Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
NealTenshio
"When Marnie Was There" is a beautiful animated movie about a story of a growing child who struggles to feel like they belong, whether that be in social groups or the world in general. Something interesting about this movie is that people may come away interpreting the movie differently. For me, it handles themes of loneliness. The movie has moments that are great at delivering the atmosphere of loneliness, and it does really well at making the viewer feel those heavy emotions.
Sometimes, our only saving grace is a piece of speck that we can hold on to, found from the corner of our souls. But sometimes, for whatever reason, it's enough. Despite how horrible loneliness is, we learn to live with it, and we become stronger in spite of it.
This is the experiential ride-along gift that "Whe…
Read at the sourcejay_quelin
Not Miyazaki's best work but a heartwarming story nontheless. Anna is a foster child with asthma. Feeling unhappy and unloved in Sapporo, Anna's foster mother sends her to live with some relatives in the seaside town of Kikkakibetsu -- hopefully to improve her respiratory health. As Anna explores the areas around town, she stumbles upon an old 1920s-esque manor sitting across a salt marsh. There, she meets a mysterious blonde girl about the same age as her. Throughout the movie, Anna and Marnie have been frequenting each other in secret, often sharing stories and tidbits of information about themselves. Be forewarned that a lot of the negative reviews about this movie are based on people's dissatisfaction with the ending, and how the ending didn't fit their preconceived LGBTQ fanfiction. T…
Read at the sourcemaya_kotori
When Marnie Was There is one of those films that quietly stays with you, even years after you first see it. I remember catching it on TV a few times, and back then I already thought it was beautiful but watching it again now made me fall in love with it all over again. There’s something incredibly gentle and emotional about the story, the kind of softness that slowly wraps around your heart without you even noticing. I never expected to love Marnie as much as I do. Her character is mysterious, comforting, and deeply touching in a way that’s hard to explain. The bond between the characters feels so real and heartfelt that it’s impossible not to get emotional. The animation is stunning, the atmosphere is magical, and the whole movie has this quiet beauty that makes you think and feel at the…
Read at the sourceelumizu
When Marnie Was There is a quiet and emotionally reflective story about loneliness, memory, and the search for belonging. The movie follows Anna Sasaki, a reserved and emotionally withdrawn girl who struggles to connect with others. After suffering from asthma and signs of emotional distress, Anna is sent by her foster parents to spend the summer in a small coastal town, hoping the fresh air and slower pace of rural life will help her recover. Initially, Anna remains distant from the people around her, preferring solitude over interaction. While exploring the marshlands near the village, she becomes fascinated by a mysterious old mansion across the water. One evening she meets a blonde girl named Marnie who appears to live there. Despite Anna’s usual reluctance to open up, the two quickly…
Read at the source1stDecame4Danime
Send this poor, mentally ill/schizophrenic child to a non-quack doctor. That was genuinely what I was thinking for much of the movie, all the more by the end of it.
This movie barely goes anywhere and is almost completely SoL filler aside from a single exposition dump dialogue scene. The plot, beyond irrelevant specifics, is extremely predictable and boring, relying on unearned heartstring pulling. No justice for boat guy's irrelevance to the movie. No point to random fat-shamed character. No point to random exposition dump art-lady. The plot of this movie is summarized in one minute of exposition dialogue and spends the entire rest of the movie insincerely baiting a shallow romance while tipping its hand on a pointless mystery that is hard to care about as they present it in the most exc…
Read at the sourceelisafake
This is without a doubt my favorite Studio Ghibli film, it managed to capture every minute of it, it's simply incredible, every detail is perfect.
The story of the film tells us about the life of Anna, a girl from the big city who goes to live in the countryside. When she arrives, she sees an abandoned mansion and decides to explore and ends up making an incredible friendship. Its art is wonderful, as expected from Studio Ghibli films, with settings looking like beautiful paintings creating a slight contrast with the characters, its soundtrack is composed of classical music, perfectly matching the interpretation that the film tries to give us. Regarding the development of the characters, it is a good development, it tells us about the characters' lives without giving us spoilers.
It's a re…
Read at the sourceZeroCodeGeass7
Hm, I suppose I should preface this review by saying it's how the film made me feel. If you're looking for a review that tells you whether or not you should watch it maybe this isn't it.
It doesn't surprise me that When Marnie Was There was based on a novel. Watching the film almost makes you feel like you're under the covers of some big Victorian-style room as you flip through the pages of an old leather novel, and are transported to another world.
I don't mean Marnie is fantasy, it seems like in all of Studio Ghibli's works they have the ability to transport you to another world that's identical to our own but has one thing mixed in, magic. Then the more I watch their films the more I realise it's not that magic doesn't exist in our world, it's that through all the boring things we str…
Read at the sourceDokkalven
I guess I'm a real sucker for movies that I relate to quite a bit, cuz Omoide no Marnie is perfect. This is hands down my favorite Studio Ghibli, or just my favorite anime film in general, of all time. It's peaceful, the art is beautiful, and it just holds a special place in my heart. Something about it is just... melancholic. It reminds me of a time when I had a friend I really cherished... She vanished and I never saw her again. This movie reminds me of that fondness and love and magic of finding that one person that makes you blossom. I could watch this film and sob for hours afterwards. It's wonderful and heartbreaking and definitely worth the watch. 10/10 <3
Read at the sourceKrenZane
!! SPOILER-FILLED !!
Welcome to the countryside! The air is clean, the grass is green; community is tightly-knit in this open expanse where the appreciation of nature is commonplace, its hospitality free of charge. Abounding in agriculture, the sprouts of familial love fully grown. A place to escape the suffocating crowded town where inclusivity is hard-earned, such that loneliness befriends kids in the outer sphere. Simultaneously, a haven to recuperate, where one can breathe life from the energy stored in all that's around us, connecting us to our definite homes.
Sounds like many other Studio Ghibli stories, huh. Undeniably, When Marnie Was There is not an exception of having the staple nostalgic Ghibli air making up the atmospheric elements of the film. Very much grounded and light, i…
Read at the sourcelamaraptor
I'm going to be honest, I thought this movie was going in a completely different direction with the relationship between Marnie and Anna. Thought they were pushing an LGBT agenda, I mean just look at her lesbian haircut. That's probably just my cynical view of modern media and the fact I've been watching a lot of yuri anime lately.
But no, and spoilers I guess, Marnie turns out to be her time traveling ghost of a grandma. It's a beautiful story about overcoming the self-hatred of adolescence through the rare connections we make with other people. Familial connections seem to be given special emphasis, even when we're not clued in that that's what's going on. It's the connections that Anna makes that help her start to learn to like herself.
The art and animation are amazing though it stay…
Read at the source8mann
EN:
From now on, The memory of Marnie went directly to my top of favorite Titles in MAL. Personally, it is a delight for those of us who have formal approaches to the world of psychology, since it draws the fine lines very well so that the observer becomes confused and finds it difficult to distinguish when Anna is experiencing reality, her dreams or the delusions of her subconscious.
My plan isn't to review the movie itself (but I'd warn you of a couple of spoilers if you haven't seen the movie yet); Already many other people have summed it up pretty well around here. My contribution is to try to explain why for me this film is 9/10 and by far the best of contemporary Ghibli:
As I said before, although the film seems linear, constantly through Anna we experience what the Gestalt school of…
Read at the sourcelancerlvr
When I began watching this movie I thought it was going to be slightly boring, as I counited on I realized it was quite a peaceful movie but then I got uncomfortable watching when I began to assume maybe the two main characters Anna and Marine might be love interest because I remember I had read prior that Marine was Annas grandma, and some people may argue that what they did was just platonic friendly stuff, and I see now that I misunderstood. So I do think that this film was very good and even made me cry towards the end. I would recommended this film to someone if you're looking for a peaceful and calm vibe.
Read at the sourceimthebest42069
Hi I wana make another review ;D It was 2015 something when I went to the video store with my ma and begged her to let me get the dvd :) She let me and I came home and popped it in the dvd player. Let me tell you. I had no idea who the hell Ghibli was, what they made, cause I was an 8 year old!! But I knew straight away that this was one of their movies. I adore a majority of Ghibli movies, regardless of their rep, even though there's some I just cannot get my head around ;w; Marnie is a gem really. I don't know why there's so many less watchers on the website for this damn movie. So let's go into a detailed review from what I can remember. (No spoilers)
Story: 7/10
I was like whuuuuuuut at first when I was listening to the story. It didn't make sense, but did I really care? No! It wasn't…
Read at the sourcehbaby1093
*SPOILERS*
Alike so many others, I have a place in my heart for Studio Ghibli and their whimsical tales and wondrous animation. Rarely do I find myself disliking the work they put out, if ever. But...this movie was a first.
Protagonist: Anna. To some extent, I understand that she was going through an unhealthy mental state. I understand that she's a preteen. We were all moody when we were that age, we all had irrational behavior and outbursts, too. And yet, I couldn't entirely relate to her. She actually annoyed me a lot of the time, especially when it came to her actions toward the girls that tried to befriend her (or used to be her friends).
To dig deeper - we get a scene where she doesn't want to hang around her old friends, we get a scene where she doesn't want new friends, but th…
Read at the sourceUncool_Slut
"In this world, there is an invisible magic circle. There's an inside and an outside. These people are inside. And I'm outside."
Wow. That was a really wholesome story. The whole story is filled with beautiful plot points and colorful themes that one just can't get from a dreamwork or Disney animated film. The story had a perfect amount of depth and dark moments. Anna and Marnie's bond was just......something special.
It does not have some crazy animation, but it fits the movie greatly. the whole atmosphere was great, in a couple of scenes, I was genuinely having goosebumps. Great job at setting the tone with the sound and effects. Some people might be bored with it since it's more of a mellow story and not so fantastical and charming compared to other ghibli hits, but for what it is I…
Read at the sourcexraaki
This review contains *SPOILERS*.
Watched in Sub/Dub: Sub
Story: 8/10
Struggling with self esteem and asthma, 12-year-old Anna Sasaki is sent to stay at her Aunt’s house over the summer in a rural town. On the outskirts of town, across a marsh, she discovers a seemingly abandoned mansion that she feels drawn to. One night, Anna finds an unfamiliar boat waiting for her. She rows across the marsh towards the mansion to come across Marnie, a girl her age. The two quickly fall into a close friendship and share stories with each other about their struggles. There’s an emphasis on keeping quiet about their friendship and they’re not afraid to say “I love you” or dance in the moonlight together either. However, it’s all too clear to Anna that Marnie isn’t truly there with her. She struggles to ke…
Read at the sourceEDOSHINRATENSEI
Grandma’s love is eternal.
Alright this is the last Studio Ghibli featured movie that I have watched. Now I can rank the movies. I decided to watch this after Earwig because I wanted to save the best for last, and holy cow was I right. This is probably the best Studio Ghibli movie that I have watched.
Throughout the movie, the audiences were in a mystery drama where the main girl, Anna, who was introverted and depressed, spent time with Marnie, a mysterious friend from a mysterious house. I loved this mystery because it kept me invested and wanted to figure out the twist.
The friendship between the two main girls were beautiful. They slowly learned about each other, and became dependent of each other. This friendship was elevated due to the gorgeous hand-drawn animation. The sceneries…
Read at the sourcerrojas0690
Spoilers: There have only been two films that have made me cry, this was one of them. Maybe it was my allergies and the medication I was taking but the ending where Marnie is waving goodbye to Anna is what got to me.
I was able to relate to Anna with certain things throughout the film which made me get a bit more invested in her character. Now I will say this film is a bit slow especially at the beginning but, at least imo, it makes up for it.
The animation was great as usual and the soundtrack was good as well. The english dub which I watched was good too, the VAs definitely help bring the characters to life.
Will definitely be rewatching to see if it was really just my allergies lol.
Read at the sourcecici_LPS
Reviewing this film is honestly difficult for me. I'm really of two minds on it, and no rating I can give it feels fair.
The beginning and middle of this film is utterly beautiful. And in fact if I had to give one adjective to describe this film it would be "beautiful". It has a beautiful soundtrack. The scenary is beautiful. It has this beautifully somber pacing. And by the opening credits I was completely sucked in. The film is incredibly effective at creating an atmosphere.
I'm so many ways this is my favorite film ever. There's honestly nothing I like more than just watching an hour and a half of adorable feelsy wholesomeness; and this film executes that beautifully. No other film has ever made me feel the way this film did when I first watched it.
And yet something about the endi…
Read at the sourceveemon23
When you think of Studio Ghibli I doubt this would be one of the first one that comes to your mind. Since most of the people I know and talk too all usually states the same one first, "Spirited Away." I feel like this one deserves to be talked about more and deserves more praise for the story it tells and the visual. Though not as colorful, it is still visually stunning and beautiful when it needs to be.
I do want to give it a 10 and if people do give it a 10 I believe it deserves it by those who praise it that much. The reason I didn't because the first half of it can be pretty forgetful but not saying it isn't important at all! By no means do I mean that it was terrible, just it will turn off most people from watching it. Anna wasn't your type of character you would want to be your lea…
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