Spirited Away
Chihiro and her parents are moving to a small Japanese town in the countryside, much to Chihiro's dismay. On the way to their new home, Chihiro's father makes a wrong turn and drives down a lonely one-lane road which dead-ends in front of a tunnel. Her parents decide to stop the car and explore the area. They go through the tunnel and find an abandoned amusement park on the other side, with its own little town. When her parents see a restaurant with great-smelling food but no staff, they decide to eat and pay later. However, Chihiro refuses to eat and decides to explore the theme park a bit more. She meets a boy named Haku who tells her that Chihiro and her parents are in danger, and they must leave immediately. She runs to the restaurant and finds that her parents have turned into pigs. In addition, the theme park turns out to be a town inhabited by demons, spirits, and evil gods. At the center of the town is a bathhouse where these creatures go to relax. The owner of the bathhouse is the evil witch Yubaba, who is intent on keeping all trespassers as captive workers, including Chihiro. Chihiro must rely on Haku to save her parents in hopes of returning to their world.
Despite a mid-range budget of $19.0M, Spirited Away became a commercial juggernaut, earning $274.9M worldwide—a remarkable 1347% return.
1 Oscar. 58 wins & 31 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Spirited Away (2001) demonstrates deliberately positioned narrative design, characteristic of Hayao Miyazaki's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 5 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.6, the film showcases strong structural fundamentals.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Chihiro Ogino / Sen
Haku
Yubaba
Zeniba
No-Face
Lin
Kamaji
Boh
Main Cast & Characters
Chihiro Ogino / Sen
Played by Rumi Hiiragi
A ten-year-old girl who must work in a bathhouse for spirits to save her parents who have been turned into pigs.
Haku
Played by Miyu Irino
A mysterious boy who helps Chihiro navigate the spirit world and is revealed to be a river spirit.
Yubaba
Played by Mari Natsuki
The intimidating witch who runs the bathhouse and steals workers' names to control them.
Zeniba
Played by Mari Natsuki
Yubaba's kinder twin sister who lives a simple life away from the bathhouse.
No-Face
Played by Akio Nakamura
A lonely spirit who becomes obsessed with Chihiro and consumes workers when rejected.
Lin
Played by Yumi Tamai
A bathhouse worker who befriends Chihiro and helps her adjust to the spirit world.
Kamaji
Played by Bunta Sugawara
The six-armed boiler man who runs the bathhouse furnace room and helps Chihiro.
Boh
Played by Ryunosuke Kamiki
Yubaba's giant baby son who is spoiled and kept isolated, later transformed into a mouse.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Chihiro sulks in the back seat during her family's move, clutching a wilted goodbye bouquet. She's a fearful, whiny child clinging to the past, unable to face change.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when As darkness falls, Chihiro discovers her parents have been transformed into pigs. The spirit world awakens around her, and she begins to fade—her ordinary life is irrevocably shattered.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 28 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 23% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Chihiro signs Yubaba's contract and loses her name, becoming "Sen." She makes an active choice to work in the bathhouse to survive and save her parents, crossing into the spirit world's economy of identity., moving from reaction to action.
At 56 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 45% of the runtime—arriving early, accelerating into Act IIb complications. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat Haku, in dragon form, is attacked by paper shikigami and crashes into the bathhouse gravely wounded. Sen recognizes him and tries to help. The stakes escalate—now she must save both her parents AND Haku., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 83 minutes (66% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Sen boards the spirit train with No-Face, leaving behind everything familiar. Haku lies dying, and she has used the last of her magic dumpling. She travels into the unknown with no guarantee of success—a metaphorical death of her old fearful self., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 89 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 72% of the runtime. Zeniba, unlike her fearsome twin, welcomes Sen warmly. She explains the seal's curse is broken by love, and gives Sen a hair tie made by her new friends. Sen realizes compassion and connection—not magic—are her true power., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Spirited Away's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Spirited Away against these established plot points, we can identify how Hayao Miyazaki utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Spirited Away within the animation genre.
Hayao Miyazaki's Structural Approach
Among the 13 Hayao Miyazaki films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 5.6, showcasing experimental approaches to narrative form. Spirited Away represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Hayao Miyazaki filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional animation films include The Bad Guys, Puss in Boots and Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll. For more Hayao Miyazaki analyses, see Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro and Howl's Moving Castle.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Chihiro sulks in the back seat during her family's move, clutching a wilted goodbye bouquet. She's a fearful, whiny child clinging to the past, unable to face change.
Theme
Chihiro's father dismisses her fears about the mysterious tunnel, saying they'll be fine with money and credit cards—embodying the adult complacency and materialism that the spirit world will punish.
Worldbuilding
The family drives through the countryside to their new home. They discover an abandoned theme park, and Chihiro's parents gorge themselves on spirit food despite her protests, establishing her isolation and their thoughtless behavior.
Disruption
As darkness falls, Chihiro discovers her parents have been transformed into pigs. The spirit world awakens around her, and she begins to fade—her ordinary life is irrevocably shattered.
Resistance
Haku finds the terrified Chihiro and guides her through the spirit world's rules. She must get a job from Yubaba or be transformed. Haku instructs her to seek Kamaji in the boiler room, and Lin reluctantly helps her reach Yubaba.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Chihiro signs Yubaba's contract and loses her name, becoming "Sen." She makes an active choice to work in the bathhouse to survive and save her parents, crossing into the spirit world's economy of identity.
Mirror World
Haku reveals he knows Chihiro's true name and returns her original clothes with her goodbye card inside. He warns her never to forget her real name, establishing the B-story of memory, identity, and their mysterious connection.
Premise
Sen learns to work in the bathhouse, scrubbing floors and serving spirits. She earns respect by single-handedly serving the Stink Spirit (revealed as a polluted River God), receiving a magic dumpling as reward. No-Face begins following her.
Midpoint
Haku, in dragon form, is attacked by paper shikigami and crashes into the bathhouse gravely wounded. Sen recognizes him and tries to help. The stakes escalate—now she must save both her parents AND Haku.
Opposition
No-Face goes on a rampage, corrupted by the bathhouse's greed. Sen feeds him the River God's dumpling, purging his corruption. Yubaba's twin Zeniba demands justice for Haku stealing her golden seal. Sen decides to journey to Zeniba to return the seal and save Haku.
Collapse
Sen boards the spirit train with No-Face, leaving behind everything familiar. Haku lies dying, and she has used the last of her magic dumpling. She travels into the unknown with no guarantee of success—a metaphorical death of her old fearful self.
Crisis
The melancholic train journey across the flooded landscape. Sen sits in contemplative silence with No-Face and the soot sprites, processing everything she's lost and risked, traveling deeper into the spirit world than ever before.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Zeniba, unlike her fearsome twin, welcomes Sen warmly. She explains the seal's curse is broken by love, and gives Sen a hair tie made by her new friends. Sen realizes compassion and connection—not magic—are her true power.
Synthesis
Haku arrives, healed, to bring Sen home. Flying together, Sen remembers falling into the Kohaku River as a child—and that Haku IS the river spirit who saved her. She restores his true name: Kohaku River. They return to face Yubaba's final test.
Transformation
Sen correctly identifies that her parents aren't among Yubaba's pigs—she knows them by heart, not appearance. The contract dissolves, her name is restored, and she crosses back through the tunnel as Chihiro: the same girl, but transformed by courage, love, and wisdom.