Matter out of Place: Carnival, Containment, and Cultural Recovery in Miyazaki's "Spirited Away"

This essay deals with the recent animated film "Spirited Away" by the foremost Japanese animator, Miyazaki Hayao. It examines "Spirited Away" as a representation of "cultural boundedness," a reaction to globalization in which cultural products are used to reinforce notions of local culture as a form of resistance to perceived outside threats. It goes on to query the success of this attempt, arguing that "Spirited Away" undermines its overt agenda, ultimately expressing a culture beset by polluting and transgressing forces.