This movie is one of Hayao Miyazaki’s best films. It was known as the movie that knocked Titanic from its place as #1 Movie in Japan. That’s right; an animated film was watched more than the number one live action film in Japan. This is a great example of how animated movies are not really just kids’ stuff, they can be enjoyed by everyone. A lot of Christians are wary of showing this film to their kids because of its Shinto/Animist outer skin, but there are fantastic Gospel parallels that make it fully redeemable.
On the way to her new house, Chihiro stumbles into a mystical world and quickly loses her parents. If she wants to stay in the Spirit World and save her parents, she has to give up her name and become Sen, a worker in Yubaba’s bathhouse. But she is warned not to forget who she really is, Chihiro, because if she does, she will become Yubaba’s slave.
We can see at least two spiritual parallels in this part alone. In a way, we as individuals who are conceived separated from God by sin have lost a part of our identity. We became slaves to sin and to Satan and spend much effort every day working hard, so distracted by our daily lives that we forget any memory of who we are; created intentionally by God for His glorious purposes.
The other parallel is how Christ, our Savior, stepped out of Heaven to the Earth, giving up part of His nature to become like man. There was no other way that He could have saved us than to take on the physical nature of our world.
As Sen, a real girl, interacts with the Spirit World, things begin to change. At one point, a smelly thing that everyone in the bathhouse thinks is a Stink Spirit comes for a bath. Sen goes above and beyond what anyone else would have done and “gets dirty” cleaning this smelly, yucky blob. Turns out it’s a River Spirit that had become severely polluted. She continues to help many spirits, eventually saving Haku from the tyrannical oppression of Yubaba.
Jesus performed many miracles during His time on Earth. We could equate the Polluted River Spirit to Mary Magdalene, or a leper… lost causes to the eyes of the people but worth saving to Jesus. When Sen reminds Haku who he really is, Yubaba’s grip on him is released. In the end, Chihiro/Sen saves everyone, including her parents and the Spirit World is better because she came.
When Jesus shows us who we really are in God’s eyes, and we follow Him, we get released from our enslavement to sin and we are able to begin to live out the reason for which we were really made. The impact of Christ’s interactions with humanity are still rippling throughout the universe and we’re all better off because of Him.
Discussion Questions:
- What is your name, and what does it mean? What do you think your parents had in mind for you if they gave you a name that means that? Did you know that God has a secret name for you that He will tell you in Eternity? It will indicate who you were created to be, God’s eternal plan for you. (Rev. 2:17)
- Chihiro is a person who went into the Spirit World. Jesus came from Heaven to Earth. Just like Chihiro gave up part of who she is to be in the Spirit World so she could save her parents, Jesus had to give up part of His nature to come to Earth. Why was Jesus willing to do that? (Philippians 2:6, Hebrews 2:14-18, John 3:16)
- When Sen/Chihiro cured the River Spirit of pollution, it was a lot like when Jesus healed sick people. In the same way, we are sick with sin. Do you want to be cleaned of the pollution of sin? (Luke 17:12-19, Hebrews 10:19-23)
- When she was leaving, Sen/Chihiro and Haku said they would see each other again. When Jesus left Earth and went to Heaven He said He would see us again one day. How does it make you feel to know Jesus is coming back to see you? (Acts 1:6-11)