Once, when I was very young. Second time was yesterday.
I think this is my favourite Japanese animated film of all time so far.
The film opens with ten year-old Chihiro and her parents traveling to their new home. Along the way, her father mistakes an off-beaten road for a short cut, and they inadvertently wind up in what he thinks is an abandoned amusement park.
A brief exploration reveals a restaurant's unattended buffet and Chihiro's parents succumb to the delicious offerings. While her parents gorge themselves on the food, Chihiro continues to explore and encounters a young man named Haku. Haku warns her to leave at once, but by this time it is too late.
Chihiro discovers she is trapped in a vacation spot for the spirit world and that her parents have literally become pigs. With no one to turn to, she must learn how to survive in this strange land and, more importantly, to rescue her parents and return home.
Directed by the legendary Japanese anime director, Hayao Miyazaki.
From the Japanese anime Spirited Away by Chihiro (voice-over by Rumi Hiiragi) (2001)