Spirited Away is a classic Studio Ghibli film released in 2001. Even though many years have passed, this is still one of the best animated films ever. However, despite the young age of the main character and the Yokai theme, the film’s content is not childish at all. In fact, one of the best things about this movie is its complexity and various mysteries.
The story follows Chihiro, who wanders into the Yokai world to find a way to save her parents. However, the world is scarier than she realizes because it is ruled by a witch who turns those who disobey her into animals.
One of the main mysteries of Spirited Away that fans are still wondering about is the identity of No-Face. Although he is only a supporting character, No Face plays an important part in the story and no one seems to know who No Face really is. Now author Miyazaki Hayao has opened up about this strange character.
Miyazaki Hayao solves the mystery of the character No-Face in Spirited Away
Nippon TV hosted a weekly Friday primetime movie show called Kinyo Roadshow, with Spirited Away taking first place for 2024. During the event, Nippon TV live-tweeted details about movie, including a tidbit from Miyazaki Hayao that few people know about.
According to Miyazaki’s post, “There are many people like No-Face among us… those are the type of people who want to cling to others but have no sense of self. They are everywhere.”
More than two decades ago, Miyazaki Hayao stated that No-Face’s identity in Spirited Away was much greater than fans realized. This character has no specific identity. Instead, No-Face is simply an entity that has lost its sense of self. It adapts to new personalities depending on the situation, which is why No-Face is so unpredictable in the film.
At first, No-Face gave gold to others to win their approval, but its ego swelled soon after. Later, No-Face meets Chihiro and adjusts to her personality. By the end of the movie, he decides to live his life with Zeniba.
