The Secret World of Arrietty

I had my initials doubts about this movie, but I am so glad I went to see it. To sum it all up, this movie was simply adorable. In my opinion, Arrietty is so pretty, and I sympathize with her family's worries about the survival of the "little people" race. Warning: don't read on if you plan on seeing this movie, as spoilers may be included. 

Even though only the screenplay was by Hayao Miyazaki, the movie was pretty enjoyable and I would definitely go see it again. Sho (I believe - it may have been different in the American version, but that's his Japanese name) is so romantic, and honestly, I find him pretty cute for an anime character. Arrietty's family are known as "borrowers" - they only take stuff that the humans won't miss, such as sugar or tissues or soap. My heart melted when he returned Arrietty's sugar cube to her, even though she waited to take it until it was half eaten by ants. I could feel his pain and desperation to have Arrietty as a friend, and probably more than that. There were quite a few audible awws on my part, as well as those from many girls in the theater, I have to admit. The housekeeper doesn't seem like a truly vindictive person, just that she wanted to show the world that there really were "little people" in the world. But that would have destroyed Arrietty's family and the future of the little people. 


I was so sad when Arrietty's family had to leave their small, yet beautiful house under the real house. At least Sho and Arrietty got to say goodbye. The cutest part was when they exchange goodbye gifts and Arrietty gives Sho her hair pin to remember her by, and he says "how could I ever forget you?" and then he says, because he has heart problems and he's having an operation the next day, that "My heart's stronger now because you're in it." 

"My heart's stronger now because you're in it."

I just love the fact that the romance between Sho and Arrietty was purely innocent. I mean, do movies really need steamy sex scenes and hookups so that people will enjoy them? The cute romantic things are also quite nice, in my opinion. 

So, I highly recommend that any of you Studio Ghibli lovers should go see it. Although it was not as amazing as Spirited Away or Castle in the Sky or any of the older Studio Ghibli films, The Secret World of Arrietty is definitely worth seeing.