'Call me Chihiro' Ending Explained: Why does Chihiro quit her job to go and work at a farm?

Chihiro will carry on healing individuals and directing them toward one another in her new environment
PUBLISHED FEB 23, 2023
Kasumi Arimura in 'Call me Chihiro' (Netflix)
Kasumi Arimura in 'Call me Chihiro' (Netflix)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The Japanese drama film 'Call Me Chihiro', directed by Rikiya Imaizumi, features Kasumi Arimura as the title character. It is based on 2013's 'Chihiro-san' manga series by Hiroyuki Yasuda.

Former sex worker Chihiro now works in a calm, tranquil beach village at a bento shop. Chihiro connects with various people who are struggling with mental health issues through her tiny acts of kindness and makes a difference in their lives. But Chihiro struggles with a constant loneliness that she can't seem to shake. Here is all the information you need to know about 'Call Me Chihiro's conclusion if you're wondering whether she manages to get over her loneliness and how her narrative concludes. The movie is now streaming on Netflix

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What happens at the end of the movie?

Chihiro hosts a dinner party for all of her friends to celebrate Tae's release from the hospital in the film's concluding scene. Chihiro enjoys a great dinner with the people whose lives she has impacted on a starry night. She makes Mokoto into a kind son and develops a sibling-like bond with Okaji and Mokoto while helping Okaji deal with her family's problems. She makes it possible for her friend Basil to connect with her ex-boss and makes sure that the self-assured but lonely Betchin has a friend in Okaji. Chihiro, however, withdraws to the boundaries of her loneliness just as the celebration starts to grow exciting. After a farewell call with Tae, Chihiro quits her job and moves away to work on a farm.

What does the ending signify?

Kasumi Arimura in 'Call me Chihiro' (Netflix)
Kasumi Arimura in 'Call me Chihiro' (Netflix)

The conclusion suggests that Chihiro is unafraid of her loneliness. Instead, the sweet and gentle girl fears being surrounded by affection because she thinks it will make her practically submissive and take away her sunny disposition. Chihiro is shown discussing her notion that people from various worlds have trouble understanding one another earlier in the film with Okaji. On rare occasions, though, people connect with people from their own planet with ease.

The narrative may be perceived as having a very slow pace, but that also is attributable to the plot being more character-driven than being centered around a set timeline of events. Though perhaps that's also the idea, the film is not for everyone. One can only believe that Chihiro will carry on healing individuals and directing them toward one another in her new environment. Chihiro's journey is thus complete in and of itself, despite being unfinished.

The movie is now streaming on Netflix.

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