Spirited Away is one of the most acclaimed anime films by Studio Ghibli, the legendary animation studio founded by Hayao Miyazaki. The film, released in , tells the story of a young girl who enters a magical world of spirits and monsters. One of the most mysterious and intriguing characters in the film is No Face, a masked creature that follows the protagonist and changes its appearance and behavior depending on who it interacts with.
In , Nippon TV aired Spirited Away as part of its Kinyo Roadshow, a weekly movie program. During the broadcast, the channel shared some insights from Miyazaki himself about No Face on Twitter. According to the director, No Face is a symbol of people who lack a sense of self and try to fit in by mimicking others. He said: “There are many people like No Face in our midst… he is the type of person who wants to be attached to others, but has no sense of himself. They are everywhere.” Miyazaki’s explanation reveals the deeper meaning behind No Face, a character that reflects the human condition and the challenges of finding one’s identity in a complex and changing world.
