sign.
…………the dip?
/has a confuse
Ok, molesting her would be worthy of a killin, but doing that would mean I’d have to wipe your whole family from the planet!
Also:
Great band name. Or, Glibs handle…. Hmmmm……..
Skol is organized stupidity by Vikings fans Even dumber than putting tobacco in your lips.
Uh, PJ…I think you Gilmore’d the link.
Try that Skol pic again. First link seems to have gone wide left.
Is that the “Viking clap” I keep seeing everywhere now? Gah.
What, are they making a tepee, or something?
Hey I am not a pervert I still need to find a US wife if I ever want to immigrate there.
You want a wife? And you don’t think you are a pervert?
Hate to break it to you but just about everyone thinks masochists are pervs.
Unlike Tundra, I’m open to bids.
What state
What state?
Dude, a 17 year old girl is going to be savvy enough to figure out you post that stuff here. Consider yourself busted.
Ahh, but most sites are about the content, not the comments, the exact opposite of here…
I am going to make her renounce her patronage, if she wants to watch the cartoons or join the fray here, fine, but she doesn’t need to be giving me money, and definitely doesn’t need you freaks figuring out who she is. But, it does make my grinch heart grow. (no boner jokes, you sickos!)
Spuds buzzin’. Night Glibbies. Tomorrow’s doctors visit could add another layer of difficulty for the wife. Fingers crossed.
I know that at first glance things look grim, but if you zoom in on this map of San Francisco you can see that there are still some areas that a man can still mark as his own.
But you have to zoom in pretty far.
I’m thinking that they should randomly make one marker red and white striped for the most disgusting version of “Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?”
Senile Pope confuses Carmen San Diego with Waldo, just like the real one confuses christianity with socialism.
Sorry, that was one of the fads that my kids somehow missed. My memory has been bad ever since that box of Blue’s Clues crap fell on my head.
At least you got out of the kid game before Yo Gabba Gabba. I had to stand up to my sister and wean my nephew off that shit.
I don’t know who that is, but that dude is definitely not as bad ass as EZ Reader.
You think Morgan tapped that?
I mean, I would have. Of course, I was one…maybe two.
Still….
Wow. I can’t believe I grew up on that, but… there it is.
It was the style, at the time. Much like wearing an onion on your belt.
Of course, when you think about what is being used for education in media today, maybe 70s version EC, SS, and the others are preferable
That was 1000x preferable to the gabba crap above.
Hands off Yo Gabba Gabba. I watched that with my youngest. Good times.
I have no memory of my mom sitting down to watch anything with me. Back then it was turn the channel to PBS and plant your kid on the couch, and walk away.
Break the wrist, walk away.
Musta got that from his mom.
Real Pope? Are you one of them Lefebvrians?
I’m Catholic, My schism started with
SaulPaul.I……….never mind.
^So much this.
OK, that was for Pope.
But, CPRM makes two good points.
None on the corner where I once lived (Post & Lyon). LOL look at Haight & Ashbury.
I find this to be totally appropriate.