When it comes to Studio Ghibli Films, one of my absolute favorites is The Secret World of Arrietty. Books like The Littles and The Borrowers were staples of my childhood. It’s also one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. 

Adapted from the novel The Borrows by British children’s author Mary Norton, The Secret World of Arrietty tells the story of Arrietty, a tiny little being who lives within the walls of a house in the country with her mother, Homily, and father, Pod. One day, a young man, Shō, comes to the country home to rest after an undisclosed illness. The house belongs to Sadako, his great aunt, and is where his mother grew up. Haru, Sadako’s housemaid, also lives in the house. 

After Shō discovers Arrietty during her first borrowing mission with her father, the two become friends, even though Arrietty’s parents are against it. Shō is also not the only one who becomes aware of the borrower’s existence; Haru does as well – and she plans to capture the little people and exploit them for her own personal gain. 

The Secret World of Arrietty, written by Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa, Marks the directorial debut of Hiromasa Yonebayashi, who would later direct other animated masterpieces like When Marnie Was There and Mary and the Witches Flower. The film is a visual wonderland, with every frame capturing the beauty and magic of Arrietty’s world. The music, composed by French singer-songwriter Cécile Corbel, adds another layer of enchantment to the film. 

It’s well deserving of ever single award that it won.

My introduction to the film was the 2011 StudioCanal dubbing, which included Saoirse Ronan as Arrietty and Tom Holland as Shō. Olivia Colman provided Homily’s voice, and Mark Strong voiced Pod. A year later, the Walt Disney Company released an American dub that starred Wizards of Waverly Place alums Bridgit Mendler as Arrietty and David Henrie as Shawn (the Americanized version of Shō) as well as Amy Poehler as Homily and industry icon/legend Carol Burnett as Hara (the Americanized version of Haru). To be honest, I much prefer the British dub. Nothing against Disney’s version, and I am a huge fan of Carol Burnett – there was just something magical about the StudioCanal dubbing.

The film has seen several releases to home media, most recenetly including a collectible steel book release through Shout Factory / Gkids. With an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, the film, The US/North American steelbook clocks in at about 94 minutes is presented in glorious HD. The set includes audio presented in the original Japanese as well as English, and French each with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. Extras include:

  • Feature-Length Storyboards
  • Interview with Hiromasa Yonebayashi
  • Interview with Hayao Miyazaki
  • Music Video
  • Original Theatrical Trailers

Currently available through Shout Factory, GKids, and Amazon, once the set is sold out, it’s gone… so act fast!

More Studio Ghibli films soon so…

Stay Tuned!