Gake no Ue no Ponyo

Ponyo is a Ghibli movie that touches my heart in its deepest, watery depths. The pure wholesomeness and magical atmosphere of Miyazaki’s imagination manifest themselves in a film about the cute friendship between a boy and a fish. That’s pretty much all there is to the story, but that incredibly simple aspect is only the tip of the iceberg. Underneath the convoluted and nonlinear surface, Ponyo explores the nuances of emotion that exist in us all, whether we notice them or not. Our powerful desire to protect what we love and our elementary sense of wonder are represented by the two young protagonists, respectively: Sousuke, ... who finds a washed up fish and cares for it; and Ponyo, who leaves the safety of her home in order to discover what lies outside. These two motivations are naive and potentially dangerous but also fundamental to our ultimate happiness. This is the bittersweet taste of human nature personified in a gorgeously animated movie. Despite worldbuilding and drama taking the backstage in favor of peaceful establishment and character development, Ponyo never misses a beat. It lulls you into a state of mind somewhere between enchantment and suspense, a bit like Spirited Away. It’s the type of quality that makes you nostalgic the first time you watch it.

With all of this gushing, I’ve probably led you to believe that Ponyo is a flawless movie. Although it nearly is in my eyes, there is one particular flaw that prevents a perfect score. My next point is less of an opinion and more of an observation of facts, which you’ll understand in a second. So I’ve already compared Ponyo to Spirited Away in terms of the childlike wonder I associate each film with. That is only a loose analogy to serve as support for my opinion rather than a legitimate comparison. There is, in fact, another animated movie that is objectively similar to Ponyo in many more obvious ways. Disney’s classic, The Little Mermaid, shares many story beats and character traits with Miyazaki’s film. Girl seeks the surface world, father forbids it, girl rebels and washes up on shore, boy finds her and attempts to teach her about life, etc. It branches out differently from there in both movies but they end the same way. The father concedes and lets the girl stay after she becomes fully human and they all live happily ever after. Anyone with a goldfish brain can notice the similarities between The Little Mermaid and Ponyo, but the context around the two movies leads me to believe that it wasn’t just coincidence. Disney has worked with Ghibli as a distributor to the west for a while now so they aren’t rival studios. They also admit to inspiring each other with their work from both sides of the world. So why did Disney release The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning on August 25th of 2008, barely a month after Ponyo’s release in Japan? Despite not being openly competitive with Ghibli, Disney made a bold power move by producing a sequel to their beloved franchise just as Ponyo hit theaters. They must have heard how Ghibli basically photocopied the original Little Mermaid for Ponyo and felt threatened by the obvious taunt. Disney wanted to keep their finger in that pie before it was too late so they hurriedly produced a straight-to-dvd movie about a year before they helped distribute Ponyo to American audiences with their own English dub. This example of silent corporate war is a bad mark on both companies from me, but the lack of originality on Ghibli’s end is especially disrespectful to Disney and the source material. This is the reason why I can’t give Ponyo the credit it deserves, despite fully enjoying it before finding out about the background.

Rated 10/10 for unconventional yet effective storytelling, but overall 9/10 for forcing Disney to make that god-awful Little Mermaid sequel.

Despite its high MAL score, sometimes I feel like someone needs to come to the defense of Ponyo. When a report came out that Miyazaki had wanted to produce a Ponyo 2, the overall consensus from anime fans posting online was "Oh god, more Ponyo? Miyazaki's really off his rocker."

A lot of people simply describe the film as 'cute', not giving merit to how unique and charming the film is beyond being cute. As such, I'd like to explain why I love Ponyo so much in my review, at the same time clarifying my history a bit with the film.

When I was nine years old, ... my grandmother rented the film to watch with my sister and I. It immediately became my new obsession, and one of the first anime I ever loved.

How my grandmother described it? "Oh, it was cute."

While I would certainly call Ponyo very cute, I'd never describe it to someone as a 'cute' movie. To me, saying "Oh, it was cute." about a kids' movie is implying that it wasn't very good, just 'cute'. Just a kids' movie, y'know?

When I was nine, a 'cute' kids' movie wouldn't have captivated me the same way that Ponyo did. I hated it when adults just turned on any random animated movie for the kids, especially ones with poor storylines, just to keep them occupied with pretty colors. I immediately recognized Ponyo as something more.

Ponyo goes far beyond the typical kids' movie. It's a spiritual successor to Totoro, as from the very beginning of the film its beautiful animation and charming child characters will captivate anyone who doesn't have a cold, dead heart.

Miyazaki's craft for capturing a viewer into a fantasy world - the same craft he mastered with Totoro - is present in Ponyo, and makes its 103-minute runtime go by fast...almost too fast.

There are very few things I could complain about in Ponyo. There is some negligent parenting in the film (very young children being left alone in a storm, reckless driving with a child in the car, etc.), but it won't really be an issue unless you're a parent. And even if you are, it's such a minor element of the film that it shouldn't affect your enjoyment other then some brief wincing.

While some people weren't a fan of the music, I loved it in both English and Japanese. Some people just can't appreciate a good ear worm. "Ponyo, Ponyo, she's a little girl...she's a little girl with a round tummy." It's nonsensical, but damn catchy.

Overall, I would highly recommend Ponyo if you're looking for a child-friendly anime, if you want to feel like a kid again, or if you simply want to have a great time with an anime.

OK so heres my second review, this is based on the english dub of the newest Miyazaki movie as it was recently released in my local cinema. This review contains mild spoilers but nothing that will spoil your overall enjoyment.

Story - 7 - The basic plot for this Hayao Miyazaki's take on "The Little Mermaid. However there is so much more going on than just the basic romance (I'll discuss this a bit more in character) theres also some modern touches like the trials of a young boy faced with global warming style disaster that make the story so beautiful. Ive only ... given it a 7 though because five year olds falling in love seems to border, a little too much, on far-fetched and creepy for me.

Art - 8 - The art is pretty much standard Studio Ghibli style, its not the best but it fits the bill and I quite like it. Certain touches such as the depiction of the waves are unique to Ponyo and are really quite cool.

Sound - 6 - Theres not a lot to say here. I think there were 3 basic themes none of them particularly bad but not exactly inspiring like the Princess Mononoke soundtrack.

Character - 9 - The character's traits and their interactions were what made this film for me. There was a whole web of interaction that really made the town the film is set in come alive. Also i think Fujimoto is the best (and definately the most eccentric) depiction of Poseidon/Neptune I have ever come across. Back to the point i made up in story its the little touches in the characters that make this story so much more. The relationship between Sosuke's parents is comical, Ponyo's childlike sense of wonder amplified by the fact she can abuse everything she sees with magic powers. And her bizarre yet totally cute ham-addiction is hilarious at times.

Enjoyment - 9 - I love Hayao Miyazaki's work and this is no exception. If you can get past the romance between 5 year olds you should definately watch this

Story - 7
Art - 8
Sound - 6
Character - 9
Enjoyment - 9
Overall - 7

Ponyo is just like infancy. Cute, genuine, fantastic, carefree, heartwarming, when everything is blossoming with colors, is cheerful, when everyone is friendly and well-spirited, even if their actions seem initially a little shady. Nothing bad ever happens, everything ends well, there's absolutely nothing to worry about at any moment.

A movie without conflict might seem, initially, pretty shallow, but if anything Ponyo ends up being more of a slice of life type of thing than a movie as we know of it. So much so the attention to details is painstaking - the characters' movements are genuine, realistic and offer extreme continuity. If Ponyo is holding ... a bucket, in order to grab something on her backpack, it will be shown Ponyo dropping the bucket, picking her object and then grabbing the bucket back. This attention to minuteness makes Ponyo more interesting.

Completely devoid of any pretension, all this movie wants to do is be heartwarming and visually outstanding. And it succeeds.

Imo it fits perfectly on a melancholic day (to cheer up) or for a vividly bright day (to maximize the potential for happiness).

Either way, PONYO IS PURE JOY!

Ponyo! Ponyo! Ponyo!
Ok, so imagine the little mermaid. Except 100 times cuter. That is how you get Ponyo!

Ponyo is a story about a little girl/fish (I am not sure what to call her.) Who dreams of living on land after a tide brings her near the house of little Sousuke whom she wants to be friends with.

This is an adorable short anime the whole family can enjoy together!

The art style is simple yet really colorful and enchanting!
The music was just as appealing as the art in the sense that it went along with the story.

Not to mention the sweet and brave characters such as ... Ponyo herself, Sousuke, and his loving, caring mother.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable and delightful anime that I think everyone should try to watch, You will surely love it!

what a wholesome movie. I am going through something and this movie made my day. I am in love with the characters and the story. I LOVE Sosuke and he is such a cinnamon role. If I ever were to have a son, I'd raise him to be as gentle and caring as Sosuke.
overall it's a good movie especially when you need a break or escape from reality. this movie leaves you with fluffiness in your heart. it has become my comfort movie now. the soundtracks, animation, the clumsy movements of kids, everything is just perfect.
The story is definitely unique. it's like a magical world ... where we would be introduced to all the great characters. Ghibli movies never disappoints. Anime artstyle is just chef kiss. i really love how they were able to incorporate small detaails like ponyo's clumsy movemnets etc. All the characters are adorable . even the character which you think might be the bad guy is actually a overprotective father.

This is a very fun and cute movie.

This is a very entertaining movie, I was pretty much smiling the whole time watching it. All the characters are very likeable from the five year old boy Sosuke and his mum Lisa, and even the minor characters like the residents of the rest home. The movie is well paced with a strong eco friendly theme throughout shown through many amazing shots of underwater scenes, and them being destroyed by man. The importance of love and being together is also emphasised in the movie, shown really well with Ponyo, Sosuke and their families.

Constructive feedback is appreciated :)

This movie is so cute! Ponyo in one word: Cute. Ponyo is filled with energy and adorableness! I rewatched this movie 5 times because it was so adorable.

The animation quality was great. I didn't see a single glitch in the talking, walking, etc.

Art: The art was fabulous, the shading was one fleek! Ponyo had the cute innocent look while the boy had the look of a sweet kid.

The storyline pulled me in, and the ending theme got stuck in my head for a while..... Anyway, if you enjoy cute and fun movies Ponyo would be a great movie. You can show this movie to little ... toddlers and they'll be distracted for a while.

Sound: The sound quality was fabulous. I didn't hear a single bug as in glitching, backround sounds or static.

Ponyo, Studio Ghibli's 15th film. As a Hayao Miyazaki fan, I went into this one with pretty high expectations. Was the movie able to live up to them?

Story: 4
Well, The story certainly didn't. It started out well, setting up a sense of place, and introducing you to the characters and the initial conflict... However, as the movie goes on it becomes less of a coherent tale and more just a series of random events happening one after another. The story also seemed like it didn't know what it wanted to be. At one point it felt like a fantasy movie, at another point it felt ... like an action adventure. It's really just all over the place. It's all presented nicely, and the directing is well done, but, about halfway through, scenes are barely even strung together and the conflict also ends up becoming unimportant, put into the background while the film focuses on different random elements. By the end, things get wrapped up, but there's no clear message, which is a bit surprising, but also leaves the film's story feeling kind of empty.

Character: 5
The characters ended up being another disappointing element. The realistic characters all felt like real people, which is good, and the unrealistic characters had a few interesting traits about them. Ponyo herself is probably the most interesting character, but about halfway through, she starts to lose her identity and becomes just as chaotic as the story. By the end of the film, none of the characters have grown, and as a result, all of the characters end up feeling a little flat and unmemorable.

Art: 10
I think the obvious stand out part of the film is the art. It's absolutely gorgeous, and really lives up to the Ghibli name. Everything moves in an incredibly smooth and lifelike manner, and the use of colors give the whole thing a really bright and cheerful tone. The whole thing is just beautiful, and the water in particular really stood out to me as being one of the best animated things I have ever seen. If you see this movie for any one reason, make it the art, for sure.

Sound: 9
The sound is generally really great. I thought everything was mixed wonderfully, and things sounded crisp, clear, and helped set the tone of the world. As for the voice acting, I watched the original Japanese dub, and thought all of the actors did a fantastic job with all of the lines being delivered with a realistic and believable tone. The soundtrack ended up being a bit plain, which is my only slight against the audio. Still, it worked well enough, and set a proper tone for the scenes.

Enjoyment: 7
I really liked the first part of this film, and thought it was going somewhere great. However, about halfway through, it started to drag on. The story and the characters turned very mediocre, and it made it more difficult to sit through. However, the art kept me going, and in the end, despite not really liking the second half, I still had a good time with it.

Overall, Ponyo is a flawed film. One with hints of incredible talent, but which ultimately ends up not being the masterpiece that we were all expecting. Still, despite the average nature of the story, I'd be hard pressed to call this an average film. It does enough things right to warrant at least being somewhat enjoyable, and manages to be worth viewing, even if only for a handful of reasons.

As such, I give Ponyo a 7 out of 10.

Ponyo on the cliff by the sea? This is actually the first film I watched from Hayao Miyazaki, and I have to say that the first thing that came to mind when I read the synopsis was “The Little Mermaid”. It was kind of loosely based on that story, but if you compare it closely, “Ponyo” is actually different in its own way. I’m a fan of both Disney and Studio Ghibli films. If you’ve seen both movies, you could probably see the stark contrast between the little mermaid and Ponyo, especially coming from the Western perspective (Disney) and that of the Eastern (Studio Ghibli).

The ... film starts off with a young boy named Sosuke rescuing a goldfish named Ponyo (who happens to be a girl). Their bond slowly develops into what seemed like an unusual friendship between a boy and a fish. However, Ponyo’s father, a powerful sorcerer, did whatever it takes to break that bond by forcing Ponyo to return to the sea. Little did he know that Ponyo’s desire to become a human caused an imbalance between nature and humanity, which results to a massive thunderstorm. It is only Ponyo’s mother, the beautiful sea goddess, who can restore the balance once again.

One thing that really stood out in this film is the animation. The very close attention to detail was seen all throughout the film, which contributed greatly to the element of magic and fantasy that was felt during the course of the story. I loved the way the artists and animators portrayed the ocean. It gives you a certain feeling that it isn’t just the regular ocean we see on TV or when we go to the beach. You could almost feel the waves, accompanied by a fitting musical score, transporting you to a world completely far from your own. You can’t deny the fact that Hayao Miyazaki really has a fertile imagination. It can even make you feel momentarily lost in a blank stretch between fantasy and reality.

Ponyo is probably the cutest character I’ve ever seen yet. The voice actor did a pretty good job to make her character believable and fun to watch. Other than that, Sosuke is the bravest 5-year-old I’ve seen yet. Rarely do you see characters like him in real life. He’s someone who is able to stand up in the midst of a storm despite his very young age. There were some parts in the movie that seemed out of reach, though. Let’s take for example the adults. Their characters weren’t believable enough. I mean, what kind of adult would leave a 5-year-old alone at home during a thunderstorm? What kind of adults would just nonchalantly wave at two kids riding a boat on their own? Well, that’s fiction for you.

Overall, the story of this film didn’t seem to work for me message-wise. It’s targeted for a younger audience, so I have to admit that it is indeed fun to watch. The characters were original, the art and animation were impeccably done, and the music was fitting, as well. The film gets a high score for that, but the story barely passes. Nonetheless, if you’re somebody who enjoys watching fantasy films that have the power to kindle the child-like heart within you, you might want to add this movie to your watch list.

Ponyo is brought to use by one of the masters of anime, Hayao Miyazaki. It is another fantasy film about kid who has a relationship with a goldfish. This goldfish happens to be a princess who wants to become human.

PROS

Anyone who has seen Miyazaki's previous films will not be surprised by the superb animation in Ponyo. The water, in particular, looks good enough to sleep in for en eternity. Everyone element of the film is crisp and clear. I have no problems with the art in this anime at all.

While the story isn't completely original, it has a cute way of showing the ... ups and downs of certain characters, Clearly, the film is at least a tad bit influenced by The Little Mermaid and other films/TV shows dealing with a creature wanting to become human. Though this is the case, it still is told in an original and fun way. For me, that's a great thing.

The characters in this anime are also not too original, but it is impossible to not love the majority of characters in this film. All the way through, you are rooting for the boy and Ponyo, the goldfish, to succeed. They're just adorable and to hate such characters, in my mind, would be absolutely impossible.

CONS

Predictability is a unfortunate play on this film. You know exactly what is going to happen to each character. There are little to no surprises to the events that occur. Everything is conncted. A to b, b to c.

Many people have complained in the past about Spirited Away, another Miyazaki film, being too kid-friendly. Well, that doesn't even come close to how childlike this film is. It has very few tense moments and is filled with extremely simplistic dialogue. If you think Spirited Away is for 7 year olds, Ponyo is for newborns. This isn't really a negative to me, but I can imagine many people being turned off by this.

OVERALL

This cute and fun loving film, Ponyo, does what all of Miyazaki's films have always done. They bring the inner child in you, although this film might go too far into your childhood past. It's beautiful and emotionally investing to anyone who wants to feel for characters, instead of just watching actions happen. But again, don't expect anything life-changing. It's a cute film made to make the viewer feel cute inside (if that makes any sense).

I just got back from seeing Ponyo in the cinema here in the US, so this will be based on the Disney dubbed version.

I really adored this film. It was a total death by cuteness and even my super "manly" life partner fell in love with the film.

The story is just adorable and I was intrigued by the fact that it was loosely based on "The Little Mermaid".

My favourite parts were any part where Ponyo was being adorable and Fujimoto's house and ship. I also really adored the songs for the film. :) The remix during the end credits was adorable.

The cast in this movie ... was practically all-star. Just to name drop a few of the people who voiced for this dub: Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Cloris Leechman.

I really recommend that everyone see this film.

Review in 100 words or less:
Studio Ghibli films aren't really about plot depth or anything, they're all about the animations and sounds and just making really great scenes. Therefore, in terms of actual plot content, there isn't much to remark on. But the lifelike feeling that every scene contains gives me the impression of looking at the world through the lens of a child again. Maybe it's just me, but, while it's great the first time, after a straight hour of the same thing over and over again, I started to get... bored? If only the great scenes were matched to a great story.

Ponyo is the greatest animated movie of all time. It is the peak of Miyazaki's animation technique and is one of the best stories he has told. On the surface it appears like The Little Mermaid, but it does not focus on a Shakespearean love story, instead choosing to show the friendship of two young children. The friendship between these children is adorable and heartwarming. Ponyo is a movie which is purely positive. Everything is pleasant and uplifting. Even the conflict and the climax are fun. The entire town the movie takes place in is flooded to a Biblical degree, but there is no stress ... or anxiety caused by this. I love the use of the flood as a narrative device, and there are elements from other legends. The Song of the Nibelungs had a significant influence, especially the Twilight of the Gods. Joe Hisaishi's soundtrack is at its cutest for this movie. The animation is colourful and vibrant and throws away any pretensions of realism.
Ponyo is a magical movie that exists to make you happy. I hope it brings you as much excitement and joy as it did to me.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed. Maybe I was expecting something more "Totoro'ish" (not sure how to explain that better).

While the art and music were outstanding (even Frankie Jonas, who voiced ponyo, did a pretty good job) the story felt a little rushed, at least at the end.

I still enjoyed it, and there was more detail than The Little Mermaid (which was what Ponyo was based on).

All in all, I'm glad I got to see it on the big screen, it just gave more justice to the artwork. And the story is ... very sweet!!!

After rewatching this film after several years I find that Ponyo has a much deeper since of depths and nuance than what I originally picked up on as a child. The visuals still are very striking and unique. The musical score is rather engrossing and help to set the various moods\emotions that the film were trying to portray. The overall primus was rather straight forward in a way that made it very clear this enactment knew the exact story that it wanted to tell. It is because of this that I believe that while the story has a few underlying nuances it never gets to ... the point that it hinders the story’s advancement but rather enhances the films overall viewing experience.

This film is certainly something that can be enjoyed by younger audiences as well as older viewers that are looking for a fun and whimsical story with likeable\energetic characters.

In short very well done and a solid 8 of a film.

For some reason I can't remember now, I didn't watch this movie until today. Very recently I saw a nice clip of this movie, and heard some good stuff about it. Had some spare time, and decided to watch it. Here are some random thoughts.

The visual and the music and the overall atmosphere is definitely on par with other good Ghibli films. As expected from a Hayao Miyazaki directed film.

I liked the theme of the movie a lot. It's about mankind's destruction of the natural balance and a guy trying to retaliate against this (and probably taking it a bit too far). Further details will ... be spoiler. It had some interesting mentions about prehistoric earth and it's extinct animal species. That was really cool.

The first 2/3rd of the movie was great. But the ending kinda felt far-fetched. Some concepts and plot points came out of nowhere and it got crazy real quick. But I guess it's forgivable, considering it's target audience xD.

Overall, a fine movie. I guess I am a bit too old to enjoy this completely. But worth the time nonetheless.

Gake no Ue no Ponyo

Cuteness. Innocent Love. Miyazaki.

*Story: The story is wonderful, like in most Ghibli movies a part out of someones life and really touching.
*Art: Like in every Ghibli movie you will keep discovering Details if you watch this movie. I fell in love with the scenery again!
*Sound: Thanks to the great Joe Hisaishi the music in this movie is absolutely beautiful! By the way: Great (but not that easy) to play on the piano!
*Character: The main characters are quiet young in comparison to most other Animes and movies but the give a certain innocence to the whole movie.
*Enjoyment: ... Easy to watch! Get a blanket, some sweets and make a comfy evening. Great for showing the family or your gf/bf too!

I really liked this Movie and would recommend it! \ (^-^) /

Miyazaki’s version of the little mermaid. Ponyo, a magical goldfish princess, met a young boy and tried to become human while unleashing the elixirs that threatened to destroy the village.

What an enjoyable and cute fantasy. The animation of the sea, as well as the creatures, was marvelous and gorgeous. I definitely felt the beauty and power of the sea.

Ponyo was the best part of the movie. When she played with the ocean, the experience reminded me of the woah and the fun from My Neighbor Totoro. Then, her relationship with the young boy was very cute and enjoyable.

Hayao Miyazaki once again depicted ... another aspect of the relationship between human and nature. Before, it was human and the jungle, now it was with the sea. In particular, he showed the effect of pollution on the sea. Then, try though the beautiful animation, the director again reminded us of the power of nature and its potential of striking back.

Overall, another masterpiece from Miyazaki that kids and adults can all enjoy. 9/10

Story:

The story was amazing throughout and I was enthralled with how consistent it was with very few and only very minor continuity errors that would not be noticed unless looked for.

Art:

The art was cutesy but a bit confusing... the goldfish are red? They already seem scarily human-like from the parents but even so, it was a bit of a weird choice, some of the characters look strange at certain angles as well.

Sound:

Ah, the ending song. Both the Japanese and the English ending songs are loved by all for very good reason, not only is it catchy but it is also one of the cutest songs ... I have come across.

Character:

Ponyo (Brunhilde) - The little fish-girl turned kind-of-chicken-girl turned human-girl with magical abilities, and not just ones used to make every viewer fall in love with her adorable behaviour and sweet nature.