Karigurashi no Arrietty: Cast, Synopsis, and Theme Song for August 7 Friday Roadshow

Studio Ghibli’s 2010 animated film Karigurashi no Arrietty (The Secret World of Arrietty) will air on NTV’s Friday Roadshow on August 7, 2026. The broadcast is scheduled from 9:00 PM to 10:59 PM JST. Here is a summary of the film’s story, cast, staff, and music.

Broadcast Information

NTV’s Friday Roadshow will air Karigurashi no Arrietty on August 7, 2026, from 9:00 PM to 10:59 PM.

Synopsis

In a quiet old house on the outskirts of Tokyo, a gentle elderly woman named Sadako (Takeshita Keiko) lives with her housekeeper Haru (Kiki Kirin). Beneath the floorboards of that house lives a secret: a family of tiny people, the Borrowers, who survive by taking small amounts of necessities from the humans above. Among them is Arrietty (Shida Mirai), a curious 14-year-old girl, along with her strict father Pod (Miura Tomokazu) and anxious mother Homily (Ootake Shinobu). Their most important rule is never to be seen by humans.

One summer, Sho (Kamiki Ryunosuke), the grandson of Sadako’s sister, comes to stay. Suffering from a heart condition, he is to live with Sadako while his mother is away. On his first night, Arrietty—who is on her first borrowing expedition with Pod—accidentally lets Sho see her. This encounter sets off a chain of events that will test the family’s survival.

Cast & Voice Actors

Staff

Characters

Arrietty

A 14-year-old Borrower girl. She lives with her parents under the floorboards of an old mansion and loves going outside.

Sho

A 12-year-old boy recuperating at his great-aunt’s house. He is lonely and faces a heart surgery that makes him aware of his mortality.

Spiller

A 12-year-old Borrower boy who helps a wounded Pod. He lives alone, without family or friends, and is resourceful and tough.

Pod

Arrietty’s 61-year-old father. He uses various tools to keep borrowing necessities for the family.

Homily

Arrietty’s 52-year-old mother. She manages the household while Pod is away and tends to worry.

Haru

The live-in housekeeper who cares for Sho’s great-aunt. She is suspicious of Sho’s actions and claims to have seen a Borrower once.

Music

The theme song is “Arrietty’s Song,” with lyrics by Cecile Corbel, Japanese lyrics by Ihei Yoko, and composition by Simon Caby and Cecile Corbel. It is performed by Cecile Corbel.

(C) 2010 Mary Norton/Keiko Niwa/Studio Ghibli, NDHDMTW

Written by Satou Erika