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Upon being sent to live with relatives in the countryside due to an illness, an emotionally distant adolescent girl becomes obsessed with an abandoned mansion and infatuated with a girl who lives there - a girl who may or may not be real.
Upon being sent to live with relatives in the countryside due to an illness, an emotionally distant adolescent girl becomes obsessed with an abandoned mansion and infatuated with a girl who lives there - a girl who may or may not be real.
The film's central narrative focuses on universal human experiences of loneliness, friendship, and self-discovery, with its problem and solution framework being entirely personal and relational. It avoids engaging with any political or ideological themes, maintaining a neutral stance.
The movie features traditional casting appropriate for its Japanese setting and origin, with all characters being ethnically Japanese. Its narrative centers on themes of friendship and self-discovery, without engaging in critiques or explicit discussions of traditional identities related to race, gender, or sexuality.
The film portrays an intense, emotionally profound bond between its two female protagonists, frequently interpreted as having queer subtext. While a familial connection is later revealed, the relationship is depicted with dignity and sensitivity, neither explicitly affirming nor denigrating potential LGBTQ+ readings, resulting in a neutral overall impact.
The film adapts a British novel where the main characters, Anna and Marnie, are implicitly or explicitly white. In the Studio Ghibli adaptation, these characters are depicted as Japanese, constituting a race swap.
When Marnie Was There does not feature any identifiable transsexual characters or themes. The narrative focuses on a young girl's journey of self-discovery and her mysterious friendship, which is later revealed to be a familial bond, without touching upon transgender identity or experiences.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
The film "When Marnie Was There" is an adaptation of a novel. All major characters, including Anna and Marnie, retain their original genders as established in the source material. No characters canonically established as one gender were portrayed as a different gender in the film.
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources