Spirited Away contains other language and cultural nuances that do not translate into the North American release, either in the English dubbing or the English subtitles. Some, like the part where Kamaji performs the "engacho kitta", come from casual Japanese playground superstition; though the English script says "evil be gone", the whole action of chopping between the hands - as explained in the DVD special features - holds about as much spiritual cleansing strength as a North American child "passing cooties" by tagging another.
Others, like the relationship between the twin sisters Yubaba and Zeniba, come from the aforementioned idea of different words for older siblings and younger siblings. Despite being twins of basically the same age, Zeniba refers to her sister as "imouto" (for "younger sister") while Chihiro tells Kamaji how Haku had taken the seal from Yubaba’s "oneesan" (for "elder sister"). Despite their being twins, the distinction still makes for certain formalities between the two. Nevertheless, Yubaba clearly holds resentment or jealousy towards her older sister, stealing from her and basically exploding when learning that her son is with Zeniba later in the film. Yubaba’s rivalry becomes even more interesting when considering that she owns the grand, prosperous bathhouse while Zeniba lives in a cottage in the middle of "Swamp Bottom" – Yubaba wants what her sister has regardless of how much she has herself. Again, not catching any of these details does not hinder any enjoyment of Spirited Away as a whole, but as details they still enhance the understanding of the film, its characters and their motivations.
Not all discrepancies between the English and Japanese language tracks are quite so trivial, though. In fact, much of Sen or Chihiro’s motivation changes quite dramatically with what she says and what others say about her. Early in the film, after Haku first brings Chihiro to see her parents in the pig sty, Chihiro rediscovers the farewell card she had received from her friend and remembers her real name. In English, Chihiro says "I can’t believe I forgot my name!" In the Japanese, however, she says "I’d nearly turned into Sen!" This distinction ties directly with the above-mentioned title ambiguity of Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, where the idea of replacement works in tandem with that of forgetting.
More poignantly, though, is how Chihiro’s character in her Japanese comes off as more engaged and even assertive with the spirit world. Much like the earlier name-forgetting and replacement, Chihiro’s lines differ in the two language tracks at several points throughout the film, but the best example comes from her confrontations with Kaonashi, or No Face. When No Face offers the pile of gold to Chihiro in the hallway, her English line, "I don’t want any, but thanks" contrasts starkly with the abrupt Japanese of "I don’t want any... I don’t need any." Later, when Chihiro faces off against the bloated and grotesque No Face who continues to ask her what she wants, she replies (in both language tracks), “you should go back to where you came from.” Her following line marks the change: she says "Yubaba doesn’t want you in the bathhouse any longer" in English – thus placing her as but a means for Yubaba’s end – while in Japanese she states, "you can’t help me with what I want." In these two moments, Chihiro displays a strong understanding of herself and her true needs, furthering her development as a character.
Another very different take on the characters and their understanding of each other comes with the subject of Haku as a dragon. The English dub presents a simpler take on the whole subject, with Chihiro acknowledging upon first sight, "Haku... he’s a dragon?". The dub continues to briskly make points clear upon Haku’s return under assault, and Chihiro’s big shock comes from realising that Haku is hurt. In the Japanese, Chihiro sees Haku’s return and comments, "it’s the dragon from before," without making a direct connection to Haku. Then, while witnessing the paper onslaught, she spontaneously shouts out, "Haku, hang on, come here!" – this time her shock comes from her sudden and idiopathic understanding of the dragon’s identity. With that single moment, the "Japanese Chihiro" floods herself with subconscious questions: "Why is Haku a dragon?" "Why do I know that Haku is a dragon?" Indeed, Chihiro does not even confirm her feelings until after Haku finally reverts to his "human" form, saying something to the degree of, "so it was Haku after all." Though hesitant with her thoughts, her sudden realisation furthers the connection between Chihiro and Haku that Haku establishes prior – "I’ve known you since you were small," he says shortly after their first meeting in the film.
Their connection re-establishes itself in a later scene mirroring Chihiro’s subconscious epiphany, when Haku awakens after recovering from the cursed seal: "Grandpa, where’s Sen?" he asks Kamaji quickly (and curiously informally for this moment). Directly afterwards in his recollection, though, he says, "Chihiro kept calling my name in the darkness...". Kamaji sees Haku’s calling Chihiro by her real name as the most significant detail, and reasserts the intimacy between the two younger characters. The English script, meanwhile, has Haku continue to refer to Chihiro as "Sen" in his reminiscence – for this, Kamaji has nothing to elaborate upon, and instead narrates exposition until the next scene. These sorts of moments in the Japanese script really make apparent the deep, spiritual closeness Chihiro and Haku have for each other. That "power of love" may be there in any language version of Spirited Away, but the Japanese track definitely refines it to a degree.
Of course, none of this is to say that the Japanese version of Spirited Away is inherently superior to the English production, or for that matter any other production. Hayao Miyazaki himself often states that he feels his films should be seen in a viewer's native language so that people spend more time looking at the visuals and not at subtitles. In a 2005 interview with The Guardian, he very characteristically stated, "When you watch the subtitled version you are probably missing just as many things... Film crosses so many borders these days. Of course it is going to be distorted." In the end, even if the English version fills in thoughts unspoken in the original language track – such as Chihiro’s final assertion, "I think I can handle it" when referring to her new home and school – Spirited Away forever remains a tale of a ten year old girl, lost in a world of gods and spirits, learning and growing as a person, to whom audiences of any age and any nationality can appreciate; it just so happens that watching something in different languages leads to a wider, more comprehensive appreciation for the work.
Whether one watches Spirited Away in English, Japanese, French or Spanish, Miyazaki’s passion for animation does not become better or worse... only different.
Works Cited:
Spirited Away. Dir. Hayao Miyazaki. DVD. Studio Ghibli, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 2001.
Guardian, The. "A God Among Animators." guardian.co.uk Film. 14 Sept. 2005. 9 Apr. 2006. http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,6737,1569689,00.html
Johnson, Michael S. "Spirited Away." Nausicaa.net. 17 Jul. 2002. Team Ghiblink. 9 Apr. 2006. http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/sen/
