Arrietty – Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Kari-gurashi no Arietti (original title)
Summary: A boy named Sho will never forget the summer he stayed at his Aunt’s house in the countryside. Disheartened at first by his absent parents, he spots something peculiar and wondrous in the garden upon arrival; a 4-inch girl. She soon dashes out of his sight and back to her home where she lives under the floorboards, unbeknownst to Sho’s Aunt and the housemaid. Her name is Arrietty and she lives with her mother and father, whom are all “borrowers” – tiny people who live secretly out of sight from humans, but borrow items from their homes. Although Arrietty believes Sho didn’t see her, it will not be the first time she’s discovered.
My Review: There’s no other anime that gives you a visual experience quite like a Studio Ghibli; and that hasn’t been amiss with Arrietty. The lush countryside, the whimsical miniature world of Arrietty’s home with its secret pathways – even the human-sized kitchen has a sheen of wonderment seen through her eyes. With many Studio Ghibli’s, I feel you could almost feel and smell the surroundings, most of their narratives are divinely unique, however growing up with the story of the original “Borrowers” it didn’t sparkle quite as magical as other Ghibli films for me personally. Short and quietly enchanting, there’s still the subtle bitter-sweet themes within the story that makes it part of the family, a relaxing watch.
My Rating: 2.5/5
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