Based on the English novel The Borrowers (written by Mary
Norton), The Secret World of Arrietty is a 2010 Japanese animation film created
by Studio Ghibli (the creator of
Princess Mononoke and The Spirited Away). It is directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and is written by Hayao Miyazaki, director of several
famous anime, and Keiko Niwa. It
will be released early this year in the US by Walt Disney Pictures.
The movie won The
Animation of the Year award in the 34th Japan Academy Awards.
Note: Borrowers
are little people who get their supplies such as food, clothing, and other
materials from humans. They are very careful not to be seen by humans since
they do not trust them.
Synopsis:
Fourteen-year-old Arrietty is excited to go to her first “borrowing”
with her father. She has been training hard for that day. Her family is the
only Borrowers left in the area. On her first borrowing, she is accidentally
seen by Sho, a sickly teenage boy who has just moved into the old house where
Arrietty’s family borrows. She panics and drops a sugar cube to the floor. Though her kind keeps away from humans, Arrietty is curious about Sho. Sho also is
fascinated with Arrietty and has been waiting for her reappearance since then.
Despite their differences, they feel a connection with each other. After a few more
encounters, their friendship starts to grow.
Cheerfulnuts’ Review:
The Secret World of Arrietty didn’t win the Animation of the
Year award for nothing. The movie is a complete eye-candy. I can watch it over and over again and still
be amazed by its fluid movement. It is excellent not only in animation but also
in every aspect – story, characters, sound, and voice acting.
In The Secret World of Arrietty, it’s more than just the
good looks. There is something special about each character. The characters are
very endearing. I love how Ghibli movies portray love and friendship between
two characters. Since the main characters are young, it is easy for children
viewers to identify with them. Despite the movie being made for young audience,
it’s not “corny” so adults can still appreciate it.
I find love stories
that are very subtle very sweet, though honestly, I’m not even sure if The
Secret World of Arriety falls under this category. In the movie, no words of
love have been said. You can only see their growing affection for each other
through their actions. To me, the subtlety made the movie much more interesting.
I highly recommend this movie to everyone. I had enjoyed a
few Ghibli movies before. As a Ghibli fan, I can say that The Secret World of
Arrietty doesn’t disappoint me. I love it and will definitely watch it again.
P.S. Before watching the movie for the first time, don’t
watch the US trailer (I haven’t seen the Japanese trailer yet). It shows almost
the entire movie and there won’t be any mystery left for you.
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