In truth, 'Spirited Away' isn't the kind of film that dazzles you from the first watch.
Its opening focuses heavily on world-building. Various storylines are only touched upon. The romance arc feels like it's just beginning. Chihiro's bathhouse job ends just as it starts. Her conflict with Yubaba remains unresolved. The backstory between Zeniba and Yubaba is still shrouded in mystery. Most importantly, what happened to Haku? There's not even a hint.
And it's precisely because so many plot threads are left hanging that the film lingers in viewers' minds.
People search online for interpretations, wonder if the creator will make a sequel, or imagine the story that could come next.
And the deeper you dive into analyzing the world, the more you begin to realize what truly makes this film brilliant.
The first-day box office of 'Spirited Away' was just the beginning. By the next day, waves of second and third-time viewers flooded online platforms with reviews:
[Review]: "Watched this with my son. He was happy that Chihiro's family was saved. I, however, was left pondering the social reflection beneath the story."
[Review]: "I thought it was just another fantasy romance like Jing Yu's previous works. But I was wrong. The first watch gave me a sense of understanding, the second revealed new insights, and by the fifth, I was still uncovering layers. So much of it satirizes and mirrors society's contradictions—yet it never feels forced. Deservedly the best film of this Lunar New Year."
[Review]: "This isn't a story about romance, friendship, or family—it's a growth story. Every character grows by the end. Chihiro rescues her parents. Haku decides to break free from Yubaba's control, even risking his life. Yubaba's son learns empathy—transforming from a spoiled brat into someone who helps Chihiro escape. The reflection this leaves in the viewer's heart is undeniable."
[Review]: "I don't really understand all those deep analyses online, but I know one thing—this film is just good. Even after three viewings, I'm still not bored."
[Headline]: "Another iconic character is born—Haku from 'Spirited Away' takes the top spot on the popularity chart, tripling the votes of the second-place character."
[Headline]: "After a two-year break, Old Thief returns with 'Spirited Away'—not only meeting fans' expectations but surpassing them."
[Box Office]: "Nearly 900 million on Day 1. 700 million on Day 2. 860 million on Day 3. After just three days, 'Spirited Away' has crossed 2.5 billion. Could this be the one to finally break the decade-old box office record?"
[Stat]: "With only one-third of the total screenings, 'Spirited Away' is responsible for nearly half of all Lunar New Year ticket sales. It's locked in to cross 3 billion on Day 4, while the second-place film hasn't even reached 1.3 billion."
[Scheduling]: "'Spirited Away' had a 25%, 34%, 37%, then 38% screening rate across four days. If it weren't for Great Zhou's film industry regulations, theaters would gladly boost that to 50%."
Even before the holiday season began, it was already predicted that 'Spirited Away' would be the box office champ.
Jing Yu's popularity alone nearly guaranteed billions—even if he released a bad film, like how Director Zhou's 'King of Comedy 2' still pulled in big numbers despite being panned. Fans complained after the fact, but the ticket sales were already locked in.
So if Jing Yu delivered a film with even decent quality, 3 billion was practically guaranteed.
But no one expected 'Spirited Away' to be this good.
Regular viewers loved the plot.
Industry professionals praised the script, soundtrack, production, and pacing.
Its message, balance of art and commerce, emotional depth—all acknowledged.
From a professional standpoint, it was the best film of the Lunar New Year.
Of course, that doesn't mean it totally crushed every other Great Zhou film.
There were still plenty of masterpieces like 'Shawshank Redemption' or 'Forrest Gump' in the world's film history.
Compared to those socially reflective classics, 'Spirited Away' lacks a bit in depth.
But what it does have is balance. Everyone, from kids to elders, finds it enjoyable. Coupled with Jing Yu's reputation and a near-limitless marketing budget…
'Spirited Away' was now marching toward the #1 spot in Great Zhou's film history.
If Jing Yu had released this movie when he first arrived in this world, lacking funds, famous actors, or directors, it might not have even cracked 1 billion.
But that's not the case. Today, Jing Yu wields tremendous power in the film industry.
'Spirited Away' isn't just powered by quality—it's powered by capital.
By the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the holiday movie scene had effectively become "Spirited Away and Friends."
Other films tried everything:
Extra promotions, price subsidies, staged gossip, PR stunts.
Nothing worked.
The Great Zhou audience came for 'Spirited Away'.
For Jing Yu.
Couples came to the theater, and if there were no 'Spirited Away' tickets available?
They'd rather wait an hour for the next showing than buy tickets to another film.
What could anyone do?
And it wasn't even Jing Yu pulling strings behind the scenes.
Theaters had mouths to feed—they went with what made money.
Jing Yu didn't even request extra screenings. He gave competitors some breathing room.
But theaters didn't care.
They slashed low-performing films to make room for 'Spirited Away' on their own.
That's how we got the record-setting 42% screening rate on Day 7.
It was outrageous.
The producers behind the other films were furious—but what could they say?
Their movies weren't selling.
And theaters don't exist to do charity.
Even if some hated Jing Yu or Bluestar Films, they couldn't complain.
He wasn't bribing theater managers or manipulating box office numbers.
He won fair and square.
If you lose—admit it.
"Incredible. Jing Yu's already hit 4 billion in total box office. A few more days and he'll break the record," said Cheng Lie, face flushed with excitement.
With the seven-day holiday ending, everyone at the company returned to work, filled with energy. Cheng Lie was no exception.
By now, a few billion in profits didn't even faze them.
But this? Tens of billions—with a shot at rewriting history?
"Don't celebrate just yet," Jing Yu said. "The holiday's over. 'Spirited Away''s box office is about to drop sharply. We may only need 1.9 billion more to break the record—but as they say: 'The last ten miles are the hardest.'"
He wasn't popping champagne early.
He'd seen too many cautionary tales in his past life.
The most typical case? 'Detective Chinatown 3'.
Released during the Lunar New Year, it raked in 3 billion in just a few days.
Then what? After two months in theaters—even with extensions—it barely scraped past 4 billion.
All the early hype amounted to 80% of total revenue.
After that, it crawled forward.
So Jing Yu was glad 'Spirited Away' had a strong opening week.
But now? Things were about to get tough.
"That quote is deep, Jing Yu. Gotta remember that for flexing with my friends," Cheng Lie said, snapping out of it.
Even the creator was staying humble. Cheng Lie realized popping champagne now really would be premature.
"Still, 4 billion in seven days. Isn't 2 billion more over the next month doable?" Cheng Lie asked cautiously.
"Yeah, I think so," Jing Yu nodded. "Even though the Great Zhou is highly urbanized, lots of people spent the holidays in places without theaters. As they return to the cities, a new wave of moviegoers will emerge."
"But the problem is… we're not the only ones eyeing that wave."
"You mean…?"
"Of the 12 films released this season, only 3 have recouped their investment. The other 9?" Jing Yu paused.
"Absolutely dismal."
Among them was a film called 'Yesterday!'—a tearjerking youth romance, once a trending genre in Great Zhou.
It was the only romance film in the Lunar New Year lineup.
But despite a 160 million investment, it only had 4.5% of screenings on Day 1.
From Day 2 on, it dropped to just 1%.
Its total box office? Only 60 million.
And its daily take? 3 million.
"Making movies is a gamble," Jing Yu sighed.
Excluding his own work, only a tiny fraction of Great Zhou's films ever make back their budget.
'Yesterday!' was just one of many flops.
Its investors could only pray that post-holiday traffic might help them recover.
"So you're saying we should be merciful? Let them have the audience?" Cheng Lie winced.
"No way," Jing Yu's expression sharpened.
"I might not care about a few million more in revenue. But I do care about that title—highest-grossing film in history. I'm just acknowledging how brutal this industry really is. Because tomorrow…"
"That's when the real battle begins for 'Spirited Away'."
"I'm going to have the operations team launch a full campaign. Fan meetups, ticket subsidies—whatever it takes. We'll squeeze out every drop of potential interest."
And just as Jing Yu predicted—
After the holiday, the box office dropped off a cliff:
Daily sales fell to 120 million.
Most repeat viewers had already seen the film multiple times.
With school and work resuming, it was unrealistic to rely on fans alone.
Some moviegoers turned to other films.
But right at that moment—
'Spirited Away' relaunched its promotion campaign.
Ads flooded forums, shopping sites, entertainment apps, and video platforms.
They even teamed up with theaters to offer heavy ticket subsidies.
"Why, though? You already made a profit. What's the point?"
Even if it added another billion in box office, that's just 300 million in revenue share.
Early promotions had huge returns—now? Not so much.
Most people had already seen the film.
Why bother spending more on promotion?
Then again, when people thought about it, they got it.
The box office was indeed falling.
Jing Yu was going all-in to secure that record.
With a 500-600 million investment, and 4.3 billion already earned, the return rate was already over 300%, not even counting future licensing.
So, if a little extra spending increased his odds?
Totally worth it.
He didn't mind making slightly less if it secured him the crown.
Unlike ads, ticket subsidies directly impacted the audience:
A 40-yuan ticket reduced to 25?
People care about price.
That kind of move? Extremely effective.
Even if Bluestar's profit from that ticket just balanced out the subsidy, it didn't matter.
Of course, this couldn't last forever.
Jing Yu would stop as soon as the numbers stabilized.
But to guarantee the top spot, to prevent surprises,
He was willing to make noise.
While he pushed hard—
His competitors suffered.
They were hoping for that post-holiday bounce.
But now?
That bounce was sucked up by 'Spirited Away'.
They couldn't afford to match his subsidies.
They were already hemorrhaging money.
Some began planning to sell their films to streaming sites like Qingyun Video, just to recover something.
The results were clear:
On Day 9, 'Spirited Away''s daily box office jumped from 120 million…
to over 200 million.