Do not be seen by humans. That’s been the law of children of the underfloor.|Jul. 16, 2010|Japan | United States|94 Min.|G
Genre: Animation;Family;Fantasy
Description: **The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) – A Captivating Tale**
The story follows a young boy named Shō, who recalls a summer week spent at his mother’s house with his great aunt, Sadako, and the housemaid, Haru. On his arrival, Shō catches a glimpse of a Borrower girl named Arrietty returning home through an underground air vent.
One night, Arrietty’s father, Pod, takes her on her first “borrowing” mission to collect sugar and tissue paper. While in Shō’s bedroom, Arrietty is spotted as she attempts to take a tissue from his desk. Startled, she drops the sugar cube. Shō tries to comfort her, but she and Pod quickly retreat. The next day, Shō leaves the sugar cube and a note near the air vent. Pod warns Arrietty to avoid it, as Borrowers must remain hidden from humans. However, Arrietty sneaks out to visit Shō in his room, asking him to leave her family alone. Their conversation is interrupted by a crow, which attacks Arrietty, but Shō rescues her.
Realizing their secret is exposed, Pod and his wife Homily decide to move. Shō learns from Sadako that his ancestors once noticed Borrowers in the house and even built a dollhouse for them, though they haven’t been seen since. Later, Pod is injured during a borrowing mission and is helped by Spiller, a Survivalist boy. Shō tries to convince the Borrowers to stay by replacing their kitchen with the dollhouse’s kitchen, but this only frightens them, speeding up their plans to leave.
As the Borrowers prepare to depart, Arrietty bids farewell to Shō. Shō apologizes for forcing them to move and reveals he has a heart condition and is facing a risky operation soon. Despite the uncertainty, he accepts his fate, reflecting on the inevitability of death for all living beings.
This heartfelt story beautifully explores themes of friendship, acceptance, and the delicate balance between humans and the hidden world of Borrowers.
Cast director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Cast actor: Mirai Shida, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Tomokazu Miura, Keiko Takeshita, Kirin Kiki, Shinobu Otake, Tatsuya Fujiwara
Original name: 借りぐらしのアリエッティ