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Borrowers
Arrietty Clock
Arrietty Clock
Voiced by: Mirai Shida (Japanese), Bridgit Mendler (US), Saoirse Ronan (UK), Adeline Chetail (French), Anisa Dervishi (Albanian)
The main protagonist of the film. She is a 14 year old Borrower who lives with her mother and father underground. Even though she is anxious to see the world, her relationship with a human “bean” named Shō will put her family’s life in jeopardy.
- Action Girl: The sheer amount of running and climbing Arietty does, as well as all the straining to use items not built for someone of her size, is enough that she qualifies.
- Badass Adorable: It takes guts to run into danger at any of the climatic scenes in the movie.
- Left Hanging / The Unreveal: Did she and her family reach their new home safely? The Disney dub says yes, but the original language never reveals their ultimate fates.
- Shout-Out: Her dress is exactly the same length as Sheeta’s and Kiki’s, but is red; the signature color of her 1997 adaptation counterpart.
Homily Clock
Homily Clock
Voiced by: Shidnobu Otake (Japanese), Amy Poehler (US), Olivia Colman (UK), Sharon Shachal (Hebrew)
- Cute, but Cacophonic: Adorable she is but when she talks, she's very ear-splitting.
- Distracted by the Luxury: Is easily swooned by fine things.
- Doting Parent: To Arriety, with a dash of overprotectiveness.
Pod Clock
Pod Clock
Voiced by: Tomokazu Miura (Japanese), Will Arnett (US), Mark Strong (UK)
- Gadgeteer Genius: A low key example, he's good at creating the spelunking / climbing gear to explore the house, an elevator, and the interior lighting of their home hidden under Sho's grandmother's house.
- So Proud of You: Though he doesn't gush, he is visible proud of Arriety in various scenes.
- The Stoic: Very taciturn and sparse with words.
Spiller
Spiller
Voiced by: Tatsuya Fujiwara (Japanese), Moises Arias (US), Luke Allen-Gale (UK)
- Shout-Out: His wardrobe and lifestyle is a pastiche of San’s.
Beans
Shō
Shō
Voiced by: Ryunosuke Kamiki (Japanese), David Henrie (US), Tom Holland (UK)
The film’s male protagonist. He was born with a serious heart condition that leaves him unable to play like other kids and has to live with his aunt and her housekeeper while preparing for an operation that might save his life.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Though his life prior to Arrietty has yet be given too much detail, what we do know implies his childhood was not a happy one. He was born with a palpitation and it can be assumed that his parents got so fed up with his condition that they decided to divorce and drown themselves in their work, all the while distancing themselves away from Sho as far as possible. For this, he has to live with his loving aunt and her snoopy housekeeper while preparing for a surgical operation that may or may not cost him his life. Need I say more?
- Friendless Background: Presumably due to his palpitation. This makes his relationship with Arrietty presumably more meaningful.
- Left Hanging / The Unreveal: Whether or not he survives his operation is deliberately open to interpretation…unless you’ve seen the Disney dub.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: He replaces the Clocks' kitchen with the dollhouse's. While a sweet gesture, it scares Homily to her core and later leads to Haru finding their home, ultimately making them leave.
- Soap Opera Disease: The exact details of Shō’s cardiac abnormality can only be guessed.
- The Tragic Rose: Or any kind of flower, to be exact. The scene where he reveals his palpitation to Arrietty is set in a field of flowers and if Shō actually ended up dying during the operation, the scene itself could be built around this trope.
- Vocal Dissonance: David Henrie gives Shō a deeper voice that might make him sound three years older than his actual age, while Tom Holland provides a more youthful voice that is befitting of Shō’s age.
Sadako Maki
Shō
Voiced by: Keiko Takeshita (Japanese), Gracie Moore (US), Phyllida Law (UK)
Haru
Haru
Voiced by: Kirin Kiki (Japanese), Carol Burnett (US), Geraldine Mc Ewan (UK)
Sadako’s paranoid housekeeper who serves as the antagonist of the film’s second act.
- Anti-Interference Lock Up: She confines Sho to his room without him knowing, but he manages to escape via the window.
- Big Bad: The film's main antagonist, with her wanting to capture borrowers and is even willing to lock Sho in his room just to accomplish this.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: The first act has Haru as a loyal maid who is genuinely concerned for Shō’s well-being. The climax turns her into a full-on antagonist.
- Cassandra Truth: No one believes Haru due to Sho moving the kitchen back into the dollhouse.
- Jerkass: She disparages the dollhouse that Sadako’s father built, locks Sho in his room for supposedly conspiring with the Borrowers and plans to reveal their existence to the world for either fame or profit.
- Large Ham: Carol Burnett, who voices Haru in the Disney dub, gives the character a few over-the-top lines such as “WHO TOOK MY LADYYYY?!!”.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Even if Sho told his aunt about her intentions, Haru’s loss of the Clock family from her possession is punishment enough.
- Villainous Breakdown: “AND NO! I’M NOT LOSING MY MIND!” Says the one who claims to have seen the little people that no one else believes in.
