The Oscar-winning movie by Hayao Miyazaki, Spirited Away has gained a lot of appreciation and love from fans since its release in 2001. The movie is an “Alice in Wonderland” spin-off that has won the hearts of millions of fans along with many awards. It is considered the best work of Hayao Miyazaki and has surely proved worthy of the title. The movie contains numerous connections to traditional Japanese culture and is based on interesting mythology. Director Miyazaki admitted to being motivated by superstitions and legends about spirits lurking around every corner.
But that is not all that inspired the brilliant director. A specific scene in the movie has inspired fans to believe that Miyazaki has taken great influence from the popular legendary anime series Dragon Ball.
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Miyazaki Took Inspiration From Dragon Ball For This Scene
Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, produced by Toho, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Tohokushinsha Film, and Mitsubishi, and distributed by Toho. It follows the narrative of Chihiro Ogino, a ten-year-old girl who discovers the realm of kami while relocating to a new neighborhood. Chihiro accepts a job working in Yubaba’s bathhouse after her parents are turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba to discover a means to rescue herself and her parents and return to the human world.
In the scene where Yubaba, who is an extremely powerful witch, the bath house’s boss and ruler, shoots energy balls from her hands at another character. Several fans noticed that the sequence, particularly Yubaba’s manner of firing energy, reminded them of a popular anime.
Miyazaki’s Response To The Similarity Between The Two Stories
In a Twitter Q&A, Studio Ghibli disclosed that Yubaba’s energy ball was influenced by the “Dragon Ball style.” A fan pointed out that the witch Yubaba can project energy balls that resemble a specific type of energy ball from Dragon Ball. Studio Ghibli accepted and acknowledged that director Hayao Miyazaki labeled it as “Dragon Ball style” in the film’s storyboards to help the animators grasp his aim.
While explaining the similarity between the two, Director Miyazaki said:
“Since Yubaba is “an old woman who can fly,” why not give her the magical ability to shoot energy from her fingers? The storyboard says ‘Dragon Ball style (laughs). I’m not sure why I hit the bullet, but Miyazaki said, ‘Grandmother is an old woman who can swim in the air.”
Spirited Away was the first and only hand-drawn and non-English-language animated film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards.
Source: Slashfilm
