In truth, Hayao Miyazaki's films aren't the kind that rely on a few particularly strong scenes or plot twists to captivate audiences. Instead, they maintain an extreme attention to detail from beginning to end.
The first time you watch one, you think it's excellent. The second time, it still feels excellent. Even after many viewings, you can still find enjoyment in it.
This is the opposite of many high-grossing commercial films. Those are pretty good on first watch. But by the second time, you start to feel a bit bored. If you have the patience for a third watch, you start questioning why you were so engrossed in the first place.
At this moment, early morning audiences watching the premiere felt something subtle.
Starting from the story of 'Spirited Away', Chihiro and her parents fall into a strange world of spirits. Their way back is lost. Her parents are turned into pigs. To survive, Chihiro is forced to sign a contract with Yubaba, who takes away her name—and to stay alive, she must work.
From a slightly bratty and dramatic young girl at the beginning, she transforms in a short time into someone mature, diligent, and earnest.
Perhaps these changes weren't voluntary, but through the story, the audience witnesses Chihiro's rapid growth. Where they once found her unlikable, they now feel for her.
On the surface, it's a tragic tale of a protagonist trapped in another world.
But actually…
For many workers, it hit a little too close to home—they saw themselves in Chihiro.
Miyazaki may not have intended such metaphors when he wrote the story,
But the Great Zhou audience couldn't help but interpret it that way.
"Kind of interesting—the message behind this film from Old Thief."
"It's disguised as a magical girl's work diary, but I can't help feeling like it's mocking society."
"Maybe that's not what Old Thief intended, but I love overanalyzing movies."
"I just don't know how the story is going to develop from here."
"Will Chihiro rescue her parents?"
"Ugh, this scene... that rotting god spirit is making me nauseous."
"Old Thief's imagination is wild—what kind of creature comes in for a bath with its whole body falling apart?!"
"And that No-Face monster… feels like foreshadowing."
As the story progresses, Chihiro settles into the bathhouse routine—sleeping during the day and working at night, preparing baths for the gods and cleaning the area.
One of the gods is a river spirit, but it reeks of rot. As Chihiro serves it, she discovers the source of its pollution and helps cleanse the filth from its body.
And what was inside the river spirit?
Plastic bottles, glass jars, human garbage, broken bicycles, discarded toys…
These were all jammed inside, turning it into a monster of contamination.
When that scene played, the theater fell silent.
Granted, few people really want to be educated by a movie,
and even fewer apply what they learn from films to real life.
Still, it didn't stop Tang Yilin and the other viewers from reflecting on how humans have damaged the environment.
The kind-hearted No-Face monster, touched by Chihiro's compassion, begins to feel loneliness. It reminded people of that monster in 'Natsume's Book of Friends', who wasn't afraid of solitude—until one day it felt warmth. That's when loneliness truly began.
To get closer to Chihiro, No-Face devours a frog, deceives others, and turns trash into gold just to please her.
But after Chihiro tells him his behavior is disrupting the bathhouse, the creature—affected by the desires of what it consumed—starts displaying greed and rage.
This originally kind-hearted spirit quickly became consumed by desire, losing itself.
If you don't think too deeply, it seems like just a bizarre fantasy.
But if you look closely, you can sense layers of meaning.
"Old Thief really went deep with this film."
"It's not just another fantasy romance."
"Honestly, I came in thinking it'd be light fun, but I've been deeply moved."
"Compared to Old Thief's previous works like 'Attack on Titan', the impact might be lighter, but the detailed work is on another level!"
"The actress playing Chihiro is phenomenal. A clueless little girl suddenly dropped into a world full of spirits and monsters—I felt that same confusion when I graduated from college."
"Back then, I was full of hope for the future. A few years later… I just want to lie flat. I wish I had my own Haku."
"Too bad Old Thief gave Haku such limited screen time."
Yubaba, Zeniba, and Yubaba's son—thanks to the river spirit's gift of a dumpling—each play a part in the narrative.
While adults dig into deeper symbolism, children might not catch all that.
But the setting, characters, and magical world are still fascinating to them.
As the plot reaches its midpoint, Chihiro leaves the bathhouse to find a way to save Haku. She takes a train to Zeniba's house.
This segment focuses more on Yubaba's spoiled son, transformed into a mouse by Zeniba and temporarily rejected by his mother. Protected by Chihiro, he learns empathy.
Growth isn't exclusive to Chihiro—even this problem child starts to mature.
"Funny how there's really no villain in this film."
"Yeah, Zeniba's not bad. Even Yubaba's kid turns out decent. And Yubaba herself? She's like a ruthless businesswoman. Cold, sure, but keeps her word."
"By halfway through, I already felt this film wasn't like Old Thief's others. It's more of a social metaphor."
"Even without the metaphors, the story and production quality are top-tier."
Tang Yilin stayed focused the entire movie. Even as Chihiro reached Zeniba's house, she couldn't guess how it would end.
But inside, she felt a subtle wave of emotion rising.
Earlier, the film was like a survival guide for Chihiro in another world.
But now, she, the mouse version of Yubaba's son, the mosquito-turned-mouse, No-Face, and Zeniba all sat together peacefully, sharing stories and weaving crafts.
It gave a sense of peace.
Especially when Chihiro—who had remained strong until now—finally broke down, crying and saying she feared her parents might have already been slaughtered and eaten during her absence.
Unknowingly, Tang Yilin's eyes turned red, and her nose tingled.
Too immersed. Too real.
And then… came the most iconic moment of the film.
While Chihiro was crying, Haku, in his white dragon form, appeared at Zeniba's door.
He came to take her home.
Majestic, scales shimmering, eyes filled with resolve, fur floating without wind.
The VFX budget clearly peaked here—it truly looked like a real dragon.
"So cool!"
"Did Old Thief design this dragon?"
"Feels like they modeled it off Old Thief's own features."
"Is that a compliment or an insult?"
"Can't tell…"
"Here's a horror story: the movie's nearly over and I still don't know how it ends."
People murmured in the theater.
But then, the legendary scene from 'Spirited Away' appeared—
Chihiro riding Haku triggered a childhood memory: she once fell into a river,
and a white dragon saved her—this same one.
She whispered to his ear:
"I remember now, Haku. Your real name is Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi."
All the earlier hints came full circle.
Why they met, the name Yubaba stole from Haku, the forgotten memory—it all returned.
His scales shattered, glowing particles filled the sky, and Haku's dragon body dissolved.
The next shot showed Chihiro and Haku holding hands, falling together from the sky.
The movie had never tried to exaggerate their romance—because that wasn't the theme.
Still, this moment became the film's emotional high point.
Everyone in the theater held their breath.
The beauty, the impact, the emotion—this one scene made the whole movie worthwhile.
Later, Yubaba kept her promise: if Haku found her son, she'd let Chihiro's parents go.
Though she played some tricks, in the end, she wasn't too unreasonable.
Chihiro, listening to Haku's advice, didn't look back as she and her parents left the spirit world—accompanied by the movie's theme song.
No mention of what happened to Haku, or whether Chihiro would see him again.
As the end credits rolled…
Tang Yilin—and most of the audience—felt an emptiness inside.
That's it?
Her heart swelled with mixed emotions: moved, reluctant, hollow.
She closed her eyes, letting it all sink in.
This movie felt like a dream—reminiscent of 'Alice in Wonderland'.
No clear plotline. The perspective followed Chihiro's growth.
It explored many deep themes without over-explaining. That's why audiences felt such a strong sense of yearning.
It felt unfinished.
But if you asked them, "What was missing?"
They couldn't really say.
Was it a love story between Chihiro and Haku?
Did it matter?
If the film had forced a romance, it would've lost its delicate charm.
The subtle, unspoken connection was what made it special.
Tang Yilin walked out of the theater, still lost in the film.
Without hesitation, she went straight to the ticket counter to buy another showing of 'Spirited Away'.
She wasn't trying to analyze the film anymore. Even just rewatching the moment she whispered, "Your name is Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi," was worth it.
That scene had moved her more than any movie in years.
As the day passed—from morning to noon, then evening—
'Spirited Away''s full-day data came in.
As of 10:11 PM, the first-day box office reached 875 million.
On Yindou Net, over 200,000 people rated the film, scoring 9.6.
Though many malicious reviews came from competitors, the site would later filter them out.
Even without immediate moderation, the rating was ridiculously high.
This wasn't like artsy indie films, where niche audiences naturally give high ratings.
This was a mass-market, big-budget film loved by all ages.
Combined with that 875 million box office?
The entire Great Zhou film industry was stunned.
With pre-sales already at 400 million, predictions put the midnight total around 890 million, maybe even 900 million.
Great reviews. Massive audience appeal.
What kind of monster is this?
Online reviews praised its environmental message.
Yubaba was interpreted as a greedy capitalist.
Chihiro is the everyman worker.
Her parents are gluttonous, rule-breaking citizens.
No-Face is the naive public, slowly corrupted by society.
Kids? They just thought it was fun.
They didn't know why—it just hooked them.
Slightly spooky at the start, but a warm ending and lots of imagination.
On film forums, nearly every viewer gave it a positive review.
Even those who said it wasn't "their thing" admitted it wasn't boring or bad.
That's why 'Spirited Away' was considered Miyazaki's masterpiece in Tang Yilin's past life.
His other works, like 'Castle in the Sky', 'Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind', 'My Neighbor Totoro', 'Howl's Moving Castle' — those had clearer target audiences.
But 'Spirited Away' was truly for everyone.
That doesn't mean it's flawless.
But with Jing Yu as the lead, with his popularity, fanbase, script, and funding,
'Spirited Away' crushed the Lunar New Year competition from day one.
And the competitors felt it.
Right after midnight, based on ticket sales, ratings, and attendance rates…
Theater chains across Great Zhou adjusted their schedules:
'Spirited Away''s screening ratio for Day 2 shot from 25% to 34%.