Lovely anime song

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 (11–20)

ordinary faceTakatoki Muramatsu

This is a song titled “Ordinary Face,” a line that appears frequently in the play.

It vividly expresses Anna’s inner struggle as she tries to put on an “ordinary face” and push through even in times of panic or hardship.

Although the tone is heavy and somber, it’s an indispensable piece for telling this story, leaving a deep impression of Anna’s inner world in a pivotal scene.

Raise the rankinglower

Mushroom ForestTakatoki Muramatsu

This is the piece that plays in the scene where Marnie and Anna go into the forest together to gather mushrooms.

It’s a striking scene featuring a quintessentially Japanese forest in Hokkaido, the setting of When Marnie Was There.

This scene, too, portrays the process of Anna and Marnie’s hearts connecting; it seems that Anna’s emotions, gradually recovering brightness from a dark worldview, are expressed throughout—in the music, the backgrounds, and every detail.

Raise the rankinglower

To mail a postcardTakatoki Muramatsu

This piece plays early in the story, when Anna moves alone from the city to her aunt’s house in Hokkaido and, upon arrival, encounters the grandeur of the natural world.

Seeing the Oiwa family’s homegrown garden, the brick tower, and the wetlands—an environment so different from her everyday life—what did Anna feel? For a girl who fears interacting with people and can’t quite manage it well, this is a song that heralds the beginning of her journey.

Raise the rankinglower

Sketching on a boatTakatoki Muramatsu

When the tide comes in, the path connecting the Marsh House and the world where Marnie lives becomes submerged by the sea.

Bridging that path is the “boat,” which appears repeatedly throughout the film.

While the many beautiful environments catch the eye, the presence of this boat is also deeply memorable.

Accompanied by a low, resonant orchestra and a recurring piano melody, it’s an enchanting piece of music.

Raise the rankinglower

When I used to hold my dollTakatoki Muramatsu

I think it refers to when Anna was a child—that’s what the song’s title, “When I Held a Doll,” means.

Anna was raised by her stepmother and struggles with relationships, suffering because she can’t connect well with others.

This song seems to tell the story of what might have happened in her past.

It’s a track that makes viewers feel the darker parts of this story—especially the sorrow of Anna’s past—even more deeply.

Raise the rankinglower

Mr. Oiwa's houseTakatoki Muramatsu

In the film “When Marnie Was There,” the Oiwa family gives a profound sense of comfort.

Their easygoing, cheerful nature seemed to bring relief not only to Anna but also to us watching.

The Oiwas’ home, nestled in the wetlands of Hokkaido and surrounded by the great outdoors, is closely intertwined with nature and local customs.

This piece, featuring a majestic orchestral arrangement that captures the essence of the Oiwa household, is exceptionally beautiful.

Raise the rankinglower

Songs from When Marnie Was There: Theme and Insert Songs (21–30)

Ayaka's DreamTakatoki Muramatsu

Amid the slightly dark, mysterious story of When Marnie Was There, the character who exerts a contrasting charm is Sayaka, memorable for her big glasses and lively personality.

Her presence seems to soften the tone of the story a little.

Her theme song feels like a grand, heart-pounding adventure, a piece where you can almost hear her bright, high voice coming through.

Raise the rankinglower