Spirited Away is one of Studio Ghibli’s most recognized and critically acclaimed films. Naturally, you’ll see some references to the film in other media.
Examples:
- Azumanga Daioh: In the manga, minor character Chihiro dresses up as Spirited Away's Chihiro for the costume race during the sports festival, and someone else with her is dressed as No-Face.
- Crayon Shin-chan have one of its What If? stories with the titular character accidentally wishing his mother away after meeting a Literal Genie. He then tries to have his wish cancelled by calling the Counter-Genie, who turns out to be a clone of No-Face. The Counter-Genie even throws a lampshade on it:"Despite how I look, I swear I'm not a character from some Hayao Miyazaki cartoon."
- Hyakunichikan!!: In Chapter 18, this is one of the movies Shuuto suggests he and Chiho watch.
- The film was mentioned
in a strip of The Boondocks
- Clashing Lives of a Villainess: In chapter 3, Maria Campbell is unable to sleep while she and Katarina are staying with Koji, Katarina's brother from her previous life, and watches Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, which is Spirited Away's original name in Japanese. Koji recalls how he and Chihiro, Katarina's past self, watched the film as kids when it first released and his sister was in awe that she and the protagonist had the same name.
- Junior Officers: "Anime" mentions an anime called "Whisked Away by a Ghost".
Film - Animated
- In Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo, One of the villains that Brushogun creates strongly resembles No-Face.
- The Matrix Revolutions has the scene where Neo encounters the Deus ex machina, who then wraps a series of hair-like tendrils around him before backing away when Neo makes a deal with it, in a shot similar to the confrontation between Yubaba and Haku.
- Mouse (2017): Mouse has a poster of No-Face and Chihiro riding the train.
- In The Other Boy, Madeline tells Shane that her favorite Miyazaki movie is Spirited Away.
- Chihiro makes a cameo in this song of Destripando La Historia during the party where Sun wukong sneaks in. Haku also makes an appearance as well in a different scene.
- Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu skated to "One Summer's Day" in a costume that evokes Haku's true, white dragon form.
- Lonely Wolf Treat: When Treat gets a job at Annie May Hot Springs, her work uniform is deliberately based on the ones from the film.
- 198X: The level, "Shadowplay", ends with an Advancing Boss of Doom stage where the player must escape a giant monster made of shadows wearing a mask, looking very similar to No-Face. Said monster even has a mouth underneath its mask and can extend a hand made from shadows, much like its inspiration.
- Homestar Runner: Strong Bad dresses up as No-Face in the Halloween cartoon "Later That Night...". He even imitates the odd sounds No-Face makes and somehow grows an extra mouth on his stomach to scare everyone.
- Chihiro stars in a rap battle against Frisk in Part 1 of Freshy Kanal's series.
- No-Face is seen taking an S.A.T. in the Drawn Together episode "Foxxy vs. The Board fo Education".
- Gravity Falls: According to series creator Alex Hirsch, The Summerween Trickster's true form was based on No-Face. Dipper also notes that he bears a striking resemblance to "Mr. Faceless" from one of Mabel's favorite anime movies, The Cranky Girl Who Did Chores in Spirit Town.
- The Legend of Korra: One of the spirits in the Spirit World is a green No-Face Expy.
- The Simpsons: "Married to the Blob" features a No-Face Expy, as well as other characters from the movie.
- Steven Universe: While falling from the Sky Arena in Mindful Education Steven and Connie end up holding onto both hands, identically to Chihiro and Haku's free fall in the movie's climax.
