62. The Secret World of Arietty, Volume 2

The Secret World of Arrietty (Film Comic) by Studio Ghibli (US) - (Canada)
Volume 2 of 2

Pages: 317
Ages: 8+
Finished: Feb. 23, 2012
First Published: 2010 Japan (Feb. 7, 2012 US)
Publisher: viz media
Genre: children, manga, fantasy
Rating: 4/5



First sentence: "Delivery!  Package for you, Ma'am!"


Publisher's Summary: "When the ladies in the house discover the Borrowers, Arrietty and Shawn must work together to save her family. They must dodge hungry birds, a prowling cat, a nosy housekeeper, and some pesky exterminators in order to make it out alive. Will the help from Shawn and a newcomer be enough to get their family to safety? Based on the classic novel by Mary Norton, The Secret World of Arrietty is a delight for all ages."


Acquired: Received a review copy from Simon & Schuster Canada.

Reason for Reading: The Borrowers is my 2nd favourite "little people" book. (Mistress Masham's Repose is my first)  As soon as I saw the name Arrietty in the title I knew the book would have something to do with the Borrowers and had to read it.

This is the film adaptation manga of the Japanese anime film produced by Studio Ghibli (most internationally famous for "Howl's Moving Castle"). It is a great adaptation of Mary Norton's "The Borrowers". Volume 2 continues where Volume 1 left off and this second half of the story is where all the action is, as The Borrowers are found by the humans and have to leave to find a new home.  One new character is added to the cast for the second volume, another borrower who lives by himself out in the wilderness.  It has been ages since I've actually read the original book, but I'm quite sure this anime version takes liberties.  Though it does follow the general storyline as I remember it.  Whether it is true to the original or not is neither here nor there as it doesn't claim to *be* The Borrowers, only based upon, and is a delightful tale presented here with the glory of the gorgeous Studio Ghibli anime reduced to manga format. 

The movie has been released in North America with American actors voicing the characters this past Feb. 17 (2012) (two years after the Japanese release) and I presume we can expect the DVD version come summer.  I would quite like to watch it especially since Carol Burnett is voicing the housekeeper who is a nosey, troublesome character and the main antagonist of the story.