Spirited Away / Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi
A pleasant, very well animated story that sort of combines Alice in Wonderland with Wizard of Oz with something else with dragons.
Whiny ten-year-old Chihiro is moving to another city. Along the way, her father takes a wrong turn and they end up in a dead-end in front of what they think is an abandoned amusement park. Mom and Dad are hungry, and, even though the park is closed, they find some food and chow down. But it’s not an abandoned amusement park, it’s a rest spa for spirits, and, come dusk, the spirits come out. They’re upset that their food has been eaten and they turn mom & dad into pigs.
It’s up to Chihiro to rescue them. First she must get a job in the bath house where she meets all sorts of strange spirits (including a “stink monster”). Her boss is a strange bird-witch voiced by Suzanne Pleshett. Strange and wonderful characters abound, and the animation is lush and beautiful. It’s a very nice story.
