I just felt like me. Eventually, she met a man named Kazuhiko. However, as a non-straight person, I couldn’t help getting disappointed at the plot twist. I just watched it and really thought the same thing. [4] The film featured the final work for Studio Ghibli animator Makiko Futaki, who died in May 2016. The mansion also appears abandoned and dilapidated again. I felt different but I didn’t know why. A movie review of “When Marnie Was There”: This anime tale from Studio Ghibli follows a lonely 12-year-old girl befriended by a mysterious golden-haired beauty. It is a coming-of-age tale, a journey of self-discovery and healing, a ghost story, and a love story… but not the kind you might think. Marnie asks about how Anna likes living with the Oiwas but disappears. Did Studio Ghibli actually create a sweet, romantic story between two girls?” The optimistic part of me believed that it could happen–that is was happening. During those days, I didn’t understand what exactly it was that I felt toward her. His interest was later renewed, however, and he began to conceive of new elements for the story, such as Anna's characterization as an artist. Anyway, even though it is a good movie that deserves more recognition, I will always see “When Marnie Was There” not as a masterpiece of filmmaking but as the queer love story it could’ve been. When Marnie Was There is the most recent, and possibly last, feature length film from the legendary anime production company Studio Ghibli. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Marnie raised her granddaughter, who was placed in foster care after her death. And I was surprised by how invested I was in the central relationship between the protagonist Anna and her mysterious new friend Marnie. But not, I presume, in the way the creators intended. Anna comes across a nearby abandoned mansion, where she meets Marnie, a mysterious girl who asks her to promise to keep their secrets from everyone. There is nothing wrong with this story. Movies. As the summer progresses, Anna spends more time with Marnie, and eventually Anna learns the truth about her family and foster care. This is why, as a bisexual girl, this movie tore my heart in half. Today, I watched the Studio Ghibli movie “When Marnie Was There” for the first time. On the night of the Tanabata festival, she meets the blonde girl, Marnie, at the mansion. What is this story really about?Tweet @ me: https://twitter.com/VincentKav(Expand for more)Welcome to YouTube explained! She was a lovely singer, a creative doodler, and an overall good student. As I watched “When Marnie Was There,” I couldn’t stop seeing my story reflected on the screen. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. When Marnie Was There was released in Japan on July 19, 2014. From the opening frame to its final musical note, When Marnie Was There evokes bittersweet recall of childhood memories; a love-letter to breezy seaside holidays, passionate yet fleeting friendships, and the anxiety of growing into an adult world. [18] The film premièred at the New York International Children's Film Festival on 27 February 2015. Menu. With no other family to care for her, Emily was sent to a boarding school at a young age. Because of her asthma, her foster mom (whom she calls “Auntie”) decided to let her spend the summer with some relatives in the countryside and breathe some fresh air for a change. When Marnie Was There is a haunting coming-of-age story about a young girl learning about her history and family. I thought that no one could ever understand what I was going through… mostly because I didn’t understand what I was going through. The characters are also amazing with Anna being so complex and emotionally damaged, its lovely to watch her character grow throughout the movie. By discovering things about her past, Anna becomes more able to open up to the possibilities of her life ahead. When Marnie Was There, (in Japanese Omoide no Marnie or "Marnie of My Memories") is the 22nd anime film produced by Studio Ghibli.It was directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and written by him in collaboration Keiko Niwa and Masashi Ando, and based on the classic 1967 children's novel When Marnie Was There by Joan G. Robinson.. They bring her back to the Oiwas, where Anna dreams about confronting Marnie, who tells Anna she is sorry for leaving her and that she cannot see Anna anymore. Marnie recovered but preteen Emily was resentful for her mother abandoning her. Setsu tells her that the mansion used to be a vacation home for wealthy foreigners, but has been empty for a long time. I liked her very much, even though I couldn’t admit that to myself at the time. Kazuhiko and Marnie spent a lot of time together, often sneaking out. ( Log Out /  I might not be in my top favorite films but I truly think it's overlooked just because of the studio it comes from. This revelation brings closure about her identity. Anna has a dream of Kazuhiko comforting Marnie. We were 11 or 12 back then (the same age Anna and Marnie seemed to be). She was the only one who regularly talked to me and invited me to hang out. She and her brother search for Anna, only to find her unconscious with a high fever. The story follows Anna, a young girl who temporarily moves to Norfolk to heal after becoming ill. For the first time Anna calls Yoriko her mother. Actually now that I think about it, though this movie wasn’t a part of those movies I said I was going to be posting about these coming days, I am adding Marnie … Her agent Caroline Sheldon sold the rights of the book to 10 countries, including Japan, Italy, Spain and China. When Marnie Was There [2015]: The Ones who Love us never really Leave us. One day, Kazuhiko and Marnie went to the silo that Marnie was deeply afraid of, due to the maids' usage of the location to secretly abuse her. Priscilla Ahn, the writer and performer of the movie's theme song, "Fine on the Outside", also released an accompanying album to the film called Just Know That I Love You on 16 July 2014. When Marnie Was There (Japanese: 思い出のマーニー , Hepburn: Omoide no Mānī, Marnie of [My] Memories) is a 2014 Japanese anime drama film written and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, produced by Studio Ghibli for Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DYMP, Walt Disney Japan, Mitsubishi, Toho and KDDI However things take an intriguing turn when Anna meets Marnie- the mysterious blonde girl who lives in an abandoned mansion in the marsh. [11][12] The Marsh House that is central to the story was designed by Yohei Taneda, who Yonebayashi asked "to draw the Marsh House as if it were another character who watches over Anna." Marnie’s gonna end up being her ancestor or something.”. When Marnie Was There Soundtrack Music Collection, known as Omoide no Marnie Santora Ongaku Shuu (思い出のマーニーサントラ音楽集) in Japan, is a two-disc soundtrack and image song album that was released on CD in Japan and in 113 countries worldwide (including Japan) as a digital download on the iTunes Store on 16 July 2014. By Jesse Hassenger. So, as it turns out, Marnie was Anna’s grandmother. One day, she suffers an asthma attack at school. [23] By its fourth weekend, it had earned ¥2.08 billion,[24] made an additional ¥930 million in its next two weekends,[25] and had a total of ¥3.363 billion by its eighth weekend. Back then, I could only express my feelings through art, the same way Anna did. During the end credits, Anna says goodbye to her friends before seeing Marnie at the mansion window waving goodbye to her. One day at school, she collapses from an asthma attack. Help me!!! She makes the assumption that they only pretend to love her for the money, and says she can’t forgive her biological family for leaving her behind and dying. My first serious female crush was a girl I knew in high school. Something beautifully moving. Overseas, the film sold 114,679 tickets in France,[28] equivalent to approximately €743,120 ($860,682) in 2015. Toshio Matsumoto – 映画ですが？Eiga desu ga. It was released in theatres on 19 July 2014,[6] and on Blu-ray and DVD in Japan on 18 March 2015. We just need to keep ourselves aware of what is out there, lest we crawl back into our own walled circles and tend to our wounds of self-hatred with the same story. When Marnie Was There is undoubtedly the most emotional Ghibli movie in my opinion. Which is why When Marnie Was There felt like such a slap in the face. [34], When Marnie Was There received positive reviews. The two agree to keep their meetings secret. This movie is a must watch!!! The story builds to a fine climax, involving storms and a flood far scarier than Ponyo’s. He takes Marnie to her mother's house in Baltimore where he demands an explanation of the "bad accident" Bernice suffered. I admired her, sure. The two girls become close, have sweet picnics, dance together, share their most closely-held secrets, and declare their love for … ( Log Out /  In the morning, the mansion where Marnie claims she lives is deserted. Anna meets Marnie again and admits to finding documents that show her foster parents are paid to take care of her. ( Log Out /  LGBT love stories, especially female LGBT love stories, are hard to come by. I love the haunting atmosphere of the marsh and the breathtaking animation. Even outside of the potential romance, When Marnie Was There raises questions of what “love” is. If When Marnie Was There is any indication, we can write something more emotionally complex. A childhood story – further thoughts on ‘When Marnie was there’ July 8, 2017 by Life in a Bind - BPD and me 5 Comments The house on the far left is The Marsh House (Marnie’s house) – or rather, the house that inspired the book ‘When Marnie was there’. Yonebayashi found the story moving, but he "thought it would be very difficult to visualize as a film," and initially turned down the role. She wakes up, only to find Marnie gone, and is heartbroken. Following the success of the film, Robinson's original novel experienced a boost in sales internationally. Her hair was always in a ponytail, and she  wore her black-rimmed glasses. ... however, is a first-love story — a passionate connection between two … When Marnie Was There is a novel by British author Joan G. Robinson (1910–88), first published in 1967. Anna Sasaki is an introverted 12-year-old girl with low self-esteem living in Sapporo with foster parents, Yoriko and her husband. She gives Anna a photograph of the mansion and says it belonged to Anna's grandmother. Hisako comments that Anna's sketches look like a girl whom she knew when she was young. Of course, I know that not all intimate relationships are automatically romantic. When Marnie Was There (Japanese: 思い出のマーニー, Hepburn: Omoide no Mānī, "Marnie of [My] Memories") is a 2014 Japanese anime drama film written and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, produced by Studio Ghibli for Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DYMP, Walt Disney Japan, Mitsubishi, Toho and KDDI and distributed by Toho. There she meets a mysterious girl named Marnie who lives in a house overlooking the marshes. She was often mistreated by the maids while her parents were out. Marnie shares how her parents are always traveling abroad, and how she is always left behind with her rude nanny and two maids. Yoriko also tells Anna about the government payments, but reassures her that they have always loved her. At the doctor's recommendation to send Anna to a place where the air is clean, her parents decide to have her spend summer break with Yoriko's relatives, Setsu and Kiyomasa Oiwa, who live in a rural seaside town called Kissakibetsu, located between Kushiro and Nem… [20], The film was released on Blu-ray and DVD in Japan by Walt Disney Studios Japan on 18 March 2015,[21] and released on Blu-ray and DVD in America by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on October 6, 2015. Marnie initially seems like a projection of Anna's desire, but the affection between the two of them deepens to a beautiful ability to understand each other's pain without words, and a very deep love. The doctor insists that her asthma is being triggered by stress. "[35] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 72 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The film follows Anna Sasaki staying with her relatives in a town in Kushiro wetlands, Hokkaido. British censors at the time would never allow the unedited release of a book, let alone a children's book, that promoted positive portrayal of LGBTQA people. It is a lyrical adventure story that explores lush landscapes as well as haunted memories. Video. At the end of the summer, Yoriko arrives to take Anna home and is delighted to see Anna having made new friends in Hisako, Toichi and Sayaka. We see their intimate connection and the role that they play in each other’s lives. It is immediately clear to the viewer that there is something stranger going on. [7] It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 88th Academy Awards. One day, she suffers an asthma attack at school. Let’s first talk about the plot. Anna starts dreaming of a blonde girl in the mansion. I honestly can’t say too much because I loved going into this movie without knowing a thing about it and I’ll keep it that way for anyone who hasn’t seen it. Yet, there in the night-time, she appears in her night gown, drawing Anna into her world. There are suggestions that Marnie’s ostensibly glamorous life hides cruelties, while a menacing, shadowy windmill draws the girls. Marnie breaks down in a welter of neurotic conflict. “When Marnie Was There” (103 minutes) is a must watch for the cinephiles, who love the works of Studio Ghibli. Maybe the subtext was intended, maybe it wasn’t. As the summer progresses, Anna spends more time with Marnie, and eventually Anna learns the truth about her family and foster care. The film (and novel) tell the story of Anna, an introverted, … On 14 January, GKIDS announced that they would be distributing the film for a North American release on May 22, 2015. The only thing I knew about it was that it was made by the same studio that gave us the visually splendid “Spirited Away” and the charmingly sweet “My Neighbor Totoro.”. Marnie conquers her fear and the pair fall asleep. When I was with her, I didn’t feel like an outcast. To cut a long story short, When Marnie Was There is one of the finest Ghibli movies I have seen in a long time, and it very much feels as if it belongs pre-Spirited Away, not post. She finds it familiar but gets trapped by the rising tide until she is found by Toichi, an old fisherman. [8] Hiromasa Yonebayashi was assigned the project by Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki, who asked him to change the setting of the story to Japan. The second disc features all the background music for the film. She would study with me and tell me about the movies she’s seen. At the mansion during the move-in, Anna meets a girl named Sayaka, who gives her Marnie's diary that had been hidden in a drawer. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91%, based on 99 reviews, with an average rating of 7.47/10. [31] In South Korea, it grossed ₩284,696,700 ($251,686) in 2015. In “When Marnie Was There,” we are asked to put ourselves in Anna’s shoes. When Anna sees Marnie's name written on the back, she realizes that she is Emily's daughter, and Marnie's granddaughter. [9] Although the setting was changed, the decision was made to retain Marnie's appearance as blonde and blue-eyed, though Miyazaki was opposed to this decision. And the entire story was about Marnie learning to heal and let go of her feelings of abandonment. I had no idea what the movie was about when I first decided to watch it. But one unpopular opinion I have is that I'm not really a fan of The Secret World Of Arrietty, even though it comes from the same director. 薔薇の葬列・Funeral Parade of Roses (1969) Dir. We see the way Anna blushes when Marnie looks into her eyes or holds her hands. Anna Sasaki is an introverted 12-year-old girl living in Sapporo with foster parents, Yoriko and her husband. I kept thinking, “Did they really do it? When Anna and Marnie first come face-to-face, they confess that they had already seen each other in their dreams. There’s a lovely and fitting simplicity in 12-year-old Anna emerging as the heroine of When Marnie Was There, the last film from Japan’s Studio Ghibli animation house. “2 Cool 2 Be 4Gotten:” Yes, It Does Indeed Have Cultural Relevance. I was surprised by how much I saw myself in the main character. Maybe I’m just picking up the signals wrong, but right until the end it *felt* like the kind of LGBT love story I’ve always wanted. Not soon after a family is set to move into the mansion. [29] In North America, the film had grossed $186,844 by its third weekend,[30] and went on to gross $561,085 in the United States and Canada. Meanwhile, the cynical part of me said, “Nope. It was the final film for Studio Ghibli, before it announced a short break after The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, and the retirement of Hayao Miyazaki a year before the film was released. Anna is a depressed girl living with her foster parents in the city. And then… well, there’s actually a lot of the book left to go, taking the story unforeseen ways. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. ", Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=When_Marnie_Was_There&oldid=999176365, Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown, Articles containing Japanese-language text, Album articles lacking alt text for covers, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Articles with Japanese-language sources (ja), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Keiko Niwa, Masashi Ando and Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Hiromasa Yonebayashi and Yoshiaki Nishimura, This page was last edited on 8 January 2021, at 21:26. When Anna recovers from her fever, Hisako reveals Marnie's story: Marnie married Kazuhiko and they had a daughter named Emily, who Marnie loved dearly due to years of loneliness and depression. The film received positive reviews from critics, praising its animation, music, vocal performances, and emotional story. It's a beautiful story to me because of how much love Anna and Marnie show one another, in contrast to this. In fact, I found the film to be quite heartwarming as a tale about investigating one’s past in order to better understand one’s self. [22], When Marnie Was There opened at third place, grossing ¥379 million during its opening weekend in Japan. I strained not to see myself in her as she gazed at Marnie with starstruck eyes and sobbed her proclamations of love to her from the battering waves of the ... I’m not ignoring the loveliness of the intimate friendship story that Marnie tells. 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