Hayao Miyazaki’sSpirited Awayremains one of his most popular and beloved original films. Complete with a fascinating story of adolescence and coming of age, with a well-rounded cast that all added new meaning and variety to Chihiro’s journey as she sought to save her parents and reclaim her name.
Given the setting and location,Spirited Awayunraveled a fantastical worldof humans and personifications through the lens of unique and artistic character designs, with few matching the popularity of No Face. And while the ghoulish appearance of Chihiro’s companion remains a staple ofSpirited Away, earlier concepts imagined the spirit in a completely different fashion.
Spirited Away’s No Face Could Have Looked Like A Cosmic Entity Combined With Howl’s Wizardry Flair
In one of the concept art books for Studio Ghibli’sSpirited Away, early renditions of No Face’s character imagined it as a completely different creature, save for its mask. The standing form would actually have an anthropomorphic body that is much more colorful and gilded in gold, complete with vibrant lime-green hair and a blue star-studded cape.
Its larger form features more saturated hues with a ring of stars around its body, giving it a more cosmic look that’s seen in more subtle ways inPonyothrough her mother, or perhaps is inspired by the Night Walker fromPrincess Mononoke. This earlier style is completely different from No Face now, but would have been an interesting interpretation.
Many fans have entertained the idea that No Face now resemblesHowl fromHowl’s Moving Castle, thanks to the dramatic scene of the wizard stomping through the house after an incident with his ginger air and the cloak inspiration, even if it looks like a combination of Howl’s and Sophie’s colors. Fans have also compared it to the starry children.
No Face’s Present Design Serves Spirited Away’s Narrative Much Better
While No Face’s earlier concept would have been an interesting design to see unfold in animation, its dark, shrouded appearance does a much better job ininterpreting its purpose withinSpirited Away. Originally ignored as a shadow, No Face develops an interest in Chihiro and begins to consume people to gain their personalities and traits to earn her affection.
Unmoved, Chihiro eventually allows for No Face to follow her as a companion only after it discards its previous victims.No Face can symbolize many things, but mainly serves as a blank slateand represents what can happen to a person if they consume too much of a bad habit or character trait.
GivenSpirited Away’s outlook on childhood adolescence, this could represent another child or person who tries too hard to become like someone else, only to end up losing themselves or their relationships as a result. No Face’s design is meant to be a mirror and is therefore only a shadowy figure with a mask.
Whether viewers see the movie in a theatre, on their television, or on their phone,the spirit’s dark silhouette serves to turn the reflection back onto its audience. For its purpose throughout the story, No Face proves that there is plenty to interpret through the simplistic beauty of a minimalistic design.
