For those of us that grew 7up with the animation imports of the 60s and early 70s, Spirited Away is like a visit home. Color, atmosphere, interesting characters, and plenty of imagination make this the perfect piece of anime to start out those uninitiated to the genre on.

A little girl gets lost in one of the more unique and interesting fantasy landscapes- a bathhouse where gods and spirits go in for some relaxation- and has the usual series of adventures trying to get herself out of there and save her parents. What follows is a magical tour through the animator's imagination and some Japanese mythology, with just one or two metaphores and political comments (the river spoirit soaked in Man's pollution, a physical referenece to the old "Don't be a big baby"). I'm an animation fan to begin with but this thing is perfect. Perfect low-key family-level anime that everyone from kids to adults will enjoy.

Spirited Away is just the style of fantasy animation I used to enjoy as a kid and find I can still enjoy now.