Story-
From the genious filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki who brought you Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away comes a story about a girl who meets a boy who is terminally ill, and an unexpected friendship. The friendship isn’t allowed, however, because she’s a ‘borrower’ and he’s a human. A borrower is a small person who takes things from humans that aren’t missed to use for their own survival. Their friendship violates one core rule of borrower survival: They must not be seen. As a direct result of ignoring this rule, Arrietty must deal with the consequences.
Writing-
This is classic Miyazaki, with a strong female lead and plenty of imagination that we wouldn’t expect anywhere else. The plot for this movie was based on the book The Borrowers by Mary Norton. I’d say it’s a great thing to read if you want to know exactly what the movie’s about, but since the movie is the original format, there’s nothing like watching the original!
Art-
As it’s a ‘cinemanga’, panels are taken directly out of the movie. Some people may like this, as Miyazaki’s art can be considered part of the Miyazaki movie experience, but others might not as it can be thought of as ‘lazy’ on the publisher’s part. The art is clean and easy to look at, and sound effects have been added to make up for the fact that books don’t have sound. All components are blended in easily without too much distraction.
Age and Warning Info-
There’s nothing to be worried about in terms of any kind of profanity, and readers young and old will enjoy it.
The Secret World of Arrietty: Film Comic, vol. 1 & 2
by Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Art by Hayao Miyazaki
ISBN: 9781421541167
Viz Media LLC, 2012
Publisher Age Rating: A (All)
