History Anime / TheBorrowerArrietty

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arrietty_7797.jpg]]
''The Borrower Arietty'' is a 2010 StudioGhibli film directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and written by HayaoMiyazaki, in what marks the former's directorial debut. It's based on Mary Norton's series ''Literature/TheBorrowers.''

Arietty is a young member of a race known as the Borrowers. As one might suspect from that name, they make their living stealing items (borrowing, in their parlance) from the giant "human beans." Their primary rule is to avoid ever being seen by these [[HumansAreCthulhu terrifying creatures]]. However, Arietty meets a human boy who seems to be gentle and kind. Nonetheless, she is forbidden from seeing him.

The film hit UK cinemas in the summer of 2011 under the shortened title ''Arrietty'', in Australia in the summer of 2011, and was released in February 2012 by Disney in the United States, retitled as ''The Secret World of Arrietty''. The film has a Disney dub and a separate UK dub.
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!!This film provides examples of:
* ActionGirl: Arrietty, natch.
* AlternativeForeignThemeSong: The North American dub uses "Summertime" by Bridgit Mendler as the ending theme instead of "Arrietty's Song"
* AnimationBump: Apparent with the close-ups and SceneryPorn sweeping shots, especially with the flora and fauna, which move rather realistically with the wind.
* AudibleSharpness: Arrietty's pin/sword.
* BadassAdorable: Arrietty. Spiller when he's trying to show off for Arrietty
* BadassCape: Spiller has a fur cape that doubles nicely as a hang glider.
* BambooTechnology
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: All of the good characters are drawn to be normal and decent-looking. Haru, on the other hand, looks rather toad-like half of the time.
** Especially apparent considering that Haru herself looks rather normal at first, and only starts looking like a toad after she demonstrates evil tendencies.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: Any bugs when drawn in comparison to the borrowers. Ants are the size of rats to them, and crickets are as big as dogs.
* BigFancyHouse
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Arrietty and her family ultimately move away from the house, the Borrowers never ended up using the doll house like Sho's great-grandfather hoped, and Sho soon faces his operation. However, Arrietty and Sho tenderly part ways, exchanging tokens to each other, and it's implied that Arrietty and her family will live in a more hopeful and safe place. In the Disney dub, Sho's operation was a success. He was basically preparing to die beforehand, but the ending narration reveals that he's still alive a whole year later. In a tradeoff, though, he never sees them again.]]
** [[spoiler:In the Japanese version it's also implied Sho survives the surgery. The movie begins with Sho's voiceover saying "I'll never forget that summer", which would imply he's remembering something that happened to him some time ago, which would mean he survived the surgery.]]
* BlandNameProduct: We briefly see a bottle of "Ivori Soap".
* BoyMeetsGirl
* CatsAreMean: Played straight at first--Sho's cat Niya is a mean predatory thing. [[spoiler: Ultimately subverted when he makes his peace with the Borrowers, fetches Sho for Arietty, and parts friends with her.]]
* ChekhovsGun:
** The pin.
** [[spoiler:Averted with the dollhouse. The Clocks never move into it, and although Sho replaces their kitchen with the one from the dollhouse, his actions scare the family into moving out.]]
** "Don't look down."
* CreepyCockroach: Arrietty tries to fight one to show off her bravery.
* CulturalTranslation: The books are set in Edwardian England; the anime version takes place in 2010 in Western Tokyo's neighborhood of Koganei (which is also where Studio Ghibli happens to be located). Unlike many Ghibli films in the past, some names were changed in the dub as well as flipping some scenes to make it seem like it's set in America, although the backgrounds make it clear where it is actually set.
* DubNameChange: Sho to Shawn, Sadako to Jessica, Haru to Hara, and Niya to Nina (though it's still "Niya" in the closed captions) in the Disney dub.
* DyingRace: The Borrowers, at least allegedly. Borrowers live so far away from each other (in comparison to their size) that they have very little contact, so they can't be sure how many other Borrowers still exist in the world.
* ExpressiveHair: A Ghibli staple.
* {{Expy}}: Nearly every major human character has a counterpart in the original books. Sho/Shawn is The Boy, and Aunt Sadako/Jessica is basically Great Aunt Sophy.
* FacialMarkings: Spiller.
* {{Fainting}}: A monster faint, of sorts, when Homily sees Shawn put the doll house kitchen in their home.
* {{Foregone Conclusion}} [[spoiler:Sho survives his operation, since in the introduction you realize the story was told in past tense]]
* ForbiddenFriendship[=/=]OddFriendship: Between Arrietty and Sho.
* {{Gaslighting}}: Sho pulls a minor case of this on Haru, moving the dollhouse kitchen back to the dollhouse when she's not looking to convince her that she's imagining the Borrowers.
** He also appears in front of her after she locks him in his room, visibly startling her.
* GentleGiant: Sho would be this from Arrietty's point of view.
* GoodParents: Pod is a stern yet fair version. Homily may be a bit more easily hysterical and anxious when it comes to the safety of her family, but she cares very much for Arrietty and wants the best for her daughter.
%% Hey, It's That Voice goes on the Trivia page, not here.
* HairDecorations: Arrietty and her little clothespin hairclip. [[spoiler:She gives it to Sho/Shaun in the end.]]
* HappilyMarried: Pod and Homily.
* HateSink: Haru
* {{Housewife}}: Homily is the only non-action one in the family, preferring to stay at home.
* HumansAreCthulhu: Although Sho and his aunt respect the Borrowers.
* IllBoy: Sho, who was always a weak boy and will be getting an operation on his heart.
* ItWasHereISwear: Haru tries to show Sadako/Jessica the Borrowers' home.
* LastOfHisKind: Arrietty's mother references this, fearing that she and her family were the last Borrowers. [[spoiler:Later proven not to be the case.]]
* {{Lilliputians}}
* MementoMacGuffin: [[spoiler: Before they go their separate ways in the ending, Arrietty gives Sho her clothespin hairclip.]]
* MouseWorld: Well, more like a single dwelling.
* NamedByTheAdaptation: Sho; the human boy who befriends Arrietty was not named in the book.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Sho's effort to do Arrietty and her family a kind turn by giving them the dollhouse kitchen not only traumatizes Homily and forces the family to prepare to move, but it also leads to Haru discovering their home and capturing Homily. Though Homily, as predicted, ''really'' likes that kitchen and is heartbroken to part from it.
* NobleSavage: Spiller certainly looks the part.
* NonActionGuy: Sho, due to his heart condition. Even running for a short distance wore him out.
* ParentalAbandonment: Sho's parents are divorced; he rarely sees his father and his mother is often working.
* ParentsInDistress: Arrietty and Sho team up to rescue Arrietty's mother Homily from Haru.
* PeopleJars: Or rather, a Borrower jar.
* PlayingAgainstType: Comedic actor Will Arnett voicing the Creator/HarrisonFord-esque Pod.
* PluckyGirl: Arrietty, of course, yet another Ghibli staple.
* TheQuietOne: Pod and Spiller.
** Sho isn't very talkative either.
* RavensAndCrows: A crow attempts to catch Arrietty, only to crash and get stuck in a window screen.
* ScavengedPunk: This being a version of ''Literature/TheBorrowers'', it goes without saying. This being StudioGhibli, ScavengedPunk looks more beautiful than ever before.
* SceneryPorn: It's Studio Ghibli. Were you expecting anything else?
** If I'm remembering correctly the director was a former art/background director, which explains the scenery looking much more porny then usual.
* ShipTease: There are a few hints dropped here and there that Spiller likes Arrietty.
* ShoutOut: Spiller's costume and facial markings are very reminiscent of San's wardrobe and make-up from ''PrincessMononoke'', which is an earlier ''StudioGhibli'' film.
** In the photo of Sho's mother and aunt as children, they look similar to Satsuki and Mei from MyNeighborTotoro. In addition, their mother resembles the mother of Satsuki and Mei.
** The title character is a young woman in her early teens belonging to a mythical race. She wears a mono-colored one-piece dress, has dark(-ish) colored hair, has a bow-like hair ornament, and she befriends a cat. [[KikisDeliveryService Sound familiar?]]
** The main characters are tiny and live in an old house in an idyllic part of the country. Two of them trespass into an old woman's kitchen to gather condiments: one is small but bold, the other is larger and much more cautious. The old woman tries to exterminate them; their home is destroyed and the family has to make a dangerous journey downriver. The tiny/bold character meets a sympathetic young man and they form a brunette/redhead pair in one of the most (if not ''the'' most) gorgeous movies the film company has produced. [[{{Ratatouille}} That movie]] had FoodPorn in place of SceneryPorn. It's probably just a coincidence; then again the two companies are friends.
** A rude, spotted fat cat who fights with a crow? [[TheCatReturns That's new.]]
* ShownTheirWork: The way the liquids behave on small-scale. They all have surface tension, so water beads from their teapot in droplets, and melted cheese forms big round balls, among other things.
** The flora and fauna are animated in a rather realistic manner, right down to the dew that forms on top of them.
** [[spoiler: Niya's slow blink towards Arrietty is used by real cats as a gesture of affection.]]
** Sho's movements display a sense of enormous ponderous mass when shown from the borrowers' perspective. Ir's most apparent when Arriety is riding on his shoulder.
* SleepMask: Arrietty's mother wears one in bed.
* SoapOperaDisease: Sho has a heart condition ever since he was a child.
* TheStoic: Pod. Sho/Shawn may also count to a lesser extent, since he never really shows any extreme emotions.
* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: Inverted with Cecile Corbel and the Japanese version of ''[[ThematicThemeTune Arrietty's Song]]'', which she sings herself. It works.
* TimmyInAWell: [[spoiler:Sho's/Shawn's cat leads him to Arrietty's departing family.]]
* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: The U.S. trailer reveals [[spoiler:the Clocks in the teapot on the river, Arrietty befriending the cat, Arrietty and Sho/Shawn saying goodbye, and Arrietty rescuing Homily.]]
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:Haru, when she finds that all the evidence of the Borrowers has disappeared.]]
* WhamLine: When Shawn and Arrietty first have a conversation: "I'm sorry for upsetting you. [[spoiler:I'm actually the one who's going to die."]]
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* CulturalTranslation: Unlike many Ghibli films in the past, some names where changed in the dub as well as flipping some scenes to make it seem like it's set in America, although the backgrounds make it clear where it is actually set.

* ScavengedPunk: This being a version of ''TheBorrowers'', it goes without saying. This being StudioGhibli, ScavengedPunk looks more beautiful than ever before.

''The Borrower Arietty'' is a 2010 StudioGhibli film directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and written by HayaoMiyazaki, in what marks the former's directorial debut. It's based on Mary Norton's series ''TheBorrowers.''

* IWillProtectHer: Sho to Arrietty.

The film hit UK cinemas in the summer of 2011 under the shortened title ''Arrietty'', in Australia in the summer of 2011, and was released in February 2012 by Disney in the United States, retitled as ''The Secret World of Arriety''. The film has a Disney dub and a separate UK dub.

* BadassAdorable: Arrietty. Spiller when he's trying to show off for Arriety

* ActorAllusion: This is [[HortonHearsAWho not the first time]] real-life couple Will Arnett and Amy Poehler had roles in the same movie! ... One of them playing a "tiny person raising a child!"
** It's not the first time [[WizardsOfWaverlyPlace David Henrie and Bridigt Mendler]] had roles together, either.

* TheArcher: Spiller, though the audience never sees him use it in action. The first time was really just to show off to Arrietty and to show how the bow is used. The second time around, [[spoiler:he aims for Sho when he sees the latter conversing with Arrietty, but realizing that they're saying their farewells, he backs off.]]

* CatsAreMean: Played straight at first--Sho's cat Niya is a mean predatory thing. [[spoiler: Ultimately subverted when he makes his peace with the Borrowers.]]

''The Borrower Arietty'' is a 2010 StudioGhibli film directed Hiromasa Yonebayashi and written by HayaoMiyazaki, in what marks the former's directorial debut. It's based on Mary Norton's series ''TheBorrowers.''

The film hit UK cinemas in the summer of 2011 under the shortened title ''Arrietty'', in Australia in the summer of 2011, and was released in February of 2012 by Disney in the US, retitled as ''The Secret World of Arriety''. The film has a Disney dub and a separate UK dub.

* DubNameChange: Sho to Shawn, Sadako to Jessica and Haru to Hara in the Disney dub.

* ActorAllusion: This is [[HortonHearsAWho not the first time]] real-life couple Will Arnett and Amy Poehler had roles in the same movie! ... One of them playing a "tiny person raising a child!"
** It's not the first time [[WizardsOfWaverlyPlace David Henrie and Bridigt Mendler]] had roles together, either.

* CatsAreMean: Played straight at first--Sho's cat Niya is a mean predatory thing. Ultimately subverted when he makes his peace with the Borrowers.

* FootFocus: Arrietty is barefoot when first introduced.

** He also appears in front of her after she locks him in his room, visibly startling her

* MementoMacGuffin: Before [[spoiler: they go their separate ways in the ending]], Arrietty gives Sho her clothespin hairclip.

* TheQuietOne: Pod and Spiller even more so.