Spirited Away [Blu-ray/DVD] [2 Discs] [2001]

Great story with awesome background music! Every kid would love it!

This is a fantastic animated feature that people of all ages can enjoy. The animation itself is stunning, the story is like something out of a fairy tale, and the English dub is superb. There's even behind the scenes on this Blu-ray edition that talks about the American actors as well as some of the forethought that went into creating the English version to make it relatable to American audiences. Fantastic purchase. Hands down.

Yet another classic anime from Miyzaki. Won an Oscar for best Animated Film. My kids thoroughly enjoyed it, ranking it as their favorite to date. The story is solid, the animation superb. They have wacthed it several times, enjoying it each time as much as the first.

I'm very pleased to have finally purchased this masterpiece of a film. The DVD is excellent and contains bonus features, including a behind the scenes look at how the film came to be - which really makes you appreciate the film even more!

The animated movies of Studio Ghibli, especially the ones directed by Myazaki, are beautiful movies for all ages. Pacing ranges from fast action to slow setting-establishing shots. They're full of character. They don't talk down to the audience. There are many reasons these films are so loved in Japan and tend to win over those who don't care for anime or any animated films, for that matter. Disney had released the films of Studio Ghibli on disc previously, but these GKIDS releases are better. They have better translations for the subtitles and include extras that had only been on the Japanese releases. If you prefer watching these movies in their native language with subtitles, these are the discs to have. We're big fans of having the physical discs rather than going with digital only versions. Discs don't rely on an internet connection and you own them - you technically own a digital only version, too, but if the platform/app goes away, you may lose access to it.

Many of you may be wondering the same thing I was when these releases hit stores. Are these Blu-rays an upgrade over the Disney releases? They are, in my opinion. However, are they worth purchasing again? Probably not. But, for hardcore fans, maybe. Here's why. First, picture quality. GKIDS has completed new 4K scans for these Blu-rays. In my opinion, it shows. The image is a bit cleaner. The details and colors do differ in some respects from the Disney releases. In comparing some scenes from Nausicaa, Castle in the Sky, and Princess Mononoke, I prefer the GKIDS releases. Is it a huge difference? No. But it is there. The reds are more intense and look red, not orange. And in Nausicaaa, the colors differ in scenes from the Disney Blu-rays. Actual color grading differences. Plus, the GIDS releases have more shadow details. The packaging and presentation on these releases tops Disney's with ease. The slipcovers are beautiful, with many of the releases using the same artwork as previous releases, with some exceptions, like Princess Mononoke. I also prefer the Nausicaa art here over Disney's. Each release is in a quality keepcase (not eco case) with art inside the back cover, so that when you open the case, you see a beautiful image from the film. The discs have art on them as well. I prefer the design on the GKIDS discs over Disney's, although, the Disney DVDs sometimes had very nice art as well. Lastly, the GKIDS releases also come with a small booklet that has some art and words from the creators behind the films. The menus on the GKIDS releases fall short of the Disney releases. They are not animated. There is no music. But, they are clean and simple. It would have been nice to have at least had music playing in the background like the Disney releases. Some releases include new extras. Many, if not all, extras from the Disney releases are ported over, but some may not be HD, as is the case on Nausicaa. As you can see from the descriptions, the Disney dubs are ported over to these releases as well. Plus, you get Japanese audio tracks, although, I have not confirmed if these are the original Japanese audio tracks, as I know that was a problem on some previous releases. Overall, I prefer the GKIDS Blu-rays, but if you have the Disney releases, you probably should save your money. However, if you're like me and you love the films and want the best presentation possible (video and packaging) and you find them on good sale, like they were on release at Best Buy, then it may be worth it to you.

This was one of my favorite movies as a child and I finally bit the bullet and bought it while it was on sale because I knew it was never going to be below $15. I’m not sure but it seems like it has been remastered in the colors are so much brighter and the sounds are now coming through different stereos on the TV so it really sucks you into the experience

It's a classic movie. My two daughters fell in love with Chihiro and her story. It is empowering coming of age story. Buy this movie to inspire your children.