Chihiro vs No-Face: Spirited Away’s Hidden Battle

In this episode of Frame of Mind, we dive into how Spirited Away might just be one of the greatest animated feature films of all time. Together we explore the reasons this animated film is one of our favourites...period.

Join us as we unpack the psychology behind these characters, analyze their role in the storyline, and discuss how they poignantly portray themes of identity, addiction, and growing up. Whether you're a fan of pop culture or fascinated by the world of therapy, this episode will give you a new perspective on the media you love.

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🔊 Discussed in this episode:

How skilled filmmakers outline themes at the beginning of their films
How prominent symbols effortlessly carry the narrative
The hidden themes of addiction portrayed through No Face
The central theme of identity portrayed most notably by Chihiro.

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⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Intro - Chihiro vs No-Face
00:40 Welcome to Frame of Mind
01:20 First & last frames in Spirited Away
02:30 Chihiro’s flowers, identity & nature
03:50 Sub vs Dub - different parents, different tone
05:20 Consumerism in the opening car scene
07:00 Miyazaki’s painterly framing
08:20 Flowers dying & growing up symbolism
10:00 What to let go vs what to hold onto
10:30 Iconic Spirited Away music
11:00 Crossing into the spirit world
12:30 Clinging, fear & growing courage
14:00 Winds of change & letting go
15:00 Liminal space & sacred symbolism
19:20 Overconsumption & greed - parents as pigs
22:30 Reciprocity & Chihiro’s first steps
25:20 The Hero’s Journey in Spirited Away
27:20 The bathhouse - consumerism vs ritual
30:00 Identity as anchor against manipulation
35:00 Chihiro rejecting the Seven Deadly Sins
39:00 Ma - Miyazaki’s use of silence
43:10 Patreon note
44:00 No-Face’s overconsumption vs River Spirit
45:30 No-Face and loss of identity
53:00 Hungry Ghosts & addiction psychology
56:00 “I’m lonely” - No-Face’s true voice
59:00 Spiritual reciprocity vs selfish worship
01:01:00 Identity guiding needs vs wants
01:02:10 Every character’s identity struggle
01:04:40 Gold turns to sand - relationships over wealth
01:06:00 Going against the crowd
01:07:20 Zeniba’s house & balance
01:08:30 Don’t look back - lessons from Haku
01:10:30 The protective hair tie
01:11:00 Japanese vs English ending differences
01:13:00 Language, culture & symbolism
01:15:00 Final reflections & outro

Frame of Mind Bros | Spirited Away’s Hidden Battle: Identity vs Addiction 🧠🎥

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#Spiritedaway #noface #Chihiro #StudioGhibli #hayaomiyazaki