No Face: Facts Probably Don’t Know About No-Face of Spirited Away

By: Archisman Dutta

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Ghibli Studio’s Spirited Away is an Academy Award-winning animation film. The spirit of No Face is the most popular character in Hayao Miyazaki’s Japanese animated film Spirited Away, which was inspired by his friend’s 10-year-old daughters. 

Chihiro Ogino, a morose ten-year-old girl, enters the spirit realm while moving to a new neighborhood in Spirited Away. Chihiro accepts a job working at Yubaba’s bathhouse after her parents are turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba. She hopes to find a method to rescue herself and her parents and return to the human world.

Spirited Away remains a notable example of high-quality animation nearly two decades after its release. It bridges the gap between adults and youngsters in terms of enjoyment. In the shape of No-Face, it also served as a type of mascot for Studio Ghibli. Here are some further details regarding this guy.

No-Face (Spirited Away)

In Spirited Away, No-Footprints Face’s

If you look closely, you’ll see that No-Face leaves footsteps. Of course, this begs the question: why does No-Face leave footprints since his existence is so hollow and translucent that even other spirits can’t detect him?

The reason for this, according to certain fan theories, is that the footprints persist as proof that the monster was more than simply a figment of Chihiro’s imagination. Regardless of whether or not this is genuine, we doubt the creators included the footprints in the movie by accident.

In Spirited Away, Bob Bergen Voices No-Face

While No-voice Face’s isn’t very well-known, he does have a few lines in Spirited Away. Bob Bergen (renowned for his voice acting in various animated series, including the Looney Tunes cartoons) is the voice of No-Face in the dubbed version of the picture. The character is voiced by Japanese actor Akio Nakamura in the original version of the film. If you listen closely, you’ll hear Balinese Gamelan music playing in the background anytime No-Face appears on the screen.

Kaonashi is his name

No-Face is likely only known as “No-Face” to those who do not speak Japanese, however, the spirit’s Japanese name is Kaonashi. The phrase simply means “without a face.” Kaonashi is an excellent description of the creature because he not only wears a mask for a face and so has no ownership, but he also absorbs the faces of those he encounters and consumes, adopting new attitudes and ideas based on those he encounters and eats. No-Face is not only faceless but also nearly bodyless. His long, black body is tube-like and nearly hollow as if it might be filled with other people’s ideas and beliefs.

He doesn’t have an actual form

Miyazaki explained in an interview that Japanese spirits do not have a form, thus each spirit, including No-Face, is merely a representation of that deity or spirit in a more substantial form. “The gods of Japan have no physical form; they live in the rocks, pillars, and trees. They do, however, require paperwork in order to visit the bathhouse “He confessed. This makes a lot of sense, both in terms of Shinto kami, who are not distinct from nature but are part of it, and in terms of what works for a children’s film. Spirited Away needed some incredibly fascinating characters if Miyazaki intended it to be a movie that tweens would like.

Who is No Face?

He is a Noppera-Bo

There is a faceless ghost who resembles the No-Face character, according to ancient Japanese tradition regarding yokai and other supernatural spirits. A Noppera-Bo impersonates a human, but it is not a threat to humans. Instead, they like to tease and taunt humans. These ghosts, according to legend, approach their victims in disguise, usually as a person they know, and make them feel at ease before terrifying them. It’s not surprising that Miyazaki got inspiration from this for No-Face.

His mask covered a Larger Mouth

The mask of No-Face is a lovely work of Japanese art with lovely grey and violet colors. His mask also has a little mouth that varies depending on his mood. The monster’s mask mouth, on the other hand, does not belong to him. Instead, it conceals a far more dangerous set of chompers, which come in handy when the ghost tries to devour Yubaba’s bathhouse employees! Thankfully, the spirit’s teeth, which appear to be made up entirely of molars, don’t smash anything up, leaving our ensemble of swallowed characters not only whole but also able to flee once he’s regurgitated them all.

Babette’s Feast served as a source of inspiration

When asked about the source of No-extreme Face’s hunger in Spirited Away, Miyazaki replied that he was influenced by the film Babette’s Feast. No-Face isn’t the only greedy character in the movie. For whatever reason, many anime characters have trouble regulating their appetites. Due to their gluttony, Chihiro’s parents are also converted into pigs.

no face

He eats others and gets their Personality Traits in the Process

Those who pay close attention to No-Face will observe that he swiftly adopts the physical qualities of those he swallows, even acquiring frog-like legs that he uses to walk around. After ingesting Aogaeru, the blue kimono-wearing frog, he has a gluttonous mentality. He can also communicate after swallowing Aogaeru, and speaks in the frog’s voice. No-Face is clearly a lonely spirit who wishes to connect with others, and he feels that by eating and acting like a bathhouse staff, he would be able to attract some attention, particularly from Sen.

Fan Theories about No Face

Fans are prone to inferring backstories and bizarre hypotheses about their favorite characters. Fans have a few wild beliefs regarding the popular Spirited Away figure, of course. No-Face could be a human trapped in the Spirit World with no way out, according to one hypothesis. People utilise his transparency, as well as Chihiro’s see-through nature when she first enters the Spirit World and the transparency of the passengers on the train, as evidence to support this argument. Another wild hypothesis is that No-Face is a Japanese sign for child trafficking. Surprisingly, the film’s writer has not refuted this theory.

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