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In this episode of Nostalgia Check, we finally watch Spirited Away (2001) for the very first time and yeah, we were not prepared for this.

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki and brought to life by Studio Ghibli, this legendary film has been called one of the greatest animated movies ever made so we had to see if it lived up to the hype.

We go in completely fresh and break down:
 • Our raw first reactions (confusion included)
 • The wildest moments that caught us off guard
 • Characters like No-Face and Yubaba - what is going on??
 • Plot breakdown from a first-time viewer perspective
 • IMDb and Letterboxd reviews
 • Does it deserve the “masterpiece” label?

This isn’t a polished expert analysis this is what it’s like watching Spirited Away with zero context in 2026.

If you’ve seen it, relive that first-watch feeling with us. If you haven’t, maybe watch first. Or don’t. Honestly, we didn’t.

We wrap up with our final scores and what’s coming next on the wheel.

Always With Me (,いつも何度でも - Itsumo Nando Demo)』
Sootballs (ボイラー虫 - Boiler Mushi)
One Summer's Day (あの夏へ - Ano Natsu e) 
Spirited Away (Original Soundtrack)
Composer: Joe Hisaishi

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