“Spirited Away(Official Studio Ghibli)” is a 2001 animated feature film directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
This time, I’d like to reflect on the story of each character by looking back at them and their voice actors. What kind of people were the characters in “Spirited Away”?
Please be aware that the following text contains sudden spoilers.
*This article is an English translation of the original Japanese article, “【千と千尋の神隠し】登場人物＆声優一覧とキャラクター考察そして人物相関図“
Let an AI walk you through the highlights of this post in a simple, conversational style.
- “Spirited Away” Main Characters & Voice Actors List
- Character & Voice Actor Profiles and Analysi
- Chihiro Ogino | Voice Actor: Daveigh Chase
- Haku | Voice Actor: Jason Marsden
- Akio Ogino | Voice Actor: Michael Chiklis
- Yūko Ogino | Voice Actor: Lauren Holly
- Yubaba | Voice Actor: Suzanne Pleshette
- Zeniba | Voice Actor: Suzanne Pleshette
- Boh | Voice Actor: Tara Strong
- Kamaji | Voice Actor: David Ogden Stiers
- Lin | Voice Actor: Susan Egan
- Chichiyaku | Voice Actor: Paul Eiding
- Aniyaku| Voice Actor: John Ratzenberger
- Foreman| Voice Actor: Rodger Bumpass
- Aogaeru | Voice Actor: Bob Bergen
- No-Face | Voice Actor: Bob Bergen
- Other Characters
“Spirited Away” Main Characters & Voice Actors List
| Name | Age | Voice Actor |
|---|---|---|
 Chihiro Ogino | 10 | Daveigh Chase |
 Haku | 12 (apparent age)[1] | Jason Marsden |
 Yubaba | ? | Suzanne Pleshette |
 Zeniba | ? | Suzanne Pleshette |
 Boh | ? | Tara Strong |
 Kamaji | ? | David Ogden Stiers |
 Lin | 14 (apparent age)[2] | Susan Egan |
 No-Face | ? | Bob Bergen |
- [1]
- According to a post on the official Kinro Twitter account.
- [2]
- According to a post on the official Kinro Twitter account.
Character & Voice Actor Profiles and Analysi
Chihiro Ogino | Voice Actor: Daveigh Chase
Chihiro Ogino’s Basic Information
The protagonist of the story. She is 10 years old. The story begins with her sulking in her father’s car about transferring schools.
- Her father, amused, suddenly turns onto a side road.
- Her parents enter a creepy tunnel, ignoring Chihiro’s pleas to stop.
- They eat without permission at a diner in a strange spa town.
- As a result, they are turned into pigs.
- On top of that, Chihiro herself falls into a crisis where her own existence might disappear.
After all this happens, we automatically find ourselves rooting for Chihiro. Especially since she looks like a victim of her selfish parents, our support for her is almost forcibly amplified.
Chihiro achieves personal growth through her labor at the “Aburaya,” and the highlight of this is the final trial given to her by Yubaba at the end.
In that scene, Chihiro somehow sees through the fact that her parents are not among the pigs. When I first saw that scene in the theater, I thought, “Huh? Why?” I have summarized my personal thoughts on this issue in the following article:
I’ve thought about it in various ways in the article, but now I feel that, as Director Miyazaki says, “that’s just how it is.” What do you all think?
Haku | Voice Actor: Jason Marsden
Haku’s Basic Information
A mysterious boy who helps Chihiro from the beginning of the story.
Towards the end of the story, it is revealed that he was the spirit of the “Kohaku River,” which has since been filled in. Haku’s true name is “Nigihayami Kohakunushi,” and his name was stolen by Yubaba when he became her apprentice.
Haku, who started with a good impression and ended with one, has a theory being whispered about his “true identity.” That is, Haku is “Chihiro’s brother who lost his life saving her when she fell into a river as a child.”
You might not be convinced just by hearing it, but it’s a surprisingly persuasive theory. I have summarized this theory in the following article:
What do you all think?
Akio Ogino | Voice Actor: Michael Chiklis
Akio Ogino’s Basic Information
Chihiro’s father, 38 years old. According to the storyboards, he works for a construction-related company.
Apparently a cheerful man, at the start of the story, he performs a series of reckless actions:
- He enters a suspicious side road without anyone asking him to.
- He brazenly enters an even more suspicious tunnel.
- He starts eating food at a diner with no staff present.
- As a result, he is turned into a pig.
This was a string of “ultra-C” moves. I wouldn’t want him as my own parent, but thanks to him, the story of “Spirited Away” magnificently began.
When I saw him in the theater as a child, I felt very sympathetic towards Chihiro, but now that I think about it, I feel I can defend him just a little.
That is, it seems plausible that his “rampage” was to change the unsettling atmosphere in the car. Perhaps what he feared most was a “fight between a pouting Chihiro and her mother.”
He himself probably felt guilty that Chihiro was forced to transfer schools because of his job, so he might have been turning a blind eye to her situation, but her mother is different. If Chihiro had continued to sulk about the “transfer” that had already been decided, it’s highly likely her mother would have started to get angry.
If you think that he took on the role of the bad guy to change that atmosphere, maybe you can understand his rampage a little.
Still, it’s hard to defend the fact that he started eating without permission.
Yūko Ogino | Voice Actor: Lauren Holly
Yūko Ogino’s Basic Information
Chihiro’s mother, 35 years old.
From the start of the story, she maintains a somewhat cold attitude towards Chihiro. When I saw it in the theater as a child, it felt a bit strange, but on second thought, she’s already a bit irritated by Chihiro’s sulking, and that coolness is probably what you’d call “a parent’s composure.”
Being able to enter the tunnel leaving Chihiro behind is also an action typical of a parent. There’s no end to dealing with a whining child. Many people have probably experienced being told, “Mom’s going on ahead!”
Therefore, that coolness shouldn’t be seen as particularly strange… but there are other interpretations.
It’s related to “Haku’s true identity,” which I’ve summarized in the following article:
How do you view her attitude towards Chihiro?
Yubaba | Voice Actor: Suzanne Pleshette
Yubaba’s Basic Information
A witch who is the owner of the “Aburaya.”
She gains and maintains her magical power through an outrageous contract to “give a job to anyone who asks.” If she did that, the business would inevitably fail, but since it hasn’t, she must be a skilled manager.
Yubaba steals the names of her employees to control them and gives them new ones. This is depicted very naturally and is so convincing that it’s easy to overlook, but is Yubaba really stealing their names?
It seems obvious that she is, but personally, I think it’s more natural to look at it from a slightly different perspective. I have summarized my thoughts on this point in the following article:
How do you interpret Yubaba’s act of “stealing names”?
Zeniba | Voice Actor: Suzanne Pleshette
Zeniba’s Basic Information
Yubaba’s twin sister, a witch who is even feared by Kamaji.
For some reason, Zeniba lives a simple life in a gloomy place called “Swamp Bottom.” She is a stark contrast to the lavishly living Yubaba, and there are several “mysteries” surrounding Zeniba and Yubaba. For example,
- What is Zeniba’s witch contract?
- Why did Yubaba have Haku steal Zeniba’s contract seal?
- Why do Yubaba and Zeniba live apart?
I have summarized my personal thoughts on these matters in the following article:
Personally, I feel that thinking about these mysteries is the beginning of enjoying “Spirited Away.”
Boh | Voice Actor: Tara Strong
Boh’s Basic Information
Yubaba’s child, but he calls Yubaba “Granny.”
Boh is a child but has a huge body, and despite his huge body, he crawls. He is a strange being, but towards the end of the story, he is turned into a mouse by Zeniba’s magic. By performing practical work at Zeniba’s house, he succeeds in losing weight. At the end of the story, he achieves upright bipedal walking.
And the very existence of Boh is a mystery.
The word “mystery” can have various nuances, but the “mystery” I want to talk about here is, “Why was such an incomprehensible character like Boh included when the story could have progressed without him?“
This was a long-standing issue for me personally, but I was able to reach one “answer.”
That is, the existence of “Boh” serves to give the absolute ruler, Yubaba, a “human touch.”
Indeed, it was “Boh’s fussing” that led the stubbornly refusing Yubaba to eventually make a contract with Chihiro. Considering the management of the “Aburaya,” it seems they couldn’t afford to hire Chihiro, but being too busy dealing with the more important existence of “Boh,” she ended up making a contract with Chihiro.
Looking at the overall picture of “Spirited Away,” another way to put it is that “Boh” might have been a symbol that even an absolute ruler has an Achilles’ heel.
I think there are various ways to look at the existence of “Boh,” but this is my current personal understanding.
Kamaji | Voice Actor: David Ogden Stiers
Kamaji’s Basic Information
An old man who works in the boiler room of the “Aburaya.” He has a spider-like appearance and works using his six arms. He is clearly a long-serving employee and seemed to know about Zeniba.
He is a “good person” who, along with Lin, supported Chihiro when she was lost in the “Aburaya,” and just seeing Kamaji on screen provides a sense of “reassurance.” He was an important buffer for continuing to watch the movie.
He is the “adult who quietly helps out” who often appears in Hayao Miyazaki’s works, and I want to be an adult like that too. Though I’m not doing a very good job of it.
Lin | Voice Actor: Susan Egan
Lin’s Basic Information
An employee of the “Aburaya” who is Chihiro’s senior. Although she sometimes treats Chihiro harshly in front of other employees, she is actually a kind “big sister” figure who looks out for the newcomer Chihiro.
Lin dreams of leaving the “Aburaya” and crossing the sea. One can’t help but pray that her dream comes true.
Thinking about it, since she works at the “Aburaya,” Lin must have had her name stolen too. What was her real name? Considering Yubaba’s naming sense, it probably included the sound “Lin” somewhere. I’d like to know if there was any official setting for this.
Chichiyaku | Voice Actor: Paul Eiding
Chichiyaku’s Basic Information
An employee of the “Aburaya.” He holds the highest position among the staff.
He generally acts superior towards other employees and was strict with Chihiro, but after she stopped No-Face’s rampage, he showed a sympathetic attitude towards her.
Aniyaku| Voice Actor: John Ratzenberger
Aniyaku’s Basic Information
An employee of the “Aburaya.” He is second in command after the Chichiyaku.
He suffered the tragic fate of being swallowed by No-Face but was rescued by Chihiro’s bitter dango attack.
Like the Chichiyaku, he changes his attitude towards Chihiro after No-Face’s rampage.
You could say he’s grateful, but you could also call him a “fickle fellow.”
Foreman| Voice Actor: Rodger Bumpass
Foreman’s Basic Information
An employee of the “Aburaya.” His job is to sit at the front desk and hand out tokens for the medicinal baths.
Aogaeru | Voice Actor: Bob Bergen
Aogaeru’s Basic Information
He had a rough time, being knocked out by Haku at the beginning of the story and swallowed by No-Face towards the end.
Like the Chichiyaku and Aniyaku, after being saved by Chihiro, he takes a protective attitude towards her.
No-Face | Voice Actor: Bob Bergen
No-Face’s Basic Information
He entered the “Aburaya” guided by Chihiro.
He basically only mutters “Ah… ah…” and does not express his own will. On the other hand, once he swallows Aogaeru and the Aniyaku and acquires “the voices of others,” his attitude becomes much more arrogant.
In the end, he symbolizes a “worthless being who has no words (will) of his own and can only speak with the words of others.”
So what salvation was prepared for such a No-Face? It was “labor,” a staple of Hayao Miyazaki’s works. He is saved by getting a “job” at Zeniba’s place. As long as he doesn’t lose his job, he probably won’t go on a rampage like that again.
There was a rumor that No-Face was modeled after Hiromasa Yonebayashi, who was an animator at Studio Ghibli at the time. According to Yonebayashi himself, the rumor started when Director Miyazaki saw a drawing of No-Face by Yonebayashi and remarked, “Doesn’t it look just like Maro (Yonebayashi’s nickname)?” (Reference: “‘When Marnie Was There’ Director Yonebayashi reveals the truth behind the theory that he was the model for No-Face!“, in Japanese).
Other Characters
Stink Spirit / River Spirit | Voice Actor: Koba Hayashi
A god who appeared in the middle of the story, covered in mud and spreading a foul odor. At first, Yubaba judges him to be a “stink spirit” and tries to turn him away, but thanks to the efforts of Chihiro and Lin, his true identity as the spirit of a famous river is revealed. As a result, the “Aburaya” received a large reward.
This incident was an important success experience for Chihiro and a key event that helped her grow as a person.
Oshira-sama | Voice Actor: Ken Yasuda
A pure white radish god who was in the “Aburaya” elevator with Chihiro at the beginning of the story.
The “Oshirasama” is a god worshipped in the Tohoku region of Japan, considered a god of agriculture, among other things.
Kasuga-sama
A god with a creepy appearance holding a shakujō staff, who disembarked in droves from a boat that arrived at the spa town where the “Aburaya” is located at the beginning of the story.
“Kasuga-sama” is a Shinto deity, and there are shrines with the name “Kasuga” all over Japan.
Ushioni
A god with a “Namahage”-like appearance who appeared as a customer of the “Aburaya.”
The “Ushi-oni” is a yōkai from western Japan, said to attack people walking on the beach.
Ōtori-sama
A god in the form of a giant chick who appeared as a customer of the “Aburaya.”
Kashira
A green, head-only monster with the face of an oni or an old man that was in Yubaba’s room.
It was transformed into Boh by Zeniba’s magic. Although Yubaba broke the spell, it did not appear again.
Since it wasn’t among the “Aburaya” employees seeing Chihiro off at the end of the story, it may have met a tragic end after incurring Yubaba’s wrath.
Yu-bird
A crow-like bird that was in Yubaba’s room. Its face looks just like Yubaba’s.
After being turned into a fly-bird by Zeniba’s magic, it showed a comical side along with Boh.
Sootballs (Susuwatari)
They work with Kamaji in the boiler room.
They look almost identical to the Makkurokurosuke from “My Neighbor Totoro,” but these have arms and legs.
The images used in this article are from “Studio Ghibli Works Still Images“.
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