“Kiki” e “Chihiro”: infância e amadurecimento nas obras de Hayao Miyazaki

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to study the representation of childhood, highlighting the coming of age, the attainment of independence, and identity construction in the animated films Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) and Spirited Away (2001), cinematic works directed by Hayao Miyazaki. To this end, a qualitative and bibliographic research was conducted alongside a filmic analysis guided by an analytical framework based on authors such as Oliveira (2016), Kramer (2007), Pessel (2009), Teixeira and Foncêca (2024), among others. This study is divided into five sections, with the First Section serving as the introduction. The Second Section addresses the director's biographical background and his auteur style. The Third Section presents a description of the films Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) and Spirited Away (2001). The Fourth Section analyzes the journeys of the protagonists in the movies, emphasizing key elements of childhood, the role of labor in the construction of the identity of the analyzed protagonists, the act of saving the other as the peak of maturation, and the counterpoint of "Boh," a character who embodies an overprotected childhood. In the Fifth Section, titled Final Considerations, the findings of the research are presented, revealing that childhood and maturation in these films by Miyazaki are not isolated heroic triumphs, but rather a continuous process of confronting insecurities and assuming responsibilities with collective support, reaffirming the importance of conscious autonomy in the transition to adulthood