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Songs from 'When Marnie Was There': theme song and insert songs

Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICSasashina
Deputy Editor of the web media RAG MUSIC. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. In my student days, I studied broadly at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, covering sound, lighting, and video technology, and acquired skills from comprehensive stage production to the fundamentals of creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, and have consistently built my career on the production side, taking on diverse tasks centered around music. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting in my own way, as well as insights and discoveries from interacting with my kids every day. I hope I can be of help to you, even just a little!

A special feature on the theme song and insert songs from the film “When Marnie Was There,” directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, who also helmed “The Secret World of Arrietty.”

It tells the story of the protagonist, Anna Sasaki, and the mysterious girl Marnie, who come to cherish each other after their fateful meeting.

Their delicate relationship—at times fragile, at times colliding—shows how they grow stronger at heart, resonating with both adults and children.

Enjoy both the film and the music to your heart’s content!

Songs from When Marnie Was There: Theme and Insert Songs (1–10)

Hisako’s Story (2)Takatoki Muramatsu

Hisako’s Story 2 / Takatsugu Muramatsu: Piano (Solo) / Intermediate

Hisako’s Story (2) Takatsugu Muramatsu

This is also a piece used in the scene where Hisako talks to Anna about Marnie, but whereas that version had a quiet, slightly shadowy arrangement, this one has a grand, expansive feel.

It serves as the perfect highlight during the climax of When Marnie Was There, in the scene where all the stories Anna has experienced come together.

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Anna (Piano Version)Takatoki Muramatsu

Anna (Piano Version) ~from the film “When Marnie Was There”~

Anna (Piano Version) - Takatsugu Muramatsu

Anna, the other protagonist of this work, lives in contemporary Japan and goes through her days carrying a personal struggle.

She has vulnerable, shadowed sides, and her meeting with Marnie changes her.

This is a powerful piano arrangement of Anna’s theme song.

It seems to express both the delicate parts deep in Anna’s heart and her hope for the future.

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Memories of the AlhambraFrancisco Tárrega

Memories of the Alhambra, composed by Francisco Tárrega, arranged by Salvia

Recuerdos de la Alhambra — Francisco Tárrega

This is an insert song from “When Marnie Was There.” The original piece is a character miniature by the Spanish composer and guitarist Francisco Tárrega.

It is also renowned as a work that employs the advanced tremolo technique, in which the melody is produced by rapidly repeating strokes on a single string with the right hand’s ring, middle, and index fingers.

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Songs from When Marnie Was There: Theme and Insert Songs (11–20)

Party venueTakatoki Muramatsu

This is the piece used in the scene of the party held at the Marsh House at night.

You can almost hear the elegant, glamorous buzz of a traditional European-style party.

It’s the party where Anna first meets Marnie and, drawn in by Marnie’s lively personality, decides to join in—a delightfully exhilarating and memorable scene in the film.

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Confession of Two PeopleTakatoki Muramatsu

This piece, with a sorrowful string melody riding over an orchestral accompaniment, also has a dark tone that fits the world of When Marnie Was There.

As the title “Two Confessions” suggests, it was used in the scene where Anna and Marnie open their hearts to each other and confess.

Although the music is very dark, it serves as the theme song for a scene that proves how much the two trusted one another.

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I am as I amTakatoki Muramatsu

Among the music featured in When Marnie Was There, this piece stands out as particularly dark.

The title phrase, “I Am as I Am,” comes from a painful scene where Anna, on her way home after saying something cruel to a friend, falls into despair over her inability to change.

Despite being in an unfamiliar place, she keeps trying; the song conveys her struggle and suffering.

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It's not a dream!Takatoki Muramatsu

This piece has a fantastical atmosphere—it’s a perfect fit for Marnie’s world, with its damp old manor and brick tower.

In the film, many dreamlike events occur, yet the title of this track is “It’s Not a Dream!” Marnie and Anna meet and share moments that feel like a dream, but whether it was truly a dream has been a topic of debate among those who’ve seen the movie.

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