Character Relationship Map: Arrietty

Characters

• Arrietty (played by Mirai Shida) — protagonist

  Arrietty is a young Borrower girl who joins her father Pod on her first borrowing mission for sugar and tissue paper. After Shou discovers her, she secretly speaks with him, helps rescue Homily from H...

• Pod (played by Tomokazu Miura) — supporting

  Pod is Arrietty's father and an experienced Borrower who guides her during her first borrowing mission. After the family is discovered by Shou, he decides that they must move. He returns injured from...

• Haru (played by Kirin Kiki) — supporting

  Haru is the housemaid working at Sadako Maki's home. After noticing that the floorboards have been disturbed, she uncovers the Borrowers' house and captures Homily. She then locks Shou in his room and...

• Spiller (played by Tatsuya Fujiwara) — supporting

  Spiller is a Borrower who lives in the wild and encounters Pod after Pod returns injured from a borrowing mission. He later waits beside the small river and helps Arrietty, Pod, and Homily continue th...

• Homily (played by Shinobu Otake) — supporting

  Homily is Arrietty's mother and Pod's wife. She agrees with Pod that the family must move after their existence is exposed, and she becomes frightened when Shou alters their kitchen to encourage them...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Pod → Homily (Family Husband) — Pod and Homily are married partners who make survival decisions together.

  The plot explicitly refers to Homily as Pod's wife, and they jointly decide that the family must move.

• Homily → Arrietty (Family Mother) — Homily is Arrietty's mother and part of the threatened Borrower household.

  Homily is identified as Arrietty's mother when the family decides to move after their presence is discovered.

• Pod → Arrietty (Family Father) — Pod is Arrietty's protective father and teaches her the rules of borrowing.

  Pod takes Arrietty on her first borrowing mission and later intercepts her after she visits the human bedroom.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Homily → Haru (Conflict Captive And Captor) — Haru's actions place Homily in immediate captivity.

  Haru unearths the Borrower house and captures Homily after noticing disturbed floorboards.

• Pod → Haru (Conflict Adversary) — Haru's discovery turns her into a direct danger to Pod.

  Haru discovers the hidden household and calls a pest control company to capture the Borrowers.

• Arrietty → Haru (Conflict Enemy) — Haru directly threatens Arrietty and her family's survival.

  Haru unearths the Borrower household, captures Homily, and attempts to have the remaining Borrowers captured alive.

• Homily → Spiller (Alliance Ally) — Spiller assists Homily's family during their final relocation.

  Spiller waits with the Borrowers at the river and takes part in their departure to find a new home.

• Pod → Spiller (Alliance Rescuer) — Spiller acts as a dependable ally to the Borrower family.

  Spiller helps Pod return home after Pod is injured during a borrowing mission.

• Arrietty → Spiller (Alliance Ally) — Spiller provides practical assistance during the family's escape.

  Spiller helps bring the injured Pod home and later waits to transport the Borrowers toward a new home.

Story Analysis

A young Borrower confronts discovery, protects her family, and leaves home while inspiring a human boy to embrace life.

Plot Progression

1. A Glimpse Among the Plants — The human boy arrives at the summer house and glimpses Arrietty. Pod then introduces Arrietty to the dangerous practice of borrowing.
2. Secrets Beneath the House — Arrietty is seen during a borrowing mission and secretly speaks with the human boy. The crow attack and the discovery of the Borrowers' existence make the family consider leaving.
3. A House Offered in Hope — Pod returns injured with Spiller's help, while the human tries to make the Borrowers comfortable by installing a dollhouse kitchen. The gesture instead frightens the family into accelerating their dep...
4. The House Is Exposed — Haru detects the disturbed floorboards and uncovers the hidden household. She captures Homily and prepares to have the remaining Borrowers captured.
5. A Small Boat Toward Tomorrow — Arrietty helps rescue Homily and erase the family's traces. At the river, the Borrowers exchange keepsakes and depart with Spiller to seek a new home.