Chichiyaku

""I don't care if Yubaba gets angry with us!""

- Chichiyaku

Chichiyaku (父役, Chichiyaku) is a recurring character in the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away. He is a higher-up in the hierarchy of the bathhouse.

Story
Chichiyaku first appears as Haku tries to get Chihiro Ogino into a department amongst the workers, at first Chichiyaku refuses to accept her, but agrees to have her once he knows she'll be the assistant of Lin, which he finds humorous.

The next day, when what they believe to be a stink spirit begins heading near the bathhouse Chichiyaku stood at the entrance, along with Yubaba and a few other workers hoping to ward off the spirit. After eventually letting the spirit in Yubaba and Chichiyaku stood atop a balcony in the bathhouse, until Chihiro found a thorn in the spirit's side. This causes Yubaba to realize this is no stink spirit, and tells Chichiyaku to get all the workers down to the ground floor to help Lin and Chihiro pull out the "thorn". After getting all the workers Chichiyaku uses fans to order the workers to pull the rope, after pulling out the garbage in the spirit, it reveals itself to be a rich river spirit and fills the room with gold. After warding off the greedy workers who were trying to get the gold, the river spirit flies off into the night.

The next morning what the bathhouse workers believe to be a wealthy guest mysteriously appears, and after hearing of this Chichiyaku helps to direct the workers towards the "rich man" in the workers quarters. After discovering that the rich man was a no-face, whose personality would be twisted by greed, the spirit would stay in a guest room, waiting for Chihiro, who he wanted to give his gold to. After Yubaba went inside the room to try to calm the spirit down, Chichiyaku was waiting outside of the guest room. Chichiyaku would be relieved to see Chihiro, who would go inside and try to talk to No-Face. After Chihiro gave No-Face an emetic dumpling, he chased her through the bathhouse, in the process crushing Chichiyaku under the doors of the guest room.

After Chihiro left the bathhouse Chichiyaku, Aogaeru, and Aniyaku tell Yubaba that Chihiro saved all of them, and seem sad when Yubaba says Chihiro's parents should be turned into bacon.Once Chihiro returns, Chichiyaku is seen booing when Yubaba says she will give Chihiro one final test before she can leave. After Chihiro beats the test Chichiyaku is seen cheering for Chihiro when she gets to go free.

Appearance
In the film, Chichiyaku has orange eyes, salmon-orange skin, and a small, reddish-orange mustache. Like many of the bathhouse workers, he resembles a frog.

Personality
In the film Chichiyaku seems at times selfish, but with the help of Chihiro by the end of the film he appears to have more humility. Among many of the other spirits, he first treats Chihiro Ogino with discontent due to her being a human, but gradually comes to accept and even cheer for her as she helps the River Spirit and saves the Bathhouse from No-Face.

Navigation
Chichiyaku 千と千尋の神隠し