For many the pinnacle of the Studio Ghibli catalogue, Hayao Miyazaki’s animated masterpiece is now available on a number of on-demand services – read on to find out how to watch Spirited Away and stream the classic no matter where you are in the world.
Originally released in 2001, Spirited Away stands as the most successful films in Japanese history, grossing over $347 million worldwide and beating Titanic to take the record for the highest earning film of all time at the Japanese box office.
The film tells the story of Chihiro, a 10-year-old girl and her parents who discover a seemingly abandoned amusement park. After her mother and father are turned into giant pigs, Chihiro meets the mysterious Haku, who explains that the park is a resort for supernatural beings who need a break from their time spent in the earthly realm, and that she must work there to free herself and her parents.
Spirited Away cheat sheet
Released: 2001
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Original voice cast: Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takashi Naitô
English dub cast: Daveigh Chase, Jason Marsden, David Ogden Stiers, Suzanne Pleshette
Run time: 124 minutes
Rating: PG
Up until recently, one of the best Studio Ghibli movies was mostly unavailable on streaming services or to download digitally. However, new deals struck by both HBO Max and Netflix means that the company’s entire magical back catalogue is now available in most countries on demand – including Spirited Away
Netflix has nabbed exclusive streaming rights for all territories except the US, Canada, and Japan. Meanwhile, HBO Max will be the home for Studio Ghibli content for the North American market when the new service goes live in the US in May.
The winner of the Best Animated Feature award at the 2003 Oscars, (the first and only hand-drawn and non-English-language animated film to win the prize), Spirited Away remains one of the most beloved and enduring anime films – read on for our full guide to watching the movie and other Studio Ghibli content based on your location.
Where to watch Spirited Away online in the US
There’s a little bit of a wait in store for American audiences looking to binge on all that Studio Ghibli goodness.
Although HBO Max has secured the streaming rights to the studio’s back catalogue, the new platform isn’t expected to launch until May 2020. When it does, however, you’ll be able to gorge yourself on as much anime as you like for just $14.99 a month.
If you can’t hold out that long, the studio’s animated movies have been available to purchase in digital form since December 2019 on major platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV, including Spirited Away.
Where to watch Spirited Away in the rest of the world
If you’re an anime fan outside of Canada, Japan or the US, Netflix has now become a veritable goldmine.
It has exclusive rights to stream the Studio Ghibli catalogue outside of those regions and has been drip feeding films from the studio onto its library since February, with Spirited Away hitting the service on March 1, 2020.
Depending on your location, basic monthly subscription costs for Netflix are: £5.99 (UK); €7.99 (Europe); R99 (Africa); AED29 (United Arab Emirates); $9.99 (Australia); $11.99 (New Zealand).
Where to watch Spirited Away from outside your country
If you’re craving a visit to the wonderful world of Ghibli, but find yourself away from home on work or on vacation, you may find that you’re unable to access services like Netflix of HBO Max thanks to geo-blocking.
Thankfully, help is at hand. Sign up to a VPN and you’ll be able to alter your IP address, giving you access to you’re regular regional content, allowing you to watch Spirited Away from all four corners of the globe.
There are tons of VPNs you can select., however, the one we find most reliable is ExpressVPN. It’s fast, secure, and simple to use. It’s also compatible with a long list of devices, including Apple TV, PlayStation, Amazon Fire TV Stick, the Xbox, iOS software and Android too.
What makes this service even better is Express VPN’s flexible 30-day money back guarantee. Although, if you sign up for an annual plan you’ll get a 49% discount and 3 months extra FREE, which is a bargain for an invaluable piece of tech. When its downloaded, find the location of your home country, select connect, and boom, you’ll be able to fully immerse yourself in the magical world of Hayao Miyazaki stress free.
