On September 12, 2026, a post on China's social media platform Xiaohongshu (RED) suggested that Japanese and Chinese people have different perceptions regarding the eating scene in "Spirited Away," gathering many reactions from Chinese netizens.

The poster questioned, "My Japanese mother-in-law and Japanese husband both reportedly find the scene where Chihiro's parents eat in 'Spirited Away' 'disgusting.' They say the food looks not only unappetizing but also strange. As a pure Chinese person, ever since I was a child, every time I saw this scene, I would get hungry and think, 'It looks so delicious!' What kind of cultural difference is this?'"

In response to this post, Chinese netizens shared empathetic comments with the poster, such as: 'I really want to try that big, round, soft, meat-bun-like food once.' 'When I was a child, watching this scene suddenly made me hungry... I didn't find it scary at all, I guess I was just a glutton.' 'I still remember Chihiro's mother saying, 'It's soft to the bone.' That must be something that's been stewed for a long time, with the flavor thoroughly absorbed. Oh, how delicious it must be. Just imagining it is unbearable.'

On the other hand, there was a succession of comments expressing feelings of fear, such as: 'Ever since I saw it as a child, I've always thought it was creepy, especially that indescribable food the father was eating.' 'When I saw it as a child, it was quite scary. As soon as they sat down, they started eating, and the faster they ate, the more they devoured. Because it was a quiet, deserted place, it looked extremely abnormal. It was as if they were possessed by something or cursed. To me, it felt more like they were controlled by desire and losing their reason, rather than simply being hungry.'

Additionally, comments like these continued: 'I also find it very scary... Because of that scene where they eat a lot and turn into pigs, I've always thought 'Spirited Away' was a scary movie. It's also because of that old woman and those all-black creatures.' 'I saw it when I was in elementary school, so it's completely traumatizing... I thought humans wouldn't eat like that, and eating such a large amount all at once was too greasy and disgusting. They shove huge chunks directly into their mouths... And in the end, they turn into pigs, ugh!'

Furthermore, analytical comments were observed: 'It feels like watching a present-day mukbang. They just swallow after a few bites, and it makes me feel uncomfortable, almost nauseous, a sort of empathetic gag reflex.' 'Japanese people don't seem to eat by picking up a whole chicken and gnawing on it much.' 'I don't think that kind of eating style itself is their custom. If you go to Japan, you'll see that Japanese people are quite reserved even in their everyday meals; you don't often see them eating so heartily.'

Additionally, comments comparing the differences were received: 'Japanese people seem to be quite particular about how they eat. They might consider gnawing on food with their hands to be bad manners. Chinese people don't have as many rules during meals, so if they think it's more delicious to tear or gnaw on lobster, crab, chicken, duck, or pigeon with their hands, they will definitely use their hands. In fact, they put down their chopsticks precisely because eating with their hands is so delicious.' (Translation/Editing by Iwata)