In Studio Ghibli’s When Marnie Was There, the protagonist’s first name is Anna.
Anna Sasaki is a lonely twelve-year-old girl who is sent to stay with relatives in the countryside after suffering from asthma and emotional isolation. Near a marsh, she encounters a mysterious girl named Marnie, and the two form an intense friendship. The story gradually links their experiences across different times and memories.
The film was directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and released in 2014. It adapts Joan G. Robinson’s 1967 British children’s novel of the same name, relocating the setting and adapting the characters for Japan while preserving the book’s mystery and emotional core.
Anna is often confused with Marnie because Marnie gives the film its title and dominates its memories. However, Anna is the viewpoint character whose present-day life frames the story. She is also distinct from Sophie in Howl’s Moving Castle and Haru in The Cat Returns.