SPOILERS DOWN THE PATH; THE DISCUSSION BELOW WILL NOT BE COMPREHENSIVE WITHOUT IT.
TREAD CAREFULLY. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
The moment you lay eyes on this lonesome, quiet, private, introverted and moody little worrywart named Anna who was once expressive and cheerful, it arouses your curiosity to know this girl further. What happened to her in the past? What changed her? Who is she? As Anna packs her bag to embark on a getaway, it's more than a pleasure to have you on this mystical adventure suffused with a unique sense of discovery, in When Marnie Was There!
Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi has sketched a homestay marsh of wind chimes with soothing music and amazing sound effects to tell this story about love, friendship, origin. It encourages you to embrace the allure of being different. It's refreshing to watch a classic hand-drawn animation as such that could essentially preserve its own presence, forever!
There are many things to learn about introducing characters through this film. It's done in a way that even the most minute ones will stay eternal in your mind. Is it because the characters are employed for the rightful scenes alone and aren't permitted to overstay their welcomes? Still, the elaborated flashback of Marnie feels pretentiously squeezed into a formerly decided ending.
A little note though, take a look at most, if not all Studio Ghibli's pictures - the titles are given from the protagonist's frame of reference, rather than about the main character. This is one of the most appropriate nomenclating methods out there!
Marnie: "You're my precious secret. I haven't told anyone about you, and I won't. If someone finds out, they'll only spoil it."
Anna: "Please, promise me. That we'll remain a secret."