Kurenai no Buta

"I'd rather be a pig than a fascist"

Miyazaki movies can broadly fall in 2 or 3 categories; some of them are driven by their uncanny and bizarre plot (princess mononoke, spirited away etc). And then there are some where the direction almost completely overshadows the plot-line. Like Totoro, Porco Rosso falls in the latter category. From the opening scene to ending, this movie is all about direction, direction and direction.

The movie, set in the 1930’s, starts on a deserted island which acts as a hideout for the famous war-veteran turned bounty hunter ace pilot known as porco rosso (scarlet pig) who, we soon learn, ... has been afflicted by a curse which turned him into a pig. Just knowing this much can give you a false impression that this movie, like most miyazaki movies, has a lot to do with the mystical or the supernatural, but nothing can be further from the truth. Our ‘manly’ protagonist is a pig for a reason, but that reason has little to do with magic. The movie follows the scarlet pigs journey to reclaim his honor, after being 'shot down' by an American mercenary. For the most part, its a comedy drama with sprinkles of romance and slice-of-life

As the movie progresses, we learn more about the scarlet pig and some of his background. Eventually we get to the reason of his current predicament. There is a strong lesson to learn here, and thankfully it’s not force-fed into your head like Disney does with some of its movies. Here, the message is subtler and yet strikes a stronger chord.

‘Porco Rosso’ is different from miyazaki’s other endeavors. For one, it has a lot more comedy in it, and this aspect is amplified by the comical and, sometimes, witty dialogue. The humor is in-your-face laugh-out-loud funny, filled with wise-cracks, puns and word-play. And the concept of a man-turned-pig ace pilot flying the skies of a fictional Europe dueling pirates and an arch-nemesis from America is not something you’ll find in every anime.

Speaking of arch-nemesis, this movie has a really good one in the form of Donald Curtis, a notorious womanizer, and an over-confident and pompous, yet funny and very likable American, who also happens to be Porco’s rival in lurrve. Two of the funniest sequences of this comedy ride are his ‘encounters’ with porco in the skies. Characters in general have been done very well, with each of them lending to the comical aspect of the movie really well.

The airplane designs and all the flying sequences are really good. Some of the flying sequences are especially enthralling- not in the eye-candy sense, but it’s just that they’ve been done so well that it feels like whoever did it must be in love with airplanes and flying in general. In fact, a good part of Miyazaki’s early life was spent drawing battleships and airplanes. That life-long fascination of his mirrors very well throughout his works, especially this movie.

The premise and the post WWI European setting gives a very unique and exquisite feeling to the movie; and this fact is reflected well in the artwork, with its lush sceneries, views of exotic islands and beaches, cities and some of the characters, especially the pirates, which really do look like something from cartoony Europe of the 30’s. The leader of the pirates, for one, can pass for a Bluto (from Popeye) look-alike. For the most part, the miyazaki like feeling is intact. The animation is just gorgeous for a movie made in 1992. The color palate is exceptionally vibrant and has a certain depth to it that Miyazaki fans have come to associate with his movies.

The music is vintage Hisashi joe; fans of the maestro will find some of his best tunes in this movie. The animation and music blend perfectly to evoke the right emotion at the right time, bringing to life the world of Porco Rosso while lending it a unique charm that you probably won’t see in any other anime movie. Disney’s dubbed version has excellent voice-overs that fit perfectly with each character’s personality. I find that the Disney version does not deserve the hate that it is often subjected to by the fans of the older pre-Disney dub versions.

However, there are two things that might put-off people. The first is the minimalistic approach to storyline. Plot-junkies who expect their animes to be filled with deep and complicated plots might not find this to their liking (I’ve heard a few complain about this). But if you like Miyazaki movies in general, you’d know that complaint is baseless. With Porco Rosso, everything might be charming and simple on the outside but there’s more to this movie than meets the eye. The second complaint, which is actually a little more common, is that the ending is too abrupt. The ending is a bit subtle, yes, and it may leave a you wishing there was more, but the movie manages to tie all the loose ends very well, and it is by no standards an unsatisfactory ending. Porco Rosso is more like an old friend from a long forgotten time who stops by your front door to have a nice cup of tea, has a warm and pleasant chat with you but then quietly leaves from the back door with a quick goodbye.

Thanks to Miyazaki’s captivating direction, the movie is very soothing and peaceful and I think its best watched at the end of a hard and tiresome day, when you want to watch something calm and relaxing. All in all, Porco Rosso is a unique movie; not just as miyazaki or a Ghibli film, but a unique anime movie.

Listen up kids.

This right here is what you call a good fucking "anime" movie. Yes i know, those exist, right? Way back, millennia ago, before dinosaurs become extinct and before anime movies weren't only a weeabo-loser and pedophilia pander, good movies, heck even stupid movies reigned supreme.

Now you might be asking yourself, hey but this is a Miyazaki flick, doesn't he always have some pre-teen girl as the lead in his movies so that pedophiles from all around the globe can cream their unwashed jeans. Well yes, and actually no, this one is an exception hence why Im writing a review for Porco Rosso and ... Porco Rosso only.
This movie delivers one of the finest main characters in anime cinema history, even tho is he merely a swine, he is actually Clint Eastwood in his patented ice-cold ass-whippery, he is James Bond in his wittiness and humor, he is John Wayne, he is Steve McQueen, he is a culmination of the spiciest cultural ass-whoppers from the far east to the shores of the west.
The WW2 setting just adds to the flavor.
Although this movie does have a pre teen girl in it but who the fuck cares about her, we are here for the swine, amirite? Im not?
Blow me, moving on.

Now, Porco Rosso does have a lot of the typical Miyazaki niches. You have the small underage heroine, the curse which our main protagonists has to overcome, a douchebag on crack, some olg hag and so on and so forth. What is unbeknownst to me and to many other intellectuals is just how underrated this movie actually is, quite possibly Miyazakis most underrated film to date. Why is that you may ask?

There are a few reasons for this the main one being is that most people see our protagonist which is a swine looking like a pimp on steroids and immediately conjure thoughts like "But where is muh cute little girl" or "this most be boring". If you ever encounter people like this the right thing to do would be to call the authorities and have the pedophiles removed from the streets and loser ridden anime conventions.

The OST? I dont even have to delve any deeper into this to say anything other than give that nigga Joe Hisaishi a raise for these fine pieces of music. He constantly hits it out of the park and leaves you craving for more after you have listened to his playlist for the 84th time.

The art is fine, like in every other Miyazaki film. So nothing special to write home about here.

"Porco Rosso" is a striking rarity in the Miyazaki career, and one that will probably require a bigger effort from the fans to understand. It plays with different themes than his other works; for instance, there is not an interest on developing an enviromental message, or at depicting a major conflict involving humanity and nature. The story is closer to the coming-of-age intimism of "Spirited away", "My neighbor Totoro" or -his script- "Whisper of the heart", yet it takes a radically different focus. In fact, if I had to point a similarity among his films, the one that fits better to me is "Lupin III: ... The castle of Cagliostro".

On the other hand it is unique because of the world it builds around. Any fans of classic Hollywood will be pleased at the amount of homages that are spread through the story, both in individual scenes and in tone. This movie holds many similarities in its more dramatic part, both aesthetical and story-based, with "Casablanca"; and the slapstick comedy that is there through the whole storyline, softening the conflicts and relationships of the characters, resembles "The quiet man".

This polarity between a heavy character drama and a dreamy comedy may be a double-edged sword, in the sense that many people will probably find this movie inconsistant in terms of its mood, but I think "Porco Rosso" does a really fine work at balancing both aspects of its storyline. The comedy never disallows the viewer from appreciating the gravity of Porco as a character, and the serious and intimist sequences don't deny the zaniness of his daily life. The best thing about this is that it allows to create a full dramatic portrayal of the main character, while bringing some kind of fabulistic charm to his lifestyle, which gives nostalgic vibes to the story. This ends up being relevant as well in the romantic view that Miyazaki brings to describe one of his childhood passions, flight engineery. In this movie it becomes completely obvious through the careful visual depiction and the spectacularity of the flying scenes.

The storyline is completely focused on Porco and the universe around him. He is definitely a complex character that goes way beyond his main defining trait. In fact, his aspect in the context of the daily relationships it's the least relevant. We are told that he is a human turned into a pig by some sort of mysterious spell, but those around him still recognize Porco as a human. Even Gina, the one that he's most closely related with, treats him as if he was the same as always. The appearances in this movie are brought for a much less superficial purpose, as this transformation is used as a metaphor for the deep wound Porco carries with humanity in general, and with himself. His bitterness, however, is contrasted in the movie. That is, instead of being exaggerated, and giving rise to an overly cynical character, the story also emphasizes on his caring side. He is shown to have friends, understand their emotions and care for them; his scenes with Gina make clear that they love and respect each other. This side of him is emphasized later with the presence of Fio and the clear effect she has in his growth as a character.

The rest of the characters, while not being as fleshed out as Porco, still hold their own charm. I am specially fascinated with Gina. She doesn't even appear too often in the story but her elegance and intimist approach increase the emotional effect of every scene she's in, and the hints on her own past are so suggestive and enveloping that, despite the lack of physical presence in the plot, she manages to create a very strong emotional involvement around her. She is there in some of the most moving moments of the story and I'm specially fond of one where a flashback of her past with Porco is shown.

Fio, on the other hand, plays the counterpart of Porco as a quick-witted and joyful girl. This simple purpose is actually conveyed in the form of a very strong and charismatic character. Her chemistry with Porco through their scenes is amazing, and another one of the key points of this story. In fact my favorite scene of the movie involves them both; with Porco narrating a defining experience of his past -in his very own way, though- and Fio hearing this whole story completely captivated, understanding, finally, the dimension of his personal conflict as a whole.

Donald Curtis and the pirates, despite being technically the antagonists of the main story, are actually quite light and charming. The arrogance of Curtis is contextualized in a way that emphasizes on his innocence rather than on an actual malice. And similarly, the pirates never come off as evil and their hate towards Porco is never treated seriously.

On the artistic level, this is a great effort overall, though probably not as satisfying as other Miyazaki movies. For example, it suffers from a lack of shading in many scenes, and the designs of the background characters don't look very inspired. However, it still keeps a lot of strength in the visual depiction of the scenarios, and places like Porco's lonely island or Gina's bar are given a distinct atmosphere that becomes very effective. The design for the main characters is simple, yet very effective, with Porco being the obvious choice as the most outstanding. The aesthetics, as said, are very closely tied to the imagery of classic films, which sort of fit very well with the Italian environment of the late 20s this movie is located at.

Similarly, the soundtrack is quite outstanding overall but not as consistantly mesmerizing as in other works of the author. Then again, this is not a very relevant issue, and I guess it has to do with the huge variety of music pieces; as this variety leading to some irregularity seems unavoidable. Anyway, if I have to choose one, it would be Tokiko Kato's version of the French Revolutionary song "Le temps des cérises", that serves to introduce Gina. Her song in the ending credits is equally beautiful.

All in all, and while it's not my favorite, it is still a Ghibli and Miyazaki movie I am very fond of. It is a little tricky to recommend here, though, because its style and themes will probably not fit the tastes of an anime fan if they are mainly interested on exploring the imagery and philosophy that are associated with the Japanese culture; in fact, I think that "Porco Rosso" is a better recommendation for movie-goers than for anime fans, in general. That doesn't mean it will be necessarily less enjoyable, but it's more likely for people with a grown interest on Western filmmaking to find points in common with this movie.

Porco Rosso, in my mind it is one of Miyazaki's finest works. It doesn't contain many of the many annoying story points that plague much of his other work.

Story: The Red Pig, or The Scarlet Pig, whichever sub you choose. I found the story quite entertaining, deep on alot of levels. If you want it to be a kid's story, then it's a kid's story that you don't have to think twice about. But if you really look at it, during WWII and the alliances and what exactly Porco Rosso is doing then you really add another layer to ... this animation. I found the love story in this also quite endearing, when it comes to alot of Miyazaki's work the romance never really goes anywhere and is quite childish. The romance in this is also slightly childish but it really works. The story never seems forced and goes at quite a nice pace as well.

Art: Ghibli....They really are my bane when it comes to animation. I find their art very ugly, their reuse of characters makes them terrible in my book. Many of their people look exactly the same in every movie and they don't make a conscious effort to improve their craft. You will never however, see another Porco, and his design I quite enjoyed. The rest of the characters dont' stick in my mind at all.

Sound: Old. The sound effects and music used are quite dated, but the movie itself is dated so it altogether works out quite nicely. Some of the sound effects made me laugh, they're incredibly old, but again, they really work for the mood of the film.

Character: Nothing incredibly outstanding. The subtle charm of these characters is something you really have to see. They seem shallow, and some of them are, but there is a level deeper to them, and this, to me, is Miyazaki's greatest achievement with this film. The movie doesn't really allow for a lot of evolution with the characters, but the way their history is revealed is quite cute.

Enjoyment: I love this movie. There were a few boring parts here and there, but all in all the movie is amazing. This definitely has the magic that people who rave about Miyazaki keep raving about. It's here, and if he wasn't directing this film it would have turned out terribly, if you've never seen a Miyazaki film before, or love him without knowing why you do, definitely watch this film, because most likely you'll find out.

A watchable movie, although nothing really to talk a lot about.

The flight aspect was interesting, but there was a lack of depth in the story. The best thing going for it was the director/directing. The light-heartedness gave the movie a nice calm aspect. Some of the scene/backgrounds were amazing for not real life.

I enjoyed the build up of the "fight" but it ended up disappointing, the movie's ending was also disappointing. They summed up the story or ending in about 10 seconds.

Often Miyazaki takes his work with a mixture of drama and whimsy, but Porco Rosso is a wonderful look at Miyazaki's funny bone and how the Walt Disney of the anime world can get a few good laughs while still being the same Miyazaki we know and love.

Porco Rosso is the story of a 1930s Italian pilot who is inexplicably also a pig. To further things, this premise, outside of a few intentionally bad puns, is played completely straight. What really surprised and delighted me about the story is how little attention is called to why Porco is a pig, an absolute departure from other ... Miyazaki lore. Rather, the story is kept simple focusing on Porco's grudge with an American pilot, Curtiss, and how he plans to restore his honor after being shot down at a most inopportune time. The story is fairly light-hearted, holding a few dramatic moments, but most of it is set up for a string of chuckles via visual gags, unexpected dialogue, and the fact that the main character is a pig and no one really cares.

Porco is a fantastic character, never playing up the pig bit and often going against what you'd think someone turned into a pig would do. He's actually a very smart and well-thought-out character, who has a good bit of history to his life but refuses to let his past dictate who he is. All of the supporting characters are very strong well-rounded characters in their own right. Among them, Gina and Fio carry the Miyazaki tradition of strong female characters who don't defy the masculine world but firmly and forcefully integrate themselves into it as equals among their male counterparts. Other characters like Curtiss and the pirates make for great comedy relief and antagonism without going overboard or overstaying their welcome.

Of course, Porco also continues the tradition of amazing Ghibli animation featuring gorgeous instances of continuity, trademark character designs, and massive attention to detail. Nothing is skimped on in the art portion of this. It is dated though, and the key animation tends to show it by being jerky from time to time, it doesn't interrupt with the narrative at all.

With a Miyazaki feature, Joe Hisaishi naturally comes along for the ride with the sound department. As usual, the BGM is in tip-top shape and the aria-like insert and closing are very pleasant as well. Voices especially are dead on, especially Porco's which fits his role to a T.

Overall, I was very pleased with Porco Rosso. It's a welcome depature from Miyazaki's other movies. Yes Miyazaki does do whimsy, but Porco is Miyazaki's only feature to really border on actual comedy, and he pulls it off quite well. It's yet another treat from the still-growing filmography of the legendary director.

Overall, I give Porco Rosso an 8 out of 10.

Porco Rosso is one out of Hayao Miyazaki's (and musically speaking, Joe Hisaishi's) many masterpieces. In Hisaishi's usual fashion, the score masterfully sets the mood of the setting and the characters. Along with the music, the playful sense of humor exhibited in the script and the characters' interactions brought me at ease. In the English dubbed version, Porco Rosso and Fio Piccolo are voiced by Michael Keaton and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, respectively. Both do a great job of portraying Porco's tough and cunning personality and Fio's innocent yet determined nature.

Overview
Porco Rosso is a Frog Prince story taken to spectacularly romantic heights. The proverbial frog is in this case an ace pilot of a pig, Marco, who turns his back on fascist 1930`s Italy to be a pirate chasing bounty hunter. The film explores how he came to be the pacifist he is through his pirate hunting adventures and two distinct love stories that he gets involved in. With love portrayed both as the innocent arrow of cupid, and also the evolution of a deep relationship over time, set in pre-WWII Italy, centered around a grandiose imagining of the exotic and heart pounding life style ... of a sea pilot, Porco Rosso is so romantic that some adventure-loving sheltered girl somewhere in the world is probably swooning and gushing over it this very instant.

Story & Characters
Like most Miyazaki movies, Porco Rosso doesn`t follow the general plot structure of a Hollywood flick of this nature where the entirety of the plot is spent layering the conflict between hero and villain until it builds up to the boiling point that is the climax. The inevitability of the climactic confrontation is clear early on, but instead of spending the film hyping up the dramatic bang, we get a look into Marco`s business as usual life as well as his relationships with a childhood friend, Gina, and a whelp of a mechanic, Fio. The final dogfight is the airshow spectacle it promises to be, but the real payoff comes with learning about Marco and his associates.

This story is far from a realistic portrayal of warfare and pirate hunting. Who knew that gruff and unkempt pirates would be full of maternal instincts when handling child hostages? In typical Miyazaki fashion, killing intent is absent in the violence, and malice is absent from criminals. It has all the adventurous notions of an Indiana Jones without even an ounce of villainy. Children can easily appreciate the visual beauty and the lofty, loosely historical fantasy world without any objections from their parents, while only teenagers and adults will be able to empathize with the understated but deep affection Marco shares with Gina. In contrast, Fio`s love is more in line with the romance that Ghibli has produced in the past: it is beautiful and sweet, perhaps an emotion as wonderful as any, but upon reflection is no more than youthful infatuation. The romances provide nostalgic and heartfelt moments while the softie pirates and a gaudy american womanizer lighten up the drama.

Music
The music is a bit glaringly two faced, but fitting in an odd sense. You have circus music tracks that go with the antics of the goofier characters. The blaring tubas, trombones and cymbals feel perfectly in line with the farce that is babysitting pirates. Then there are the string centric orchestral pieces that capture well the melancholy bitter sweet of Marco`s relationships. The film itself draws clear bounds between the comic and the romantic, and the wildly different tracks plays into it.

Animation
If the animation is judged solely on the loveliness of Miyazaki`s imagined Italy, there would be nothing to criticize. The aesthetic is not as eye catching as his more recent works; the colors aren`t gaudy or luscious, but its muted palette is in its own way captivating. Its his ideas themselves, from Gina`s island villa, to Marco`s deserted island paradise, to the quaint bar where Gina plays lounge singer nightly, captivating pirates and bounty hunters alike, that convey romance and beauty more than a color palette can. It positively makes you want to roll all around it as a tourist, but alas, such an Italy could only reside in one`s imagination. Where the animation falters, and I use this word relative to other Miyazaki works, is in the plain human animations. In Totoro, Spirited Away or Kiki`s Delivery Service, there are segments of life like animation that can stand alone and develop the humanity of the characters with no more than a line or 2 of dialogue, if any. Porco Rosso misses the final dimension, the humanity that can be found in say, either one of Chihiro`s daring explorations of the outside edges of the bath house in Spirited Away. This quality is so rare in anime though that unless you are specifically expected Miyazaki`s wow factor in this regard, you won`t be missing it. The facial expressions still breathe a little bit of his usual visual life into the characters.

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Above all else, this film is a portrait of its characters. While it leaves a few questions unanswered, the characters are fleshed out enough to make reasonable assumptions about the more important ones. The alternative, a happily ever after ending would be too conclusive and abrupt to fit the complex relationships that were established. Unlike Kiki, Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke,Porco Rosso doesn`t have a coming of age, or environmentalist message that can be gleaned and summed up in a single sentence. It`s a beautiful story that`s narrow in its focus on romantic ideas, but broad in the variety of emotions it can express with such a focus.

i'll start off by saying that its not an anime i would recommend watching again. i personally liked the action parts of it, but the emotional part of the movie was pretty boring/uneventfull compared to the action. there are those movies that have emotions mixed in with action, well this one keeps them seperate and makes it boring.

other than that everything is exceptional compared to other anime, but as i said, i didn't really like it that much

TL;DR version at the end.

Lets talk about pigs, and American, and how those two correlate with each other.

Story (7/10) :
While story of PR is really a simple one, it's about friendship, love, companionship and other usual stuff like that, it's the presentation of story that shines. Whole thing is pieced together to a beautiful, relaxed, funny and even child plot, you will get what I'm talking about from first few minutes when pig is fighting against bad potato nose people. The flow of it feels natural, there are no real pacing problems or dull moment, every time story slows down there is few comedic moments ... to keep viewer interesting.

Art (8/10) :
Art style is as always with Ghibli works colorful, detailed and a bit westernized, if you looking for usual Chinese cartoon big tits style than you might not like this. It's more realistic but has his own unique, mysterious, kinda even magical twist. Same goes for Animation it's really fluid and insanely focused on small things, like for example starting scene when pig face dude tries to set his engine on. This type of focus on detail is notable in any Miyazaki work.

Sound (8/10) :
Similarly to animation and art style OST is also well put, it never seems out of place. Music tone set for an adventure like it should with this type of show. As far as Dub vs Sub, well both are good, I'm usually a sub person cause, but Ghibli always get insane dubs. The only problem with dubbed is lips movement is way off, but if you can deal with it watch dubs just for Keaton.

Characters (6/10) :
Well characters are simple, not much memorable, besides piggy, well and maybe ginger chick. (Fio) Others besides main two are mostly just there two be there and are not much focused on, and as usually with movies there is not much time for strong development or big well made character pool.

Enjoyment (6/10) :
It was quite fun, a breath of fresh air to be honest, but it's also was a bit lacking and simplistic. If you are in the mood to just chill and watch something not really serious this is a thing you need. Otherwise just wait for that rainy day wheer there is nothing more you want to do and then give it a shot.

TL;DR:
Pigs are beautiful, don't be racist, show pigs some love, watch Porco Roso.

"Piuttosto che diventare un fascista meglio essere un maiale."
(I'd rather be a pig than a fascist [?])

This was the sentance that made me think that Porco Rosso is the best animated movie i've ever seen so far.

In a nutshell, the story of Porco Rosso is about Marco Pagot, a hydroplane pilot who was transformed by a mysterious spell into a manlike, anthropomorphous pig, and for this reason he is known as Porco Rosso.
And I'll just say this, because the less you know of the movie and the more beautiful it will be when you see it, if you decide to do.

And now, time for ... my opinion: THIS IS AMAZING. 11/10. All the films from the Studio Ghibli were great and fascinating, but Porco Rosso, in addition to having that, it has one of the most charismatic character ever (in my opinion).
Because in an Italy just after the First World War, Marco just wants to be free and continue to fly, against violence.
In a part of the film, he says:
"Un maiale che non vola è solo un maiale"
(a pig that doesn't fly is just a pig)
A phrase that really hit me.

Great story that mixes reality with fantasy, excellent dubbing (I've seen the movie in Italian because is my main lenguage) Awesome characters, and I indeed had a lot of fun whatching Porco Rosso. And I want you to watch it too, because it deserves it.


I apologize if I made some mistakes, as I said before, the Italian is my main language and I'm still learning English.

art: All the women look the same. As in they all have the same face. This is a problem shared by all Miyazaki films and not just this one. At least Porco Rosso has a unique face. The art isn't very detailed, and the characters have only 1 level of shading (base color + a light shadow). So it's quite a simplistic art design, so I expected good animation.

Animation: I didn't go through this movie frame by frame but the airplane movements were pretty smooth. The choppiness was not noticeable except for a few scenes. However I didn't notice any particularly fluid scenes either, ... like the fluidity of VHD:Bloodlust. So probably very little if any single framing in this movie. Overall it's better than TV quality, but it's not particularly smooth.

Choreography: There was only one fight in this movie and it was a slugfest. There was no attempt by either participant to dodge or parry or block any attack. Instead they just swung wildly, taking all the hits, like two drunks. So the choreography really isn't anything to write home about.

Conclusion: Not as good as people seem to think. Art is not particularly detailed, animation is not particularly smooth, and the fight choreography really sucks ass.

Right off the bat, Hayao Miyazaki is amazing. And of all the amazing films he has done, this one is among the best.

As most Studio Ghibli films are, the art is good. It felt like a cartoon still, which I like in an anime, if it's too realistic the enjoyment level goes way down.

It had a story that made me wonder why it hasn't got a manga tie-in. Also it had scenes of much excitement and beauty.

Overall, it's a Miyazaki masterpiece worthy of a manga tie-in. It contained humour, excitement and action.

An anime worth watching. If you haven't seen it buy it online ... right now!

Porco Rosso is one of my all-time favorites, when it comes to anime movies, and especially when it comes to studio Ghibli works.

I'm a big fan of Miyazaki, and I've pretty much enjoyed every one of his works, from Totoro to Mononoke hime.

But this, unlike most of his works, this movie doesn't share a message about environment and humans trying to destroy it. Hence, this movie focuses on a young man, who became a pig, after certain events(something like prince Ashitaka from Mononoke).

I loved this story mostly because it's somewhat realistic, and the story doesn't fade away into fantasy that much.

This movie was like a ... chronicle of something that really happened, something that I found much more closer to us humans, then it was with Spirited Away, for example.

Story:
As I said before, story involves a male protagonist, who became a pig, after certain events in his life. He abandoned pre-war Italy and it's aviation and became a bounty hunter, being famous for his outstanding skills with sea-plane.
I found the story surprisingly entertaining and enjoyable. The plot had it's flow without any major setbacks, and the message of the movie is quite brilliant.

Art:
I really think that Studio Ghibli can't make a mistake when it comes to animation.
Each and every one of their movies blew me away, when it came to this aspect.
Vast mediterranean landscapes, drawn with vivid and live colours will take your breath away, and the way they managed to catch a pre-war atmosphere with portraits of the people in Italy, and imagery of famous cabarets is really stunning.

Sound:
I watched Porco Rosso with English dubs(yeah I'm well aware of the mistake), and found it still quite good, but not as good as original japanese dub. Disney made a really great effort, and they did a good job, but it's still a copy of the original.

Characters:
Oh, this is the major problem of Porco Rosso, and mostly all of studio Ghibli's works.
If I asked you know, do you remember any characters from this movie that aren't Porco, there's a great chance you won't remember their faces.
All of the side-part characters are drawn almost "faceless" and they all look the same to me, so at the end, you only remember the unique face of Porco Rosso.

As I said, the combination of fantasy and realism surprised me, when I expected to deal with something like Miyazaki's usual works. The theme and settings in the Europe felt closer to me, as I'm from Europe too(mediterranean in a matter of fact).

All in all, I feel that Porco Rosso is really underrated, as I find this piece of work to be much more enjoyable than Spirited Away.

Enjoy.

One of my favorite emotional reactions is that of smiling all the way through something only to then feel a hole in my chest. Alongside Chihiro, this is perhaps Miyazaki's most bittersweet title, but unlike the former, there is no danger in Porco Rosso. It's wholly lighthearted and whimsical, and yet manages to touch hearts, evoking unexpected melancholy and with a final sequence capable of devastating most viewers. Marco himself is such a lovable pig and protagonist he causes instant longing once credits roll. Much like when I remember old folks who used to hang around, never for long, it's only happy memories that arise. ... I wish they'd show up again, but for the most part, they're gone for good. To be able to bring about such sentiment in spite of its silly exterior displays an enormous sensibility and craftsmanship which unfortunately is doomed to pass unnoticed to many. The feelings shall persist though, hopefully.

A film by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, Porco Rosso is a story set in the 1930’s not long after World War I. Its setting is focused in the “Adriatic Sea,” which is presumably the Mediterranean Sea based on the current events of the release time, the conflict in Yugoslavia and Eastern Europe.

The story is about Marco Rosso, and due to certain circumstances is a pig. Rosso is a former Italian fighter pilot and retired to a small island in the Adriatic Sea as a bounty hunter. The pirates in the area and Rosso during their off time spend it on a small resort island ... run by a woman named Gina, an old friend of Rosso. However, the pirates are fed up with the pig and get an American pilot named Curtis to take “care” of him. Due to events that occur from there, Curtis and Rosso become rivals in the sky. Rosso sees old friends, and one in particular has a daughter (Fio) whom is very good at plane design.

The characters are very similar to ones portrayed in Miyazaki’s Future Boy Conan (1978) minus Conan of course. There is not enough time for development, but the character’s past is where to really connect with them. Finding out about Rosso’s past is a powerful moment filled with symbolism and sadness. Characters surrounding Rosso, like Gina (past) and Fio (present) are also typical Miyazaki by being extremely strong-willed and breaking traditional female personas. Others are fun with small humour, but still stick with the overall story.

Art, animation, music (Joe Hisaishi) never miss a beat as is to be expected. Compared to some other Ghibli films, this hovers on the boarder of a comedy with some darker elements thrown in for the time. Naturally, Porco Rosso delivers just as much as the Miyazaki and Ghibli productions before it. Fantastic to say the least.

Studio Ghibli does not fail to impress me. What a enjoyable movie.

Story - 10/10

The story is very innovative and still manages to keep to its history as we are told that Italy is in fact fascist and has the secret police. The story hooked me from the very start and didn't let go until the end.

Art - 8/10

As always the art and animation in these movies is fantastic. It is very pleasing to the eye to witness the scenery as well as character design.

... Sound - 7/10

Sound was good, nice and beautiful music to satisfy the viewers. I really enjoyed the gun noises and the sounds for the action sequences.

Character - 10/10

Porco was very well designed and had an interesting background as well as his fantastic and funny sayings through out the movie. "Id rather be a pig than a Fascist" . The young girl played a huge part to the story too and didn't fail to give porco a run for the top spot. As well as that the pirates were a great comedy addition and I found my self laughing at their ideas and actions.

Enjoyment - 9/10

I didn't get one bit board while watching this movie. I was fully awake and watching it and enjoying every single thing happening. I though the voice acting was great and the interesting characters are able to keep the viewer watching and needing to find out more and more until bang the movie is over!

Overall - 9/10

The movie deserves a good and solid 9. I think in my opinion it is very well preserved for a movie that is that old and should definitely be more discussed for the younger generations to come. I found the whole movie mesmerising and i was laughing away to my self through the movie. Overall a really good watch you don't want to miss out on.

Easily the most underrated Miyazaki film. Simultaneously a nostalgic adventure film and a meditation on the ways in which war creates wounds in some of us that can sometimes never truly heal. An absolute love letter to animation of both the east and the west and an utter delight to watch. Porco himself is pure Humphrey Bogart, brooding and full of a wry wit. Fio is a classic Miyazaki girl: strongheaded, noble, ambitious, and fiercely independent. And for the perfect cherry on top, Porco Rosso contains what may be Joe Hisaishi's best soundtrack to date; a beautiful combination of Gershwin-esque orchestral jazz and Old Hollywood ... film scores. Better than Howl's Moving Castle and even Princess Mononoke and I will gladly die on that hill.

Story/Characters: 9/10
Animation: 10/10
Music: 10/10

Overall enjoyment: 10/10, had a big dumb smile on my face for nearly the entire film.

"Something something fascism"

I can't help but notice that a lot of people who love this anime tend to quote a certain line about fascism that's uttered in it. I get the strange feeling that some people conflate current real world events with historical events, and use media aimed at children to re-confirm their beliefs. That's cringe.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I was disappointed by this movie. Studio Ghibli-films are nearly always held in a very high regard by most people, but every time I put one on it's like I've just spun the chamber of a revolver in a ... Russian roulette-game, there's a solid chance that the movie is going to be very good, even a masterpiece, but there's also the risk that it's going to be a beautifully drawn dud that just leaves me bored at the end. Sadly, Porco Rosso comes much closer to the latter outcome than the former.

Maybe I am just the wrong age group, I never saw this anime as a child, and it does seem aimed at children in some ways. Nevertheless, when watching it as an adult I can appreciate the beautiful art and animation, but the story is meandering and doesn't really go anywhere. There's violence in it and allusions to death, but there's not much consequence to the violence we see happen, which just feels strange to me (are we in a dangerous situation, or are we not?). Everybody seems to love the main character, but I have no clue as to why, he's not especially charismatic. I guess he's heroic and helps people, but is that enough for every woman in the movie to fall for him? I don't know, just seemed a bit strange and un-earned.

All in all, 6/10, perfectly fine to put on if you are bored and want to watch something pretty, but it's not exactly a Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke.

The thing I've always loved about Miyazaki films is his inability to not only create beautiful worlds with color and perfect detail, but that ability to take an audience member (even one in his twenties) and make him truly believe that this world exists. I sat there, watching an ANIMATED film and started to think, "hey, I bet this place actually exists in the real world" They are so perfectly designed, how can anyone not think they don't?

This beautiful world is actually Italy, in the 1030s. And air pilots rule the skies. The two biggest rivals in the world of bounty hunters, high ... fliers and all different sorts is the pig humanoid Porco Rosso, and his notorious Nemesis, Donald Curtis. Rosso, once an air pilot himself, now rescues people from air pirates like Curtis. One, a beautiful women that Rosso instantly falls in love with, Gina is captured by Curtis and his rag-tag group of pirate buddies, that ends with Rosso and Curtis (along with Curtis's right hand man Mamma Aiuto Boss voiced in the English version by Brad Garrett with real hilarity and even intensity) dueling it out in an all out air battle that is quite impressive to watch and of course, hilarious is reminiscent of some of the great Western flicks that end with a shoot out at the O.K. Corral.

People are always confused as to why this is my favorite Miyazaki film, of course I've seen "Spirited Away" and "Princess Mononoke" which are considered his finest achievements. But the simplicity, the cuteness, the flavor if you will that went into this story, a story about air pirates and pig faced men, would seem ridiculous and maybe not even work. But Miyzaki's work, always works, he is the Japanese Disney after all. And he gained that title by creating these worlds and having the ability to transport his audience into these worlds at the same time, and that is the mark of a create creator of animation entertainment.

This twenty year old is hooked, and will be for a long time.

Take care Everyone.