The twin sisters Yubaba and Zeniba teach Chihiro that good and evil both exist in the world, and often exist within the same person. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. Haku in dragon form has swallowed Zeniba's valuable seal, which is cursed, and is dying from internal injuries caused by it. The other is living the 'old way', which value relationships. This is so vague. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. What do the three heads in Spirited Away represent? Zeniba is the identical twin sister of Yubaba and a major character in the 2001 animated Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away, making her first appearance in the second half after Haku is injured by paper birds. The tickets to swamp bottom Kamaji gave to Chihiro had been with him for 40 years. From the other side, however, she also readily takes both disgusting and dangerous tasks herself (like meeting the Stink Spirit or attempting to shield her workers from the rampaging No-Face). That number becomes her new identity. They sound the same, they look the same, and CHIHIRO even calls "Yubaba" Granny. Later on, despite warnings from Kamaji, Chihiro decides to take the seal back to Zeniba and apologize for Haku's actions. No-Face becomes obsessed with Chihiro, and wants her to see her and her only. But it is no way to live, to truly be adult, that is not the true meaning of adulthood. What positional accuracy (ie, arc seconds) is necessary to view Saturn, Uranus, beyond? Of course the home has a calming influence on people! TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. Kamaji also once commented that she was "one dangerous witch". and our How do the interferometers on the drag-free satellite LISA receive power without altering their geodesic trajectory? Think a little more about the relationship between Zeniba and Yubaba. Spirited Away Themes, Motifs, and Symbols: Growing Up Is Hard - Collider Unlike her sister, Yubaba doesn't appear to require glasses or may be using magic in place of corrective lenses. Please wait while we process your payment. ", "All right, you win. Her age is never stated, but Yubaba is very wrinkly, most likely ancient. This leads to him eating them. Press ESC to cancel. Zeniba turned baby into a mouse so that he might have a little freedom. Twins in Media: Yubaba and Zeniba - Oreos & Peanut Butter Yubaba represents the head of a typical greedy Japanese corporation. So the post offices started to print postal stamps you could glue on the letters and sell them. You may remember three strange green heads, rolling and grunting around, which follow and obey Yubaba the bathhouse witch. Not introduced until after being mentioned by both Haku and Kamajii, Yubaba quickly establishes herself as a very terrifying authoritarian figure to Chihiro during their first face-to-face meeting (Yubaba is first heard in this scene talking through the gargoyle knocker on the door to her office). creating and saving your own notes as you read. When Haku arrives to take Chihiro back to The Bathhouse, Zeniba personally forgives him. For me, it was old money vs new money. In Spirited Away (2001), Chihiro is still wearing the purple hair tie Zeniba gave her to protect her as she looks back for the last time meaning her time spent in the spirit world was real. If you consider Zeniba old fashioned and Yubaba the modern world/society (constant search for money while at the same time not giving your children what they need, replacing the loving attention, freedom to learn things on their own and teaching with toys and sweets), then once you leave it, there is no need to get back. It's not them. Is there such a thing as "right to be heard" by the authorities? Spirited Away: Yubaba is a Capitalistic Girlboss and other Fun Facts Usually closely following Yubaba . And Zeniba doesn't do much, maybe because she is retired; in modern world, people don't search for her, her ways are not wanted anymore. He'll do anything the culture tells him to do. "I see, you'll get my baby back for me, but at a price. That is my interpretation at least. SparkNotes PLUS In Asian cultures, fire, air, earth, water, food, etc. are represented as gods, so bathhouse very accurately represents a working society. that she and Yubaba are complete opposites even though they are $24.99 One is ambitious, materialistic, ruthless, cruel, and vengeful. Yubaba keeps him isolated in a luxurious room, surrounded by soft pillows. Whilst the Three Heads, now transformed into a Boh mimic, begin to bang around, Zeniba is annoyed and turns around to deal with them, giving an almost-dead Haku a chance to smash the paper spirit projecting her image, resulting in her apparition being sliced in half (apparently doing no actual harm to Zeniba herself). Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. At first Zeniba seems as unscrupulous as her sister, but Zeniba leans more consistently toward good. Can I use the spell Immovable Object to create a castle which floats above the clouds? It only takes a minute to sign up. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. In my vantage point, Haku told Chihiro not to look back because she wouldve been somehow stuck between the two dimensions. 1 -Kaonashi 5 yr. ago If you were to look at the original Japanese version, Zeniba doesn't ask Chihiro to call her "Granny", Chihiro simply calls her "" or "o-bchan", which while it can mean "Granny" it is a friendly way to refer to any old lady. Though it's inferred that they're twins and born from the same source, they're very different. . While this movie probably takes that too far (I'll get back to that later), it's still very noticeable that they act differently and have different relationships with the other characters in the movie. Let me preface this by saying that Im a big fan of Miyazaki films. She appears highly professional in these tasks. The relationship between them is described in Yamauba-buyou. Non-Stack's Imgur images may disappear soon, help us migrate them to Stack's What does the twin witch pair in 'Spirited Away' represent? Unlike her workers and son, Yubaba does not bid a friendly farewell to Chihiro, but nonetheless remains to see her off. As the main antagonist of the film, Yubaba has an extremely overbearing and intimidating personality. Spirited Away / WMG - TV Tropes Chihiro was given a new name by Yubaba, 'Sen', which means 'one thousand', similar to how a person is given a roll number or employee number in an organisation. Are Yubaba and her sister the same person? While Yubaba represents evil and can be quite scary, she also honors her word and is scrupulously honest in her business dealings. She is next seen in her office having washed herself. What is the purpose of somebody's personal seal? hairband Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Similar to Islamic terrorism, he's become a slave to the tyrannical culture. The twin sister witch to Yubaba prides herself on being different from the greedy bathhouse manager. Haku was originally the spirit of the Kohaku River and knows Chihiro because he once saved her from drowning. ', referring to the nuclear power plant in Ignalina, mean? Theres much more to this monster than meets the eye, though, and some fans may have missed the most interesting facts about the monster.. - Zeniba. She is both intelligent and wise, like her sister, but uses it to her advantage with little care of what happens to others. After taking the spirit train to Swamp Bottom, a magical Hopping Lantern leads Chihiro and her three followers (transformed Yu-Bird and Boh and No-Face) to Zeniba's cottage, where she greets them warmly. The 'spell' breaks if they stop working. Until the seal is returned, Zeniba is a) not herself and b) in huge danger. Warning: the wiki content may contain spoilers! The company's logo features the character Totoro (a large forest spirit) from Hayao Miyazaki's film "My Neighbor Totoro". In Spirited Away (2001), Chihiro is still wearing the purple hair tie Zeniba gave her to protect her as she looks back for the last time meaning her time spent in the spirit world was real. How is Zeniba different from Yubaba? - Kembrel.com Are yubaba and Zeniba the same person? Yubaba uses nature to gain money and she only cleans the river god for gold. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! Yubaba and Zeniba have different personalities and live very different lives. is often interpreted to be about sex work, Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition, New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? After wreaking havoc in Yubaba's office, she warns Chihiro Ogino to keep quiet about the incident or she will rip her mouth out. the world by keeping him away from it. Would My Planets Blue Sun Kill Earth-Life? Yubaba | Ghibli Wiki | Fandom Yubaba uses nature to gain money and she only cleans the river god for gold. When Chihiro sees Haku in his dragon form being chased by the paper spirits conjured by Zeniba, she sees him crash into Yubaba's penthouse. The purple-shining hairband has been worn by Chihiro Ogino ever since she visited Zeniba in Swamp Bottom. Chihiro continues to wear the hairband after she has already left the Spirit Realm through the Red gate. Money became not the means to an end but the end itself. Yubaba is a strict domineering boss who treats her employees like slaves and sees customers as little more than a source of money. When she first . Realizing later that the guest is in fact not a Stink Spirit, she orders Chihiro to serve him. At the bathhouse, she is. Once she is dubbed Sen and made a bathhouse worker by the witch Yubaba, she invites No-Face in and he transforms from a quiet, seemingly shy character to a glutinous beast. These heads are apparently ordered by Yubaba to push Haku into a chute when he lies gravely wounded on her floor after being cursed by Zeniba for stealing her gold seal under her orders. Hence, "nearly". She is tyrannical and rules over people by taking there real name and giving them a new name. Zeniba at one point was the antagonist - at the beginning - handing curses left and right, before her true intentions (good intentions) were revealed. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Purchasing Because she is Yubaba's twin, Zeniba's appearance is identical to that of her sister's: an inhumanly-large head with long, blonde hair tied up into a bun, a wrinkled face consisting of a large, hooked nose, a red dot in-between her eyes, and she wears blue eye-shadow, large golden earrings, and a dark blue dress set with a ruby brooch at the collar. As No-Face regurgitates all the food and other matter he has eaten whilst chasing Chihiro, Yubaba remarks that what No-Face has done is unforgivable and tosses a ball of condensed energy at him only to be puked on by the monstrous spirit. So why do they use it? Also in the same tale, Baba Yaga is seen as a ruler of the spirit world, commanding many shadow servants manifesting as disembodied black hands. Voiced by Tara Strong. Her name also contains the word "baba". Scan this QR code to download the app now. Why does Chihiro call Yubaba "Granny" at the end of Spirited Away? (one code per order). Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. People giving up, maybe? You retire to Zeniba place, because you can't keep up. Yubaba is the main antagonist of Studio Ghibli's 12th full-length animated feature film Spirited Away. There used to be trains running between bathhouse and swamp bottom in old days, but the return trains from swamp bottom have stopped. It seems to have two faces, one on either side. In a way they deal with them, do business with them. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. When Zeniba appears in the second half of Spirited Away, she seems as villainous as her sister. 33 Memorable Anime Quotes From Spirited Away - OtakuKart spirited away - Why did Zeniba change character so dramatically in a @Batperson Her attitude towards Haku has nothing to do with her being in enemy territory. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. A person could counterfeit a lot of contracts by stealing somebody's seal and using it. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. She subsequently invites them inside for tea. You'll also receive an email with the link. good and evil both exist in the world, and often exist within the She returns to realize that a "Stink Spirit" is trying to walk into the bathhouse during the rain and orders her workers to chase the spirit away. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Why are players required to record the moves in World Championship Classical games? Is there a difference in appearance between Yubaba and Zeniba? When Chihiro gives her the seal and says that she squashed a little black slug, Zeniba laughs and claims that she accidentally destroyed a parasite that was put into Haku by Yubaba to control him, and that her own curse from the golden seal was broken by Chihiro, whose love for Haku had proven to be more powerful. The hair band is a protective talisman. She is a greedy sorceress, the proprietor of the Bathhouse, the identical twin sister of Zeniba and the mother of Bh. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Same goes for honor. While Zeniba threatens to kill Haku for stealing her seal, Here's 100 postal stamps, our postal worker doesn't have to stamp 100 letters and waste ink and time. Maybe thats where she gets her great power, the price she must pay for her powerful magic. Zeniba is still no saint, but her wisdom helps everyone to discover their true identities and abilities. Are yubaba and Zeniba the same person? Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation film studio founded in June 1985 by the director Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata and the producer Toshio Suzuki. Yubaba has a big, warty head She is last seen waving with No-Face to Chihiro, who waves back whilst riding on Haku into the sky. Why does Acts not mention the deaths of Peter and Paul? Noriko T. Reider, Spirited Away: Film oft he Fantastic and Evolving Japanese Folk Symbols, Film Criticism 29, volume 3, 2005, page 13, Ichiro Hori, Folk Religion in Japan: Continuity and Change, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1968, page 167, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. And it is Zeniba which shows her true grandmotherly kindness and gives her some peace and respite from the story. And that is what her sister owned! rev2023.5.1.43405. What do hollow blue circles with a dot mean on the World Map? She was in a better mood even before Sen returned the seal to her. Mari Natsuki Back in her house she is just back at her house, and acts as one does in that situation. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. There has to be more to life than money. Spirited Away stands apart from other animated movies because it is hand-drawnnot computer-generateda method of animation that is nearly extinct in the United States. Why does Chihiro call Yubaba "Granny" at the end of Spirited Away Zeniba doesn't care much for wealth, so she doesn't wear one. After Chihiro successfully removed large amounts of junk and debris from the spirit, Yubaba hugged her in happiness, revealing that the dirty spirit was actually a River Spirit, and a very wealthy and powerful figure in the Spirit Realm. They represent old ways to do business and grow up and new ways to do that and you need to understand both to be a complete person and live in modern society which at the same time has long traditions. Artists draw and paint single pictures, called frames, which are then filmed in order. I will show you the different way to do things. Share your love of all things Ghibli! Having completed her deal with Haku and with the contract destroyed, Yubaba spitefully tells Chihiro to leave. Weird Spirited Away Theories That Will Blow Your Mind Zeniba is an extremely powerful witch whose magic could easily rival that of her younger twin sister, Yubaba. Episode about a group who book passage on a space ship controlled by an AI, who turns out to be a human who can't leave his ship? If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. What is the relationship between Chihiro and Haku? Although the Yin Yang recognizes Yin as female and Yang as male, it infers that Zeniba and Yubaba emphasize the aspect of negative and positive charge as Zeniba is seen to a positive influence to Chihiro, while Yubaba a negative influence to Chihiro. Gender She manages the bathhouse. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. Upon rushing there, one of the paper spirits follows Chihiro and attaches itself to her back. Why does Yubaba offer a job to Chihiro, rather than just turning her into piglet? [1] When Yubaba ordered the slaughter of Chihiro's parents, this action resembled the Queen of Heart's infamous line 'Off with their heads!' Can you still use Commanders Strike if the only attack available to forego is an attack against an ally? And it turns out that there is value in old ways, in traditions long forgotten. hairband For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! If that is what you truly want, then stop working, visit your grandmother and your parents will return to their senses and see you again. What does this explanation have to do with anything? In a way, Zeniba is at peace with nature. Supporting character They are the same person. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. A boy can regenerate, so demons eat him for years. I know there's the theory that they are two sides of the same person, but I was wondering if there was a better reason why she did that. Lin is portrayed as a human being in the film. Zeniba leans more consistently toward good. Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for science fiction and fantasy enthusiasts. Zeniba also seems not to prefer to enslave living beings unlike Yubaba, and enchants objects instead, such as Shikigami and Hopping Lantern. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Haku has forgotten his real name. white. It looks like they might represent: but none of these seem to elegently fit all the points I've mentioned above. Dont have an account? I still dont think Ive figured out what the filmmakers are trying to say with No-Face however. How does the braking system work in a car? He also rips off an arm to use as a sword. 'Zeni' has two meanings in Japanese, 'money' and 'ancient'. Which Spirited Away Character Are You Based On Your Chinese - CBR Japanese name Spirited Away: Connections to Asian Mythology - UKEssays.com In-universe, has Zeniba's character changed dramatically and if so what could account for it? To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for science fiction and fantasy enthusiasts. Zeniba also seems content to live a quiet life, only lashing out and being sparky when she is wronged. Yubaba keeps rushing to make money, accepts tourists etc. Remember that the train used to run both ways, but not anymore. The seal is used as a proof of identity. Haku is clearly one of the brightest people in the bathhouse, and viewers can sense this as soon as he warns Chihiro to escape from the spirit world before dark. She has an inhumanly-large figure and a large mound of gray hair combed into a bun-like style. The meaning of Zeniba which seems to fit the story is 'ancient old lady. With No-Face causing an uproar in the bathhouse, Yubaba angrily blames Chihiro on the phone for letting No-Face in, and promptly tells her subordinates to dispose of Haku, who was gravely injured after being cursed by Zeniba and of no use to her anymore. Yubaba has a big, warty head and a huge nose, features that make her evil seem inevitable. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. In the narrative Yamauba's husband is never mentioned just like Yubaba's husband is never mentioned in the film, too.[2]. At one point she notes that she and Yubaba are complete opposites even though they are identical twins, but their differences aren't always so black and white. For all things Spirited Away! Zeniba, who lives a train ride away in the countryside, represents the more traditional rural Japan that became forgotten during the economic boom.