Since I depicted Miyumi’s neighborhood as looking like Super Mario World, I wanted the chores that Miyumi and Hakata do to feel like different levels in a videogame. I always thought it was cool that so many Studio Ghibli movies focus on characters having to do hard work, chores, and manual labor. They make you think it’s totally fun to dust, mop, and farm! In Spirited Away this is a huge part of what helps Chihiro transform from sullen child to confident woman! I also wanted to show that Hakata is very grateful to Miyumi and her grandfather for letter him stay in their home over winter break.