I would just like to point out that the beginning and end of Spirited Away creep me out in the most delicious way possible. I’ve always been a fan of fairy tales, and not just the Grimm and Anderson stuff, almost all my life. Like the honestly faerie court stories.
Themes you see in those reflect strongly in this movie, and comparing them side by side just makes it that much more stark.
Often times you hear that if you get sucked into the fairy realm, you shouldn’t eat their food. It gives them power over you. More often than not, heroes finally escape the fairy realm after what they perceive to be a very short time (a night or a week)…
…only to find that seasons or years have passed.
‘Hey, it’s all dusty in here. Is this someone’s idea of a joke?’
CRAPPING SHIT I WHY HAVE I NEVER NOTICED THIS
This always freaked me out a little as a kid. Like the OP, I couldn’t help but wonder how long REALLY passed. I always pretended it was something like a week but… Judging by that moss, I can’t say for sure.
A week? Try much MUCH /MUCH/ longer. The plants are a good indicator but a better one is the statue. We’re seeing it from the same angle in each shot. Look in the first one before she enters, it’s not NEW but you can tell what it is.
Now look at the second frame. It’s so eroded it’s just a dull, flat stone.
That thing is solid stone, that must have taken up to, if not more than, a DECADE to wear down that much.
Not to mention that there are new trees next to the car. Just remember how long it actually takes for trees to grow real quick.
Evidence is suggesting they were in there for maybe around 20-30 years.
