The Secret World of Arrietty - Blu-Ray & DVD

Beneath the floorboards of a quiet house in the Japanese countryside, a family of tiny people called Borrowers lives in careful secrecy. Arrietty is fourteen — adventurous, curious, and old enough to join her father Pod on borrowing runs, slipping through the walls and under the floors to take small things the humans won't miss: a sugar cube, a tissue, a pin. The law of the Borrowers is absolute: never be seen. That law breaks the moment Shawn, a twelve-year-old boy who has come to the house to rest before heart surgery, spots Arrietty through his window. Their friendship — cautious, tender, and conducted across an enormous difference in scale — becomes the quiet center of a story that is primarily about impermanence and courage, as the housekeeper Haru's obsessive determination to prove the Borrowers exist threatens everything the family has built.

The Secret World of Arrietty is a 2010 theatrical film directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi in his feature debut — the first Studio Ghibli film not directed by Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata — with screenplay by Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa, based on Mary Norton's beloved 1952 children's novel The Borrowers. It was the highest-grossing film in Japan in 2010 and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature. The Disney English dub features Bridgit Mendler and David Henrie alongside Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Moises Arias, and Carol Burnett. The English language version was directed by 7-time Academy Award winner Gary Rydstrom. The 2-disc Blu-ray + DVD combo was released on May 22, 2012, alongside Castle in the Sky and Whisper of the Heart on Blu-ray. Bonus features include a storyboard presentation of the film, original Japanese trailers and TV commercials, and music videos for "Arrietty's Song" by Cécile Corbel and "Summertime" by Bridgit Mendler.

Notable Staff & Voice Talent

Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi (feature debut; later When Marnie Was There, Mary and the Witch's Flower)
Screenplay: Hayao Miyazaki & Keiko Niwa (Tales from Earthsea, The Cat Returns)
English Language Director: Gary Rydstrom (7-time Academy Award winner)
Original Novel: Mary Norton (The Borrowers, 1952)
Producer: Toshio Suzuki
Studio: Studio Ghibli
Music: Cécile Corbel
Theme Song: "Arrietty's Song" by Cécile Corbel

Japanese Cast:
- Mirai Shida as Arrietty
- Ryunosuke Kamiki as Shawn / Sho (Spirited Away — voice of Haku)
- Shinobu Otake as Homily (Arrietty's Mother)
- Tatsuya Fujiwara as Pod (Arrietty's Father)
- Tomokazu Miura as Shawn's Uncle
- Kirin Kiki as Haru

English Dub Cast (Disney / Gary Rydstrom):
- Bridgit Mendler as Arrietty (Disney Channel — Good Luck Charlie)
- David Henrie as Shawn (Wizards of Waverly Place)
- Amy Poehler as Homily / Arrietty's Mother (Parks and Recreation)
- Will Arnett as Pod / Arrietty's Father (Arrested Development, BoJack Horseman)
- Carol Burnett as Haru (The Carol Burnett Show)
- Moises Arias as Spiller

Blu-ray Features (Disney 2-Disc Combo, May 22, 2012)

- 2-Disc Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack
- Feature-Length Storyboard Presentation (Blu-ray only)
- Original Japanese Trailers & TV Commercials
- "Arrietty's Song" Music Video by Cécile Corbel
- "Summertime" Music Video by Bridgit Mendler (with Making-Of Featurette)
- English DTS-HD High Res Audio / Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 / French Dolby Digital 5.1
- Note: DVD disc contains film only + Mendler music video; storyboards are Blu-ray exclusive

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese & French Audio, English Subtitles

Edition Details

Japanese Title: 借りぐらしのアリエッティ (Karigurashi no Arietti / The Borrower Arrietty)
Runtime: ~94 Minutes
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Blu-ray + DVD Release Year: 2012 (U.S. Release, May 22 — Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment); GKIDS / Shout! Factory reissue 2018
Original Release Date (Japan): July 17, 2010
Publisher: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Rating: G
Region: Region 1 / Region A (North America)
Note: Hiromasa Yonebayashi's feature directorial debut — first Studio Ghibli film not directed by Miyazaki or Takahata. Highest-grossing Japanese film of 2010. English dub directed by 7-time Oscar winner Gary Rydstrom. Storyboard featurette is Blu-ray exclusive.
Genre: Fantasy, Family, Adventure
Themes: Borrowers Living in Miniature, Forbidden Friendship, Impermanence, Studio Ghibli New Director Debut, Mary Norton Adaptation

Media assumed VG+ unless otherwise noted.