Spirited Away‘s No Face has become a pop culture celeb himself. Almost every Spirited Away merch has his face…erm, no face on it. But did you ever ponder on what is his significance in the story? And why is he so attached to Chihiro?
After watching Spirited Away countless times, one theory stuck with me, which was further confirmed by fans of the movie. And I have to say, Hayao Miyazaki made a genius move.
Why No Face waited at the bridge in Spirited Away
The most legendary No Face scene in Spirited Away is probably the one in which the spirit devours everything around him, including the bathhouse workers. Of course, I am also in love with the ending of the movie, where No Face has a change in personality and becomes timid. But, in the beginning of Spirited Away, No Face is seen standing on the bridge, eerily watching Chihiro and Haku in a rush.
His second appearance also happened on the same bridge, where he watched Chihiro with fascination. But why does he appear on the bridge in Spirited Away? There is a high probability that No Face actually represents the past self of Chihiro.
At the beginning of the film, Chihiro isn’t really a mature character. Like any other average child, she is whiny, easily scared, and has an overall childish personality. No Face could be the spirit manifestation of Chihiro’s immature self. Because as the movie progresses, No Face matures as much as Chihiro.
The importance of the bridge in Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away
In Japanese culture, a bridge can signify a transition. It acts as a passage between different realms or represents a metaphorical journey of a person through their life. When Chihiro passes through the bridge in the beginning, it could be an indication of the fact that the character will go through a transition.
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This is where she meets No Face, whose mentality is extremely similar to that of a child. He first patiently waits for Chihiro, but then his demands grow more and more till he is appropriately shut down. Towards the finale, he is disciplined by Zeniba. Thus, his trajectory in the film reflects the character arc of Chihiro, who also reaches maturity.
Thus, No Face is seen on the bridge as a manifestation of Chihiro’s childish self, who would soon undergo maturity. This is why No Face is attached to Chihiro when she is still immature. But once she makes grownup choices, he is easily swayed by Zeniba to stay with her.
Spirited Away is available to stream on Max.
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