That's how you could define Miyazaki heroines and Arrietty is undoubtedly one of them : I haven't read the original books but find her a very clear continuation to characters like Nausicäa, Kiki or Fio. Another reviewer commented that the ending is perhaps a bit more bittersweet than most Miyazaki's works and I completely agree, the familiar coming-of-age theme is definitely tinged in equal parts with both sadness and hope. The musical score was a wonderful surprise and a nice change : Cécile Corbel has done an absolutely splendid job (I have even bought the soundtrack, which I can't recommend enough) that always suited and complemented the scenes perfectly. Overall, even though it is true that a more complex story and a bit more characterization (especially for Sho) would have been nice, I immensely enjoyed this movie and hope it gets all the success it deserves !
Review of The Secret World of Arrietty
The Secret World of Arrietty
(2010)
Very much alike and yet different...
31 January 2011
Warning: Spoilers