The Borrower Arrietty

The Borrower Arrietty (借りぐらしのアリエッティ) is a 2010 Japanese anime film produced by Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli, based on the fantasy novel The Borrowers by Mary Norton.

The film was released on July 17, 2010 in Japan and marked the directorial debut of Studio Ghibli animator Hiromasa Yonebayashi, who was the youngest person to direct a film for Ghibli. Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki was supervising the production as a developing planner. The voice actors for the main characters were announced on April 12, 2010.

The music for the film was composed by Bretonne singer Cécile Corbel, who has released the main theme, titled "Arrietty's Song", in both Japanese and English. Corbel came to the attention of Ghibli filmmakers when she sent them a fan letter showing her appreciation of their films, and after hearing a CD of her music she sent to them, they thought she would be perfect for composing the music for their next movie.

Plot
The story takes place in 2010 in Koganei, western Tokyo and like the novel revolves around a group of "tiny people" who are 10 cm tall that live under the floorboards of a typical human household. The story begins when a boy named Sho arrives at the house his mother lived in as a child. When Sho leaves the car, he sees a cat trying to attack something in the bushes. But the cat leaves after being attacked by a crow. Sho goes to see what the cat was trying to attack, to see a Borrower named Arrietty. That night Arrietty's father Pod takes Arrietty above the floorboards to show her how he gets sugar. Pod shows Arrietty the kitchen, behind the walls, and a dollhouse. Before Arrietty and Pod can leave, Arrietty notices that Sho is awake, and drops the sugar cube that they got. Sho tells them to not be afraid of him. Pod realises that Sho has seen Arrietty and they will have to move.

Characters

 * Arrietty (アリエッティ)
 * The 14-year-old "tiny people" protagonist. She lives with her parents under the floorboards of the old house where Shō's mother was raised.


 * Shō (翔)
 * The 12-year-old human boy who becomes Arrietty's friend. He meets Arrietty while recuperating from an illness at the old house in which his mother was raised. This movie's version of "The Boy". It is implied towards the end of the film and in various parts that Sho is suffering from an unknown heart condition, and is about to go into surgery.


 * Pod (ポッド)
 * Arrietty's father.


 * Homily (ホミリー)
 * Arrietty's mother.


 * Spiller (スピラー)
 * A tiny 12 year old boy.


 * Sadako (貞子)
 * The younger sister of Shō's grandmother, the movie's version of Great Aunt Sophy.


 * Haru (ハル)
 * Sadako's maid. This movie's version of Mrs. Driver.

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Reception
It won the award for Excellent Animation of the Year at the 34th Japan Academy Prize and is nominated for Animation of the Year.