LOVED this film, as did my 8 yr old son, who is kind of jaded & hard to interest in things, being a total brainiac. This director has some incredible films out, & Spirited Away was the first one we saw. Others - My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke - followed. As a family, we like Totoro best [it suits us with an 8 yr old boy & a 2 1/2 yr old daughter - there are siblings in this film] - also Totoro [the Forest Spirit] is a lovable, cuddly character - not so "rough" as the old witch & the furnace guy in Spirited Away. It was an easier plot to follow. Princess Mononoke is for older kids [& "younger" adults, like me] with battle scenes & some gory spots, with bawdy women making borderline lewd comments, couple of "bad" words. But the story is very good - so not the Western-type film with predictable plots, etc. HIGHLY recommend all three: Totoro, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke. The animation is phenomenal - beyond Disney/Pixar by light millenia. If you enjoy the ambiance of the journey, rather than nice "neat" endings - try them out! Miyazaki rules.