Honestly, it’s the sugar cube that gets most people. You know the scene. Arrietty and her father, Pod, are making their way through the "wainscotting"—the inner skeleton of a quiet Japanese country house—and they are navigating the space like it’s a treacherous mountain range. When a single drop of water falls, it doesn't just splash. It behaves like a heavy, viscous dome of liquid because of surface tension. That’s the magic of The Secret World of Arrietty. It isn't just a story about small people; it’s a masterclass in perspective that forces us to look at our own boring, everyday objects as if they were alien artifacts.
Released in 2010 (and hitting the US in 2012), this was a massive turning point for Studio Ghibli. Hayao Miyazaki, the legendary co-founder, handed the directorial reins to Hiromasa Yonebayashi. At the time, "Maro" (Yonebayashi's nickname) was the youngest director to ever lead a Ghibli feature. You can feel that youth in the pacing. It’s slower. It’s more tactile. It’s less about saving the world and more about the anxiety of being seen.
The Borrowers and the Ghibli Soul
The film is based on Mary Norton’s classic 1952 novel The Borrowers. If you grew up in the UK or the States, you might have seen other adaptations—maybe the 1997 live-action version with John Goodman. But Ghibli did something weirdly specific here. They moved the setting from the English countryside to Koganei, western Tokyo.
This isn't just a cosmetic swap.
By placing these tiny people under the floorboards of a traditional, slightly decaying Japanese house, the movie taps into the concept of mono no aware—a Japanese term for the pathos of things or a certain bittersweetness toward the transience of life. Arrietty’s family, the Borrowers, believe they might be the last of their kind. They are literally an endangered species living in our cupboards. That looming sense of extinction provides a heavy contrast to the lush, vibrant gardens and the "borrowed" dollhouse kitchen they inhabit.
Small Scale, Huge Sound
One thing people often overlook when talking about The Secret World of Arrietty is the sound design. It’s loud. Well, it’s loud if you’re four inches tall. When a human walks across the floor, it doesn't sound like footsteps; it sounds like distant, rhythmic thunder. A staple being pulled out of a piece of wood sounds like a sword being unsheathed.
Cécile Corbel, the French harpist who composed the score, brought a Celtic folk vibe that felt entirely new for Ghibli. Usually, we expect the sweeping, orchestral swells of Joe Hisaishi. Instead, we got something intimate and earthy. It makes the world feel ancient. When Arrietty first steps out onto the roof to see the garden, the music doesn't explode; it flutters, much like her heart.
Why Shawn and Arrietty’s Relationship Actually Works
The heart of the movie is the forbidden friendship between Arrietty and Shawn (Sho in the Japanese version). Shawn is a human boy with a heart condition, waiting for a risky surgery. He’s essentially waiting to die, which is why he’s so calm when he first spots Arrietty in the grass. He isn't shocked. He’s curious.
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Many critics at the time complained that the "romance" was underdeveloped. But was it even a romance? It feels more like a shared recognition of mortality. Shawn tells Arrietty, quite bluntly and perhaps a bit cruelly, that her race is destined for extinction. He’s projecting his own fear of death onto her.
It’s a heavy conversation for a "kids' movie."
But Arrietty’s response is what defines her character. She doesn't have a magical solution. She just has her will to survive. She tells him that they’ve always managed, and they’ll keep managing. It’s this grit that eventually gives Shawn the will to face his surgery. They don't save each other with magic; they save each other by acknowledging that life is hard and short, so you might as well try.
The Controversy of the Ending
Let's talk about that ending. It’s polarizing. If you’re used to Disney movies where everyone moves into the castle and lives happily ever after, The Secret World of Arrietty is going to frustrate you.
The Borrowers have to leave.
Because Spiller—the wild, outdoor Borrower who eats crickets and wears fur—shows up, the family realizes there is a world beyond the floorboards. But more importantly, they have to leave because they were discovered. Once the housekeeper, Hara, goes on her obsessed crusade to catch them, their sanctuary is burned.
There is no "peaceful coexistence" here. The movie is very clear about the fact that humans, even well-meaning ones, are a disaster for the Borrowers. The final scene on the river is beautiful, but it's also a funeral for Arrietty’s childhood. She leaves behind the only home she’s ever known to head into an uncertain, dangerous wild. It’s a coming-of-age story where the "growing up" part involves losing your home.
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The Art of "Borrowing" as a Philosophy
The concept of "borrowing" is handled with such intricate detail that it makes you want to go reorganize your junk drawer. In Arrietty’s world, a double-sided piece of tape is a high-tech climbing tool. A single pearl-headed pin is a rapier. A red plastic hair clip is a literal piece of armor.
This isn't just cute animation. It’s a commentary on waste.
The Borrowers only take things that won't be missed. A single tissue, a scrap of fabric, a lost button. In a world of mass consumerism, the Borrowers are the ultimate recyclers. They find value in the things we've discarded. There’s something deeply humbling about watching Pod carefully slice a single square of sugar because that one square will last his family for months. It makes our own habits look... excessive.
Why It Holds Up Better Than Other Ghibli Films
While Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle are masterpieces of high fantasy, they require a lot of world-building. The Secret World of Arrietty doesn't. It uses the world you are currently sitting in.
Because it’s grounded in reality, the animation quality feels even more stunning. The way the light filters through the overgrown leaves in the garden or the way dust motes dance in Shawn’s bedroom—it feels real. Yonebayashi’s background as an animator shines here; he understands the weight of objects. When Arrietty drops the sugar cube, you feel the physical loss of it. It’s a tragedy in miniature.
How to Experience the Movie Today
If you’re revisiting the film or watching it for the first time, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding the versions available.
- The Disney Dub (US): Features Bridgit Mendler and Amy Poehler. It’s very polished and leans into the whimsical side.
- The Studio Canal Dub (UK): Features Saoirse Ronan and Tom Holland (his first film role!). Many fans prefer this version because it keeps the more somber, British tone of Mary Norton's original book.
- The Original Japanese: This is how you get the full "Ghibli" experience. The voice acting is more understated, which fits the quiet atmosphere of the house.
Most streaming platforms (like Max in the US or Netflix internationally) allow you to toggle between these. It’s worth watching the "cat" scenes in each version just to see how the different casts handle the tension. Speaking of the cat, Niya is perhaps the most realistic cat in animation history. He isn't a magical sidekick; he’s a predator who eventually becomes a bored observer. That’s peak cat behavior.
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Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Animators
If you want to dive deeper into the world Arrietty inhabits, or if you’re a creator looking to learn from it, here’s how to apply its lessons:
1. Practice "Perspective Drawing" from Floor Level
Take your phone or a camera and put it on the floor. Take photos of your kitchen from that height. You’ll notice how the legs of a chair become pillars and the gap under the fridge becomes a dark cavern. This was the primary reference tool for the Ghibli animators.
2. Listen to the "Micro-Sounds"
Next time you're in a quiet room, listen to the hum of the refrigerator or the sound of your own breathing. In the movie, these "unheard" sounds are amplified to create the Borrowers' soundscape. If you’re a filmmaker or podcaster, experiment with over-amplifying foley to create a sense of scale.
3. Explore the Source Material
Read Mary Norton’s The Borrowers. There are five books in total (The Borrowers Afield, The Borrowers Afloat, etc.). While the movie ends on a river, the books go much further into how the family survives in the wild. It’s much grittier than the film suggests.
4. Visit the Ghibli Museum (Virtually or In-Person)
The museum in Mitaka often has exhibits on the "scale" of their films. Seeing the actual hand-painted backgrounds from Arrietty reveals the sheer amount of work that went into every leaf and dewdrop.
The film remains a quiet masterpiece. It doesn't demand your attention with explosions or high-stakes magic. Instead, it asks you to sit still, listen to the wind in the ivy, and wonder if that missing earring in the back of your drawer isn't actually lost, but is currently being used as a decorative basin in a tiny living room beneath your feet.