One very interesting thing about Spirited Away is its play on the traditional theme of good vs. evil. As the movie begins, it seems that there is a definite line between who is good and who is evil, as well as the neutral characters. However, as the movie progresses, different characters change face, going from good to evil or vice versa, especially through the influence of Chihiro. One example is No-Face, who seems to be pretty neutral and innocent at first, but gradually, through interaction with Chihiro, becomes more and more malicious. However, as Chihiro grows and becomes less and less self-centered and learns to love others, she shows compassion to No-Face, which brings him back to into a good nature. This touches on another theme in Spirited Away, which is the power of love to overcome evil, or perhaps cleanse evil. There seems to be no true evil character in the movie, they just happen to be distracted or tainted by something, such as greed or selfishness. The article “Shinto Perspectives in Miyazaki’s Anime Film Spirited Away” sheds light on this idea. The characters aren’t necessarily evil, but are polluted and need to undergo cleansing in order to cultivate a sincere heart, which is what we all need to come back to get back in touch with to experience life fully and correctly.
