This is an original B2 Japanese poster, printed in 2014, for the release of “When Marnie Was There” (思い出のマーニー).

“When Marnie Was There”  is an adaptation of British author Joan G. Robinson’s atmospheric 1967 ghost story for children. It transposes the setting from Norfolk, England, in the original novel to Hokkaido, Japan. The film follows Anna Sasaki living with her relatives in the seaside town. Anna comes across a nearby abandoned mansion, where she meets Marnie, a mysterious girl who asks her to promise to keep her secrets from everyone.

Two posters were created for “When Marnie Was There”, with very different feels: one animation and the other illustration.

This poster, using director Hirosama Yonebayashi’s imageboard, was created before the film’s release date was determined. After the release date was set, the tagline “There is a magic circle in this world no one can see” was changed to “I love you very much”.